Fossils is the fifth unit in the Earth & Space Science course. This unit covers how fossils are formed, the fossil timeline, and dinosaurs. Layers of Learning assumes Old Earth dating. This unit contains sections on:
- How Fossils Form
- The Fossil Record
- Dinosaurs
Some of the activities included in this unit are:
- Play a fossilization game where you win if you turn into a fossil first
- Learn about permineralization with a sponge and some Epson salts
- Make trace fossil sugar cookies
- Color and sort the eras of the Earth’s history along with the organisms that have been found in the rocks
- Learn how radiometric dating works with a box of M&Ms
- A Cambrian Explosion timeline loop in a box
- A home made dino dig activity
- Play target practice while learning about the six major groups of dinosaurs.
- Make a dinosaur diorama with printables from the unit
- And so much more!
Each Layers of Learning Science unit includes library lists of books, a family read-aloud suggestion, hands-on activities, printables and paper crafts, sidebars for extra learning, and tools to help you assess student’s progress and mastery. You can learn more about how Layers of Learning works in the Curriculum Guide. You may also want to purchase the Science Guidebook for even more information on how to teach and learn with Layers of Learning Science.
See Inside
Here is a peek inside Fossils:
Sidebars with extra learning ideas and facts line the center section of lesson plans and hands-on activities. This is a pick-and-choose curriculum so you decide on the things that will fit your interest and needs. Along with your hands-on activities you will be reading books from the Library List. The reading serves as the lecture and the activities serve as hooks to make learning deeper and memorable . . . not to mention fun.
Flexibility
This unit was written to be used for a month but contains plenty of content for many more weeks of learning if you choose. This is a pick-and-choose curriculum, meant to be cycled back to in the future when your child is older. As such, it intentionally includes far more material than you can possibly cover in a month.
Fossils is also part of the overall Earth & Space course, the first Year of the four year Layers of Learning Science cycle. If you use the program in order, it will take you though the four branches of science from Earth & Space to Biology to Chemistry to Physics in a logical progression where skills are learned and then practiced and used. However, each unit stands alone and can be used independently of any other unit and in any order.
Printable Pack
This unit comes with a downloadable Printable Pack that includes all the student worksheets. The printables can be copied as many times as needed for your family or class.
You can download the Printable Pack from your receipt or from your account at Layers of Learning.
Extra Resources
This unit comes with extra weblinks and a YouTube video playlist on the Earth & Space Resources page.
chantellegrubbs –
We loved the activities and explorations in this unit. The fossil game was super fun and my kids still remember the requirements for a fossil to form even months later! I love the hands-on activities combined with books, videos and journaling help science stick with my children!
katemichelle07 –
The kids loved the fossils hand bc and even played it weeks later. We learned so much and my oldest has really gotten into Dino’s from this unit