Layers and Laws Lesson Overview
The Law of Superposition and Index Fossils
Students will develop an understanding of how fossils give scientists clues as to what the early Earth was like in the past. Students will also show how fossils can be used to relatively date rock layers using the Law of Superposition and index fossils.
Resources
Download the Lesson Plan
Download the Worksheet
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| Duration 2 Class Periods (90 Minutes) |
Setting Classroom or Lab |
Grouping Partners |
PTI Inquiry 3.4, 3.6, 5.3 |
| Lesson Components | Time | Inquiry Skills | Tech. Used | Engage Level | Brief Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engage | 10 min | 3.6, 5.3 | Computer with Projector or Overhead Projector | 3 | Students look at a set of tracks made by suspects in a robbery. Using the clues, students have to figure out who was the thief. |
| Explore | 40 min | 3.4, 3.6, 5.3 | none | 3 | Students sequence cards with sketches of fossils to make inferences and develop an understanding of how rock layers are deposited. |
| Explain | 10 min | 3.4, 3.6, 5.3 | none | 2 | Students explain their sequencing of the cards and provide evidence for their inferences. Students make predictions about the ecosystem at the time that the fossilized organisms existed. |
| Expand | 45 min | 3.4, 3.6, 5.3 | none | 3 | Students choose one of the fossil layers from the Explore section, and draw what the climate of the Earth was like during that time based on the fossils. |
| Evaluate | 10 min | 3.4, 3.6, 5.3 | none | 1 | Written assessment |
| Level of Student Engagement | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low | Listen to lecture, observe the teacher, individual reading, teacher demonstration, teacher-centered instruction | ||
| 2 | Medium | Raise questions, lecture with discussion, record data, make predictions, technology interaction with assistance | ||
| 3 | High | Hands-on activity or inquiry; critique others, draw conclusions, make connections, problem-solve, student-centered | ||
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