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Bruce MacFadden started the topic K-5 lesson plans–Santa Cruz, California in the forum K-12 Fossils and Lessons Forum 8 years, 6 months ago
8 years, 6 months ago8 years, 6 months ago@cgrant@smoran@vperez@llundgren@jbloch
I’m interested in developing a two-part “place-based” K-5 lesson plan on fossils focused on the Santa Cruz, California region. This would follow up on the general K-5 lesson that Sean led, which will soon be published in Science & Children.
Sean and I plan to do a pilot field trip on Saturday, 24 October. Â Claudia, I’m wondering if you could let people know about this via social media, and /or Lisa?
Our goal is to do a trial run and see what fossils are most common, and then to develop a study set of about 10 fossils.
Lesson 1. Would be the in-class ID of the fossils. I’m thinking of mostly inverts (bivalves, gastropods), but some sharks teeth and marine mammal bones. Sean we should try to collect the marine mammal bones on 24th October, so please bring a hammer, chisel, etc. I will do the same.
Once we understand what fossils we need to add from the inverts, I’m hoping we can ask Roger, or others to help provide these materials.
Lesson 2 would be the field trip, where students get to see the fossils in the field.
More later, Bruce
I know that Robert Boessenecker has done a fair bit of collecting (and published research) on marine mammals from the Purisima Fm. He might be a great resource for localities/teaching? I seem to remember some of those fossils are cataloged at the UCMP? Might make for interesting 3D scanning opportunities for lesson plan?
Boessenecker, R.W., Perry, F.A., and Schmitt, J.G. 2014. Comparative taphonomy, taphofacies, and bonebeds of the Mio-Pliocene Purisima Formation, central California: strong physical control on marine vertebrate preservation in shallow marine settings. PLOS One 9:3:e91419.
Racicot, R.A., Demere, T.A., Beatty, B.L., and R.W. Boessenecker. 2014. Unique feeding morphology in a new prognathous extinct porpoise from the Pliocene of California. Current Biology 24:1-6.
Boessenecker, R.W. 2013. A new marine vertebrate assemblage from the Late Neogene Purisima Formation in Central California, Part II: Pinnipeds and Cetaceans. Geodiversitas 35:4:815-940.
Etc.
I am jealous of your October plans for fossil hunting in California!!
@bmacfadden–do you want me to post about this before the field trip to encourage people to come or would you like me to post a follow-up post (or both?)
If you want a post encouraging people to come, can you provide me a little more info–like the location of the field trip? I can make something to encourage participation but I want to make sure I have all the details! 🙂
If you want a follow up post, would it be possible for someone (@smoran?) to provide some photos of the event? Preferably with the kids’ backs. If we have photos of their faces, we’d want to get parental permission to use the photos. Thanks! Looking forward to creating this.