suggested
grade levels: 9-12 / Collegeview Idaho achievement standards for this lesson
Fossilization
& Taphonomy
suggested
grade levels: 9-12 / College
view Idaho achievement standards for this lesson
Objectives:
1. Students will be exposed
to the Digital Atlas of Idaho.
2. Students will understand how living things can form fossils and that scientists
can study these fossils to learn about ancient life forms.
Procedure:
Encourage your students to use the geology section of the Digital Atlas of Idaho.
Have your students work alone or in small groups. Let them explore the geology
section of the Digital Atlas, advise them to pay careful attention to the fossils
section and the basics section. Have them use their knowledge to complete the
following worksheet. Click below for a printable pdf copy of the handout for
your students. To get there: Click on Atlas Home, then on Geology.
Tour the Fossils and Basics links
Handouts/Activities:
These are links to access
the handouts and printable materials.
geo5ho.pdf
| geo5AK.pdf
| Geology
Handout
Sample:
Taphonomy is the study of the process of fossilization. Fossils are the remains
of past life forms. Scientists can learn a lot about past life forms by studying
fossils. However, very few things form fossils because conditions have to be
right in order for fossilization to occur. Use your knowledge and the Digital
Atlas to answer the following questions:
1. What is paleontology and how it is different from archaeology or anthropology?
2. How old must a sample be, before it can be considered a fossil?
3. What conditions favor the formation of fossils? How might this cause the fossil record to be biased?
Related
Lesson Topics:
Geology: Geology Topics