USING FOSSIL EXPLORATION TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY

Abstract

Using fossils as data is a unique way to engage students in scientific discovery to uncover the age and environmental conditions of the planet when the fossils were formed. As part of the Ball State University Scientific Teaching Program, I used the backward design to build objectives, assessments, and an activity to engage students in synthesizing isotopic and environmental data to evaluate fossil age and characteristics. I implemented this activity in an undergraduate geology course where students used oxygen isotopes data and temperature records to predict the environmental conditions, and to make predictions about the timeframe of fossil formation. Pre and post-test results indicated an increase from 15-75% in students’ ability to describe fossil formation after completing the activity. Summative assessment results indicated that by actively engaging students in the processes of science, 79% of the class was able to use information learned during the activity to solve a new problem.