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What did your town look like 100 million years ago?
The Birth of Rocks Unit | Lesson 4 of 5
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What did your town look like 100 million years ago?

The Birth of Rocks Unit | Lesson 4 of 5
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
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DISCUSS:

How could you find out what your town was like before people lived there?

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DISCUSS:
Why do you think we usually find fossils buried underground?
Why not hanging from tree branches or floating in the ocean?
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DISCUSS:
Do any of these fossils remind you of animals alive today?
What animals do they remind you of?
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DISCUSS:
What kind of environment do you think these fossils lived in long ago?
What makes you think this?
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DISCUSS:

How can the same spot have fossils of LAND animals AND fossils of AQUATIC animals?

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Step
01/13
Find a partner.
Decide who will be Rock Ranger and who will be Fossil Finder.
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Step
02/13
Get your supplies.
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Step
03/13
Fossil Finder: Add glue to the striped box at the top.
Rock Ranger: Line up the top page of Colossal Canyon with the gray
striped box. Lay it on top. Press down along all the edges.
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Step
04a/13
Take a look at your Fossil Cards.
Discuss:
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Step
04b/13
Here are some things we noticed.
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Step
05/13
Fossil Finder: Cut along the thick black line of the Fossil Cards
worksheet. Keep one half and give the other half to your partner.
Both: Cut along all dotted lines. Put all 6 cards on your desk.
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Step
06a/13
Rock Ranger: Read the story from Part 1 out loud.
Fossil Finder: Look at all the Fossil Cards. Use the clues from the
story to decide which fossils belong in this layer of the canyon.
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Step
06b/13
Here’s what we noticed.
Write the number of the story that matches with the fossils found
on each Fossil Card.
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Step
07/13
Both: Starting at the bottom, take turns reading each part of the
story aloud. Then, look at your Fossil Cards. Discuss together which
card matches each part of the story. Add numbers to keep track.
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Step
08/13
Both: Discuss with your partner where you want to place each Fossil
Card in Colossal Canyon. Move each card to the correct place before
you glue them.
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09/13
Rock Ranger: Add glue to the area in the dotted rectangle.
Fossil Finder: Lay the Fossil Card with that number on top, press
down along all the edges. Repeat for all six Fossil Cards.
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If you need a natural stopping point!

Teachers: If you are short on time, this is a good stopping point.

You can come back and use your completed Colossal Canyon model next time.

If you’re continuing right now, advance to the next slide.

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10/13
Discuss:
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11/13
Discuss:
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12/13
Discuss:
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13/13
Discuss:
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DISCUSS:
Which do you think is the OLDEST layer of fossils in this canyon? Why?
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DISCUSS:
How could a fossil get inside solid rock?
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DISCUSS:
Does any part of Colossal Canyon look like it has no fossils in it at all?
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Anchor Connection

DISCUSS:

Look at the "Wonder" column of your class See-Think-Wonder chart. Have any questions been answered by this lesson?

If you have any new questions after this lesson, add them to your class See-Think-Wonder chart.

In the next slides you will add to your "Ashfall Fossil Beds Evidence Chart."

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environment


1 of 12

all the living and nonliving things in a particular place
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aquatic


2 of 12

underwater
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swamp


3 of 12

a habitat covered in water and filled with many trees
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canyon


4 of 12

a deep hole in the ground formed over a long time by moving water
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model


5 of 12

a pretend version of something that scientists use when the real thing is too big, small, or complicated to work with
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evidence


6 of 12

information that can be used to support or reject an idea
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sediment


7 of 12

very small pieces of rock
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deposition


8 of 12

the process of sediment falling and settling on a surface
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sedimentary rock


9 of 12

a type of rock formed when sediments settle and then press together over long periods of time
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fossil


10 of 12

the remains of a plant or animal that lived a very, very long time ago
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coal


11 of 12

a dark rock made of fossil plants that can be burned and used for fuel
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fossil fuel


12 of 12

a material made of fossils that is burned for energy, such as coal
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Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Grade 4

Earth's Features & Processes

Sedimentary Rock & Fossils

4-ESS1-1

1768 reviews

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson, students gather evidence to describe how environments on Earth have changed over time. Students explore how the process of sedimentary rock formation preserves a record of those past environments. In the activity, Canyon Explorer, students observe fossils found within a model canyon. The characteristics of those fossils provide evidence to support the explanation that the landscape has changed numerous times.
Preview activity
Number of students:

I have a Mystery Pack

Colossal Canyon printout Print 15 copies
Colossal Canyon Answer Key teacher-only resource 1 copy
Fossil Cards printout Print 15 copies
Glue Sticks
30 glue sticks
Scissors
30 pairs
Prep Instructions

We suggest students work in pairs. Homeschool students can work on their own.

Plan Your Time

If you have limited time, you can divide this lesson into two sessions. We have marked a natural stopping point after the construction of the model canyon.

Part 1: Develop the Colossal Canyon Model.

Part 2: Use the Colossal Canyon Model begins here .

Teacher Background

Colossal Canyon is a model, but if you and your students are curious, each layer roughly corresponds to a real geologic time period. If you want to learn more, be sure to check out our Extension with links to help you explore rocks and fossils throughout the National Park System in the United States.

  • Layer 6: Tertiary Period 65-2 million years ago
  • Layer 5: Cretaceous Period 145-65 million years ago
  • Layer 4: Triassic & Jurassic Periods 250-145 million years ago
  • Layer 3: Permian Period 300-250 million years ago
  • Layer 2: Carboniferous Period 350-300 million years ago
  • Layer 1: Devonian Period 400-350 million years ago

Exploration

20 mins

Hands-On Activity

35 mins

Grade 4

Earth's Features & Processes

Sedimentary Rock & Fossils

4-ESS1-1

1768 reviews
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