Books-- The books I have found are for younger students who would be able to follow along and comprehend the information in the books. They are full out pictures and are easy to understand for the students.
Fossils Tell of Long Ago
Author: Aliki
Aliki's book gives students different accounts of how fossils are made. She uses simple language with pictures and conversational point for students as well as giving them the information they need to comprehend easily. This book would be great for students to work in small groups with or do individual little project with.
Ages: Grades 2 - 4
Fossil , Rocks, and Arrowheads
Author: Laura Evert
This book gives a lot of information on fossils for students. It has real life pictures and examples from paleontologist ho share their experiences. This book would be great if you did not have the materials needed to bring in a real fossil and give students the opportunity to look at a fossil. The real accounts of fossils would be great for students and can be conversation starter for students to introduce fossils.
Ages: Grades 2 - 4
The Fossil Factory: A Kid's Guide to Digging up Dinosaurs, Exploring Evolution, and Finding Fossils
Author: Niles Elderidge
This book is a full activity book that students can use in the classroom. It can keep kids interested and engaged throughout the lesson. The students can "travel" to an abundance of sites through the book and learn about different digs researchers have done and what they have discovered.
Ages: Grades 2 - 4
DK Eyewitness Books: Fossils
Author: Paul Taylor
This book has real life accounts of fossils and evidence from fossils. This book discusses the development of fossils, how to bring fossils to life, and what people do with them now. They discuss different types of fossils from various parts of the world and different creatures that can form fossils. This book also discusses fossils from ancient history in Egpyt. A great multicultural world view book.
Websites-- Kids are always looking for games and interactive ways to learn a lesson and each of these websites provides them with that. They also have a lot of great information that will help students in their fossil units.
Walking with Beasts
http://www.abc.net.au/beasts/fossilfun/
A fun interactive website where students can play different fossil games to become a paleontologist. There are also fossil facts and evidence for students to look at research in their spare time. This website can be used at home or in the classroom for students to have supplemental activities.
Ages: Grades 2 - 4
Fossil Hunt
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/dinosaurs/flash/fossil-hunt-game.html
This website is AWESOME!!!! The student is the paleontologist and their computer mouse is used to brush away the dirt and discover fossils from different plants and animals. To give students a virtual feel for what scientists and researchers go through this would be excellent. This would be great for extra time or at home to get some practice.
Ages: Grades 2 - 4
Fossils for Kids
http://www.fossilsforkids.com/Website_Directory.html
Another website with a ton of resources. This site has a question and answer page with the most common questions about fossils as well as a virtual fossil museum students can take a "field trip" to and see all the different exhibits inside. There are pages for the different types of fossils as well as a link where you can click on the different dig sites and contribute. It is a really awesome page that is all inclusive for students in terms of researching fossils or interacting with them.
Ages: Grades 2 - 4
Fossil Facts and Finds
http://www.fossils-facts-and-finds.com/
This site seems a bit more advanced but it could be great for teachers who may need some assistance in teaching about fossils or if they need visuals to help explain their lessons. A lot of very good resources and it seems much more professional in terms of layout and links.
Ages: Grades 2 - 4
Videos-- Videos are always an important way to help students learn about a topic. These videos all discuss fossils and dinosaurs to give students a full view of fossils and how they came about and what is being done with them once they are dug up.
The Magic School Bus: Busasaurus
Who doesn't love magic school bus? Let alone love it when Ms. Frizzle takes the students back in time to see dinosaurs. Although the video mostly focuses on dinosaurs and their species, it discusses how scientist use fossils and teeth to help determine facts about dinosaurs as well as learn new information. Magic School Bus is always a great way to learn about a lesson!
Ages: Grades 2 - 4
BrainPopJr.: Fossils
http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/land/fossils/
BrainPop Jr. is for the younger crowd of students and it has a great video about fossils. Annie and Moby are at it again explaining fossils and how they come from extinct animals different body parts as well as plants. They explain the formation of fossils and how things from our past can explain a lot about the Earth now and how they affected the Earth so many years ago.
Ages: Grades 2 - 4
BrainPopJr: Extinct and Endangered Animals
http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/conservation/extinctandendangeredspecies/
I thought it was important for students to understand what it means when a specie of plants or animals are extinct. In order for students to grasp the formation of fossils, they need to know how they got there first. This would be good for an introductory lesson on fossils in order to weave it into how fossils came about.
Ages: Grades 2 - 4
Fossil Hunting
http://www.neok12.com/php/watch.php?v=zX076e0e6d5a7b775b0d7a41&t=Fossils
Although this movie is a bit slower and not as exciting, it interviews real paleontologist and how they work throughout the day. They have interviews with people on their dig sites and learn about the job of fossil hunting. This would be a good example of a live example of hunting fossils.
Ages: Grades 2 - 4
Analyzing Dinosaur Fossils
http://www.neok12.com/php/watch.php?v=zX40695b41580b6b78604606&t=Fossils
Another example of scientist and researchers and how they learn from fossils and analyze them. This is a great way to show students how fossils help us understand our Earth in the past or to learn something new about an animal. Another real time example for students to peak their interest.
Ages: Grades 2 - 4
Webquests-- Most of the Webquests I'm posting are for teachers to get an idea on how to go about teaching an interactive part of a lesson. I would not use these step by step but to help develop an idea of what to use when teaching fossils.
Second Grade Fossil Explorers
http://questgarden.com/129/44/0/110723165230/task.htm
The class will get to become paleontologist and discover their own fossils through this lesson. In groups students will learn about a certain type of fossil and have to create a visual presentation to show the class and explain how they did their research .... great interactive idea!
Ages: Grades 2 - 4
Dino Quest!
http://questgarden.com/106/55/7/100712170515/task.htm
Student will research a fossil and create a brochure to hang up in their class museum. Students will have to gather information for their brochure that will be able to explain to the class and introduce in their presentation. A great way to get students researching and learning how to use materials to find information.
Ages: Grades 2 - 4
Can Ya Dig It?
http://questgarden.com/106/52/4/100711211335/
Students will be going to a "dig site" where they have to use the information they know about fossils to help them on their dig. They will have to know specific information in order to help them accurately identify what is seen on their dig. They will find something on their dig and then do a presentation on it .... Dig away :-)
Ages: Grades 2 - 4
I am glad that you have included books in your text set. I feel like most people in this class have lost sight of the use of books in text sets and have become Google happy. I realize that the focus of this class is multiliteracies, but books are still literacy. The Internet has not done away with books...yet.
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