Name: Lucy Frey Date: March 4, 2014 Content Standards(s):

Lesson Title: Fossils Grade Level: Preschool

Must be from at least 2 different content areas. Use no more than 2 standards. Domain: Cognitive Development and General Knowledge, Science Strand: Science Inquiry and Application Topic: Inquiry-Explore objects, materials and events in the environment. Domain: Approaches Toward Learning Strand: Creativity Topic: Innovation and Intervention -Use imagination and creativity to interact with objects and materials.

Developmental Skill(s): Social, Cognitive, Physical, Language Instr. Objectives

No more than 2

Assessment of Student Learning Identify Evidence: What will you collect or record to
demonstrate students have met your objective/s?

Learning Experience Must include: Enough detail for someone else to teach the
lesson if you are not there. Include only authentic materials and minds-on-learning. Hook Activity: (two small groups with at least one adult leading each group) Ask the students if they have ever seen a fossil and if so, ask if they know how a fossil is made (chart the students answers to these questions). Start of Experience: Put examples of real fossils on tables and explain how there are different kinds of fossils, casts, and molds. Ask the students to analyze what is imprinted in each mold fossil and ask them what they think the imprint is (chart these answers as well). Next, take out portioned materials (portioned prior to experience): 4 cups of used coffee grounds, 2 cups of cold coffee, 4 cups of flour, 2 cups of salt, wax paper and a mixing bowl. As you pour each of the materials into the bowl, tell the students how you are modeling the process objects go through to become fossils. Scoop out about a 1/4 of a cup of the mixture for each student. Have them knead and flatten the dough somewhat with their thumbs (explain to them that this is similar to the silt that the animal or leaf rest on to make a fossil). Have each of the students place the object that they brought in (leaves, shells etc.) in the center of the dough and press down firmly leaving an imprint of the object in the dough. Explain to the children how this is like the process of fossilization-some animals were quickly buried after their death (by sinking in mud, being buried in a sandstorm, etc). Over time, more and more silt covers the remains of the animal or object, protecting it from environmental effects and allowing the fossilization process to occur. Once the children make the imprint, have them remove their objects from the newly formed imprint and leave them on the wax paper squares in front of them so they can fully harden and become a fossil. Lastly, have the students wash their hands before starting the next classroom activity.

Objective/s: The student will be able to... Construct a fossil using fine motor skills, imagination, and creativity to interact with objects and materials found in the environment. Analyze fossil imprints found in the environment through describing the fossils and verbally identifying the objects in the fossil.

I will collect pictures of the students constructing their fossils, make a chart of the different materials students brought in to imprint their fossils, and write down on chart paper how each student described each fossil and what they said was imprinted of the fossil.

Aggregate/Compile Evidence: How will you aggregate or

compile your evidence into a class or group view?

I will compile on a poster each students description of the fossils. I will hang up the fossils that each student made and tape what they said their imprint was on the back of their fossil. I will also have a checklist of who was able to use their fine motor skills to complete the task and who could not complete it.

Modifications: If a students hands are not strong enough to knead the dough and flatten it, the teacher can knead the dough and then have the student place a heavy object on the dough such as a textbook and press down to flatten it. Then have the student repeat the same textbook process to help the child imprint the object onto the fossil.

Interpret the Evidence: What have you learned about your

students and your teaching and what are you going to do about it? This is part of your reflection after the lesson.

Looking back on my fine motor skills checklist I learned that a few of my students struggled kneading the dough and pressing their object into the dough. Therefore, to improve their fine motor skills I need to put clay and play dough as one of the learning centers so the struggling students can strengthen those muscles. Looking at the chart paper, I learned which students were able to make detailed observations showing the complexity of their language development and which students still needed scaffolding to come up with descriptions of the objects. To improve the struggling students language development, I can implement more lesson plans that have to do with observing different objects into the curriculum. Therefore, the students can work on their analysis skills and the descriptive verbs needed to complete this process.

What will the other adults in the room be doing? Any parents in the room will be helping pass out the dough and the wax paper to each student. The co-teacher will help compile data such as taking pictures of the students imprinting their object into their fossil and the co-teacher will also help complete the fine motor check list.

Lesson Plan Format