1 Teaching Organic Evolution for K-16 Students and Pre-Service Teachers: Viewpoints, Techniques, and Approaches

Thursday, 29 March 2007
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

A CARD GAME FOR TEACHING FOSSIL ASSEMBLAGES TO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Paper number: 1-5
Program: SYMPOSIA SESSIONS
Time: 9:20 AM – 9:40 AM

Authors

Abstract

The recognition that fossils found together usually belong to the same habitat and time and may share a food web relationship is an important step in getting middle school students to understand the nature of fossil evidence.

A card game, called The Grand Time Game, has been played by students in 6th through 9th grades. Scoring is based on developing a plausible fossil assemblage that existed in a short time range. Students learn to recognize overlapping age ranges, match organisms based on marine or non-marine environments, and collect an assortment of trophic levels. As a follow-up activity, students study and report on their fossil assemblages.