Activity 11 P2

Many scientistsbelievethat all the continentswerejoined at one time. This super continentis calledPangaea.Dinosaurremainshave beenfound on every continent. A. Tell studentsthey are going to be paleontologists.Readthe BackgroundInformation or sharea book aboutpaleontologists.Explain that today's assignmentwill be to search for fossils.Give studentsa copy of Attachment12.Ask studentsto glue the page in their joumals. Showthe paleontologist's tools and discusshow they can help find fossils. B. Discusssafetypaleontologistsuse at dig sites.Review safetybefore taking students outside.(no running,no throwing dirt or fossils,etc.) Ask studentsto begin carefully searchingfor fossilsand placingtheir findingsin a plasticbag.Take a pictureof each studentdigging. Llavestudentsbring their fossilsback to the classroomfor investigation and usethe Paleontologist'sPagein their journals to write a summaryabouttheir dig. to recordtheir work as a paleontologist. They shouldincludea pictureof themselves C. Cut two 36-inchpiecesof yam and tie the endstogetherto make two circles.Lay the circles on the floor. In one circle, place a note oardwith the word animal written on it. In the other circle. placea note card with the wordplont on it. Ask studentsto try to decide if eachfbssil is from a plant or animal,then placetheir findingsin the appropriategroup. Have studentscountthe fossils in eachgroup and recordtheir findings on butcherpaper. Ask thernto think of other ways to group the fossils.Help label the groups.Have students place the fossils in the appropriategroupsand count items. Recordfindings.

I

I I

i

I I

I

t "t

I

D. Have studentscreatea fossilnecklace.Takestudentsoutsideto find a small leaf or stick. Go backto classand give eachchild a smallpieceof quick-dryingclay. Ask studentsto shapetheir clay into a rock shape.Ask studentsto presstheir naturefinds into the clay to leavean irnprint.Make surestudentsmakea hole for a pieceof string.Allow the clay to dry. Rereadthe first paragraphof the BackgroundInforrnation. When the fossils are dry, ask studentsto threada string throughthe hole and tie the endsto createa necklace.

I

I

J i

!

t

E. Show childrenthe world map andtalk aboutthe theoryof Pangaea.Explain that some paleontologists believethe continentsbeganto move apart.During this time, the ice from the north beganto melt and many continentswere underwater. Choosestudentsto Ask studentsto join handsto showthe continentsconnected. representthe corrtinents. Have studentsshakeand breakaparl.Use a white sheetto show how the ice meltedand covereda lot oieach continent.This theoryexplainsrvhv thereare dinosaurfossilson OMcCee-Keiser-{cademicEnrichment Programs