Capitalizing on Pre-Existing Student Engagement with Fossils: A Gateway to Generate Student Interest, Participation, and Learning

The use of fossils as a tool in the classroom provide the medium in which students enthusiastically and directly engage in scientific exploration and thinking, enhancing their interest in future science curricula, and provide an avenue to develop scientific literacy. The National Research Council stated that students should have authentic experiences with natural phenomena to develop an understanding of how science is explored, while developing skills necessary in science related careers. Science teachers can use fossils as a natural-world phenomenon to support students' learning of multiple concepts and scientific practices throughout a K-12 science curriculum through a series of hands on activities that use fossils or imprints as the tool to present various science content topics. Fossils tend to be engaging and connect learners to formal and informal learning opportunities.