Unlocking the Past: Fossils and the Story of Evolution

Biology Grades High School 2:14 Video
Print Lesson Plan Watch Video

Lesson Description

Explore the fascinating world of fossils and how they provide crucial evidence for understanding evolution and the history of life on Earth.

Video Resource

Fossils: Rocking the Earth

NOVA PBS Official

Duration: 2:14
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Fossils as evidence of past life
  • The fossil record and its incompleteness
  • Evolutionary change over time
  • Transitional fossils and common ancestry

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to explain how fossils provide evidence for evolution.
  • Students will be able to describe the limitations of the fossil record.
  • Students will be able to identify transitional fossils and their significance.
  • Students will be able to relate environmental changes to the emergence and extinction of species.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students what they know about fossils. Show a picture of a fossil and ask them what it tells us. Briefly introduce the NOVA PBS video 'Fossils: Rocking the Earth.'
  • Video Viewing (5 mins)
    Play the NOVA PBS video 'Fossils: Rocking the Earth.' Instruct students to pay attention to the types of evidence fossils provide about the history of life.
  • Discussion (10 mins)
    After watching the video, facilitate a class discussion using the provided discussion questions. Encourage students to share their insights and ask clarifying questions.
  • Interactive Exercise: Fossil Timeline (15 mins)
    Have students work in small groups to create a timeline of major evolutionary events based on fossil evidence. They can research specific fossils and their corresponding time periods. Provide them with resources like textbooks, websites (including the PBS LearningMedia link), and images of fossils.
  • Wrap-up and Assessment (5 mins)
    Summarize the key concepts covered in the lesson. Administer the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank quizzes to assess student understanding.

Interactive Exercises

  • Fossil Timeline
    Students work in groups to create a timeline of major evolutionary events based on fossil evidence. They research specific fossils and their corresponding time periods and relate them to environmental conditions and evolutionary pressures. The PBS LearningMedia link provided in the video description offers helpful resources.
  • Virtual Dig Site
    Utilize online virtual dig sites where students can 'excavate' fossils, identify them, and determine their age. This provides a hands-on experience and reinforces fossil identification skills.

Discussion Questions

  • What are fossils, and how are they formed?
  • How do fossils provide evidence for evolution?
  • What are the limitations of the fossil record?
  • Can you give an example of a transitional fossil and explain its significance?
  • How does the study of fossils help us understand the history of life on Earth?

Skills Developed

  • Critical thinking
  • Data interpretation
  • Scientific reasoning
  • Collaboration
  • Research

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

Fossils are primarily found in what type of rock?

Correct Answer: Sedimentary

Question 2:

What is the main way fossils provide evidence for evolution?

Correct Answer: By showing changes in organisms over time

Question 3:

Why is the fossil record considered incomplete?

Correct Answer: Not all organisms get preserved as fossils

Question 4:

A fossil that shows characteristics of two different groups of organisms is known as a:

Correct Answer: Transitional fossil

Question 5:

The age of a fossil can be determined by:

Correct Answer: Radiometric dating of the rock layer it is found in

Question 6:

Which of the following is NOT a limitation of the fossil record?

Correct Answer: Fossilization only occurs in aquatic environments

Question 7:

Fossils provide evidence for:

Correct Answer: All of the above

Question 8:

What does a dinosaur femur found in a rock layer 68 million years old indicate?

Correct Answer: Dinosaurs must have lived about 68 million years ago

Question 9:

Comparing fossils to living organisms helps scientists understand:

Correct Answer: How organisms have adapted to new environments

Question 10:

Which field of science studies fossils?

Correct Answer: Paleontology

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

Fossils are traces of organisms that were once alive and that, with time, were _________, usually in rocks.

Correct Answer: preserved

Question 2:

The fossil __________ provides strong evidence for evolution.

Correct Answer: record

Question 3:

Evolutionary change tends to be __________ , according to the fossil record.

Correct Answer: gradual

Question 4:

Fossils can show _________ forms between one group of species and another.

Correct Answer: transitional

Question 5:

Fossils are typically found in __________ rock.

Correct Answer: sedimentary

Question 6:

The more fossils we have, the more we can learn about when different features of organisms __________.

Correct Answer: evolved

Question 7:

Fossils provide physical proof of __________ of species.

Correct Answer: extinction

Question 8:

The age of fossils is often determined using __________ dating techniques.

Correct Answer: radiometric

Question 9:

The fossil record is not complete because not all organisms get ___________.

Correct Answer: preserved

Question 10:

Studying fossils allows us to tether the __________ Earth to the modern one.

Correct Answer: ancient

Educational Standards

B.LS4.1:Communicate scientific information that common ancestry and biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence. B.LS4.2:Construct an explanation based on evidence that biological diversity is influenced by (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment. B.LS4.4:Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations. B.LS4.5:Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species.

Teaching Materials

Download ready-to-use materials for this lesson:

Student Worksheet Classroom Slides Assessment Quiz
Add to Google Classroom

User Actions

Sign in to save this lesson plan to your favorites.

Sign In

Share This Lesson

Related Lesson Plans