Fossil Record Science Games

5 games

In this series of games, your students will learn about the accumulation of rock strata and other geologic features, and how scientists study them along with the fossil record to shed light on the Earth’s natural history. The Fossil Record learning objective — based on NGSS and state standards — delivers improved student engagement and academic performance in your classroom, as demonstrated by research.

Scroll down for a preview of this learning objective’s games and the concepts they drive home.

Concepts Covered

Over time, layers of igneous and sedimentary rock that pile up on top of each other to form rock strata. The Principle of Superposition tells us the deepest strata are the oldest, and each layer on top of the next gets younger and younger. That isn’t always true, though; any geological features that cut across layers of rock are younger than those layers, according to the Principle of Cross-cutting Relationships.

Geologists keep all this in mind when they look at the fossil record, which is full of evidence of life forms that lived a long time ago. Looking at where specific fossils, called index fossils, have formed in the rock strata helps them figure out how old the rock is compared to other layers, or its *relative* age. This isn’t the same as figuring out its *actual* age, exactly how many years old it is.

Today’s scientific laws and processes work the same way as they always have throughout the eras, periods, and epochs of the earth. With this in mind, studying rock strata and the fossil record helps scientists learn a tremendous amount about our planet’s history.

A preview of each game in the learning objective is found below.

You can access all of the games on Legends of Learning for free, forever, with a teacher account. A free teacher account also allows you to create playlists of games and assignments for students and track class progress. Sign up for free today!

Image for Wave Interference - Waves
Wave Interference - Waves Estimated Duration: 10 minutes Make waves with a dripping faucet, speaker, or laser. Adjust the frequency and amplitude, and observe the changes in the wave. Design experiments to measure wavelength and wave speed. Note: Students will automatically move through this simulation after 10 minutes of playtime.
Image for Wave Interference - Interference
Wave Interference - Interference Estimated Duration: 10 minutes Explore how a pair of wave sources create an interference pattern. Adjust the source frequency and separation, and determine how to change the interference pattern. Identify points of constructive and destructive interference by eye, and by using the detectors. Note: Students will automatically move through this simulation after 10 minutes of playtime.
Image for Wave Interference - Slits
Wave Interference - Slits Estimated Duration: 10 minutes Put up a barrier to see how the waves move through one or two slits, and discover the resulting interference pattern. Determine how to change the pattern by adjusting the slit width and separation. Predict the location of the interference maxima and minima, and verify your predictions. Note: Students will automatically move through this simulation after 10 minutes of playtime.
Image for Basketball Master
Basketball Master Estimated Duration: 12 minutes Shoot a basketball through the hoop and answer some questions along the way! The game does not have any instructional content, it simply has review questions spread throughout.
Image for Waves Intro - Sound
Waves Intro - Sound Estimated Duration: 10 minutes Make sound waves with a speaker, and hear the tone it produces. Adjust the frequency and amplitude, and observe the changes in the wave. Design experiments to measure wavelength and wave speed. Note: Students will automatically move through this simulation after 10 minutes of playtime.
Image for Robot Chef
Robot Chef Estimated Duration: 18 minutes Congratulations, you are creating the first all-robot restaurant in the city! As you serve more customers, you will be able to build more robots to assist in delivering tasty treats. Attend Night School and answer questions to earn advanced robot chefs!
Image for Wavebot
Wavebot Estimated Duration: 16 minutes Join Dr. Camila and Wavebot as they discover the effects of waves on their environment. Play through all 8 levels of this puzzle and compete for the high score!
Image for Earthquake!
Earthquake! Estimated Duration: 20 minutes How good are you at predictions? Can you figure out when—and how powerfully—an earthquake will hit Square City? Triangulation is the key!
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