HANDS ON ACTIVITIES FOR INTRODUCING 2ND GRADERS TO PALEONTOLOGY: AN EXAMPLE OF FOCUSED GEOSCIENCE OUTREACH

Geoscience STEM outreach to K-3 students is an important geoscience education activity as it can establish STEM interests at early stages in students’ development. A paleontology demonstration was arranged for second grade children at Crawford Woods Elementary School, Hamilton Ohio for approximately 72 second grade students. Students were provided with a general overview on paleontology and geology while 4 stations were set up in 4 classrooms. Students then rotated by class and participated at each station for 15 minutes. Station 1 focused on the origin of fossils where students were shown several fossilization techniques and how to represent these techniques through arts-and-crafts models. One of these models was an activity of leaf rubbing with colored pencils, which modeled fossil imprints and the process of carbonization of organic material. Another model used Silly Putty as a mold to represent fossils left behind through sediment replacement. Students at this model were asked first to use their thumb as a mold and then were given Ordovician fossils to make an imprint themselves. Station 2 focused on recently collected local Ordovician fossils and discussed the diversity and ecology of fossils on the local Ordovician bedrock. Station 3 was an experience for finding fossils and the preparation of fossils. Purchased blocks of pre-soaked chalk that contained a fossil were placed in front of each student.. Students were instructed to dig for fossils and show what they found. Once students found the fossil, it was rinsed and a geoscientist presented them with the identification card. Station 4 was centered on dinosaurs and dinosaur fossils. This station included a display of teeth from mosasaurs, a class discussion about mosasaur ecology and each student received a tooth to keep. Students then picked out a toy dinosaur to keep and the ecology of dinosaurs was discussed with them at separate tables, including one Spanish language table. Success of the event stemmed from a highly engaged group of teachers and administrators, 10 Miami University students and 1 faculty member being distributed over 4 stations, the capacity to provide give away materials, and timing of the event on a Friday before a holiday break.