Earth Science Week Classroom Activities

No Child Left Inside Activity

Be a Paleontologist!

Grade Level: 3-12 Earth and Life Science

Activity Source: Developed by the American Geosciences Institute for the first No Child Left Inside event in 2008.

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Background

A paleontologist is like a private investigator, searching for clues and evidence of past life. These clues, preserved in sediments or rocks, are called fossils. In this activity, students are asked to think like private investigators working on a case: Where is paleontological evidence of past life likely to be discovered?

Materials

  • Paper and pencils for notes

Procedure

  1. Take a short walk outside and consider the landscape. If you were a paleontologist, in which of the environments nearby would you expect an animal or plant fossil to be preserved?

  2. Think about how fossils are preserved. Are they preserved in places where sediments are deposited or where sediments are eroded? Would a fossil be preserved on a basketball court? Why or why not? Would a fossil be preserved in a muddy area near a stream or lake? Why or why not?

  3. What types of rocks would have fossils in them? Would igneous and metamorphic rocks contain fossils? Would sedimentary rocks? Why?

 

Standards and Connections

NGSS

  • Disciplinary Core Ideas: ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth; LS4.A: Evidence of common ancestry and diversity; LS4.C: Adaptation
  • Science and Engineering Practices: Analyzing and interpreting data; Constructing explanations; Planning and carrying out investigations
  • Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and effect; Patterns

 

Sustainability Connections

  • SDG 15: Life on land– Studying fossils helps understand biodiversity and conservation.