Paleontologists learn about extinct animals by making inferences based on fossils. They can often determine when an animal lived, what it ate, and what environment it lived in. In this activity, students are asked to look closely at fossil animals and think about what clues they can use as a paleontologist to make a hypothesis about the animal’s life.

For this activity, students will need to choose three fossil animals from three of the Museum’s exhibits.

MUSEUM INFORMATION:• ThemuseumdoesNOTprovidecopiesofJunior Paleontologist.Pleasepreparecopiesforyourstudents.• Junior PaleontologistasksstudentstolookforfossilsintheVertebratePaleontologyHall,the CenozoicMammalsHall,andtheArthropodsExhibition.Thereisoneactivitypageforeachofthesegalleries.

• WhenyourstudentsarriveattheMuseum,theywillbegivenabriefgreetingbyaMuseumstaffmember.AfterthisgreetingisagoodtimeforyoutotalktoyourstudentsandchaperonesabouttheJunior Paleontologistactivityifyouhavenotdonesoalready.

PREPARING AN ACTIVITY: PleasemakecopiesofJunior Paleontologistactivityforyourstudents.TheMuseumwillNOThavecopiesavailable.• TheJunior Paleontologistactivityhasthreesheetsdirectingstudentstothreedifferentgalleries.Wesuggesthavingstudentsstartindifferentgalleriestoavoidcrowding.

• TheMuseumasksstudentstorefrainfromleaningonanyglasscases.Werecommendsupplyingstudentswithclipboardsornotebookstoleanonwhilewriting.

• Junior Paleontologisthasabriefsetofdirectionsprintedonthefirstpageforstudentuse.Additionalinforma-tion,includingageologictimescale,isprovidedontheJunior PaleontologistChaperoneSheet.Werecommendphotocopyingthissheetforchaperonesordiscussingthetipswiththem.

IN THE CLASSROOM:Connecting Junior Paleontologist to classroom contentDiscuss!Askstudentstosharetheirideaswiththeclass.Iftwostudentsexaminedthesamefossil,dotheirhypoth-esesagree?Whatevidencedotheyhavetosupporttheirideas?Remember,paleontologistsoftendisagreeandthesedisagreementsleadtonewandinterestingresearch!

Digdeeper!Havestudentsselectoneoftheirfossilstoresearchfurther.Whathavepaleontologistsdeterminedaboutthisanimal?Doesitagreewithwhatthestudenthypothesized?

Display!Makeageologictimescalefortheclassroom(seetheHMNHwebsiteTeacherResourcepageforaprint-ableversion).Addthefossilstothetimelinetoseewhentheanimalslived.PleasebeawarethattheMuseumcol-lectionsshowfossilsthatsupporttheresearchofHarvardpaleontologists.Therefore,theyarenotrepresentativeofthescopeofanimallifeonEarth.Addingthemtoatimelinewillshowtherelativeagesoftheanimalsbutwillnotshowevolutionaryordiversificationtrends.

Junior Paleontologist: Learning From FossilsHints for Teachers

HARVARD MUSEUMS OF SCIENCE & CULTURE

By comparing the skeletons and fossil remains of animals from the past, paleontologists can learn how an animal lived, what it ate, and what environment it lived in. This activ-ity asks students to think about what clues they can us, as a paleontologist, (what kind of teeth does it have? Did it have a shell? How long are its legs?) to make a hypothesis about a creature’s life from fossils.

DIRECTIONS:• JuniorPaleontologistasksstudentstolookforfossilsintheVertebratePaleontologyHall,the CenozoicMammalsHall,andtheArthropodsExhibition.Thereisoneactivitysheetforeachexhibit.

• Theactivitysheetscanbecompletedinanyorder.• Geologictimegoesback4.6billionyears(4600millionyears)towhentheEarthwasformed.Thetimelinetotheleftonlygoesback600millionyears,sincethosearetheearliestfossilsyouwillfindinthemuseum,andwhenmostlifeevolved.Presentdayisat“0millionyearsago(MYA).”

HARVARD MUSEUMS OF SCIENCE & CULTURE

Junior Paleontologist: Learning From FossilsChaperone Information

Pick a fossil in the ARTHROPODS EXHIBITION and draw a picture of it below. Look at the timeline along the edge of the paper. Circle on the timeline when this animal lived.

Animalname:______________________________________________

Lookcloselyatthefossil.

Whatdoyouthinkitate?Whatevidencedoyouseethatmakesyouthinkthis?

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Howdoyouthinkitmoved?Whatevidencedoyouseethatmakesyouthinkthis?

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Whatelseisuniqueaboutthisfossil?

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Junior Paleontologist: Learning From FossilsActivity for students

HARVARD MUSEUMS OF SCIENCE & CULTURE

Pick a fossil in the VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY EXHIBIT and draw a pic-ture of it below. Look at the timeline along the edge of the paper. Circle on the timeline when this animal lived.

Animalname:_______________________________________

Lookcloselyatthefossil.

Whatdoyouthinkitate?Whatevidencedoyouseethatmakesyouthinkthis?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Howdoyouthinkitmoved?Whatevidencedoyouseethatmakesyouthinkthis?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Whatelseisuniqueaboutthisfossil?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

HARVARD MUSEUMS OF SCIENCE & CULTURE

Junior Paleontologist: Learning From FossilsActivity for students

Pick a fossil in the CENOZOIC MAMMALS HALL and draw a picture of it below. Look at the timeline along the edge of the paper. Circle on the timeline when this animal lived.

Animalname:__________________________________

LOOK CLOSELY AT THE FOSSIL

Whatdoyouthinkitate?Whatevidencedoyouseethatmakesyouthinkthis?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Howdoyouthinkitmoved?Whatevidencedoyouseethatmakesyouthinkthis?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Whatelseisuniqueaboutthisfossil?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

HARVARD MUSEUMS OF SCIENCE & CULTURE

Junior Paleontologist: Learning From FossilsActivity for students