This is my favorite field trip that we take at Science-in-the-Summer-Camp, and I am so
glad Mom has the time off to chaperone this year!
I like it too! Awww, Look - Tyson wants to come with us to the Natural History Museum!
I bet he would really enjoy it there.
Welcome to the Museum of Natural History! Today we will be exploring the fourth floor,
where we will learn about the History of the Earth and take a look at our Fabulous Fossils!
After our lesson, you are free to explore on your own, as long as you remain with an
adult.
Wow! Look at that Triceratops! It is so amazing to think that all these dinosaurs walked the
earth millions and millions of years ago!
Millions of years ago, DeShawn? Really? How do you know that?
That’s a great question. I will tell you: Fossils are found inside a special type of
rock, and scientists called Paleontologists have learned how to date the different layers
of rock. They have tools that can tell them the age of those rocks. That is how we know
that the earth is really old, and how we can see that it has changed over millions of years.
Rocks? Really? Rocks are what tell us how old the Earth is? Why is it that fossils are
found in rock?
I can tell you the answer to that, Jasmine, but let us see if we can find an explanation
here in the museum that will show us, too.
I think I found it! This shows a slice of the Earth’s crust. I can see many different
layers of rock.
That is right Jasmine! And - each layer is like a page in a history book. The bottom
layer is the oldest, and tells about the past, long long ago. Millions and even Billions
of years ago! The top layer is the newest. Fossils are the remains of living things that
existed a long time ago. Sometimes, when an animal or plant died, it sunk into the mud
and sediment. Later, over many, many years, the earth changed, and when that mud hardened
into sedimentary rock, the bones, shells, and leaves were preserved. They leave an impression
which we call a fossil. Scientists today have a good idea of where and how to look for fossils.
DeShawn! Look over here! Look at this GIGANTIC fern! Think mom would like that in her garden?
Wow, THIS is interesting, look at this one! It says here that this was an ancient type
of horse that lived 50 - is that million? - years ago. It is so tiny, it is smaller
than Tyson!
Yes! Another good point, Jazz! Fossils can tell a story. Scientists call this the fossil
record.
The fossil record?
Yes. The fossil record gives us clues about the way living things used to be. Fifty million
years ago, ancestors of the horses we know today were much smaller than they are now.
And, as you can see, some plants were much larger. In some places, not only have the
animals and plants changed, but the climate and landscape has changed also.
I get it! If the fossil record shows that sea creatures and shells are found at the
top of a mountain, or in a desert, then we know that long ago this land was at the bottom
of an ocean.
Right! And that land got pushed up or moved over millions of years!
Look at this one. A MILLION year old bug that looks like the one I saw in the back yard
yesterday! It says it was trapped in tree sap that hardened into something called amber,
and scientists study and compare these bugs to ones living today. I did not know there
were fossil insects. That is really cool! I thought it was just big creatures like dinosaurs.
There are so many types of fossils, big and small: fish, reptiles, birds, plants, and
insects have been found. Humans too! It says here on this sign that the fossil record does
not tell the whole story. It is only the ones who happened to die near ground that is soft
or muddy, that we know about. The good news though, is that scientists are making more
and more fossil discoveries all the time.
This is all pretty interesting and cool, but why do scientists care about all this old
stuff so much anyway?. Would no they rather be studying living animals? Like Tyson?
Well, for one thing, scientists have learned from comparing ancient times to now, is that
humans, animals, and even the climate have changed over the years. Understanding the
past can help us think about what is important for the future. For example: Lots of our energy
comes from coal, oil, and natural gas. Guess what? They all come from fossils. Scientists
are using that information to help us make important changes in how we use fossil fuel.
Exploring and discovering and helping sounds like a cool job! I think I just might want
to be a scientist when I grow up.
Great idea! Science is everywhere, so you’ll never run out of things to study. Now let
us grab Mom from the giant fern over there and go eat! We can see more fossils after
lunch. I’m so hungry I could eat a T-Rex!
Well that is nothing new, big brother!
Science: stop and try to wonder why