Lake Erie Center
: Water to Land Lab

Download this lesson plan: .doc or .pdf

Discipline Focus:
Geology

Grades:
11-12 

Benchmarks:
Earth and Space Science
Earth Systems #6
Explain how interactions among Earth’s lithosphere hydrosphere , atmosphere and biosphere have resulted in the ongoing changes of the Earth’s system.

Scientific Inquiry
Earth Systems #8
Describe the normal adjustments of Earth, which may have been hazardous for humans.

Scientific Inquiry
Doing Scientific Inquiry #5
Summarize data and construct a reasonable argument based on those data and other known information. 

Propose
Students will understand how fossils are related to a transgressive sequence, understand uniformitarianism, and they will experience simple field work.  

Context
Teacher should be familiar with

1. Basic sedimentation laws
   1. Law of original horizontality/superposition
   2. Law of uniformitarianism
   3. Unconformities
2. Sedimentary environments
3. Grand Canyon stratigraphy
4. Basic fossil record

Prerequisite student knowledge:

1. Deposition processes
2. Weathering and erosion
3. Topography
4. Map reading
5. Geologic time
6. Basic biology
7. Use of research materials

Lesson Series
This lesson could fit in several series such as a sedimentary rock/deposition unit, global warming unit, geologic time, or a paleontology unit.  

Planning Ahead

Materials

1. 30 flags
2. 30 pictures of organisms to attach on flags
3. Data table
4. Stopwatch/whistle
5. Blank map of field site
6. US map
7. Clipboards
8. GPS if available

Preparation

1. Flag preparation. Prepare the flags by attaching pictures of organisms to flags with staples or tape etc.
2. Make copies of data tables, and maps
3. Place flags at field site to represent a land/beach/water environment. Group land/beach/water organisms together respectively. The flag numbers should not correspond
4. Make key for field site so that it is understood which flag numbers are where. This is for the teacher only.
5. On a blank map of the United States on 8.5 x 11 paper, draw field site so that it fits on map. This is to represent the occurrence of fossils across the United States representing a transgressive sequence.
6. On a rainy day, the classroom could be used as the field site. An map of the classroom could become the map of the field site.

Additional resources

• JLM visuals CD ROM
• Earth Revealed: #17 Sedimentary Rocks, the Key to Past Environments (Annenberg/CPB Collection)
• Internet

Motivation

Short clip of Indiana Jones to inspire the thrill of what sediments/organisms mean about the history of the earth
OR
Remind students that global sea levels are currently rising.  This is a relevant issue, not just a historical lesson.
OR
Class discussion on where Dinosaurs/Mosasaurs have been found. Ask the question, “Why are they there?”

The Lesson 

Day 1: Data collection

1.      Students receive clip boards, blank map of field site, and data table.

2.      Class goes to designated field site.

3.      Students canvas the field site reading each flag and filling in data table by drawing the creature from each flag at the appropriate flag number on the date table.

4.      They must also make a mark on map where flag is found.

5.      The teacher should stress to students that this is like real field work for museum or university where time is money, they can’t take all day. 

6.      Students are finished with field work when all 30 flags are on data table.

Day 2: Data transfer and interpretation of data

1.      Ask students if they can make anything out of the information on the data table

2.      They probably can’t, and that is okay.

3.      Have the students look for commonalities

a.       Can they find related groups of creatures? Three different groups?

4.      Look at data again for common themes.

5.      Can students place organisms in particular environment?

6.      May have to look up the creatures they don’t know on the internet or in books. At this time remind them that in university/professional life other people and recourses would be available to them. 

7.      Eventually they should have three groups of organisms (can be any kind of group at this point).

8.      Students should realize that the characteristics of the animals dictate they environment they live in.

9.      Students have three groups of organisms representing land, the beach, and the ocean.

10.  Make a larger scale comparison by positioning the flag location map on top of a map of the United States. This can be done by drawing the flag map on the US map or by the use of transparencies.

11.  Ask students what this pattern means.

12.  They should be able to identify that a transgression of the ocean occurred across the US.

Assessment

• Participation
  • Did students fill in the data table and map?
  • Did students draw informed conclusions?
• Worksheet completion
• This information is part of a unit test

Attachments
Examples of maps,  fossil pictures, data table, US Map with field site superimposed, class room map , example flag numbering scheme, and  transgression and regression worksheets.  

Example Flag Numbering Scheme

Beach
4,9,14,18,19,23,28 

Water
5,10,15,20,24,25,29,30