Introduction Essential Question: What can we know about human evolution from the fossils found around the world? Unit Questions: -What can scientists interpret from fossil remains? -What can scientists determine form the fossil remains of hominids? -How are different species of hominids similar or different? Students should be able to: -see that fossils are concrete evidence of the past. -observe that though living organisms of the past were different than living organisms of today, they still share many similarities. -experience developing and revising multiple hypotheses to explain their observations; science is a work in progress. -realize the importance of working in groups, communicating ideas, and sharing information. -understand that body structure is linked to its function. -practice how scientific ideas are developed through reasoning.

Learning goals Students will take the role of paleontologists who venture to hunt for fossils. The teacher, using a narrative that requires each group of students to find a few fossils at a time, will guide students through the excavation. Student will try to reconstruct the organism that may have left the fossils. As students find more and more fossils, their hypothesis of the type of organism that left the fossils may change. Students will record their observations and predictions in a table, analyze the information by answering questions concerning their thought process, and present their interpretation of the fossils in a powerpoint presentation. This activity reinforces the nature of science; science is tentative and is subject to change as new evidence is uncovered.

Requirements Materials (See links below to print hardcopies): -The Great Fossil Find narrative for teacher to read. -Envelopes containing paper cut-out fossil pieces (1 per team of 3-4 students) -Skeletal Resource Manual (1 per team) -Data Table (1 per student) -Analysis Questions (1 per student) Procedure: 1. Provide each team of 3-4 students the materials: an envelope (with "fossils" already cut out), a Skeletal Resource Manual, and worksheets. 2. Tell the students that you will be guiding them through a fossil excavation experience. Students are not to open the envelopes until you instruct them to do so. They should listen carefully to your narrative. 3. Begin the story and have students follow the instructions provided in the story. They can record their data in the table as they go. 4. Have the students answer the analysis questions after they have completed the activity. 5. Have each team share with the class their interpretation of the fossils. See if students agreed or disagreed on the identity of the creature. Where was there a general consensus and where did disagree arise? What bones influenced them the most? How did collaboration with others influence their own hypotheses? Discuss the answers to the questions. How does this activity show how science works? 6. Do not tell the students what the organism was. Emphasize that science in not about knowing, for some things scientists cannot know for sure. Science is about trying to come closest to the explanation that is the most likely solution given the evidence; that is the best scientists can do. Oftentimes, like this activity, scientists do not have all the pieces. They just come up with the best interpretation given what they have. If additional evidence is discovered, scientists can revise their ideas. 7. Upon completion of the activity, students will present their thought processing, as they accummulated more and more evidence, in a power point presentation (see link below for instructions). Students will be required to show images of what organism their fossil most resembled of Day 1 and Day 5. They will explain how this activity relates to the importance of collaboration, how science is never certain, how new evidence can revise preexisting hypotheses, how fossils are evidence of the past, and how scientists use organisms today to interpret the past. Project Deadlines: Students will complete the table and analysis questions individually. All assignments will be turned in a week from today; the day of power point presentations. List the resources students can use. Guide students to use technology and have them acknowledge copyright. List benchmark deadlines and explain exactly what is expected by each deadline. teacher instructions fossil cut-outs fossil table Analysis questions skeletal resource manual power point instructions

Thinking skills In this activity students will identify the fossils that they excavated. They will use the resource handbook to make observations and guesses of the type of fossil they have obtained. After formulation a hypothesis they were test it with more evidence and come up with a prediction.

Assessment -The table and analysis questions will be checked for completion. -The power point assessment will be graded based on the rubric below. Power Point Rubric

Examples of student works Good Sample Bad Sample

Gifted student: Have student do an activity with hominid fossils, The skull lab. Resources are found at http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/lessons Have them lead the class to the next topic, human evolution. The Skull Lab Website Skull Lab Overview Data Chart Measuring Device Chimp A Afarensis A Africanus A bosei H Nean H Erect H Sap Hominoid Photo Website

Non-native English Speakers (ESL) Grouping students with limited English with more proficient English-speakers, specifying roles so that each member has assigned tasks according to their strengths Providing reading material at a lower grade level Providing instruction in a variety of modalities: verbal, written, visual aids Providing a list of vocabulary words for the unit

Reference Links: http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/lessons/gr.fs.fd.html http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/lessons/gff.pdf.html http://www.becominghuman.org/ http://www.onelife.com/evolve/manev.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/evolution/ http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/