A CARD GAME FOR TEACHING FOSSIL ASSEMBLAGES TO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

WITHERSPOON, William D., Fernbank Science Center, DeKalb County Schools, 156 Heaton Park Drive, At;lanta, GA 30307, witherspoonb@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us

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.

Session No. 1

S3. 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

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 39, No. 2, p.4

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Southeastern Section–56th Annual Meeting (29–30 March 2007)

A CARD GAME FOR TEACHING FOSSIL ASSEMBLAGES TO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS