Part 4: Lesson Plan: Holes, Fossils and Erosion

Fossils and Erosion: In Holes Stanley once finds a fossil of a fish in the dirt from the dried up lake. Later, Stanley and Zero climb the Big Thumb—the same rock formation Stanley’s great-grandfather climbed after he was robbed by Kissin Kate Barlow. What do you know about fossils and rock formations? How are each of these things formed?

Objectives: To teach students about fossils and erosion. Students will learn how fossils are formed after a plant or an animal dies and how rock formations are formed by different types of erosion.

Materials: Fossil and Erosion handout and worksheets (Worksheets and handouts from Science Teaching Materials, Activities, Worksheets, and Lesson Plans), materials for Make Your Fossil found below

Directions:
1. Give each student a copy of the Fossil handout. Go over the information found there.

2. Have the students complete the Fossil worksheet.

3. Each student will get to make their own fossil. (This activity is found at the end of this lesson.)

4. Go over the different types of erosion. (From Virtual Science Fair 2004.)

a. Water erosion: occurs from the chemicals in the water and the force of the flow of water in the river. There are many chemicals in the water of a river, and those chemicals can break down certain rocks, such as limestone or chalk. This eroded rock is carried down the river. Sometimes, a crack or crevice develops. When the force of the flowing river smashes into that crack, the rock can break away, and again be carried down the river. When rocks, pebbles or even boulders smack the riverbed, or side, this can cause further erosion.

b. Wind erosion: can take quite a toll on areas of the world covered in desert. Wind erosion is simple... light objects, such as rocks and pebbles are carried by the wind and can hit landforms, eroding materials off them, that are carried off in the wind.

c. Glacier erosion: Glaciers are giant bodies of ice that can pick up huge pieces of rock, some even as big as houses. A combination of the water, ice, and picked up sediment, create a powerful eroding machine. The more sediment that's picked up, the greater the force of erosion. The erosion can smooth out areas that were once rugged and rocky. Glaciers can carry almost anything, and like sandpaper, the sediment just keeps increasing.

d. Sea erosion: The salt and other chemicals can erode weak rocks on the coast, such as limestone and chalk. Waves crashing against the shore can create air pressure inside cracked rocks that can eventually break them. Furthermore, if rocks, pebbles or sediment is carried in the waves, they can smash up against the shore and erode it even more.

e. Soil erosion: Many farmers have to deal with this kind of erosion. Flooding, wind etc. can carry the topsoil away from farmlands, and make the soil unfertile.

5. Have the students fill out the Erosion worksheets.

6. Split the students into groups. Have each group research a different rock formation. Many rock formations can be found in Utah or Arizona, but they are found all over the world. They can research formations like the one Stanley and Zero climbed, or different types of arches, or canyons since these are all formed by erosion. Have them present their findings a few days later. Make sure they how the formation was made by what type of erosion, where it is located, pictures, and any other interesting information they found.

How to Make Your Own Fossil (From Creative Kids at Home)

Materials: clay, items to imprint, shoe polish and acrylic sealer

Directions:

1. Make a rock or plaque shape from the clay or use the dough recipe.

2. Create a smooth surface on the top side of your rock by flattening the top on a counter or plate.

3. Make imprints with different objects. Try leaves, coins, shells, or even a small toy. Make a “foot” that you can use to leave footprints or “draw” your own imprint. (A pipe cleaner was used to make the fossil pictured here.)

4. When it dries, rub on a bit shoe polish and acrylic sealer to make it last.

Dough Recipe
(1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, 1 cup water, 1 tbsp oil, 2 tsp cream of tartar)

1. Mix all ingredients in a pot and stir over medium heat.

2. Mixture will be soupy with lumps. Suddenly it will form into a ball.

3. Remove from heat, and knead on a non-stick surface.

4. Store in fridge, or allow creations to air dry.

Note: If you start kneading the dough and it has not cooked enough, you can put it back in the pot and finish cooking it.

By the time you have kneaded it for 3-5 minutes, it should look and feel like playdough. This dough can crack as it dries depending on the shape of the object.