Schoolyard Geology

Schoolyard Geology

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	3 Schoolyard Geology Examples	Ages of Rocks >>	Fossils >>

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Image From: Matthew d'Alessio, USGS
http://education.usgs.gov/schoolyard

Location:

Near Emerson Middle School, Berkeley, CA

About:

You can tell an animal once walked here on this sidewalk when the cement was first wet. While many people and animals have walked over this spot since then, only one animal's prints are recorded. Why? We placed the white piece of paper in the foreground to give you a sense of how big the footprints and how far apart they are. The paper is about 10 cm across. Based on the amount of space between each footprint, was this animal as small as a squirrel, as big as a horse, or some size in between?

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Image used with permission from: DinosaurHunter.org
http://www.dinosaurhunter.org/weserber.htm

Location:

Near Hannover, Germany

About:

The tracks of iguanodontids and theropods are excellently preserved in this quarry in Germany. These trackways were formed 140 million years ago, when dinosaurs walked through mud on the sea or lake shore. We know it was a shoreline because the ripple-like pattern exposed in this picture is just like the patterns formed on modern beaches. Geologists carefully excavated these footprints so that they could learn how big the animals were and how they walked.

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Image From: Matthew d'Alessio, USGS
http://education.usgs.gov/schoolyard

Location:	Near Emerson Middle School, Berkeley, CA
About:	Closeup of animal footprint. Can you tell what type of animal it was? What evidence do you have to support your theory? The ruler shows the size.

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Photo courtesy Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Copyright 2004
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/dinosaur/

Location:	Dinosaur Valley State Park, northern Texas
About:	Closeup of the distinct, three-toed birdlike imprint of a carnosaur, or meat-eater, which was the predecessor to the infamous Tyrannosaurus rex. Prints like this one were deposited along the shore of an ancient sea in limestones, sandstones, and mudstones approximately 113 million years ago. Note how big the footprints are compared to the students' hands!

Key Concepts:	Sedimentary rocks start out soft and squishy ("unconsolidated"). Animal tracks are only recorded while the rocks are soft. Sediments can become hard over time if exposed to higher temperatures and pressures or certain minerals that cement the grains together. Measurements of animal tracks allow scientists to learn about the size, walking technique, and lifestyle of ancient animals.
Links for further Exploration:	About the science: Overview of Dinosaur Tracks Photos showing process of Excavating Dinosaur Tracks What we can learn from dinosaur tracks (Detailed Teacher Background) Plan a visit: Dinosaur Ridge, Colorado Dinosaur State Park, Rocky Hill, Connecticut Holyoke, Massachusetts Clayton Lake State Park, New Mexico Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glenrose, Texas Moab, Utah Red Gulch Dinosaur Track Site, Wyoming
Classroom Activities:	Tennis Shoe Detectives (Grades 2-4) Make your own track site game (middle school. Some prep work, but lots of possibilities and loads of fun) Stride Length and Speed (good integration with math, graphing, and hypothesis testing. Advanced middle school to High School?) Extensive Study Guide on Dinosaur Tracks with Math exercises (middle-high school) ThinkQuest Online Tutorial Alaska Museum Track Size Activities (multiple exercises, elementary - high school)
Common Misconceptions:	Fact: Humans and dinosaurs did not exist on Earth at the same time. About the misconception: Some web sites claim that human footprints exist beside dinosaur tracks in areas like the one in the Geologist in Action photo above, but these are either misinterpretations or hoaxes. Teachers who have students that might have heard these stories at home might want to read: [In Depth Commentary]
Science Standards:	California Gr2, Sc3d. Students know that fossils provide evidence about the plants and animals that lived long ago and that scientists learn about the past history of Earth by studying fossils. Gr3, Sc3e. Students know that some kinds of organisms that once lived on Earth have completely disappeared and that some of those resembled others that are alive today. Gr7, Sc4. Evidence from rocks allows us to understand the evolution of life on Earth. As a basis for understanding this concept: Gr7, Sc4a. Students know Earth processes today are similar to those that occurred in the past and slow geologic processes have large cumulative effects over long periods of time. Gr7, Sc4c. Students know that the rock cycle includes the formation of new sediment and rocks and that rocks are often found in layers, with the oldest generally on the bottom. Gr7, Sc4e. Students know fossils provide evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed. Gr9-12, Bio8e. Students know fossils provide evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed.

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U.S. Department of the Interior \| U.S. Geological Survey URL: http://education.usgs.gov/schoolyard/ Page Contact Information:USGS Education Web Team Page Last Modified: 24 July 2006