Instructional Software
Lesson Idea Name: Fossils
Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): 3rd Grade
Content Standard Addressed: S3E2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information on how fossils provide
evidence of past organisms.b. Develop a model to describe the sequence and conditions required for an
organism to become fossilized.
ISTE Technology Standard Addressed: 3- Knowledge Constructor
Selected Technology Tool: BrainPop
URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):https://www.brainpop.com/science/diversityoflife/fossils/
Type of Instructional Software:
☐ Drill and Practice ✓ Tutorial ☐ Simulation ☐ Instructional Game ☐ e-books/e-references
Features of this software (check all that apply):
✓ Assessment Monitoring/Reporting
✓ Allows teacher to create customized lessons for students
☐ Multi-user or collaborative functions with others in the class
☐ Multi-user or collaborative with others outside the class
✓ Accessible to students beyond the school day
✓ Accessible via mobile devices
✓ Multiple languages
✓ Safety, security and/or privacy features
Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):
☐ Remembering ✓ Understanding ✓Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ✓Creating
Levels of Technology Integration:
☐ Infusion Level: Students may work at a higher Bloom’s Level, but they do not have any “Voice or Choice”
during the activity and most of the decisions are made by the teacher.
✓ Integration Level: We would like to see ALL lessons/activities reach this level. The project is student-
driven. Students have “Voice and Choice” in the activities, selecting the topic of study and determining the
technology tool to demonstrate mastery of the standard. The teacher becomes more of a facilitator.
☐ Expansion Level: The projects created are shared outside of the classroom, publishing student work and
promoting authorship. This could be reached by showcasing the project on the school’s morning newscast,
posting the project to the classroom blog, or publishing via an outside source.
SBooker, 2020
Instructional Software
Universal Design for Learning (UDL): This technology tool will help all students and enhance their learning
experience by;
• Supporting English Language Learners
• Supporting students with auditory deficiency
• Supporting students with visual disabilities
• Expanding learning at home
Lesson idea implementation:
To begin the lesson, the teacher will take out a few small fossils and pass it around the class for each student
to look at. She will then ask the class if they know what a fossil is and how it forms. She will allow students to
discuss amongst their peers for a minute and then focus the attention back to her. She will call on a few
students to share what they know or what their partner knew and. The teacher will then read aloud the
standard to the class and explain to them what a fossil is, where it comes from, and how it forms. The teacher
will then go to brainpop and show the class a short video of Moby and Tim explaining the importance of fossils
and how they provide evidence of past organisms. After watching the short video, we will take the brainpop
quiz about the different stages of fossils as a whole class.
After completing the quiz, students will work in groups of 3-4 to create a model describing the sequence of
events and conditions required for an organism to be fossilized. Students will create this model by using
brainpop to gather the information they need. Once students have gathered all their information, they will
transfer their notes onto a large tabletop post-it. Students can draw pictures to go along with their sentences
or make it any way they like. The teacher will give the class 30 minutes to complete this project. After students
have finished, the teacher will have the groups stick their large post-its’ on different areas around the room.
The teacher will then give each group a small stack of sticky notes and instruct the class to go around to each
post-it in the classroom and discuss amongst their group two things. One should be something that they liked
about their peers’ presentation. The other should be something that the group either didn’t include or
something they need to improve on.
Once each group has critiqued all the post-it presentations, the teacher will ask students to take out a sheet of
paper and write three things that they learned in class and one question they may still have. This will help the
teacher assess student learning and will also be a great way to close the lesson. The teacher will review each
group’s post-it and attach a note of her own on it. Once the class meets again, the teacher will ask the class to
get into their groups they worked with the previous day. The teacher will have the class complete a brainpop
worksheet over fossils while she moves from group to group and gives feedback on their post-it model. She
will ask questions and answer questions with each group.
Reflective Practice:
After designing this lesson, I believe the activities could impact student learning because it is a fun and
collaborative project. Students get to critique their peer’s presentations and be the teacher for once! Students
are also in charge of their project and how they want it to look and what they want to include. Students are
also using instructional software in this lesson to further their knowledge and comprehension of fossils. To
further extend this lesson and add other tools, I would have students transfer their post-its onto a blog. This
way, their classmates and families can see their projects from home and retain the information better!
SBooker, 2020
