Students will launch a fossil investigation by uncovering replicas, documenting observable evidence, comparing recording methods, revising notes through peer feedback, and generating questions that will guide the project.

Students will turn discoveries from the kickoff into focused questions and provisional hypotheses, practice recording fossil evidence, and design a consistent investigation method. Teams will test their plans, consult a paleontologist, exchange feedback with peers, and revise an approved station protocol before substantial data collection begins.

Students will systematically collect and verify fossil-replica and artifact evidence, document anomalies and environmental clues, and revise their investigation notebooks through peer and paleontologist feedback.

Students will transform fossil investigation records into data displays, analyze patterns and anomalies, develop cautious evidence-based conclusions, and revise museum exhibit materials through peer and paleontologist feedback. They will complete a readiness checkpoint and rehearse oral explanations before the public showcase.

Students will refine their fossil evidence explanations through structured peer critique, present museum-style exhibits to an authentic audience, defend conclusions with evidence, and reflect on how fossils reveal that the past shapes today’s world.