DOCUMENT RESUME ED 392 638 SE 057 968 AUTHOR Camp, … · DOCUMENT RESUME ED 392 638 SE 057 968 AUTHOR Camp, Carole Ann, Ed. TITLE Invitations to Evolving. Teacher-Friendly Science

DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 392 638 SE 057 968

AUTHOR Camp, Carole Ann, Ed.TITLE Invitations to Evolving. Teacher-Friendly Science

Activities with Reproducible Handouts in English andSpanish. Grades 3-5. Living Things Science Series.

REPORT NO ISBN-1-886172-11-0PUB DATE 95

NOTE 50p.; For other booklets in the series, see SE 057967-972.

AVAILABLE FROM Ash Grove Press, Inc., 19 Elm Street, SouthDeerfield, MA 01373 ($5.95 single copy soldseparately; $29.95 set of six, plus shipping andhandling).

PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use 7eaching Guides (ForTeacher) (052) Guides Classroom UseInstructional Materials (For Learner) (051)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS *Biology; Elementary Education; *Evolution;

Paleontology; *Science Activities; ScienceInstruction; Worksheets

IDENTIFIERS American Association for Advancement of Science

ABSTRACT

This booklet, one of six ir the Living Things Scienceseries, presents activities about evolution which address basic"Benchmarks" suggested by the American Association for theAdvancement of Science for the Living Environment for grades 3-5.Contents include background information, vocabulary (in English andSpanish), materials, procedures, extension activities, andworksheets. The worksheets are presented in both English and Spanishversions. Suggestions for use of the activities include using studentgrouping, a related readings center, and journal keEping. Activitynames are: "Homo Sapiens"; "Cats, Dogs, Birds, and Fish";"Characteristics for Survival"; "Hide and Seek"; "Fossil Models";"Digging Fossils"; "Bones, Bones, and More Bones"; "Then and Now";'oihere Did That Come From?" "and "Time Travel." Lists of fiction andnon-fiction readings are included. (MKR)

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

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2 B COPY AVAILARIP

INVITATIONS

TO

Evolving

Teacher-Friendly Science Activities

with reproducible handouts in English and Spanish

Grades 3-5

Carole Ann Camp. Editor Kee lin Sabel. Illustrator

Elizabeth Adam

Tammi Frechette

Jean Hansen

Deborah Hayn

Margaret Herzberg

Happy Hill

Matthew Jacobs

Margaret Job

Diane LaFreniere

Carol Menard

Mary-Ellen Nienstadt

Cindy Partridge

Cheryl Smith

Julie White

Carmen Wonsong

LIVING THINGS SCIENCE SERIES

Ash Orme Press. Inc.

LIVING THINGS SERIES

Life's Diversity

Heredity:. Generation to Generation

Cells: Life's Building Block

Interdependence: Caught in the Web

The Matter-Energy Cycle

Evolving

All books are available from Ash Grove Press, Inc., 19 Elm Street, South Deerfield, MA01373. For more information or to order call 1-800-834-4200. The books are sold separatelyfor $5.95, or as a set of six for $29.95, plus shipping and handling.

A percentage of every sale is contributed to groups and organizations which work towardcreating a safe and healthy world.

Copyright by Ash Grove Press, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by anymeans--graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, or informationstorage/retrieval--without written permission of the publisher unless such copying is expresslypermitted by copyright law. The exceptions to the foregoing statements are the reproduciblehandouts within these units which may be reproduced for non-commercial educationalpurposes without written permission.

ISBN: 1-886172-11-0

Printed in the United States of America

Ash Grove Press is not liable for any accidents that occur in the classroom related to theactivities contained in Living Things.

Is a trademark of Ash ( irove Press, Inc.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The editor acknowledges the help of many people, especially the teachers in "Science In The ElementaryClassroom" at Eastern Connecticut State University, who contributed many of their ideas and whosenames are listed on the title page. In addition Ash Grove Press would like to thank our readers: JoanLangley and Katie To Iles and our translator, Deb Gonzalez We would also like to thank Stephen Lobofor vital technical and emergency computer assistance.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introducticl

Related Reading for Invitations Center 2

Vocabulary 4

Invitation 1 HOMO SAPIENS 5

Invitation 2 CATS, DOGS, BIRDS, AND FISH 7

Invitation 3 CHARACTERISTICS FOR SURVIVAL 12

Invitation 4 HIDE AND SEEK 19

Invitation 5 FOSSIL MODELS 23

Invitation 6 DIGGING FOSSILS 25

Invitation 7 BONES, BONES. AND MORE BONES 26

Invitation 8 THEN AND NOW 27

Invitation 9 WI IERE DID THAT COME FROM? 35

Invitation 10 TIME TRAVEL 36

Science Journal Handouts 37

INVITATIONS TO EVOLVING

Individuals of the same kind differ intheir characteristics.

Sometimes the differences give indi-viduals an advantage in surviving andreproducing.

Fossils can be compared to one anotherand to living organisms according totheir similarities and differences.

Some organisms that lived long ago aresimilar to existing organisms, but someare quite different.

INTRODUCTION

Evolution is the gradual change from oneform to another. Geologic evolution is theprocess the earth has undergone. Organicevolution is the continuous change that hasoccurred in living things.

Charles Darwin is credited with explain-ing evolution throw,. i the process of naturalselection. Natural selection is the mechanismfor the historic changes that lead to evolution.Environmental changes can lead to changesin species based on natural selection. Theseeventually lead to evolutionary changes.

Fossils tell us the history of plants, peo-ple. and animals that lived long ago. Someof these organisms are similar to organismson the planet today, and some are quite

different.The concepts listed above are addressed

by the invitations in this book. Due to thenature of the interdependence of all things,some activities address aspects of one ormore of these concepts and are highlightedby bold print in the concept section of eachInvitation. The concepts in this invitation

address the ones suggested by the AmericanAssociation for the Advancement of Sciencefor the Living Environment for grades 3-5. Inaddition, these invitations help students beginto understand that gradual change has takenplace on the earth for a very long time.

SCIENCE JOURNAL

Encourage students to keep journals oftheir observations and to reflect on these ob-servations as they struggle with the conceptsof evolution. The students can create theirown format for their science journals, theteacher can suggest a format, or the repro-ducible pages at the end of this book may beused.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

The activities in this Invitation can bemanaged in a variety of ways. Studentsshould have many opportunities to work to-gether in groups of 3-4 students. By sharingand working together, students will be able tovalue their fellow students contributions, aswell as begin to realize that the process thatthey are experiencing is similar to the wayscientists work.

If it is possible in your classroom, iden-tify one area, desk, or table, as "Invitations toEvolving." In this center include books fromthe resource list and extension activities.

Some aspects of these Invitations aremore appropriate for the younger students,while other aspects are better for older stu-dents. Teachers should feel free to adapteach activity for their particular students

RELATED READING FOR INVITATIONS CENTERNon-fiction

Arnold, Caroline. Dinosaur Mountain, Grave-yard Of The Past. New York: HolidayHouse, 1990.

Bender, Lionel. Animals of the Night. NewYork: Watts, 1989.

Berger, Melvin. How Life Began. New York:Doubleday, 1991.

Bright, Michael. Tropical Rainforest. NewYork: Gloucester Press, ! 991.

Cole, Joanna. Evolution. New York: HarperTrophy, 19:7.

Eldredge, Niles, et. al. The Fossil Factory: AKid's Guide to Digging Up Dinosaurs, Ex-ploring Evolution And Finding Fossils. il-lus., Kelley True and Steve Lindblom.Reading, MA: Addison Wesley, 1989.

Facklam, Margery. And Then There Was One.San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1990.

Freedman, Russell. They Lived With The Dino-saurs. New York: Holiday House, 1990.

Guiberson, Brenda Z. ,S'poonhill Swamp. NewYork: H. Holt & Co., 1992.

Helmsley, William. Jellyfish to Insects: Pro-jects With Biology. New York, Watts,1991.

Jaspersohn, William. I lmv the Forests Grew.New York: William Morrow & Co., 1980.

Kirkpatrick, Rena K. Look .41 Shore Mil-waukee: Raintree Press, 1985.

Lampton, Christopher. Endangered Species.New York: Watts, 1988.

Lasky, Kathryn. Dinosaur Dig. New York:Morrow Junior Books, 1990.

Lauber, Patricia. Summer of Fire. New York:Orchard Books, 1991.

Lauber, Patricia. Living With Dinosaurs. NewYork: Bradberry Press, 1991.

Lindsay, William. Barosaurus. New York:Darling Kindersley, Inc., 1992.

McMullan, Kate. Dinosaur Hunters. illus.,John R. Jones. New York: Random House,1985.

Matthews, Ruppert. The Age qf Mammals.New York: Watts, 1990.

Mitchell, Andrew. Wildlife Of The Raitrforest.New York: Mallard Press, 1989.

Moody, Richard. Prehistoric Life. New York:Exeter Books, 1983.

Pohl, Kathleen. Sunflowers. Milwaukee: Rain-tree Press, 1987.

Sovak, Jan. Prehistoric Mwnmals. New York:Dover Publications, 1991.

Stone Lynn M. Wetlands. Vero Beach, FL:Rourke Corp., 1989.

Time-Lik Books. The Human Dawn. Alexan-dria, VA: Time Life Books, 1990.

RELATED READING FOR INVITATIONS CENTERFiction

Adler, David A. Cam Jansen And The MysteryOf The Dinosaur. illus., Susanna Natti.New York: Viking, 1981.

Anker, Charlotte. Last Night I Saw An-dromeda. illus., Ingrid Fetz. New York:H.Z. Walck, 1975.

Boston, L.M. The Fossil Snake. illus., PeterBoston. New York: Atheneum, 1976.

Brett, Jan. The First Dog. New York: HarcourtBrace Jovanovich, 1988.

Carrick, Carol. Big Old Bones.. A DinosaurTale. illus., Donald Carrick. New York:Clarion, 1989.

Cohen, Miriam. Lost In The Museum. illus.,Lillian Hoban. New York: Greenwillow,1979.

Cole, Sheila. The Dagon In the Cliff A NovelBased On The Lif if Of Mary Anning. illus.,T.C. Farrow. New York: Lothrop, 1991.

Conrad, Pam. My Daniel. New York: HarperCollins, 1989.

Denzel, Justin. Land Of The ThunderingHerds. ilkis.. Brent Watkinson. New York:Philomel Books, 1993.

Forenan, Michael. Dinosaurs. and All ThatRubbish. New York: Thomas Y. Cross el I,1973.

Kellogg, Steven. Prehistoric Pinkerton. NewYork: Dial Books fin Young Readers,1987.

Kraus, Robert and Bruce Kraus. The DetectiveOf London. illus., Robert Byrd. New York:Windhill Books, 1977.

Lowry, Lois. The One Hundreth Thing AboutCaroline. Boston: Houghton, 1983.

Platt, Kin. Darwin And The Great Beasts. NewYork: Greenwillow, 1992.

VOCABULARYThe teacher is encouraged to help students develop their own unique set of vocabulary words depending on

the student's interest, experience, and ability. The following words are primarily for the teacher.

adaptation: the process by which a species becomesbetter suited to its environment

adaptive radiation: the spreading out of a populationthrough adaptation to occupy differentenvironments

adaptive behavior: particular behavior that insuresthe well-being of an animal.

biogenesis: a scientific principle that life arises fromlife

cladogram: a diagram N.% hich shows the evolutionary'

relationship among organisms

coevolution: the process by which two or more spe-cies evolve in response to each other.

convergent evolution: the process by which differentorganisms develop similarities.

evolution: the slow process by which organisms ge-netically change over time.

natural selection: the process by which organismssurvive and adapt to their environments

order: a group of similar families of organisms

organism: a living thing

primate: order to which animals such as humans,apes, monkeys and prosimians belong.

species: a group of organisms that can interbreed w jibeach other and produce fertile young.

vestigial organs: organs which are functionless as aresult of poor development.

adaptación: el proceso por el cual las especiesse ajuten a su medioambiente

radiación adaptativa: la difusivación de unapoblación por medio de adaptación para asiocupar diferentes ambientes

comportamiento adaptativo: comportamientoparticular que asegura el bienestar de unanimal

biogenesis: un principio cientifico que estipulaque la vida surge de la vida

cladograma: diagrama que demuestra lasrelacidnes evolucionares entre losorganismos

coevolución: el proceso par el cual dos o másespecies evolucioen en respuesta de cadacual

evoluciim convergente: el proceso por el cualdiferentes organismos desarrollan similari-dades entre si

evolución: el proceso lento por el cual los or-ganismos cambien genéticamente atravésdel tiempo

selección natural: el proceso por el cual los or-ganismos sobreviven y se adoptan a susmedioambientes

orden: un grupo de familias d organismossimilares

organismo: un ente viviente

primado: orden al cual animales tales comohumanos, simios, monos y prosimiospertenecen

especies: un grupo de organismos cjue peudenprocrearse entre si y que producen shembrasfértiles

organos degenerados: organos que no fim-cionan a causa de un desarrollo inadecenado

INVITATION I

Homo Sapiens

CONCEPTS

Individuals of the same kind differ intheir characteristics.Sometimes the differences give indi-viduals an advantage in surviving andreproducing.


Some organisms that lived long ago aresimilar to existing organisms. but someare quite different.

BACKGROUND

As life evolved on earth, more and moredifferent organisms emerged. Over the cen-turies, scientists have developed a variety ofways to classify the 1.4 million possible spe-cies that are now thought to exist.

One of the present systems has humanbeings classified in the following way:

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Species

Chordata

Mamma ha

Primates

lominidae

I Imo

I lomo Sapiens

Charles Darwin believed that the classifi-cation system provided evidence to supportevolution. One aspect of the theory of evolu-tion suggests that organisms that are similarshare common ancestors.

A species is a group of organisms that arevery similar and can produce fertile off-spring. Most species cannot produce fertileoffspring with ether species. However, anexception is the offspring of dogs andwolves.

Members of a species share at least oneinherited characteristic not found in other or-ganisms. There are also a great many varia-tions within the species. Polar bears, forexample, have white hair that helps them sur-vive in the snowy tundra. All human beingsbelong to the species Homo Sapiens, but eachhuman being is also unique. One contributingfactor for these differences is environmentalconditions.

In addition to the concept highlighted forthis Invitation, the authors hope that this In-vita ion will help students appreciate and af-firm liversity.

MATERIALS

newsprint

magic markers for each group

PROCEDURE

I. In small groups. have su.dents brainstorma list of characteristics that are true for allHomo Sapiens. When the list is c(-n-pleted, have students note in another col-umn the variations found in each of thesecharacteristics. For example, Homo Sapi-ens have two eyes, but eye color differs.All Homo Sapiens have hair on theirheads. hut colors di tier. and amount ofcurl differs. All Homo Sapiens are cov-ered with skin, hut skin color differs. Seesample on next page.

2. When groups have finished, have eachgroup share its list with the class.

3. Help students refine the list until about 10characteristics and their variations can beagreed upon by the class.

4. Select 4 or 5 from the list. For each one,list the variations possible. For example,eye color: blue, black, brown, hazel,green, gray, amber. If a trait selected iscontinuous like height or weight, suggestdiscreet categories. For example, height:27-30 inches, 31-34 inches, etc.

5. In a large space in your room or on theplayground, and using the selected cate-gories from step #4, have students gatherin groups according to category. For ex-.ample, students with blue eyes in onegroup, brown eyes in another, etc. Countthe number in each group and record onboard or newsprint.

6. Regroup according to variations for an-other trait. Record numbers.

7. Calculate the percentage of students ineach sub-group.

8. For discussion: Will the percentages holdfor a larger group? For example, if 50%of the students have blue eyes will 50%of the people in the school. town, coun-try, world have blue eyes?

9. Have students create a data collectionsheet that will help them sample a largerpopulation. For younger students 3-5traits will be enough. For older studentsyou many want to try more.

10. When survey forms have been refined,have students survey other people in theschool. (Remind them not to interviewparticipants that already have beensurveyed!)

11. Pool the class data. Calculate percent-ages. Discuss results.

HOMO SAPIENS

True for all Homo Sapiens Variations

Two eyes colors: hazel, blue, black,brown, green, amber,graY

Hair on head colors: brown, red,blond, black, auburn,gray, whiteamount of curl: straight,tight curls, wavy

Covered by skin colors: brown, black,sand, pink, olive, tan,beige, tawny, bronze,ivory, fawn, mocha,freckles:

INVITATION 2

Cats, Dogs, Birds, And Fish

(CONCEPTS

Individuals of the same kind differ intheir characteristics.Sometimes the differences give indi-viduals an advantage in reproducingand surviving .


Some organisms that lived long agoare similar to existing organisms, butsome are quite different.

BACKGROUND

The classification system proposed byCarolus Linnaeus is based on the fact thatthere are different degrees of similarityamong organisms. Mountain lions resemblehouse cats, but not guppies. He believed thatthe similarities exist because the organismsdescended from a common ancestor. In evo-lutionary history, the more two organisms aresimilar, the more recently they shared a com-mon ancestor. The ancestor of a house catdiverged from the mountain lion a few mil-lion years ago, while the ancestor of the catand the ancestor of the guppy probably di-verged about 390 million years ago.

MATERIALS

pictures of' cats, dogs, birds. ti.;h, as manyvarieties as possible or enlarge pages 8-11.

science magazines with pictures of dogs,cats, birds, and fish that can be cut up

7

PROCEDURE

1. Divide class into 4 groups: cats, dogs, birds,fish. Give the set of dog pictures to the doggroup, etc.

2. Have students list similarities and differencesfound within the set of pictures for their group.

3. Invite students to find pictures of other ani-mals that belong to their group.

4. In journals, have students reflect on how thedifferences within that particular group helpthat animal survive. Share reflections withintheir goup.

5. As a class discuss the differences betweendogs and cats, cats and fish, etc.

6. Research ancestors of each group. For exam-ple, some scientists believe dinosaurs are an-cestors to birds.

7. In journals, reflect on how the differences be-tween the ancestors and the descendants haveevolved. How have the changes helped theanimal to survive? What may have happenedthat caused the changes?

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

Research the life and theories of CharlesDarwin, Carolus Linnaeus, H. B. D. Ket-tlewell. Charles Willson Peale, Jack Hor-ner, J. William Schopf, Louis Leahy, JeanBaptiste deLamarck, Alfred Wallace

Identify vestigial structures--remnants ofan organism's evolutionary past that hasno present function. For example. appen-dix in I lomo Sapiens

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INVITATION 3

Characteristics For Survival

ONCEPTS


Sometimes the differences give indi-viduals an advantage in survivingand reproducing.



BACKGROUND

Survival is often correlated to an organ-ism's ability to adapt to its environment.There are various body traits that can beidentified as well as various ways species be-have. Natural selection takes place when or-ganisms of a species survive and reproduce.This produces organisms that are betteradapted to their environment. It usually takesa long time for change to happen throughnatural selection. Charles Darwin was one ofthe first people to develop the idea of naturalselection. This activity is designed to discussways organisms adapt to protect themselves.

MATERIALS

one animal picture for each student. I ryto have an even number of animals withshells, skin, feathers, fur, color, and pat-terns or enlarge pictures on pages 1 4-1 8.

six pieces of ribbon and paper clips

set of labels page 13

12

PROCEDURE

1. Staple a ribbon to each label. Display onwall or on board.

2. Distribute animal pictures randomly tothe students. Have the students attachtheir animal to the category that is mostimportant for that animal's survival.Most animals belong in more than onecategory. Birds have feathers that enablethem to fly away from predators, and thecolor of the feathers camouflage birds incertain environments.

3. Divide the class into 6 groups. Give oneribbon of pictures to each group ofstudents.

4. Invite each group to discuss the charac-teristics of their set of animals that in-crease the animals chance of survival.

5. Encourage students to find picturesother animals for their category.

In journals reflect on the following ques-tions: liow do coverings protect animals?Ilow do colors and patterns protect ani-mals? What additional ways do animalshave to defend themselves? What doI lomo Sapiens do to survive?

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Using drawing paper and crayons, drawand cut out an animal that uses camou-flage. Draw the habitat for your animal.Draw another animal that is significantlydifferent. Place both animals in the habi-tat and discuss your observations.

Write a story about either a real or imagi-nary animal where camouflage and habitatplay an important part.

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Skin Epidermis

Fur Piel del animal

Color Co or

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INVITATION 4

Hide And Seek

(CONCEPTS --,Individuals of the same kind differ intheir characteristics.

Sometimes the differences give indi-viduals an advantage in survivingand reproducing.Fossils can be compared to one anotherand to living organisms according totheir similarities and differences.


BACKGROUND

Adaptations are traits of organisms thatmake living things able to survive in a givenenvironment. For example, the insect calledthe walking stick looks very much like thetwig that it sits on. The white of the polarbears' fur helps hide the polar bear in thesnow.

Natural selection is the process by whichsomething determines whether a living thingwill survive to have offspring. In natural se-lection something in nature changes. For ex-ample, some chemical causes the color of thesoil to change color. The organisms thatwere the color of the original soil becomemore obvious to predators. Gradually the or-ganisms that are the color of the new soil sur-vive to produce offspring, while theorganisms that were the original color be-come more and more scarce.

MATERIALS

arts and crafts supplies

PROCEDURE

1. Have students create a 3-dimensionalcreature that is approximately 2 inches by2 inches by 2 inches. NOTE: It is impor-tant that all creatures be about the samesize. The creature can be real or imagi-nary. Color the creature in such a wa)that it can be placed in the room withoutbeing seen, while at the same time beingtotally visible.

2. Have students "hide" creatures. Creaturescannot be under, in, or behind anything.Creatures need to be in "lull" view.

3. Give students time to find as many crea-tures as they can without touching orpointing to them. Have students jot downon a piece of paper, what they saw andwhere they saw it. Encourage studentsnot to share their findings.

4. Prepare a large two column chart.

5. One at a time have each student reclaimtheir own creature and tape it in the left-hand column of the chart. As each crea-ture is placed on the graph, find out witha show of hands how many students sawthat creature. Record number on thechart. Give students creating the bestcamouflaged creature a certificate ofsurvival.

6. Divide room in half. Divide class into 2groups. A & B.

7. Have students create another creature.Have each student hide their creature intheir half of the roam. Creatures cannotbe under, in, or behind anything. Crea-tures need to be in "full" view

8. Give class a limited amount of time, oneminute, for example. NOTE: The time

may have to be adjusted so that some ofthe creatures will be found, but not all ofthe creatures. Students in group A lookfor creatures in group B's half of the roomand vice versa. Have students collectcreatures. When time is called, studentsshould sit down and ,;ount the number ofcreatures captured by their group.

9. Give students whose creatures are still"alive" at the end of the time, Certificatesof Survival.

10. Discuss the differenct 3 between the crea-tures that survived and the creatures thatwere captured.


Make a diorama using a shoe box or simi-lar box. Design a habitat. Put three-dimensional animals in the habitat. Seehow many animals your friends can find.

Make your own "How many animals canyou find in this picture."

20

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INVITATION 5

Fossil Models

ONCEPTS

Individuals of the same kind differ in theircharacterisics.

Sometimes ti'e differences give individu-als an advar,taRe in surviving andreproducing.



JACKGROUND

Most fossils are formed when organismsdie and sink to the bottom of a body of water.They are then covered up by mud, sand, orclay. The matter that settles is called sedi-ment. The weight of the upper levels of sedi-ment changes the layers below into rock.There are two types of fossils: molds andcasts. Molds are the hollow shapes left in therock when an organism decays. Casts aremolds that have filled with sediment andhave hardened.

MATERIALS

clay balls (2-4 cm thick)

variety of small objects, natural or plastic

cooking oil

small milk cartons

spoon

plaster of Paris

variety of leaves

leaf identification books

Optional: "Real" fossils (available fromscience supply stores.)

PROCEDURE

Have students roll a piece of clay out flatand press an object into the clay. Re-move the object.

Number the molds and place them on thetable. Have students record what theythink the objects are by observing themolds. Save this list. Encourage stu-dents not to share their lists.

3. Have students retrieve their molds andcoat the inside of the shape with a thinlayer of cooking oil.

4. Carefully pour the plaster into the claymolds. Set the mold aside and let theplaster harden overnight.

5. When hardened, gently remove the plas-ter casts from the clay.

6. Number the casts and place on the table.Have students record what the objectsare by observing the casts.

7. In small groups, compare results.cuss areas of disagreement.

8. Explain how the process used to makemolds is similar to the way fossils areformed on earth.

Dis-

scissors 9. I lave each student make a mold of a leaf.water When the mold has been made, have

21

students hide the leaf they used to makethe mold.

10. Number the molds. Have a large varietyof other leaves similar to ones used tomake molds, but not the identical leaves.Have students try to determine what kindof leaf might have been used to make themold.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION ORJOURNAL REFLECTION

Was it easier to identify molds or casts?Why?

If the imprint of an object was deeper inthe clay than the others, what can you in-fer about the object?


Compare "real" fossils to the leaf molds.

Take a field trip to a museum or naturecenter that has fossils.

If you live in a part of the country wherefossils can be seen in their natural state,take a field trip to that area.

24

INVITATION 6

Digging Fossils

CONCEPTS

Individuals of the same kind differ in theircharacteristics.

Sometimes the differences give individu-als an advantage in surviving andreproducing.



BACKGROUND

A fossil is the actual remains of an organ-ism that lived some time in the past. Fossilsprovide evidence of organic evolution. Fos-sils are formed in many ways. some treesproduce a sticky, gum-like resin that hardensinto a transparent yellow substance calledamber. Some insects became trapped in theamber and were preserved. In order to keepfrom destroying fossils, scientists must digvery carefully. NOTE: This activity needsteacher preparation time before the "dig."

MATERIALS

dirt, sand

leaves

shells

bones

plastic dish pan for each group

the smallest plastic spoons you can locatei.e. ice cream sample spoons

25

tooth picks

small paint brushes

plastic insects

colorless, hard-drying, waterproof glue

PROCEDURE

1. Before the "dig," prepare dish pan "dig"sites. Make a dishpan set-up for eachgroup of students.

2. Use leaf molds from Invitation 5 or make'ieveral small plaster of Paris leaf moldsfor each site. They do not need to be per-fect or complete leaves. Make "amberbugs." Put plastic insects in glue. Let dryuntil hard.

3. In each pan, layer dirt and sand. Hidebones, shells, leaf molds, and amber bugsin layers. Each pan should have the samenumber and kinds of items. Cover withwater and let dry out for a few days.

4. Give each group of students a dishpan"dig." Have students dig out the "fossils"from the site using only small plasticspoons, paint brushes and toothpicks.Encourage students to be very careful sono fossils will be destroyed.

5. In journals, have students reflect on:Why are fossils found deep in the earth?What can we learn from digging forfossils'?


Have students write a story about theitems they "dug" up.

INVITATION 7

Bones, Bones, And More Bones

(CONCEPTS


Sometimes the differences give individu-als an advantage in surviving andreproducing.

Fossils can be compared to one an-other and to living organisms accord-ing to their similarities and differences.


BACKGROUND

NOTE: This activity requires some teacherpreparation time several days before the activ-ity is to be done. Invite some parents to helpprepare chicken bones.

MATERIALS

bones of a chicken for each group

clay

PROCEDURE

Before the day for this activity preparebones. Boil the chicken in water until the meatcan be removed easily. Soak bones in a bowlwith bleach for several minutes. Drain anddry them.

Give each group of students a set of bones,but do not tell them that they are chickenbones.

2. Tell students that they are paleontologistsand have found these bones. invite studentsto assemble the bones into some reasonableanimal using all of the bones. They canhold the bones together with small piecesof clay.

3. Have students draw a picture of what thisanimal might look like?

4. Compare drawings with other classmates.

5. For older students, you may want to mixthe bones up and not include all the bonesof one chicken in a group's bag.

6. Have students reflect in their journals onhow their experience with trying to assem-ble the bones is similar to the way paleon-tologists have assembled dinosaurs. Whatbones were the easiest to identify? Why?

26


Go to a natural history museum where thereare bones on display.

Invite a taxidermist to bring bones from dif-ferent animals. What bones are similar,which ones are different? How can you tellwhich bones go with which animals?

INVITATION 8

Then And Now

CONCEPTS




Some organisms that lived long agoare similar to existing organisms, butsome are quite different.

BACKGROUND

By studying rocks and fossils, scientistsare presently dividing geologic time into fourmajor eras: Pre-Cambrian, Paleozoic, Meso-zoic, and Cenozoic. Precambrian time coversalmost 9/10 of earth's history. It is almostimpossible to grasp concepts like 500 millionyears ago. It is not necessary for students tomemorize names of eras periods or epochs,although some of the names may become fa-miliar with use. Students probably alreadyhave a sense of the Jurassic period.

Organism is used to refer to both plantsand animals however large or small.

MATERIALS

enlarged pictures from pages 30-33

yarn of different colors

very long ribbon or tape


27

PROCEDURE

1. Starting at the door, attach a ribbonaround the room using three walls. Tellthe students that outside the door is thePre-Cambrian period. Each of the otherthree walls represents the Paleozoic,Mesozoic, and Cenozoic.

2. Divide each wall into periods and epochswith vertical ribbons. See the chart onpage 34.

3. Enlarge each of the pictures on pages30-33. Have students randomly select onepicture. Invite students to research the or-ganism selected. Color and mount pic-tures. Invite students to attach theassigned organism to the approximatetime period. ALTERNATIVE: Insteadof enlarging pictures, give students thepictures and invite them to draw a largerversion or create a three dimensionalmodel of the organism.

4. Invite students to research the descen-dants and ancestors of the organism theywere assigned. Don't forget to includeplants.

5. Connect ancestors to descendants usingcolored yarn.

6. Invite students to select an organism theyknow exists today. Find a picture or drawa picture of that organism. Attach the pic-tures to the end of the time line. Usingyarn, connect organism to its ancestry.

7. Invite students to select an organism thatthey know has become extinct. Draw apicture of that organism and find its an-cestry. Attach pictures to the time line atthe approximate time of extinction.

Connect to ancestry with yarn. Label allthe organisms on the entire time line thathave become extinct.

8. In journals, reflect on the following ques-tion: Is extinction part of the naturalprocess or should humans intervene bytrying to save certain species?

9. Have a panel debate on the questionposed in question #8.


Take a field trip to a Natural ScienceMuseum.

Watch the videocassette Natural Selec-tion, Films for the Humanities and Sci-ences, P.O. Box 2053, Princeton, NJ08543

Take a field trip to a large super market.Identify the "new" fruits and vegetablesthat did not exist years ago. Instead of afield trip, the teacher or students can bring"new" fruits and vegetables to class. Howwere they created? Why were theycreated?

28,r.`; 6

The following list is for the teacher. All representations of the animals are approximate. Forexample, there are many different types of mammoths, we have selected one. The plantsrepresented here are also approximations. It is impossible to represent the thousands ofvariations of ferns that evolved over time. We offer these pictures as a starting place not as thelast and definitive word. The following chart does not contain "right" answers. Evolutiontakes a very long time. We include it here only to help you launch your students into theapproximate time period. Controversy is normal, scientists do not agree. Different resourcesdo not agree. Engage your students in the debate.

ORGANISM: Plant or Animal Approximate time of appearance

Archelon Upper Cretaceous

Bellerophon Cam rian

Benneuitales Jurassic

Bison Pleistocene

Brachiosaurus i.ate Jurassic

Brontotherium Oligocene

Cladoselache Devonian

Conifers Jurassic

Coraitales Carboniferous

Cycads Cretaceous

nognathus "Friassic

Diatryma Eocene

Endoceras Mid-Ordovician

Eodelphis Cretaceous

Equistes Carboniferous

Eusthenopteron Devonian

Gigantopithecus Quaternar,.

Gingko Jurassic

I lyracotherium Eocene

Ichthyosaur Jurassic

Mammuthus imperator Recent

Megatherium Pliocene

Nipa Lower Eocene

Orthis Cambrian-ordovician

Paradoxides Middle Cambrian

Protodonata Carboniferous

Smilodon Oligocene

Sphenophyllum Carboniferous

Stegosaurus Jurassic

Tyrannosaurus Cretaceous

trsus Spelaeus Miocene

Wolf Pleistocene

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INVITATION 9

Where Did That Come From?

CONCEPTS




Some organisms that lived long ago aresimilar to existing organism- but someare quite different.

BACKGROUND

Carl Linnaeus, a naturalist in the late 18th cen-tury, believed that each species was distinct andunchanging. Jean Baptiste de Lamarck suggestedthat there were no limits that separated one speciesfrom another. He also suggested that if the envi-ronment of a species changed the species wouldadapt to the new environment. For example, hesuggested that the giraffe's neck grew longer as thegiraffe constantly had to reach higher and higherfor food. Charles Darwin, proposed that undercertain circumstances favorable variations wouldtend to be preserved and unfavorable ones wouldbe destroyed. This led to the process known as"natural selection."

'ihroughout the history of humanity, peoplehave tried to explain why certain organisms look aparticular way. These stories have been preservedin tblktales in all of earth's cultures.

MATERIALS

Caduto, Michael, & Joseph Bruchac.Keepers of the Animals, "How the But-terflies Came to Be." Golden CO, Ful-crum Publishing, 1991.

Julius Lester, The Adventures of Brer Rab-bit, "How the Animals Came to Earth,""Why Brer Bear Has No Tail," NewYork: Dial Books, 1987.

a variety of "creation stories" from manydifferent cultures.

PROCEDURE

NOTE: Please read the Forward to Lester'sbook before beginning this activity.

In groups, invite students to select onecreation folk tale that they would like topresent to the class.

2. Invite students to prepare a skit that tellsthe story of creation from the myth'spoint of view.

3. Discuss the similar&es and differencesamong the folk tales.

4. Read "Why Brer Bear Has No Tail" and"How the Butterflies Came To Be" aloudto the class.

5. Invite students to select an organism andwrite a folktale to explain why the organ-ism has some characteristic or trait.

6. Collate stories in a book and publish thebook.

35

4 4

INVITATION 10

Time Travel

-ONCEPTS



Foss:Is can be compared to one anotherand to living organisms according totheir similarities and differences.


MATERIALS


copy of videocassette Jurassic Park

The Real Jurassic Park, video availablefrom NOVA

PROCEDURE

Preview video several times. Identi state-ments or scenes that are based on present scientifictheory or sound or look as if they are based on sci-entific theory.

1. Have students research the Jurassic pe-riod identifying organisms that were inexistence during that time.

2. Watch the video Jurassic Park. Whilewatching the video invite students to raisehands when a statement is made or ascene is shown that either is accurate ornot accurate according to present scien-tific theory. When a statement or scene isidentified, stop the tape. I,ist statement

36

or scene on a list labeled "Based on scien-tific theory", "Not based on scientific the-ory", "Not sure."

3. You do not need to watch the wholevideo. Fast forward or skip to scenes andstatements that students may identify.

4. Discuss the lists until all students are rea-sonably sure that the lists are as accurateas possible. For items in "Not Sure" helpstudents clarify the issues involved.

5. Compare information on video The RealJurassic Park from NOVA with the listcreated in #4.

6. Have students research the Triassic pe-riod. Create a Triassic Park in the class-room. Encourage students to create apark that more nearly represents what ispresently known to be true about thatperiod.

7. tiove students reflect in their journals onthe difference between information that isprobabiy true given what we know at themoment and information that is purefiction.

8. Invite other classes or parents to the Park.


Read other works of science fiction.

Write a science fiction story.

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Today I learned

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Documents

DOCUMENT RESUME ED 392 638 SE 057 968 AUTHOR Camp, … · DOCUMENT RESUME ED 392 638 SE 057 968 AUTHOR Camp, Carole Ann, Ed. TITLE Invitations to Evolving. Teacher-Friendly Science