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PALEONTOLOGICAL OUTDOOR EDUCATION: LOCAL FOSSILS ENLIGHTEN THE PAST and THE FUTURE of THE LIVINGS
Last modified: 2017-03-24
Abstract
This research is based on prospective science teachers’ learning experiences with local fossils by outdoor activities in a paleontological outdoor fossil park. Research trip will be organized to Özlüce Trolian Fossil Park in Muğla in Aegean Region of Turkey (stock fossils of plants and animals-giraffidae, bovidae, rhinocerotidae, proboscidae, suidae, equidae and carnivorous- that lived 5-10 millions year ago). The Trolian Fossil Park is both paleontological and archeological region that also serves great variety of instructional geological materials in learning earth sciences. Primarily, the topics; i) what is a fossil ii) how fossils are formed iii) how they were preserved iv) in what geological conditions required for the formation of fossils v) why fossils are necessary for research in earth sciences, will be studied at school by some various fossils. Afterwards, the prospective science teachers (n=16) in Faculty of Education in Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University will study in groups of four by cooperative learning techniques and perform fossil activities in their home groups by sharing tasks in the park. The outdoor activities aim prospective science teachers; i) Understand the conditions under which fossils are formed and how they occur in earth’s timeline ii) Evaluate life on earth geologically by environmental conditions of the period iii) Compare fossils with today's living species –if there is – or close relatives on earth iv) Identify the various types of fossils and make estimates on the taxonomy of the species throughout evolutionary timeline v) Discuss how livings would be affected by earth’s future environmental conditions (pollution, global warming, acid rains, endangered species, polar iceberg melting etc.) and predict adaptations that living beings would exhibit vi) Design teaching materials for their future classrooms in basic earth science. Quantitative data will be collected by i) observation forms-scientific process, social process, learning process-, ii) word communication test-to figure out students mind maps- and iii) academic achievement tests. Qualitative data will be collected by “semi structured interviews” with prospective science teachers.