Clouded Leopard
We had a lot of fun today. The games were fun, but we
learned a bunch about the outdoors and fossils. We learned how to use and
navigate with gps units. Shane showed us some fossils he dug up with his tools.
We learned about how fossils were made.
Shane also taught us how to dig up fossils, using cow bones, trowels,
and paintbrushes. We learned how to graph and use cameras, and we learned about
the rock cycle too. We went on a trail and saw cool animals, like a cottontail
rabbit. We went on an adventure, and met new people. We played outside and met
new friends. We watched birds play and we also wrote in our journals. We had an
awesome and fun day.
Learning how to dig for fossils in the 'fossil sandbox'.
Lonesome George (the giant tortoise)
Day 1
This morning we learned how global
positioning system (GPS) units work and tested them out. We also learned how to
excavate fossils, as well as how bones are scattered.
This afternoon we played a game
about the rock cycle. We also discovered how difficult it is for organisms to
become fossils. Then we played a game called fossil tag (VERY similar to freeze
tag).
Sediment layers at Toadstool Geologic Park.
Paleocastors (Digging Beaver)
Today we worked with GPS units and we didn’t lose our way.
We also practiced digging and recording bones. We learned about prehistoric mammals.
We learned how sediment covers the bones of dead prehistoric animals. We
learned how to identify the bones in fossils.
END
OF DAY 1 TO BE CONTINUED……
Mountain Lion mount at the Wildcat Hills Nature Center.
Syndyoceras
The first thing we did today was a slide show. On the slide
show we learned that there could be anywhere we step. The fossils could be only
a centimeter deep or 100 feet deep. We also learned that there are many
different eras of fossils. The fossils don’t all die the same. After the slide
show we learned about GPS. They’re not always accurate. When we were done with
GPS we got to graph a rose chart. The chart showed if the fossils died
in a stream or a pond. Depending on the weight of the bone can determine the
direction the bone. After the chart we got to dig up bones and graph where the
bones were laid in the square. You can’t just pick up a bone or you lose all of
the data of where it was or possibly how it got there. So you have to chart
where the bones were dug up. After lunch we played a game that taught us that
not everything will become a fossil. We also learned that the more abundant the
species the more likely one will be fossilized. Once we were done with that we
went and learned that not every rock cycle was the same. Rocks all have
different cycles. We then learned how to use a digital camera. They showed us so
that we can take pictures of interesting things.
Digging for fossils in the sandbox to prepare for digging in the field.
Titanothere
What we learned, we use gps to find lanyards in trees all
around the Wildcat hills.
We dug up bones for a man made dig site.
We also hiked in the
wild cat hills.
We watched a power point on paleontology.
In the morning we played mammal mammal dinosaur while waiting
for the camp to start.
Bobcat mount at the Wildcat Hills Nature Center (the mounts were definitely a favorite with the campers).
*The words are all those of the campers. However, these posts were edited for spelling and grammar.
