MICROFOSSIL CLASSROOM ACTIVITY TO FACILITATE ACTIVE LEARNING AND THE NATURE OF SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL EARTH AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Most people associate paleontology with the study of large fossils like dinosaurs, however the little known field of micropaleontology can divulge equally fascinating microscopic fossils. In this classroom activity, students will see how seemingly lifeless pieces of rock often contain hidden treasures (miniature fossils), such as conodonts, foraminifera, and ostracodes (to name a few) that are important to the understanding of Earth Science and the history and diversity of life on Earth. In this presentation you will receive information on how to obtain microfossils (including collection procedures), extraction of microfossils from shale samples using the kerosene method, identification of microfossils, and comparison of the morphology of different microfossil species from different aged rocks and different paleoenvironmental conditions. Also discussed will be the answer to the question students always ask: “Why do we study microfossils?” Many microfossils are excellent “index fossils” (also called “time-guide fossils”), which indicate the geologic age of rock strata containing the fossils. These tiny jewels are also good paleoenvironmental indicators, most important in the fossil fuel and mining industries. Microfossils also provide evidence of biologic evolution and the rate of separation of continents via plate tectonic activities.