EELB 532 Science Lesson Plan Part 2

Your names: Melanie Valencia & Amanda Cortez

Grade level: 3rd
Lesson: Exploring Fossils

1) Context of this lesson:

Before this lesson:
● The students will learn about the environments that different organisms lived in,
including the geological eras of Earth.
After this Lesson:
● The students will learn that is some habitats organisms can survive and in other
habitats they cannot.

2) Standards:
3-LS4-1. Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms
and the environments in which they lived long ago.

3) Content Knowledge:
● Students will learn what a fossil is, how they form, and the different types of
fossils.

4) Learning Objectives:
● Students will be able to determine evidence about a fossils environment, what
type of organism it was, and how it was formed, by working in collaborative
groups to conduct a research project.

5) Common Misconceptions:
1) Fossils are dinosaur bones.
2) Fossil is something that is dead.
3) Fossils are something that is extinct.

4) Cultural Relevance considerations and planning for conceptual change

Throughout the year, we will strive to connect to students by building trustful and
safe relationships with them. By doing so, they will feel more comfortable to take
learning risks without worrying if they are doing something wrong. Not only do we want
them to feel comfortable with us as teachers, but also with their peers. Thus, we will
build those relationships by establishing cooperative groups and going over the
expectations of them working together. As they work in groups for some parts of our
lesson, they will be able to take each others perspectives into consideration which will
strengthen their knowledge.
5) Materials
➢ Fossil Set (at least 15 fossils)
➢ Fossil Station Exploration Worksheets (class set)
➢ Station Numbers (to place on tables for station rotations)
➢ Pencils/Crayons/Colored Pencils/Markers
➢ Chromebooks (class set)
➢ Magnifying Glasses (at least 5)
➢ Post-it Notes (class set)
➢ Poster Paper/Chart Paper

6) Description of your lesson

Engage: KWL Chart & Fossil Picture Discussion

● Description of the activities

1) There will be a blank KWL displayed for the class and students will work
with two different partners to do a think/pair/share on:
a) What are fossils? Have you ever seen one?
2) After talking with two different partners students will individually write
things they know (prior knowledge) about fossils on a sticky note and put
them on the KWL poster chart, the K (what they know) section.
3) As a class discuss what students would like to learn about, have them
write their response on a sticky note, and put them in the W (what they
want to know) section.
4) Show class examples of fossil pictures come up with characteristics as a
class and ask questions such as:
a) What do you think it is and why?
b) What environment do you think it came from?
c) How do you think it was made?

● Embedded formative assessment

o We will be conducting an informal assessment by observations and
responses on the KWL chart and in the class discussion about the
fossil pictures.
Explore: Fossil Station Exploration

● Description of the activities

o There will be 5 stations set up at different tables. There will also be
station numbers, to keep rotations organized. At each station there will
 be 3 different fossils that have similar characteristics along with one
magnifying glass. Collaborative groups will be assigned and the
students will rotate through each section with their individual “Fossil
Exploration Station” worksheets. The rotations should be timed at
approximately 3 minutes per station. Students will work together to fill
out their individual worksheets where they must:
● Draw their observations of each fossil
● Predict what kind of environment the fossil lived in
● Predict how it formed
● Predict what organism it used to be

● Embedded formative assessment

o We will be conducting both an informal and formal assessment. The
informal assessment will be observing and recording the group
discussions that occur during the stations. The formal assessment will
be the responses recorded on the worksheets.

Explain: Fossil Research Project

● Description of the activities

○ Students will work in groups and research the fossils on their
chromebooks.They will have a rubric for guidance about what the
projects expectations and requirements which will be explained before
the they start their projects.
○ As they complete the project they will compare their worksheets and
their observations with the research they conduct from their
chromebooks.
○ Students will conclude if their predictions/ideas about fossils was true
or false, and what fossil it actually is. Then they will write individual
responses on a post-it notes, and place it on the L (what I learned)
section of the KWL chart. (*the KWL chart was started during the
engage section of the lesson)

● Embedded formative assessment

○ We will conduct an informal assessment about students understanding
by observing them as they research. We will take note of the
discussions they are having with their groups and what information
they are finding and using. We will also informally assess their
individual responses on the L (what I learned) section of the KWL
chart.
a) Elaboration: Comparing & Contrasting Two New Fossils

● Description of the activities

o In groups students will compare two fossils (dinosaur bone & bug
caught in amber), and they will characterize the differences, determine
the environments they both lived, and what type of organism the fossils
were.
o A class discussion will be held and students will answer questions
through think/pair/share:
● What similarities and/differences did you find among all
of the fossils?
● What parts of (current) animals do they think the fossils
may resemble, and why do they think that?
● What do they think caused the fossils to form and how?

● Embedded formative assessment

o We will be conducting an informal assessment by observing whole
class and collaborative group discussions while considering students’
responses.
b) Evaluate

● Description of the activities

o Students will present their research projects (created during the
explain section. They will be presenting to the class and each group
has to write down something new they learned based on each groups
presentation. After they present, those questions can be asked and
answered by the group.
● Embedded formative assessment
o We will be conducting both an informal and formal assessment. For the
formal assessment we have a rubric for the presentations and will be
grading them on their ability to answer the following: What organism
was their fossil? How it formed? What environment it is from? They will
also be graded on presentation & detail. For the informal assessment
we are observing the discussions that take place based on the peer
questions at the end of each presentation.

What organism How was it What environment

is this fossil? formed? is it from?
Presentation:
Everyone participated
and the poster is
organized.

3- Meets expectations
2- Almost meets
expectations
1- Needs Work

Detail:
Facts about fossil is
accurate and well-
explained.

3- Meets expectations
2- Almost meets
expectations
1- Needs Work

7) Accommodations for ELL’s

● Working with two seperate partners to think/pair/share to discuss responses for
KWL chart and access prior knowledge.
● Working in cooperative groups at stations during Explore stage.
● Differentiate resources used for ELL students. For example, provide ELLs with
text that is more appropriate to their reading level.
● Having them use most of the “Gearing Down” techniques.

8) Gearing up/ Gearing down

● Gearing Up
○ Students who need more of a challenge will conduct their research project
based on comparing and/or contrasting two different fossils of their choice.
In addition, they will be allowed to work independently if they choose. Last,
they will be allowed to choose which type of presentation they would like
to give such as poster board or PowerPoint.

● Gearing Down
 ○ Struggling students will be given support throughout the lesson. For
example, during all written portions such as the KWL chart, sentence
frames will be created for them to allow them equal opportunity to
participate. Also, directions for each phase of the lesson will be explained
to them ahead of time in private to insure they understand the
expectations. Moreover, during the research project, they will be paired
with students who will help them succeed and I will monitor their progress.
Last, they will be provided with online links to utilize in researching their
fossil.

9) References
● 5E Fossil Lesson Inspiration:
Carrier, Amber. “5E Lesson Plan - Fossils.” Prezi.com, 11 Mar. 2015,
prezi.com/4z0q_3ioyxuf/5e-lesson-plan-fossils/.

10) Handouts/Journals
● FOSSIL STATION EXPLORATION WORKSHEET:
file:///C:/Users/Daniel/Downloads/Fossil%20Station%20Exploration.pdf
● LINKS FOR FOSSIL RESEARCH: https://www.dkfindout.com/us/dinosaurs-and-
prehistoric-life/fossils/