rockin’ alberta resources - tyrrell museum · rockin’ alberta resources table of contents 1 ......

ROCKIN’ ALBERTA RESOURCES Table of Contents 1

ROCKIN’ ALBERTA RESOURCESA Royal Tyrrell Museum Distance Learning Program

© 2008 Royal Tyrrell Museum. All Rights Reserved.

TEACHER’S GUIDE

Exploring the natural heritage of Alberta’s badlands through geography, geology, and palaeontology.

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ROCKIN’ ALBERTA RESOURCES TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Program Description 2

Program Outline 2

Activities:

GeoSearch! 7

Palaeocube 10

The Ecozone Beat 12

Activities by Grade Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

GeoSearch!

Palaeocube

The Ecozone Beat

Thank you for choosing to participate in an ATCO Tyrrell Distance Learning Program!

The following guide contains information about your program, as well as accompanying activities that can be utilized in your own classroom.

ROCKIN’ ALBERTA RESOURCES PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND OUTLINE 2

ROCKIN’ ALBERTA RESOURCES

Program Description

Grades 3–6

Students explore the natural heritage of Alberta’s badlands through geography, geology, and palaeontology in this video conference program. Using interactive components—games, images and animation—they will learn about the different rock types, discover how the badlands formed, take a look at real fossils, and find out what it takes to become a palaeontologist.

45 minutes

Curriculum Connections

Grade 3 Rocks and Minerals

Grade 4 Social Studies: Alberta: Its Geography and People

Program Outline

What is…?

Geography – study of the Earth’s surface (shape of the Earth, climate, distribution of life)

Geology – study of the history and structure of the Earth, as recorded in rocks

Palaeontology – study of ancient life through the fossil record

How are they related?

Geography determines the distribution of certain environments, which contain certain types of rocks and features that may contain certain types of fossils.

ROCKIN’ ALBERTA RESOURCES GEOGRAPHY 3

GEOGRAPHY (AN OVERVIEW OF ALBERTA’S GEOGRAPHY)

Alberta Facts:

• 660,000 km2

• 3.7 million people• Wild Rose is the provincial flower• Petrified Wood is the provincial stone

Note: Japan is approximately half the size, but contains 128 million people

Six major geographical regions or “ecozones”:

1. Grassland

2. Parkland

3. Boreal Forest

4. Foothills

5. Canadian Shield

6. Mountains

Note: The badlands are located in the Grassland region

ROCKIN’ ALBERTA RESOURCES GEOLOGY 4

GEOLOGY (AN OVERVIEW OF BADLANDS GEOLOGY)

Three basic rock types:

1. Igneous: Magma or lava cooling Granite, obsidian, pumice

2. Sedimentary: Tiny eroded bits of rock that are deposited to form layers Sandstone, shale, mudstone, bentonite

3. Metamorphic: Rock subjected to heat and tons of pressure under the earth Gneiss, schist, slate

How did the badlands form?

• Glaciers two to four km thick covered the area approximately 15,000 years ago• An ice dam caused a huge lake to form while the glaciers were melting• Eventually the dam broke, releasing a torrent of water that carved out the landscape• Continual erosion of the valley exposes fossils for discovery

What type of rock do we primarily find in the badlands?

• Primarily sedimentary• Sandstone, mudstone, coal, and ironstone are the four major types, but there are some glacial erratics present as well (metamorphic)• All layers can contain at least some type of fossil.

ROCKIN’ ALBERTA RESOURCES PALAEONTOLOGY 1/2 5

PALAEONTOLOGY (ALBERTA’S SIGNIFICANCE IN THE STUDY OF ANCIENT LIFE.)

What is palaeontology?

The study of ancient life through the fossil record.

Fossils are found wherever deep layers of sedimentary rock are exposed.

Some specific locations in Alberta:• Grand Cache – Theropod (carnivorous) and ankylosaur (armour-plated, herbivorous) dinosaur trackways• Crowsnest Pass – “Black Beauty” is one of the most complete T.rex skeletons ever found• Devil’s Coulee – Duck-billed dinosaur nesting sites• Dinosaur Provincial Park – Bonebeds, some the size of a football field

What to do if you find a fossil

The Alberta Historical Resources Act• Created in 1973, amended to include fossils in 1978• No fossils in the province are allowed to be unearthed without permission from the Government (Includes any work done by palaeontologists)• Breaking this law could result in a $50,000 fine, a year in jail, or both• Surface collecting (fossils loose on the ground that require no digging) is permitted provided: • You are on your own land or Crown land, or you have the landowner’s permission • The fossil is not removed from the province of Alberta

If you find a fossil Locate it – Where did you find your fossil? Use a map to pinpoint your location, or use landmarks around you that would help someone else find the location Describe it – What does it look like? Take a picture if you have a camera with you Report it – Get in touch with your local museum, or directly with the Royal Tyrrell Museum, to report your find

Joseph B. Tyrrell was:

• A geologist with the GSC (Geological Survey of Canada) sent to the Red Deer River valley to search for coal seams viable for mining• Responsible for the first dinosaur discovery in the Alberta badlands in 1884. It was the partial skull of a carnivorous dinosaur, later named Albertosaurus sarcophagus (in 1905)

ROCKIN’ ALBERTA RESOURCES PALAEONTOLOGY 2/2 6

PALAEONTOLOGY (ALBERTA’S SIGNIFICANCE IN THE STUDY OF ANCIENT LIFE.)

The Royal Tyrrell Museum

• Opened September 25, 1985• Named after Joseph B. Tyrrell• Dedicated to researching and sharing Alberta’s rich fossil heritage• Over 120,000 specimens in collection• Seven full-time palaeontologists who research various areas of palaeontology• Upwards of 350,000 visitors each year

What is a palaeontologist?

A scientist who studies ancient life through the fossil record There are many different disciplines within the science, including:

Palaeobotany – Fossil plants Palynology – Fossil spores and pollen Micropalaeontology – Fossils no larger than 4mm Invertebrate palaeontology – Fossils of animals without backbones

Vertebrate palaeontology – Fossils of animals with backbones

Palaeoecology – Study of ancient environments and ecosystems

Palaeomammology – Study of fossil mammals

What does it take to become a palaeontologist?

• An interest in science and excitment about the world around you• A love for biology and geology is a great place to start• Post-secondary schooling for up to 12 years, depending on where you attend (This means up to 24 years of school in total, which sounds like a long time, but if you’re really passionate about what you’re doing, it’s worth it!)

ROCKIN’ ALBERTA RESOURCES ACTIVITY ONE: GEOSEARCH! 1/3 7

GEOSEARCH!Read through the information about the three basic rock types. Then, search for any words that look like this in the wordsearch puzzle on page three of this exercise.

Sedimentary

Sedimentary rocks form from smaller fragments of rocks and minerals being cemented together. These fragments are often brought together through erosion. A different type of sedimentary rock is “biologic” rock, which is formed from the remains of plants and animals.

Sandstone

Sandstone forms from slightly larger fragments of rock, like sand. It is usually rough and lighter brown in colour.

Mudstone

Mudstone forms from very fine fragments of rock, like silt. It usually feels softer and is darker brown in colour.

Ironstone

Ironstone forms from sediments and very iron-rich water. It is usually a purple-black colour, until it is exposed to water and air. Then it rusts!

CoalCoal forms from compressed plant material; It is black in colour and sometimes shiny. Coal is called “biologic” rock, because it comes from the remains of a living thing.

A C T I V I T Y O N E


Granite

Granite forms from magma that has cooled slowly, usually deep within the Earth. Colours range from white to pink to grey and black, often with crystal speckles scattered throughout.

Obsidian

Obsidian is a naturally occurring glass, formed from lava that has cooled quickly. It is often dark brown or black in colour, shiny, and can be very sharp!

Pumice

Pumice, a lightweight rock, formed when lava is ejected into the air along with gases. The lava cools quickly, trapping the gas inside.

Gneiss

Gneiss can form from either igneous or sedimentary rock, and is often coarse with lighter and darker layers. It often forms from granite.

Schist

Schist is a medium or coarse-grained rock with fine layers that are often made up of flat crystal miner-als like mica. Occasionally, garnets and other metamorphic minerals are found embedded within them.

Slate

Slate is a rock formed from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. Often dark grey or black in colour, and splits into flat sheets very easily.

GEOSEARCH!

Igneous

Igneous rock forms from the cooling of lava or magma.

Depending on how quickly or slowly the lava or magma cools will determine the qualities of the rock.

Metamorphic

Metamorphic rock is formed when the other two rock types go through a chemical change.

This happens when the rock is exposed to heat and pressure.



GEOSEARCH!Remember, you’re hunting for the words that look like this from the 2 previous pages in the wordsearch below.

Good luck!

Hint: Words may appear in any direction: Forward, backward and diagonally

M A R Q S G P O N Z A V A R E

O L N G F E N X R P U M I C E

C B U I S E D W Y T L A V A T

H E S H A R P I D B S A N M A

Y R T I N O Z A M C I E G E L

F U M U D S T O N E G K M T S

R S P V S I A O D H N T G A K

A S B F T O A E J R E T R M Y

G E S X O N T N P A O L A O C

M R B I N N C G L N U Q N R S

E P U W E T S I H C S Z I P Y

N A D M I N O B R V C O T H X

T D E K M A G M A G A F E I J

S C O O L I N G M E Q A N C X

U R G D T I R O N S T O N E V


ROCKIN’ ALBERTA RESOURCES ACTIVITY TWO: PALAEOCUBE 1/2 10

Required Materials:

PalaeoCube Sheets 1 and 2 Pencil Crayons or Markers Scissors Glue Stick

Instructions:

1. Start by colouring the pieces as you like.

2. Cut out both pieces, cutting along the dark lines all the way around each piece.

3. Fold back gently along all the dotted lines. Folding these ahead of time will make your cube easier to put together!

4. Put a small amount of glue on tabs A, B and C. Then stick the tabs under the spots marked A, B and C. Press firmly.

5. Put a small amount of glue on tabs D and E. Then stick the tabs under the spots marked D and E. Press firmly.

6. Fold down the lid of the box and gently tuck in the final tab.

Congratulations, you’ve completed your cube!

You can use it as decoration, or store things inside it.

Your cube will always remind you of some of Alberta’s fascinating prehistoric creatures!

• Ammonite •

NO GLUE HERE!

A

B

CP

re

his

toric Creatures of

Alb

er

ta

PALAEOCUBECreate a cube decorated with some of Alberta’s prehistoric creatures! (Best constructed using heavy paper or cardstock)

A C T I V I T Y T W O

ROCKIN’ ALBERTA RESOURCES ACTIVITY TWO: PALAEOCUBE 2/2 11

• Albertosaur •

• Ammonite •

• Pteran

od

on

•

• Hadrosaur •

NO GLUE HERE!

NO GLUE HERE!

NO GLUE HERE!

A

B

C

D

E

A

B

C

D

E

Pr

eh

isto

ric Creatures of A

lbe

rta

PALAEOCUBE

A C T I V I T Y T W O

ROCKIN’ ALBERTA RESOURCES ACTIVITY THREE: THE ECOZONE BEAT 1/5 12

THE ECOZONE BEAT BY COLIN REGAMEY

Chorus

Ecozones, Alberta’s ecozones;

Count ‘em up, you’ll be a whiz,

animals, plants and resources!

The ecozones, Alberta’s ecozones;

A-one, a-two, a-three, four, five, six, GO!

Boreal Forest with coniferous trees,

the biggest of the six of ‘em; tap your knees!

Canadian Shield, mostly a field

of really old rock; give your head a knock!

Foothills rolling to the southwest,

Boreal to Rockies; pound your chest!

Chorus





A-one, a-two, a-three, four, five, six, GO!

Rocky Mountains, a great place to camp,

tallest things around; give your feet a stamp!

Parkland’s the place where farming’s a snap,

lotsa people there, give your hands a clap!

Grassland’s lookin’ grassy and flat,

some hills and rivers; give your back a pat!

Chorus





A-one, a-two, a-three, four, five, six, STOP!

A C T I V I T Y T H R E E

A.

B.

C.

C.

E.

F.

D.

MATCH THEM UP!

Boreal Forest

Canadian Shield

Foothills

Rocky Mountains

Parkland

Grassland

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