Lesson video

Hi, everyone.

My name is Ms. Krijnauw, and I'm really glad and excited you've decided to join me on today's science lesson.

So, our lesson today is going to be focusing all about where fossils can be found.

Now, some of you might already have some knowledge about fossils, and that's great.

Those of you who do not, please don't worry because we're going to talk about all about what fossils are, where they can be found.

We've got lots to do today in our lesson.

so let's get started.

So, the outcome for our lesson today is I can describe the fossils are likely to be found.

So as I said, some of you already have some prior knowledge on fossils, so you'll be able to use that to help you.

But those of you who don't worry too much 'cause we're going to learn all about fossils and where they can be found, but also we're gonna think about what fossils actually are.

So, we're gonna talk through some key words now.

Some of these words you may know of and some of you, the words you may not have been so sure, but don't worry because we'll talk through them all in today's lesson.

So we've got fossil, prehistoric, paleontologist, sedimentary rock, and secondary sources.

So, some of these words you may have actually come across in your other subjects, but don't worry too much if you're not too sure about them, because we'll be talking through them in the lesson.

So, I'm going to put up the definitions now.

So what I'd like you to do is just pause the video here and can you read these out to your partner and take in turns.

And once you have finished, I want you to click play and then we'll continue with the lesson today.

Off you go.

Great work, everyone.

Well done.

It's really important that we're able to say these words correctly, but also understand what they mean.

So, our lesson today is split up into three sections.

So we first got learning about fossils, then we'll be moving on to finding fossils, and then we'll finish off with the fossil discoveries.

So we're first thing, get started with the first part of the lesson, so generally talking all about fossils.

So, some children are talking about fossils.

Laura says, "I think you can get fossils of any living things.

" And Izzy says, "I think all fossils are bones, so only animals can be fossils.

" And Alex says, "I think only hard parts of living things can become fossils.

" What do you think?

So, pause the video here.

Have a think with your talk partner.

Read over what Laura, Izzy, and Alex have said.

What do you think about what they're saying?

Who do you think is right?

Who do you think is not correct or do you think all of them are correct?

Do you think none of them are correct or do you have your own ideas?

Off you go.

Great job, everyone.

Well done.

So, a fossil is any evidence of prehistoric life.

They can give us information about what life was like on earth millions of years ago, and it can take millions of years for a fossil to form.

And not every living thing that dies becomes a fossil.

So at the bottom of the screen here, we've got different types of fossils.

And some of you may have actually seen some of these in person before, maybe in the museum, or you may have actually seen some pictures of different fossils before as well.

So, let's do a quick check of our learning.

What is a fossil?

A, a very old piece of rock, b, a piece of evidence about prehistoric life or c, a dead or decaying thing.

What do you think?

Great job.

The answer is b, a piece of evidence of about pre-historic life.

Super job, guys.

Well done.

So, some fossils are preserved remains or imprints of organisms.

And the most common fossils are bones, teeth, and shells.

So, we've got fossilized bones here, a fossilized tooth, and fossilized shells here.

So the most common fossils are bones, teeth, and shells.

So other types of fossils that have been discovered include imprints of plants, footprints, and even skin impressions.

So, we've got a leaf imprint here and we've also got a fossilized footprint.

So, lots of different types of fossils.

When a living thing dies, the soft material, such as skin, muscles, and other organs, decay and rots away quickly.

We've got a picture here of a skull fossil.

Only the hard parts remain long enough to form fossils.

So all of the skin.

and the muscles.

and the other organs, they decay and rot away quite quickly.

But the hard parts are the ones that stay around long enough and those are the ones that form the fossils.

For example, the skull.

So, let's do a check of our learning.

True or false, it is a very rare to discover fossils, which show the soft parts of a living thing.

What do we think, true or false?

Great, the answer is true.

So, let's think about justifying our answer.

So we've go is this because a, the softer parts of organisms usually decay too quickly to become fossilized, or b, prehistoric living things were much harder than modern living things and didn't have soft organs.

What do you think is the correct answer as to why this is true?

Great job, everyone.

The answer is a, so the softer parts of organisms usually decay too quickly to become fossilized.

That's why the harder parts are there left a lot longer.

Well done, everyone.

So some fossils are trace fossils, meaning they show evidence or traces of a living thing but are not a living things themselves.

Traces could be trails left by moving animals or materials that have been left behind, such as eggshells.

So trace fossils include footprints, nests, or even fossilized animal poo, which are called coprolite.

It is very rare to find a fossil of a complete organism.

So usually, the fossil doesn't include any of the softer parts of the living thing.

And we learned earlier in the lesson the reason for that is because those parts rot and decay a lot more quickly.

Often, parts of the complete living thing are missing or damaged.

So, you can see two images here.

We've got a damaged bone fossil and we've got fossil fragments.

As we said, it's very, very rare to find a fossil of a complete organism.

So, paleontologists are scientists who hunt for and study fossils.

Maybe you know the names of some famous paleontologists.

Parts of their job is thinking about what a complete living thing may have been like based on the evidence they gather from fossils.

So, they also use knowledge about organisms that are still alive today to help them make theories about the fossilized species they find.

So, paleontologists are really intelligent because they think and are very good at looking at different sources of information and putting all of those different things together to help 'em come up with an answer.

So, let's do a check of our learning.

What is the name for a scientist who studies fossils?

Is it a, dinosaurologist, b, a taxonomist, c, historian, or d, a paleontologist?

So, what's the name for a scientist who studies fossils?

Great job.

The answer is d, paleontologist.

So, let's move on to the first task of the lesson.

So, take on the role of a paleontologist and carefully observe the fossils, deduce as much as you can about what the organism may have been like using evidence that you can see in the pictures.

And then, I'd like you to share your ideas with your partner.

So, we're going to go, we've got fossil 1 here.

So you might want to take a picture of this, so you can see what fossil 1 looks like and then write down your notes.

We've got fossil 2 here.

And then, we've also got fossil 3.

So what I'd like you to do, pause video here if you need to go back to the last couple of slides so you can see the fossils again.

I would like you to write down your ideas and we'll talk through some examples really soon.

Off you go.

Great job, everyone.

Well done.

You use fantastic observation skills there, looking really closely at the different fossils.

The example answers.

So Andeep here says, "Here are my ideas.

Are yours similar?

" So, Andeep said for fossil 1, "I think this animal was a predator because it has lots of sharp teeth.

It must have been a vertebrate because it had an internal skeleton.

And the shape of its skull is similar to a lizards or a Komodo dragon, so I think it was probably a reptile.

" So, did you get similar ideas and thoughts to Andeep or did you get some slightly different ones?

Well done for having a good go.

Let's now move on to fossil 2.

So, "This animal is a streamlined shape, so I think it lived in water.

It looks like it has a shell in a similar shape to a woodlouse, so I think it might have been a crustacean.

I can't see any arms or pincers for catching prey, so I think it might have been a herbivore.

" So, did you get similar ideas to fossil 2 or did you get some slightly different answers for this one?

And let's now move on to fossil 3.

So, "This looks like the tail of a fish, so I think this animal definitely lived in the water.

I can see parts of the background so it must have been a vertebrate and I think it was either a fish or a swimming mammal, like a whale or a dolphin>" So were your answers similar to fossil 1, 2, and 3 or were they slightly different?

But all in all, well done for having a good go and looking really closely at these different fossils.

I know it was a little bit tricky, but well done for all being paleontologists.

Super job.

So, we've finished the first part of our lesson where we've been looking at different types of fossils.

And so now, we're going to move on to actually finding fossils.

So, fossils can be quite difficult to find, so paleontologists need to know where to look.

Because of the way they are formed, fossils can only be found in a certain type of rock.

Do you know what type of rock this is?

So, think back to the learning you may have done in previous years at school and what type of rock this might be.

Great job, everyone.

So, sediment is tiny pieces of rock, sand, and minerals that are moved around by water.

Over time, layers of sediments settle and are passed down by further layers that build up on top of them.

And we can see here on the right hand side this picture of an example of sedimentary rock.

So over thousands or millions of years, these layers become hard rocks called sedimentary rocks.

And you may have heard of sedimentary rocks previously, a couple of years ago maybe in your science learning or those of you who are keen at looking at different rocks, you may have heard of the word sedimentary before.

So, let's do a quick check of our learning.

How long does it take for sedimentary rocks to form?

A, a few years, b, a few decades, or c, a century, or d, thousands of years?

Do we think it's a, b, c, or d?

How long does it take for sedimentary rocks to form?

If you need to pause the video here, go back to the last couple of slides just to go over the learning to ensure you get the question correct.

Great job, everyone.

The answer is d, thousands of years.

So, how long does it take for sedimentary rocks to form?

A thousands of years?

So, it takes a very, very long time for sediment, for sedimentary rocks to form.

Good job, guys.

Well done.

So sometimes, you can see the layers that have built up over time in sedimentary rocks, and these can be large or small.

So, we've got an example of sedimentary rocks there.

The formation of sedimentary rocks plays a key role in fossil formation.

Do you know how fossils are formed?

Aisha says here, "I think living things turn into rock after they die.

" And Jacob says, "I think it happens when living things get trapped under falling rocks.

" What do you think?

Pause the video here.

Do you agree with Aisha or Jacob or do you have some different ideas?

I would like you to share your ideas with your partner once you've had a little bit of thinking time.

Great job, everyone.

Well done.

You had a great discussion there and well done for sharing your thoughts and ideas with your partner.

So many fossils are formed when a living thing dies in water.

So, we've got a diagram here to help us understand.

So, we've got a living thing dies and its softer parts decay.

And we spoke about this earlier in the lesson that those softer parts will decay and rot a lot more quickly.

And this leaves only the hard parts, such as the skeleton.

And then layers of sediment build up on top of the hard remains.

So, we can see here this is the process.

So, we can see in that final diagram that new layer of sediment.

Over thousands of years, more and more layers of sediment build up on top of the remains.

So, we can see here on the diagram that over time, more and more layers of build on top of each other.

Eventually, the hard parts of the organism are replaced by minerals, which create a solid rock copy of the remains buried inside the sedimentary rock.

And we can see here a picture of a fossil.

Let's do a quick check of our learning, shall we?

Which types of rock are most fossils found in?

A, volcanic rock, b, sedimentary rock, or c, metamorphic rock?

What do you think a, b, or c?

Super job, the answer is b, sedimentary rock.

So because of the way fossils are formed, places with large amounts of sedimentary rock are great places to look for fossils.

So cliffs, river valleys, and rocky hillsides are all good places to find fossils.

So, you've got an example of a cliff here and a river valley.

So at places like this rocky hillside, the sedimentary rock is slowly eroded over time.

Erosion of rocks can reveal fossils that have been buried inside them for many years.

Fossils are also often found in quarries, And quarries are large deeper pits where rocks and minerals are extracted.

So, that means taken out.

So, we can see an example of a quarry here.

Fossils are sometimes revealed when rock is dug away from the sides of the quarry by machinery.

Let's do a check of our learning.

Which of these locations would you be unlikely to discover fossils?

A, quarry, b, a rocky hillside, c, coastal cliffs, d, an active volcano, e, a river valley?

So, which of these locations would you be unlikely to discover fossils?

Have a little thing.

If you need to, go back to the last couple of slides.

Great job, everyone.

We've got d, an active volcano.

So, let's move on to the next task for today's lesson.

So, I would like you to take on the role of a paleontologist and imagine you are planning a fossil hunting expedition.

You have three locations to choose from.

So, I would like you to look at the notes and photos for each of the locations and choose which you think will be best for fossil hunting.

Explain why you have chosen this location.

So, we're going to talk through a couple of locations now and I would like you to think about which one would be best for your fossil hunting expedition.

I'd also like you to have a think about why it would be the best place.

So, the first location is it Tuscany in Italy and it's an active quarry.

And the rock's mainly a marble, which is a metamorphic rock.

And there's some sedimentary rock.

Location 2 is Dorset in the United Kingdom.

We've got cliffs are largely limestone, sedimentary rock, and many pebbles are on the beach.

So, that's location 2.

So, location 3 is Lafoten in Norway.

It's a mountain range, has igneous and metamorphic rocks, mainly gneiss and magnetite.

So, those are your three different locations.

So if you need to, click back to the last couple of slides to go over location 1 and 2 again and think about which of these locations would be best and also have a think about why.

We'll then go through an example answer.

So pause the video here, have a go, and click play when you're ready to continue.

Super job, everyone.

Well done.

I know you looked really carefully at those three locations.

So Sam says, "I chose location 2 because the cliffs are made of sedimentary rock, which might contain lots of fossils.

The other locations had other types of rock, which are not likely to have any fossils inside.

I also thought there might be lots of fossils among the pebbles on the beach location too.

Did you choose the same location?

" So, share your choice with your partner.

Did you choose the same location as them or did you choose something, another location?

Did you choose location 2 like Sam or did you choose another one?

Well done for having a go at thinking about all the different types of rocks that are involved, but also the best one for fossil hunting.

Super job, everyone.

Well done.

So, we've completed are the first two parts of our lesson.

So, we've looked at fossils and then we've learned also about finding fossils.

And the last part of our lesson, we are going to focus on fossil discoveries.

We can learn a lot about plants and animals that lived millions of years ago by studying fossils.

Mary Anning is a famous fossil hunter who lived in the 1800s.

Her discovery of the first complete Ichthyosaur skeleton gave evidence that helped to develop ideas about prehistoric life.

Not all important fossils were discovered a long time ago.

Many important finds are still being uncovered today.

And in 2009, a four-year-old girl called Daisy Morris discovered fossilised bones in sedimentary rock on the beach, that turned out to be an undiscovered species of pterosaur.

Scientists then named the species Vectidraco daisymorrisae in her honor.

So over time, paleontologists are learning more and more about prehistoric living things as new fossils are discovered.

Where could you go to make fossil discoveries?

So, pause the video here.

Have a think maybe in small groups.

Where could you go to make fossil discoveries?

Have a little think.

Great job, everyone.

Well done for having a great discussion.

So Lucas says, "I don't live near any cliffs, quarries, river valleys, or hillsides to explore sedimentary rock.

I don't think I will be able to learn about fossils.

" Do you agree with Lucas or do you not agree with him?

Great job.

So, let's do a check of our learning.

True or false, it is impossible to learn about living things on earth before there were humans to write down information or draw pictures of them.

Do we think that's true or false?

Have a think.

Great job, the answer is false.

So, let's have a think about justifying the answer.

Do we think that's false because a, we can use fossils to learn about prehistoric living things or b, we can use photographs to learn about prehistoric living things.

What do you think, a or b?

Great job, everyone.

The answer is a, we can use fossils to learn about prehistoric living things, super job.

So as well as hunting for fossils, we can also find out more about them and where they're discovered by carrying out research using secondary sources.

And you may have heard the term secondary sources in some of your other subjects.

So, what types of secondary sources of information could you use to research fossil discoveries?

So, what different types of secondary sources could you use?

Excellent.

So we could use news reports, we could use the internet, we could also visit some museums, if you're lucky enough to have some near you.

In museums, there's lots of fantastic things to see and there will often have lots of amazing fossils for you to have a look at.

So, let's do a check of our learning.

How can we learn about fossils and their discoveries?

A, by hunting for fossils ourselves, b, by carrying out research using secondary sources, or c, by carrying out a fair test inquiry.

How can we learn about fossils and their discoveries?

What do you think?

Great job.

So actually, we can do two things.

We can hunt for fossils ourselves, but actually we can also carry out research using secondary sources as well.

So, there's a few different things we can do in order to learn more about fossils.

So, let's move on to the last task for today's lesson.

So, what I'd like you to do is carry out some research using the secondary sources Lucas has found to complete the table.

So, we've got a table here that you can either copy down or you can get printed out.

So, we've got name of species, year of discovery, location of discovery, and the name of the fossil hunter.

So over the next couple of slides, I'm going to click through some different secondary sources of information.

So if you would like to, you can print those slides or you can read them out and press play, and pause, sorry, on the video.

And what I'd like you to do is complete this table as you are reading through the secondary sources.

What we'll then do at the end is we'll talk through some of the example answers that you should have included on your table.

So, I'm going to click through the secondary sources now.

So, you choose what you'd like to do.

You can either pause the video at which each of the different sources or you can ask an adult to print out the slides for you.

So, the first one here is the first source of information.

And then, we've got the second one.

We've got the third, which is about a sea monster fossil.

And then, we've got some more information there.

So, pause the video here and have a go at completing that table.

Click play when you're ready to continue, and then we will go through the answers.

Off you go.

Great job, everyone.

I can see that you've really tried hard to pick out all the keywords and key facts from the different sources.

So, let's go through the answers.

So the name of species, we had by iguanodon in 2017, which was at discovered.

It was the location of discovery was the Wienerberger quarry and the name of the fossil hunter was Sarah Moore and Jamie Jordan.

We've got ichtyosaur here.

In the year of discovery, which was 1811.

And the location of discovery was Lyme Regis cliffs and the person who discovered them was Mary Anning.

We've got the pliosaur here, which was discovered in 2023.

And the location of the discovery was Kimmeridge cliffs and the name of the fossil hunter was Steve Etches.

So, we can see here there's been discoveries over a long period of time and even more recently in 2023.

Well done for having a great go at this task, everybody.

So, I then want you to move on to the next part of this final task.

So look at the locations of the fossils found in your table, and I would like you to explain why these are good places to find fossils.

So pause the video here and have a go at this part of the task.

Great job, everyone.

Well done.

So, let's go through an example answer.

So, these places all have lots of sedimentary rock, which is where most fossils are found.

Cliffs are good places to find fossils because weather and waves erode the rock over time, which reveals fossils.

Quarries are good places to find fossils, because machinery breaks up the sedimentary rock and reveals fossils that are buried within it.

Did you have answer similar to that or did you get a different one?

So, we've come towards the end of our lesson today all about where fossils are found.

So, let's do a summary of our learning.

So, we know that fossils are evidence of prehistoric life from millions of years ago.

and commonly found fossils include bones, teeth, shells, and footprints.

And fossils are mainly found within sedimentary rocks, such as river valleys, cliffs, hillsides, and quarries.

Fossil discoveries can be researched using secondary sources of information.

So, we've learned lots of different things about fossils.

We've learned what they are.

We've learned that what they can be different types, but also where fossils can be found.

I've also looked about some different fossils that have been discovered.

Now, I'm really impressed with all the learning you've done today.

We've covered quite a lot in the lesson and there've been some tricky words for you to have a go at and understand.

So, I'm so impressed with all of your learning today.

I hope you have a great rest of the day and I'm sure I'll see you really soon in the next science lesson.

Bye-bye.