Celebrating National Fossil Day with Merge EDU

As part of Earth Science Week, we're excited to celebrate National Fossil Day on October 16, 2024! This day provides an excellent opportunity to engage students in the fascinating world of paleontology and the incredible rock history of Earth.

Why Fossils Matter

Fossils are the key to understanding Earth's past. They provide valuable insights into:

• The history of life on Earth
• Ancient ecosystems and environments
• The interconnectedness of all living things

Studying fossils helps students develop critical thinking skills, understand the nature of scientific evidence, and appreciate the vast timescales of Earth's history.

Exploring Fossils with Merge EDU

Here are a few ways that Merge EDU can provide enrichment opportunities to learn more about fossils:

Rock History of Earth

Earth’s history is written in its rocks. When we look at a canyon like the Grand Canyon, we see almost two billion years of Earth’s past revealed in its rock layers. We also see how over millions of years, water can change the rocky landscape. And when we dig deep into each of the rocky layers, we find fossils – traces of living things that existed on Earth long ago. In these activities, we will explore how water carves out rock, how rock layers slowly accumulate, and what we can learn from the rock layers and fossils found in them.

Merge Explorer

Virtual Fossils Collection with Merge Object Viewer

Merge Object Viewer comes with a Fossils Collection. Students can:

• Hold and manipulate detailed fossil specimens like an ammonite, crinoid, trilobite and more.
• Create an AR fossil gallery using this AR Art Gallery activity plan
• Compare fossils to their modern-day relatives

Fossils

Unearth the mysteries strange and numerous creatures of the past through fossilized remains. From bones, shells, petrified plants, imprints and more; learn about creatures from the different geological ages in Earth’s history.

Object Viewer for MERGE Cube

Scan and Share Real Fossils with Merge Scanner

Take your class on a fossil hunting field trip (or use classroom specimens) and use Merge Scanner to create 3D models of fossils. Students can:

• Scan fossils they find or study in class with Merge Scanner
• Create a shareable 3D fossil collection
• Add labels and descriptions to each fossil specimen in your collection
• Collaborate with other classes or schools to build a comprehensive fossil library

Visualize Rock History of Earth with Merge Explorer 

The “Rock History of Earth” topic card in the Merge Explorer app has multiple activities that help students learn more about the history of Earth! 

• Visualize how the Horseshoe Bend Canyon was formed by erosion over time
• Watch layers of rock build up over time, in the palm of your hand
• Dig for fossils in multiple rock layers 
• Witness the giant supercontinent of Pangea split up to form today’s continents

Layers of Rock

The Earth’s surface is made up of strata (layers) of rock that are like pages in a history book – the top layers are the newest pages, and the deeper you dig, the farther back in Earth’s history you travel. In this activity, you will watch the layers of rock build up over time to give us the strata we see today in the Grand Canyon. First, take a look at all the rock layers in the Grand Canyon, and notice the age of each layer. Then, move the slider to observe how the layers gradually accumulated on top of each other, with the newest layer coming last.

Merge Explorer

Layers of Fossils

If the layers of rock are like pages in a history book, then the fossils in each layer are like illustrations showing the creatures that lived during each period in Earth’s history. In this activity, you will perform your own virtual dig to uncover fossils in each rock layer. Use the control panel to strip away the top layers of rock one by one. This will reveal fossils buried underneath, and you can click on each fossil to learn about its age and the creature that left it behind. In what layer can you find pterosaur (flying reptile) fossils?

Merge Explorer

Fostering a Love for Paleontology

National Fossil Day is an opportunity to inspire the next generation of paleontologists, geologists, and science enthusiasts. Merge EDU can make fossil exploration more accessible, engaging, and memorable for students of all ages.

This National Fossil Day, let's use the power of AR to bring learning to life and spark curiosity about the amazing history of our planet. After all, every fossil tells a story – and with Merge EDU, your students can be the ones to uncover it!