Fossil Hunt
(Looking for fossils with 1X)
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SOARING
AT
LSU
SOAR
Summer
Workshop
2000
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| Grade
Level: 4 - 8 |
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Author’s Name: Mignon Morgan
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Activity
Subject: Earth
Science
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| LA
State Standards:SI-E-A4, ESS-E-A7 |
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Summary of
Exercise: Teachers use Earth
Science materials or kit (See References) to help students sort through
a mixture of small gravel to select pieces which might be fossils. They
examine the finds with a hand lens, a SOAR, and, perhaps, a stereomicroscope.
They compare their finds to drawings of the types of fossils included in
the sample to identify the fossil organism.
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Materials: SOAR,
stand, television (with VCR if desired), Earth Science materials kit containing
1 tsp (15 ml) gravel sample which includes fossils for each student, hand
lens, small dish, neutral colored (preferably not white) or gray card,
forceps, clear tape, chart of fossils. See References.
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Procedure:
1. Teacher gives each pair of
students 1 tsp. of gravel sample in small dish.
2. Students shake dish to arrange
gravel in single layer.
3. Students look at sample with
hand lens to select possible fossils. They remove the fossils from the
sample with the forceps and place them on the card. A loop of wrong-side-out
or double stick tape helps to hold the fossils and keep them from rolling
off the desk.
4. Students examine their fossil
cards with the hand lens and use the chart to aid identification.
5. Student pairs take turns using
SOAR Set-Up 4: Stand & View (30X) to look at their most interesting
finds. The removable tip may be removed so that cards may be easily moved
around or replaced. Press the SOAR ON button several times to determine
the best lighting (polarized or reflected) for the samples.
Videotaping as the student pairs
work with the SOAR will allow the class to review the whole collection.
A stereomicroscope may be used
to allow students to see additional details of their fossils. |
References:Find-a-Fossil-Lab
from Wards Natural Science, 1-800-962-2660, FAX 1-800-635-8439 (www.wardsci.com).
Item # 50-H0050, $19.95. Replacement gravel, Item #50-Hoo52, $12.95
per pound.
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Pictures:
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Gravel sample (1X Stand and View)
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Selecting the fossil (1X Stand and View)
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Selected fossil (30X Stand and View)
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Selected fossil (A 50x lens was used.)
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Crinoid--a sea lily. (30X Stand and
View)
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Crinoid stem section (30 X Stand and
View)
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Sometimes we find a print
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Sometimes it's only a pebble
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A Bone! A Bone! (30x)
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Same bone (50x)
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