Lesson Plan Guide

Teacher Candidate: Terra Douglas Date: 12/2/18

Grade and Topic: 4th grade/ Fossils Length of Lesson: 60 minutes

Mentor Teacher: School: East Side Elementary

UNIT/CHAPTER OBJECTIVE/GENERALIZATION/BIG IDEA:

● The objective of this unit is for the student to be able to identify biological changes and similarities in organisms
from the past and present.

LESSON OBJECTIVE:
● Given a comic strip, students will identify what a fossil is and how it gives information about the past in
3 ways.

STANDARDS ADDRESSED:
 4.LS4: Biological Change: Unity and Diversity
Obtain information about what a fossil is and ways a fossil can provide information about the past

MATERIALS:
● WIFI and internet accessible devices (computes, tablets, etc.)

BACKGROUND and RATIONALE:

● The key concept for this lesson is identifying what a fossil is and how it tells about the past.
● This lesson builds on previous lessons about how an environment changes and the ability of an organism to
survive because of these changes.
● To build on this lesson, the teacher can go into extinctions and what causes organisms to become extinct.

PROCEDURES AND TIMELINE:

● Introduction: The teacher will begin the lesson by asking the students about their prior knowledge on
fossils. This will get the students thinking about the lesson. The teacher can then give basic facts about
fossils and a simple definition. The teacher also might ask the students why paleontologists would want
to study fossils. (5 minutes)
● Procedures:
1. First, the teacher will direct the students to open their web browser. They will type
“https://www.dkfindout.com/us/dinosaurs-and-prehistoric-life/fossils/” into the search bar. The
students will then open another tab and type in the link for the guided notes Google Docs folder. The
students will open the document and edit the document by filling out the blanks in the guided notes
document. (20 minutes)

2. Once that is complete, the students will open another tab and type
“https://www.amnh.org/explore/ology/paleontology/layers-of-time2” in the search bar. The students
will complete the 3 levels of this interactive activity. (5 minutes)
3. Lastly, the students open another tab and type http://www.toondoo.com/Home.do?param=log&msg=1
into the search bar. They will log in and hover over the drop down menu “toons” and choose create
toon. The teacher will explain to the students that they will be creating a toon about fossils and giving
 3 ways fossils give information about the past. When finished, the students will print off their comic
strip. (20 mintues)

● Closure: To close this lesson, the students will be asked to show the class their comic strip and tell one
new and interesting thing they learned about fossils from the resources used. (10 minutes)

ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE:
● The formative assessments of this lesson are the completion of the guided notes and completion of the 3 levels of
the interactive activity.
● The summative assessment of this lesson is the completion of the comic strip that defines a fossil and lists 3 ways
fossils tell about the past.

MODIFICATIONS:
● Enrichment modifications would include listing ways fossils can help us know more about the future.
 Name:

Fossils Worksheet
https://www.dkfindout.com/us/dinosaurs-and-prehistoric-life/fossils/fossil-hunters/

Fossil Hunters:
1. They examine the different parts of a fossil to understand the_________, _______, __________, and ___________ of
a plant or animal when it was alive.
2. The youngest person to find a fossil was an American boy named David Shiffler. He was just three years old when he
found a piece of a fossilized _____________ _______ in _____________.
How fossils form:
1. For example, many fossilized animals died in ______ and quickly sank into the mud on the bottom.
2. The most ancient fossils found so far are _____ ________ years old.
Jurassic coast:
1. It is called the __________ ________because the cliffs contain fossils dating from the Jurassic period (_____-145
million years ago).
Living fossils:
1. ______ can be used to show how animals and plants have _________ enormously since life on Earth began.
2. But some plants and animals alive today are amazingly similar to fossils that are many millions of years old. These
organisms are called “______ _______.”
Museum fossils:
1. Fossil bones are ______, delicate, and ________ ________, so they are usually stored away to protect them from
_________.
2. Most _________ skeletons contain several __________ individual bones.
Types of fossils:
1. Many fossils are of shells, bones, or teeth that have been turned to stone by a process called _____________.
2. Fossils of more than ____ different animals and plants have been found at the La Brea Tar Pits in California.
What is a fossil:
1. Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals and plants. They form by a process called ________________.
2. However, most fossils are found when the rocks of the landscape are worn away by _____ and water, exposing fossils.
Where are fossils found:
1. These fossil sites show where ____________ lived, during different periods that lasted millions of years.
2. Mary Anning discovered many fossils that had been revealed by ___________.