Lesson video

Hello everyone, I'm Miss Mia, and I'm really excited to join you on your learning journey.

In this lesson, you're going to be using your understanding of the fossilisation process to identify potential fossils of the future.

Your keywords are on the screen now, and I'd like you to repeat them after me.

Fossilise, abundant, perishable, fabulous.

Let's find out what these words mean.

Now, when something fossilises, it's basically the process of making a fossil.

Abundant means existing or available in large quantities.

When something is described as perishable, it means that it can spoil, decay, or go bad quickly.

Now, this lesson is all about future fossils.

We've got two lesson cycles here.

Our first lesson cycle is to do with understanding which objects fossilise.

Our second lesson cycle then moves on to recording our ideas into a sketchbook.

I'm really excited, I hope you are.

Let's begin.

On the screen here, you can see a trilobite fossil.

Some types of fossils form when a plant or animal dies and is quickly covered by mud, sand, or ash.

Fossils are the remains or imprints of living things that are sometimes preserved in rock.

Usually the softer parts of the living thing decay, and only the harder parts, like bones and shells, are left for the sediment to build up around the fossils to form.

Over to you.

Which of the following is true? Is it A.

Fossil is the remains of a plant or animal preserved in rock.

B.

A fossil is created when an organism dies and is quickly left uncovered.

Or C.

Only the softest parts of the organism fossilise, such as the bones or shells.

Have a think.

You can pause the video now and click play when you're ready to rejoin us.

So, what did you get? If you got A, you are correct.

The fossil is the remains of a plant or animal preserved in rock.

We know that B is not correct because a fossil is not created when an organism dies and is quickly left uncovered.

And C, we also know that the softest parts of an organism is not the bone or the shell.

So that's definitely incorrect.

Let's move on.

Now, the fossils that are found today are usually from the most abundant organisms on the planet that had parts hard enough to fossilise.

Common fossils include animal bones, skeletons, shells, and teeth.

Places where you can find fossils are in rocks, beaches and riverbeds, quarries and road cuts, and even deserts.

You can also find fossils in caves, cliffs, and hillsides.

Now, fossils are super important because they help us learn about what life was like a long time ago.

They tell us what kinds of creatures lived on Earth, what they looked like, and even what they ate.

Without fossils, we wouldn't know about dinosaurs, or other ancient animals.

So, next time you see a fossil, remember it's a little piece of history telling the story of life from millions of years ago.

In the future, fossils will likely be made of the things around us that are abundant and can last a long time.

These could be human bones from our skeletons, animal bones from pets, birds, fish, and farm animals, or durable materials from plastics and metals that resist decay.

Just like how we find dinosaur bones and seashells as fossils today, one day in the distant future, people or maybe even robots might find fossils of things that were part of our world.

Over to you.

Which of these artificial materials would most likely fossilise? Is it A, B, or C? Pause the video here and click play when you've got the answer.

So, how did you do? Well, if you've got B, you are correct.

Plastic bottles are most likely to fossilise because they resist decay.

Now, a teddy bear would not fossilise because it's made of materials like fabric, stuffing, and synthetic fibres which break down relatively quickly.

Therefore, it would not fossilise.

Fast food chips will also not fossilise, and that's because it's made of organic materials, which we know decays quite quickly, and it would not survive the conditions needed for fossilisation to take place.

Now, the packaging itself, well, it's made of non-biodegradable materials that would not turn into fossils.

Now, when it comes to plastic bottles, these are also quite unlikely to fossilise in the traditional sense, but they have their own unique longevity, and this is because of the materials they are made from.

On to the main task for this lesson cycle.

You are going to be discussing fossils with your classmates.

So you might think about some of the questions Aisha, Andeep, Laura, and Alex ask.

So let's begin with Aisha.

Aisha asks, why do we only find dinosaur skeletons and not their skin? Andeep asks, why are some fossils more rare than others? Alex asks, why are cows, pigs, and sheep more likely to become fossils than snakes? And lastly, Laura asks, which part of my doll will last in the future? As you know, each question is different.

Think about the types of material, or object that we are talking about.

Will it fossilise or will it not? How do you know? You can pause the video here, and once you're ready to rejoin us, click play.

So how did your discussion go? You might have said archaeologists usually only find dinosaur skeletons because the soft parts of the animal decomposed.

You may have also discussed that the organisms that were the most abundant are more likely to fossilise and so are more likely to be found today.

Thirdly, doll's hair is perishable, whereas the hard plastic body will not decay.

Now, there are many more cows, pigs, and sheep on the planet than snakes.

So they are more likely to be found as fossils.

Well done if you managed to identify what will decompose and what will not.

This means you've been able to identify which items will fossilise and which items will not.

We're now going to be recording ideas in our sketchbook.

When artists are thinking of ideas for an artwork, they often record ideas in a sketchbook.

Artists explore different ideas through writing notes, creating sketches, and then developing ideas.

Before we start creating any artwork, the first thing we need to do is think of ideas.

This is like planning in our heads what we might want to draw or make.

You could think about things you've seen that inspire you or even use objects and items that you see in your classroom.

Now remember, no idea is too silly.

Creativity is about exploring all kinds of possibilities.

We then move on to recording our ideas.

Once we have ideas in our minds, we don't want to forget them.

That's where our sketchbooks come in handy.

A sketchbook is a special place where artists record all their ideas.

It's like a visual diary or a space.

Remember, your sketchbook is private at this stage, so it's okay if things are rough.

The most important thing is to capture your idea so you can develop it later.

So now that you have your ideas recorded, it's time to start developing them.

This means taking the idea further by improving it, adding more details, or even combining different ideas from your sketchbook.

This is where you experiment and play with the possibilities before starting the final artwork.

Now on the screen here, you can see an example of a pupil sketchbook recording their ideas.

Artists often record their ideas in their sketchbooks using sketches, diagrams, and annotations.

Ideas are drawn roughly and quickly.

They are not intended to be finished drawings.

Now I remember when I was in primary school and I was asked to record in my sketchbook, I always thought, oh, it has to be perfect.

It needs to be exactly how I picture it in my head.

And if it's not perfect, I'll just cross it out.

That's not the case here.

When we're using our sketchbook, we just want to make sure we've recorded our idea as quickly as possible.

We've also labelled it, so in other words, annotated it to remind us about what we've observed.

It's just a very quick way of noting down ideas, and there is no perfect way of doing it.

And I want you to remember that.

Over to you.

How do artists record ideas in sketchbooks? Is it A.

Ideas are drawn roughly and quickly.

B.

Ideas might take the form of quick sketches.

Or C.

Sketchbook work has to be perfect.

You can pause the video here and click play when you've got the answer.

So, what did you get? If you got A, you are correct.

When you are an artist and you're using a sketchbook, the whole idea of it is that ideas are drawn roughly and quickly.

You can also label what you've drawn to remind yourself of what it was and why you drew it.

You might also date it as well, so you remember when you drew it.

Now, B is also correct, so well done if you got that.

Now, your ideas might take the form of quick sketches, and that's what we were talking about.

We don't want to take too long in recording our ideas.

Using a sketchbook is a very important part of being an artist.

It allows artists to try out lots of different ideas by drawing quick sketches.

These sketches help artists think carefully about which ideas they like best.

Once they have chosen an idea, they can then turn it into a more detailed piece of art.

Now, when you talk to a partner about your sketches, it can be really helpful.

Your partner might notice something you haven't thought of, or they might help you decide which idea is strongest.

So, here we have Andeep saying, I really like your first idea.

Sophia replies, I'm not sure.

I like both the first and second idea.

This discussion helps them to reflect on their choices and make decisions about which idea to develop further.

You might find that you have similar discussions in class as well.

This is great because talking with a partner about your work can give you new ideas and help you feel more confident in what you have created.

It is an important part of learning to think about your art and make it even better.

Let's move on.

Which of the following are examples of sketchbook ideas? Is it A, B, or C? You can pause the video here and click play when you're ready to rejoin us.

So, what did you get? A and B are correct.

I wonder why.

Now, A is correct because we can clearly see here there's some drawings.

Now, the artist here has added a little bit of colour, but we can see that they've also annotated what they've drawn.

And we've also got three ideas there.

One of the key features of this sketchbook work is that the drawings are quick and not perfect.

This is a typical and important aspect of sketchbook work.

Now, remember, sketchbooks are meant to be a place for experimentation and exploration, not for creating finished, polished pieces.

You can see that the rough outlines and spontaneous use of colour show that the artist was focused on capturing the feeling, or idea of each season, rather than getting every detail perfect.

So, this freedom allows the artist to express ideas quickly and creatively without worrying about making mistakes.

We can see that in A and B, annotations have been used.

That's an important element because annotations provide insights into the artist's thoughts, explaining choices of colour, shape, and symbolism.

B is also correct.

We've got a rough idea of what light pollution is.

Now, C, not so much of a sketchbook idea.

It's far too detailed, and we can see that it's not a rough or quick sketch of an idea.

We can see that this is more of a final piece.

The artist may have already had a rough drawing of this before, and then they took that idea and made it into their final piece by drawing it in far more detail.

Well done if you got A and B correct.

Let's move on.

So, this is the last task for your lesson cycle.

You are now going to record ideas in your sketchbook of things that might fossilise in the future using a mind map.

What I'd like you to do is remember, future fossils will likely be the most abundant things on the planet at this time.

So, in the classroom, we want to identify abundant materials.

Hmm, what materials do we have a lot of in our classroom? So, a tip that I would give you is to look for items made from materials that are common and plentiful, like plastic, paper, or metal.

These abundant materials are more likely to endure and be found in the future.

Only the hard parts of an organism are likely to fossilise, not the perishable parts.

Here is your mind map.

You could also alternatively draw this into your sketchbook.

Part two of this task.

You're now going to be using your mind map for inspiration.

Record your ideas in your sketchbook of things that might fossilise in the future using quick sketches.

Now, remember, your sketches can be quick and do not need to be perfect.

You can observe an object or image to help you draw.

And you can also add notes to label your sketches.

So, again, you can think about what objects we use every day that are abundant in our classroom.

A top tip here would be to maybe choose items like markers, pencils, or notebooks.

These everyday objects are part of our daily lives and show how we learn and create.

Now, remember, not all classroom items may last forever.

Many items, like paper and food, can break down or decay over time.

They are not permanent and will eventually deteriorate.

Off you go, have fun with this task, and click play when you're ready to rejoin us.

So how did you do? You may have recorded some of these ideas.

Pet bones, plastic figurines, human and animal skulls, coins, metal rings, plastic bricks, house keys, and pencils.

Let's look at plastic figurines in more detail.

Now, in terms of abundance, plastic toys are extremely abundant in our classrooms. And they're often used as teaching aids or play items. They're widely manufactured, making them common artefacts in everyday life.

Now, plastic itself is non-perishable in the short term, meaning it won't easily break down.

Over time, plastic can degrade, but it can still take hundreds or thousands of years, so it might remain recognisable in fossil form.

Due to their durability and widespread use, plastic figurines and other plastic items are very likely to become fossils if buried or preserved in certain conditions.

Now, when it comes to human and animal skulls, replicas or real, they may not be common in classrooms. Replicas, for educational purposes, are going to be a bit more abundant.

Now, real skulls are rare but valuable for scientific study.

Now, when it comes to looking at the perishable or non-perishable parts, real skulls made of bone are non-perishable over time, especially under the right conditions, which can lead to fossilisation.

Replica skulls, if made of plastic or resin, also have non-perishable parts similar to plastic figurines.

So, real skulls have a high potential to fossilise, as bones naturally fossilise over millions of years.

Replica skulls made from durable materials also have good potential, especially if crafted from synthetic or otherwise known as man-made materials.

Lastly, let's have a look at pencils in more detail.

Now, pencils are one of the most abundant items in the classroom, and they're used daily by pupils and teachers alike.

Now, the wood of pencils is perishable, as wood naturally breaks down when exposed to the elements.

The graphite core inside the pencil is non-perishable and could remain long after the wood is gone.

Erasers, often made from rubber, can degrade, but some rubber materials could leave behind traces.

So, when it comes to fossilisation, the wood part of the pencil is unlikely to fossilise as it will decompose, but the graphite core could survive longer.

In rare conditions, impressions of the pencil could be preserved in the fossil record.

Well done if you managed to record some of these items. Now, in your sketchbook, you might have included natural materials, such as shark's teeth, bones, a bird's skull.

You may have also included human-made materials, such as plastic toys, coins, keys, and Lego.

Great job on your sketches.

I'm sure you drew a lot of interesting things.

Remember, your sketchbook is like a treasure chest for your ideas.

You can always look back at your sketches to find inspiration and see how your ideas will change later on.

Well done, you've made it to the end of this lesson.

Let's now summarise our learning.

So, in this lesson, we were looking at future fossils, and then we did some work in our sketchbook to record items we thought would fossilise.

Now, in this lesson, you learnt that the hard parts of an organism are more likely to fossilise than perishable parts.

You also learnt that the most abundant things are more likely to be found as future fossils.

And lastly, sketchbooks can be used to record ideas in the form of sketches and notes.

I always see the sketchbook as a treasure chest of ideas, and I hope you see that too.

I really hope you enjoyed this lesson, and I look forward to seeing you in the next one.

Thank you for joining me.

Bye!.