KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate: Amanda Tini and Brie Wise Date: 10-26-16

Cooperating Teacher:
Group Size:

24

Subject or Topic:

Dr. Varano

Coop. Initials

Allotted Time 1 class; 45 minutes

Fossils

Section

Grade Level 4th

4

STANDARD:
Standard - 3.3.4.A3

Recognize that fossils provide evidence about the plants and animals that
lived long ago and the nature of the environment at that time.

I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes): The students will recognize that fossils
provide evidence about plants and animals that lived long ago and different types of
fossils by completing an exit slip.
II. Instructional Materials
A. Fossils PowerPoint (see attached)
B. 24 Guided Notes
C. 1 large container of model clay (split in half/ one half for each center)
D. Fossil Items bag- 23 items in bag
E. 24 cups half way filled with Plaster of Paris (1 per student at cast fossil center)
F. 3 measuring cups (students to share)
G. 24 spoons (1 per student)
H. Checklist (see attached)
I. 24 Making a Fossil worksheets
J. 24 exit slips
III. Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea, outline of
additional content)
A. Prerequisite skills
a. Basic knowledge on the rocks and their formation.
b. Basic knowledge on how rocks stay on Earth for a long period of
time.

B. Key Vocabulary
a. Fossils- remains of a once living organisms that have been preserved
by nature
b. Body Fossils- fossils of the actual organism is preserved
c. Trace Fossils- fossil with evidence of the organism but not the
actual organism is preserved
d. Permineralization- When an organism dies and sediment enters the
body the minerals often enter the pores replacing the organisms
tissues
e. Mold Fossils- an imprint is made and the imprint is fossilized
f. Cast Fossils- an imprint is made and filled in with minerals and then
fossilized
g. Paleontologist- scientist who study fossils
C. Big Idea
a. The basic understanding of a fossil as a type of rock and how
different types of fossils portray different characteristics.
D. Content
a. Information that fossils tell about the Earths past.
1. How long life has existed on Earth.
2. What kinds of organisms lived on Earth millions of years ago
and are now extinct.
3. Understand how animals on Earth evolved.
4. The environments and living conditions of the Earth
b. Fossils
1. Remains of once living organisms that have been preserved by
nature.
c. Paleontologist
1. Scientist who studies fossils
d. Fossils can be classified in two ways.
1. Body Fossil
a. When the actual organism is preserved in the fossil.
b. Examples include bones, claws, and teeth of the actual
organism.
2. Trace Fossil
a. A fossil that has evidence of a once living organism, but
not the actual organism is preserved.
3. Fossils can be preserved in different ways, which give the
fossils different characteristics.
a. Permineralization
i. When an organism dies and sediment enters the
body, minerals often enter the pores of the
organisms and replace its tissue.
ii. Commonly seen in wood and bones.
b. Mold Fossils
i. An imprint of a once living organism is made
and then that imprint is fossilized

c. Cast Fossils
i. An imprint of a once living organism is made
and then minerals fill in the imprint before
fossilization occurs.
IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
a. Open the lesson by showing students a picture of a dinosaur.
1. Have the first slide of the power point up on the SMART board
before asking the question.
2. Ask students, Who knows what the animal in the picture is?
a. Call on student for the answer.
3. Next, tell the students to raise their hand if they have even seen
a living dinosaur before.
a. Assume no one will raise his or her hands.
4. Then, ask the students, So how do we know that dinosaurs
existed if we have never actually seen one in real life?
b. Tell the students to pair up with a partner to discuss their answer to
the question.
1. Give 2-3 minutes for students discussion.
2. Ask students to share their answers to the given question with
the class.
3. Discuss students answers.
a. If no one brings up fossils, ask students, Does anyone
think rocks can give us information about once living
organisms?
c. Click to the next slide of the power point.
1. Use dinosaur fossil picture to explain that these rocks that give
us information are called fossils.
d. Pass around the examples of fossils.
1. Give one to each table and then tell the students to rotate them
after they have looked at it.
2. Ask students to raise their hands to describe what they see in
the rock.
B. Development
a. Provide students with the guided notes sheet. (See attached)
b. Move on to the next slide.
1. Review the information that fossils can give us about the
Earths past and connect the information to the students
response to the opening question if possible.
c. Proceed through the rest of the power point by explaining all of the
given information on the slides.
d. Direct students to the pictures on each slide after reviewing the
information.

e. Allow time for students to fill in their corresponding guided notes

sheet.
f. On the last slide, Compare and Contrast, ask for student volunteers
to come up to the SMART board to fill in the information of the
differences and similarity of mold and cast fossils.
g. Tell students that they are going to be making their own fossils.
h. Walk around to the students and have them pick out an item from the
paper bag labeled, Fossil Items.
1. This bag is filled with a variety of objects for students to use as
their item to fossilize.
i. After all students have picked an object to fossilize, divide the
students into two groups.
1. Split up the student into groups by placing 11 students in one
group and 12 in another for a total of all 23 students.
j. Tell both groups that they will complete both fossil-making stations
where they will make a mold fossil at one table and a cast fossil at
another.
k. Invite all students to the front table to watch the steps of both
processes.
1. Have modeling clay and an item to fossilize ready at the front
table.
2. First, tell one group that they will start at the mold fossil station
and the other that they will start at the cast fossil station.
3. Show the mold fossil process first.
l. To begin, explain to students that they are to create a flat, round
shape with the other half of the modeling clay, which will act as the
base when the fossil will form.
m. Once the piece of clay is formed to the flat and round shape, model
how the students place their item into the clay.
1. Explain that they should press their item slowly and firmly into
the clay in order for all of the details of their item to show.
n. After the item has been formed slowly remove the item from the clay
and show the resulting clay to the student.
o. Tell the students that the imprint in the fossil is how a mold fossil is
made.
p. Next, show the process of creating a cast fossil.
q. Tell the students that they are going to create another type of trace
fossil.
1. Tell students that they are going to take about a handful of clay
and then split it in half.
2. Repeat the step of making the one half of clay flat and round
like we did in the mold fossil.
3. Press the item into the clay like shown in the mold fossil.
4. Using that half of the clay that was set aside, model how to
build a wall around the their imprint in the fossil.

r.

s.
t.

u.
v.

w.

5. Next, take the premade cup of Plaster of Paris and pour about 1
ounce of water in the cup.
a. Make sure that the mixture is a still a liquid, but thick
enough to where is will dry.
6. Take the spoon and stir the mixture.
7. Quickly after the mixture has been made, pour it onto their
imprint up until the top of the wall they put around it with clay.
8. Tell students that the mixture dries quickly and they should
pour it over their mold as soon as it is mixed well.
9. Explain to students that it takes about 5 minutes to dry and
during those 5 minutes they will clean up their area (place the
fossil on the table by the window)
10. Before students return to their seats, tell them to grab a
Making a Fossil worksheet. (See attached)
a. Students will fill in this worksheet during their process
of fossil making at both centers.
11. Ask students if they have any questions on the process of
making each fossil.
Tell one of the groups (either one) to go to the mold fossil activity
and the other to go to the cast fossil activity.
1. Have students take the Making a Fossil worksheet before
going to the center.
Have students go to their center to complete make the first part of
their fossil using the same steps that were modeled.
Each station will be set up on opposite sides of the room with:
1. The premade tray includes 1 large piece of clay
2. 23 cups of Plaster of Paris (only at cast fossil center)
3. One container of water for the two students to share
4. 23 spoons (one per student) (only at cast fossil center)
5. 3 measuring cup for the students to share (only at cast fossil
center)
Tell students that they may begin once they arrive at their table.
Walk around the class with a check sheet of students names to
record who is completing the process correctly for understanding.
(See attached)
1. Give students assistance when necessary.
2. Make sure students are filling out the Making a Fossil
worksheet as they are completing the process of making the
fossil.
Give students 10-15 minutes to complete the steps.
1. Once all students are done at the first center ask them to clean
up and switch centers.
2. Students who completed the cast fossil-making center should
place their fossil on the table near the window to dry.
3. Tell students to bring their object to fossilize to their next
center. (if they started at the mold fossil making center, allow

x.
y.

z.

aa.

ab.

ac.

students to bring their fossil with them to cast fossil center or

they may put in in their desk for the time being)
Tell students to begin once they arrive at the next center.
Walk around the class with a check sheet of students names to
record who is completing the process correctly for understanding.
(See attached)
1. Give students assistance when necessary.
2. Make sure students are filling out the Making a Fossil
worksheet as they are completing the process of making the
fossil.
After 10-15 minutes when everyone has completed the second
center, have the students clean up and return to their seats.
1. Monitor the students and assist when necessary in cleaning up.
2. Tell students to have their completed Making a Fossil
worksheet at their desk.
3. Review the worksheet with the students and have students
explain their answers on the worksheet to review the fossil
making processes with the whole class.
Once the worksheet has been reviewed and discussed, have students
get their cast fossils from the table by the window.
1. Under the doc cam, how the students to first peel off the wall
surrounding the first mold.
a. Give them time to peel off the wall.
2. Once the wall is off, flip the mold over so that the modeling
clay is on the top.
a. Give them time to follow the direction.
3. Model how to peel off the remaining layer of clay so that the
student created fossil is shown.
a. Give student time to complete the task.
After the students have their fossil exposed have students compare
their two fossils together and ask the students How does the mold
fossil look different from the cast fossil?
1. Looking for the answer that the mold one is indented in the
clay and the cast is raised.
Provide students with a zip lock bag to take home their fossils.
1. Have the students put their fossils in their backpacks.

C. Closure
a. Ask student to join on the carpet for a story.
1. Read the story, Fossils Tell of Long Ago by Aliki
2. After reading the book ask students, What did you learn about
fossils and what can they tell us about the Earth long ago?
3. Then tell students to return to their seats.
b. Give each student the exit slip (see attached) that they will use to
paste in their foldable for the day.
1. Tell each student that they will complete the exit slip on their
own.

2. Once they are done with the exit slip, have them past the entry
into their foldable.
3. Tell students to place the foldable on their desk once they are
finished
D. Accommodations/Differentiation
a. Accommodation: Frank, a student with a learning disability will be
provided with multiple choice questions rather than open-ended
questions on the exit slip to aid his memory skill deficit.
b. Differentiation: On the Making a Fossil worksheet the students can
choose their either write or draw to explain their answers to the
questions.

E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
a. Formative
1. Use Rocks and Fossils Observation Checklist when
observing student understanding during the Making a Fossil
activity.
2. Collect exit slips.
b. Summative
1. There is no summative assessment for this lesson.
V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Student Performance in Terms of Stated Objectives (Reflection on
student performance written after lesson is taught, includes remediation for
students who fail to meet acceptable level of achievement)
Remediation Plan
B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught. Reflective
answers to question recorded after lesson is taught)
a. Will the modeling be helpful to the students or will I need to explain
more while they are individually working?
b. How will I present the information so that it is comprehensible and
relatable to the students using the power point I made?
VI. Resources (in APA format)
Brain Pop Educators- https://educators.brainpop.com/bp-jr-topic/fossils/

CK-12: http://www.ck12.org/user:dxrhac1vzxitzg9llnbhcnruzxjay2sxmi5vcmc./book/4thGrade-Science/section/4.1/
Learning About Fossils Through Hands-On Science and Literacy
Learning From the Polar Past Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears:
http://beyondpenguins.ehe.osu.edu/issue/learning-from-the-polarpast/learning-about-fossils-through-hands-on-science-and-literacy
Mad Stuff with Rob: How to make a Dino Fossil DIY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=tdEid6IC94c
Study.com- http://study.com/academy/lesson/fossil-definition-types-characteristicsexamples.html
Utah Education Network- http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview?LPid=11137
PowerPoint Images- Google Images