3-LS4-1 Evidence of Life in the Past (Fossils) Lab

Description

3-LS4-1 Evidence of Life in the Past Lab Preview

SNAPs Lab Stations Activities require students to use science, math, literacy, problem-solving and engineering skills. They are designed to enhance students’ understanding of scientific concepts and help students apply scientific ideas to the real world. Each station activity promotes skills so to develop students into proficient and competent scientific thinkers.

SNAPs lab activities have five components:
• Science Skills Station to develop science skill proficiency
• Narrative Station to build science literacy
• Assessment Station to evaluate learning and understanding
• Problem-Solving Station to foster engineering design
• Synthesis Station and Project to inspire higher-order learning

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DIGITAL LABORATORY – DISTANCE LEARNING & DIGITAL CLASSROOMS
• This lab is offered in a digital format to support digital classrooms & distance learning.
• The digital lab activity is designed to work with Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint
• The digital lab activity CANNOT be edited. However:
– Students can manipulate text boxes
– Students can create tables, graphs and diagrams
– Students can insert images and drawings

GOOGLE FORM ASSESSMENT STATION
• The assessment station is offered as a self-grading Google Form.
• Questions are all short answer and are 100% editable.
• Suggestions for use are included in the download.

DISTANCE LEARNING COMPATIBILITY
SNAPs lab activities are rated for their ease with distance – independent learning. Refer to the preview for more information about how well this laboratory works in a fully digital classroom and with distance learning.

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EDITABLE DOCUMENTS
This download includes an editable word document (docx file) of all lab components:
• Pre-Lab and Post-Lab Activities
• The Lab Overview
• Lab Station Activities and Questions
• Directed Synthesis Project (when applicable)

Important Notes:
• Diagrams, illustrations, tables and graphs essential to lab activities are included
• Illustrative clipart is NOT included
• Editable documents and rubrics are included with the FREE SNAPs Setup Guide

Editable files allow you to:
• Edit the scope of the activities so to suit your students’ needs
• Edit the materials required based on resource availability
• Create single-period “mini-labs” using activities at the individual skills stations

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The activities at each station in this lab are detailed below.

Evidence of Life in the Past Stations Activity Learning Objectives
1. Discuss the role of fossils in understanding Earth’s history.
2. Explain how fossils provide evidence of organisms that once lived long ago.
3. Analyze and interpret fossils so to make predictions about the environments in which organisms lived long ago.
4. Identify the limitations in using fossils to understand Earth’s history.
5. Model the process of fossilization so to better understand why some organisms are easily fossilized whereas others are not.

Science Skills Station
At this station, students will “travel” to the Grand Canyon. They will learn how the Grand Canyon provides a place for scientists to study rock from present-day to nearly two billion years ago. Students will examine fossils found at the Grand Canyon to understand changes in the area’s climate and the organism that lived there changed. Students will also watch videos where scientists discover unlikely fossils in different areas.

Narrative Station
Students will watch read a passage and watch short videos at this station. They read a passage and watch a video about the process of fossilization. They will watch a video about how dinosaurs form fossils. If time allows, students will watch a video about using fossils as evidence for evolution and how scientists determine what an organism, like a dinosaur, looked like using fossils.

Assessment Station
At this station, students will answer questions about key terms and ideas relating to fossils and how they act as evidence for life in the past. Students must employ lower, mid and higher order thinking skills to answer these questions.

Problem-Solving Station
Students will model the process of fossilization at this station. Students will blend arts and science so to create fossils of plants and “animals.” Students will also explore how researchers use computer models and simulations to bring ancient animals “to life.”

Synthesis Station
Students will compose a CER (claim-evidence-reasoning) report to summarize the lab. Students are provided the claim statement and must support the claim with observations, data and other information gathered in the lab. Students will explain how the evidence supports the claim using scientific reasoning.

Synthesis Station
Students will compose a CER (claim-evidence-reasoning) report to summarize the lab. Students are provided the claim statement and must support the claim with observations, data and other information gathered in the lab. Students will explain how the evidence supports the claim using scientific reasoning.

Synthesis Project
Students will have a choice of 11 projects. Refer to the SNAPs Lab Stations Best Practices and Setup Guide for directions and suggestions on how to conduct the project.

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This download includes:
• A pre-lab assignment and post-lab reflection
• Directions and questions for each lab station
• Student recording sheets
• Teacher Key

Additional Materials Required:
3 Computers or tablets
Plastic cups
Plastic spoons
Plastic knives
Modeling clay or air-dry clay (such as model magic) (approximately 3 oz per student)
Plaster of Paris powder (one cup per student)
Water
16 oz ice cream cups (or similar size)
Small plants or leaves
Toy dinosaurs or other animals

LINKS TO VIDEOS
This laboratory requires internet to access videos. Videos are hosted on SafeShare.TV so to safely watch and share educational YouTube videos without ads, comments and other distractions. Shortened and full link(s) to SafeShare.TV included. Full link to original YouTube video(s) included.

NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS
This laboratory satisfies NGSS 3-LS4-1. It combines the three dimensions of science learning – science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts – to meet the standard. This lab also makes interdisciplinary connections to STEM, Math CCSS and ELA CCSS to build the appropriate skills.

TERMS OF USE
• All rights reserved by Stephanie Elkowitz.
• This product is to be used by the original purchaser only.
• Intended for classroom and personal use only.
• Copying for more than one teacher, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited.
• This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view.
• Failure to comply is a copyright infringement and a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).