Lesson Plan - Should Fossils Be for Sale?

Watch a Video: Dino Scientist

Discuss: How do fossils form? What kinds  of things can we learn from them?

Preview Words to Know

Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know. 

• excavated 
• erodes

Set a Purpose for Reading

Note the “As You Read” question. Have students think about why someone might want to own a dinosaur fossil. 

1. How does a fossil auction work?
At an auction, people bid money to buy a fossil. Whoever bids the most money wins the auction and gets the fossil.
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2. Why do some people say the U.S. should follow the example of Alberta, Canada?
Alberta has strict fossil protection laws. Only professional paleontologists are permitted to excavate fossils there, and some people wish the U.S. had similar rules.
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3. Summarize the arguments made by those who say collectors should be allowed to buy fossils.
These people argue that letting collectors buy fossils leads to more excavation and that many collectors donate fossils to museums. They also say that landowners have the right to let companies dig on their property, and that the companies should be able to sell the fossils to make money for themselves and the landowners.
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FEATURED SKILL: Collaborative Discussions

Use the Skill Builder “Ready, Set, Debate!” to have students prepare for a classroom debate. 

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