Lesson Title: Future Fossils

Subject Area/s: Social Studies & Art

Length of Lesson: 4 weeks

Teacher: Erin Mitchell

Grade Level: 7th
Focus: The Human Imprint

Stage 1 Desired Results

National Core Visual Arts Standards
Artistic Process: Responding
Anchor Standard: Perceive and analyze artistic work
VA:Re.7.1.lla: Recognize and describe personal aesthetic and empathetic
responses to the natural world and constructed environments
Common Core State Standards for History
State Goal 16: Understand events, trends, individuals, and movements shaping
the history of Illinois, the United States, and other nations
Early High School: Apply the skills of historical analysis and interpretation
IL.16.A.4a: Analyze and report historical events to determine cause and effect
relationships
Understanding(s)/Goals:
-Individual aesthetic and empathetic awareness developed through engagement
with art can lead to understanding and appreciation of self, others, the natural
world, and the constructed environment
-People are affected by environmental, economic, social, cultural, and civic
concerns
-Culture is both a unifying and divisive force in human nature
Essential Question(s):
-How do life experiences influence the way you relate to art?
-How do the beliefs and values of a diverse culture affect individuals and society?
-What can we learn about a culture through its art forms?
Students will know
-the study of archeologists
-what fossils and cave paintings are
-current events and intriguing topics in society
Students will be able to
-respond to a current event or social topic
- research the best object to symbolize their topic
- write a report as a future archeologist describing what their finding is, what it
tells them, and the materials it is composed of
Stage 2 Assessment Evidence
Performance Task(s):

-Students will be assigned to create an object (that would be found by

archeologists of the future) that best symbolizes their response to a current
event/trend
-Students will present their future fossils as archeologists of the future
describing what they found, what the fossil tells them about the time period
(2016), where the fossil was found, and what it is made of
-Through discourse students will interpret the future fossils of their classmates
Other Evidence:
-PRESENTATION: Students will present their future fossils to the class in a
peer share
-REPORT: Students will report their found future fossils describing what the
fossil is, what the fossil tells them about the time period, where they found the
fossil, and what materials the fossil is made of
Stage 3 Learning Plan
1. Teacher passes around natural fossils and shows slides of cave paintings to
begin a conversation about archeology H
2. Teacher will ask questions such as what do these remains tell us? Does it
give insight into the time it existed? H, W
3. Students will be assigned the job of being an archeologists of the future
finding fossils of 2015 W, E1
4. Students will be asked to reflect on the current events and social issues of
today to create/construct their fossils E1
5. All topics, objects, and art materials used to make the object must be
submitted for review and approval from the teacher E2
6. Students will write a report of their findings as archeologists describing what
the fossil is, what the fossil tells them about the time period, where they found the
fossil, and what materials the fossil is made of E2
7. Students will be given time in the computer lab to research their topics E1, R
8. Handouts will be given with the assignment directions including expectations
for their presentations T, W
9. Students will be able to create 2D or 3D objects to present their fossils using
mixed medias/found objects (choice based) O
10. Students will present their fossils in a peer share with their classmates E2

Materials: This project will be choice-based allowing students to choose what

medium best supports their idea