Lesson summary for...

Xenosmilus

Author/Source: UC Museum of Paleontology
Overview:Students play the roles of paleontologists on a dig. They “unearth” a few fossils at a time and attempt to reconstruct the animal the fossils represent.
Concepts:This lesson covers the following concepts:
  • Life forms of the past were in some ways very different from living forms of today, but in other ways very similar.
  • There are similarities and differences among fossils and living organisms.
  • Scientists pose, test, and revise multiple hypotheses to explain what they observe.
  • Scientific ideas are developed through reasoning.
  • Science does not prove or conclude; science is always a work in progress.
  • Science is a human endeavor.
  • Scientists use fossils (including sequences of fossils showing gradual change over time) to learn about past life.
Grade Level:9-12
Time:~ 40 minutes
Teacher Background:Explore these links for additional information on the topics covered in this lesson:
Teaching Tips:An excellent lesson for demonstrating and discussing the nature of science. Adaptable to multiple grade levels. Best to laminate sets of the “fossil bones” for repetitive use. Adapted from ENSI's Great Fossil Find.