OPENING LESSON | 1

INTRODUCTION

OUR HOME, OUR WORLDCONTRIBUTORSMONTANA, USA

MUSEUM OF THE ROCKIES, MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY

Patrick Leiggi Angela Weikert
Carrie Ancell
Dr. John Scannella
J. Eric Loberg

DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES, MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY

Dr. David Bowen

CARTER COUNTY MUSEUM

Sabre Moore

Nathan Carroll

KUMAMOTO, JAPANMIFUNE DINOSAUR MUSEUM

Dr. Naoki Ikegami Yukiko Tomizawa
David Cappelaere Dr. Tatsuya Hayashi
GOSHOURA CRETACEOUS MUSEUM

Koji Hirose

Hiromi Kurosu

ASO VOLCANO MUSEUM

Dr. Shinichiro Ikebe

KUMAMOTO CITY MUSEUM

Mizuki Nomura

GRAPHICS

Micah Rauch, for Museum of the Rockies
Kari Scannella, for Museum of the Rockies
Marie Kawabata, Mifune Dinosaur Museum
Jenn Hall, Carter County Museum

A very special thanks to Montana Governor Stephen Bullock and Kumamoto
Governor Ikuo Kabashima for their continued dedication and commitment to
the Montana Kumamoto Sister-State Relationship.

THIS PROJECT WAS MADE
POSSIBLE IN PART BY

SPECIAL THANKS FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE & SUPPORTOsamu Honda, Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership
MaryAnn Celis, Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership
Takeshi Yoshida, Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership
Moto Ono, Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership
Sheldon McKamey, Museum of the Rockies
Mayor Masayuki Fujiki, Mifune Town
Yoshinori Honda, Board of Education, Mifune Town
Dr. Yoshitaka Hase, Goshoura Cretaceous Museum
Hitoshi Wada, Kumamoto City Museum
Mako Sakaguchi, State of Montana Trade Office, Kumamoto
Ai Yuasa Green, BES Holding, Inc.
Scott Williams, Museum of the Rockies
Ellen Lamm, Museum of the Rockies
Dillon Warn, Museum of the Rockies
Kristi Mills, Museum of the Rockies
Emily Samson, Museum of the Rockies
Alicia Thompson, Museum of the Rockies
Tamara Knappenberger, Museum of the Rockies
Shawn Raecke, Museum of the Rockies
Melissa Smith, Museum of the Rockies
Yoko Hirose, Mifune Dinosaur Museum
Kimihiro Koga, Mifune Dinosaur Museum
Yudai Yamashita, Mifune Dinosaur Museum
Yasuyuki Nambu, Kumamoto City Museum
Lane & Sharon Carroll, Ekalaka, Montana
Steve Hobe, Carter County Museum

We thank the following schools and institutions for their assistancein the evaluation and testing of the educational materials contained
herein:Mifune Elementary School, Mifune Town, Kumamoto
Isshin Elementary School, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto
Mifune Dinosaur Museum, Mifune Town, Kumamoto
LaMotte School, Bozeman, Montana
Irving Elementary School, Bozeman, Montana
Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman, Montana

Copyright © 2018 by Museum of the Rockies, Montana State University, 600 West Kagy Blvd.,
Bozeman, Montana 59717

Ekalaka Elementary School, Ekalaka, Montana

This Educator’s Guide was produced by Museum of the Rockies, Montana State University.
Montana State University owns and retains the copyright for the materials, but hereby grants
a non-exclusive license to the user to download and make copies for educational purposes.

Carter County Museum, Ekalaka, Montana

2 | INTRODUCTION

Carter County High School, Ekalaka, Montana

OUR HOME , OUR WORLDINTRODUCTION

OUR HOME, OUR WORLDWELCOME LETTER ..............................................................................................................4
MONTANA KUMAMOTO SISTER-STATE RELATIONSHIP ..........................................................5
KUMAMOTO MONTANA NATURAL SCIENCE MUSEUM ASSOCIATION........................................6

Museum of the Rockies, Montana State University...............................................................................7
Carter County Museum............................................................................................................7
Mifune Dinosaur Museum........................................................................................................8
Goshoura Cretaceous Museum...................................................................................................8
Aso Volcano Museum.............................................................................................................9
Kumamoto City Museum..........................................................................................................9

BUILDING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS ............................................................................ 10
EDUCATOR’S GUIDE OVERVIEW......................................................................................... 12
OPENING LESSON: OUR HOME.......................................................................................... 23
UNIT 1 - ASTRONOMY

Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories............................................................................................... 39
Lesson 2: Starscapes & Star Charts............................................................................................ 57
Lesson 3: Colorful Constellations, Classifying Stars ........................................................................... 75

UNIT 2 - GEOLOGY

Lesson 1: Volcanic Landscapes................................................................................................. 91
Lesson 2: Natural Disasters - Our Changing Landscapes.................................................................... 105
Lesson 3: Sedimentology - Building Our Landscape.......................................................................... 121

UNIT 3 - PALEONTOLOGY

Lesson 1: Practices of Paleontology ......................................................................................... 133
Lesson 2: Different Times, Different Fossils.................................................................................. 155
Lesson 3: Transforming Land and Life ....................................................................................... 179

CLOSING LESSON: OUR WORLD....................................................................................... 197
REFERENCES & APPENDICES.......................................................................................... 210

OUR HOME , OUR WORLDINTRODUCTION | 3

INTRODUCTION

OUR HOME, OUR WORLDWELCOME LETTER
DEAR EDUCATORS,
Welcome to the “Our Home, Our World” Educator’s Guide created through the “Building Community Partnerships: The Japan-U.S.
Natural Science Museums Project.”
Funded by the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnerships and the Museum of the Rockies, this curriculum promotes
educational learning through the sciences of paleontology, geology, and astronomy.
In 2016, four museums in Kumamoto, Japan and two museums in Montana, USA began a collaboration built on the strong
sister-state relationship between Montana and Kumamoto. What began as a sharing of ideas, scientific knowledge, and training
methods evolved into this robust educator’s guide highlighting our increased appreciation of our sister-state relationship andshared understanding of earth and space science.
These lessons were designed thoughtfully to be effective in both Japanese and American classrooms and museums. All partners,
including Montana State University, contributed to writing and developing these lessons and activities. The format of each lessonplan blends the very different ways our two cultures structure curriculum. While some portions of this curriculum are adapted
for our different cultures (like curriculum standards), our goal is that educators in both our cultures will be able to teach theselessons the same way, further uniting our communities.
We welcome educators to use the entire curriculum or just one unit that applies most to their current studies. Additionally, we
encourage each classroom to participate in the opening and closing lessons to better understand this project and our sister-state
relationship. The three units (astronomy, geology, and paleontology) can be taught in any order. However, the lessons withineach unit are strongest in sequential order.
Join us in exploring and celebrating our great sister-state relationship through the lens of earth and space science!
Sincerely,
Museum of the Rockies, Montana
Carter County Museum, Montana
Mifune Dinosaur Museum, Kumamoto
Goshoura Cretaceous Museum, Kumamoto
Aso Volcano Museum, Kumamoto
Kumamoto City Museum, Kumamoto

4 | INTRODUCTION

OUR HOME , OUR WORLDINTRODUCTION

OUR HOME, OUR WORLDMONTANA KUMAMOTO SISTER-STATE RELATIONSHIPIn 1979, Mike Mansfield, U.S. Ambassador to Japan,
recommended that the Governors of Kumamoto andMontana establish a sister-state relationship. After
three years of discussion, Kumamoto Governor Issei
Sawada and Montana Governor Ted Schwinden signed
a sister relationship agreement at a ceremony in Helena,
Montana’s State Capitol on July 22, 1982.

Since then many cultural exchanges and friendships havebeen established between Kumamoto and Montana
governments, universities, museums, businesses,
cultural institutions, and communities.

DECLARATIONSISTER-STATE PREFECTURE AFFILIATION BETWEEN MONTANA AND KUMAMOTOThe State of Montana, USA, and the Prefecture of
Kumamoto, Japan hereby declare the establishmentof a Sister-State Prefecture Affiliation to strengthen
the existing bonds of friendly relations and establish
everlasting friendship.
Both the State of Montana and the Prefecture of
Kumamoto will widely promote interchange in the fields
of industry, culture and education; encourage the growth

OUR HOME , OUR WORLDof goodwill and understanding between the peopleof both the State and the Prefecture, thus making acontribution to our mutual development.
We firmly believe that this affiliation to the friendshipbetween the United States of America and Japan, and toworld peace.
Dated this 22nd day of July 1982.

INTRODUCTION | 5

INTRODUCTION

OUR HOME, OUR WORLDKUMAMOTO MONTANA NATURALSCIENCE MUSEUM ASSOCIATION

inspire life-long learning within Kumamoto and Montana
communities.

The Kumamoto Montana Natural Science Museum
Association (KMNSMA) was founded October 2015.
There are currently more than 30 professional individual
members representing seven institutions from
Kumamoto and Montana. Participating institutions inKumamoto are the Mifune Dinosaur Museum, Goshoura
Cretaceous Museum, Aso Volcano Museum, Kumamoto
City Museum, and the Kumamoto Museum Network.
Participating institutions in Montana are the Museum of
the Rockies at Montana State University and the Carter
County Museum.

Typical KMNSMA activities strive to create an innovative
network of natural science museums in Kumamoto,Japan and Montana, USA that will inspire professional
dialogue for the advancement of museum activities
and community engagement; advocate natural science
research and education for the greater public benefit;
promote science museum relationships and events inKumamoto and Montana; provide technical assistanceand training to all association members as needed;
develop bilingual educational resources that can bedisseminated to Japanese and American audiences;
communicate useful information about the naturalsciences through public lectures, workshops, andmuseum events.

The purpose of the KMNSMA is to establish andstrengthen the natural science museum relationships
between Kumamoto, Japan and Montana, USA, and to

MISSION STATEMENTKMNSMA inspires and connects people and institutions
within the natural science museum field, engages increative collaboration for the advancement of teaching
and learning, and provides professional knowledge
and training that will empower Kumamoto Montana
museums to sustain themselves as vibrant and essential
institutions within their communities.

6 | INTRODUCTION

OUR HOME , OUR WORLDINTRODUCTION

OUR HOME, OUR WORLDMUSEUM OF THE ROCKIES,MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY

The Museum of the Rockies (MOR) at Montana State
University was established in 1957 in Bozeman,Montana. As a Smithsonian Affiliate institution, the
MOR is world renowned for its dinosaur research andcollections program, engaging exhibits in paleontology
and history, the Taylor Planetarium, the outdoor Living
History Farm, and innovative educational programing.
Temporary exhibits change frequently throughout eachyear drawing more than 160,000 visitors annually.

CARTER COUNTY MUSEUM
Located in Ekalaka, Montana, the Carter County
Museum (CCM) was the first county museum in thestate and the first to display fossils. It was founded in1936 by the Carter County Geological Society, a groupof amateur archaeologists and paleontologists whowanted to preserve and share the world-class dinosaur
fossils found in southeastern Montana. Exhibits covera comprehensive 90 million year history of the region,
OUR HOME , OUR WORLD

Museum of the Rockies is both a college-level division ofMontana State University and an independent nonprofit
institution. Accredited by the American Alliance ofMuseums, MOR is one of just 775 museums to holdthis distinction from the more than 17,500 museumsin the United States. In 2012, the MOR and the Mifune
Dinosaur Museum in Mifune Town, Kumamoto, Japan
became sister museums. As an institution that isdedicated to its global partnerships, the Museum of
the Rockies brings the world to Montana, and sharesMontana with the world.

from fossil dinosaurs from the Western Interior Seaway
through the extinction event in the K-Pg boundary of
the Hell Creek Formation, Ice Age hunting techniquesof paleoindian tribes, and homesteading in the West.
Exhibits include fully mounted skeletons of Anatotitan
copei and T. rex, a complete skull of Triceratops, mounts
and casts a of pachycephalosaur, mosasaur, andpterosaur as well as displays on the enduring culturesof American Indian nations in the area, natural history,
ranching, rodeo, and the story of life on the Plains.
The CCM is a repository for federal and state fossils, a
sister museum to the Museum of the Rockies, and amember of the Kumamoto Montana Natural Science
Museum Association and the Montana Dinosaur Trail.

INTRODUCTION | 7

INTRODUCTION

OUR HOME, OUR WORLD

fossil localities within geologic sediments from the early
Late Cretaceous Mifune Group, and has been collecting
remains of ancient animals, particularly focusing on
dinosaurs and other vertebrate fossils.

MIFUNE DINOSAUR MUSEUM
Mifune Dinosaur Museum (MDM) is a small natural
history museum located in the center of Mifune Town
in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The first carnivorous
dinosaur fossil discovered in Japan was found near here.
A municipal museum, the MDM was established in 1998.
It has developed a significant paleontological researchand collections program, and engaging educational
activities to promote lifelong learning.
The MDM conducts numerous field excavations at

The MDM houses unique fossils that cannot be foundin other museums, and a large collection of Mesozoic
bivalves from Japan that were collected by Dr. Minoru
Tamura (Professor Emeritus of Kumamoto University).
The most important role of the MDM is to collect remainsof extinct life, preserve them for future generations, andinspire the public to learn about science and nature.
In 2014, the MDM constructed a new building and is now
serving 150,000 visitors and school groups annually.
In 2012, the MDM and the Museum of the Rockies
established a sister museum relationship. Since then,there have been many shared scientific and educational
projects. The Preparation Project demonstrates thetechnical aspects of research in the MDM’s new viewing
lab, which is credited for repeat visitation.

100–49 million years ago. These ancient fossils offer
visitors a glimpse into Earth’s prehistory.

GOSHOURA CRETACEOUS MUSEUM
The Goshoura Cretaceous Museum (GCM) was founded
after the discovery of dinosaur fossils on Goshoura Island
in 1997. Goshoura Island is one of the 120 Amakusa
islands, a series of islands located in the Amakusa
Geopark in southwestern Kumamoto Prefecture. Thisisland is known as “Dinosaur Island” or “Fossil Island.”
There is an abundance of various vertebrate andinvertebrate fossils found in stratigraphic sediments
deposited during the Cretaceous and Paleogene Periods,

8 | INTRODUCTION

The GCM is a scientific museum and a central researchand collections facility with approximately 30,000
scientific specimens that have been collected both locallyand abroad. The 1,000 exhibits include a rare carnivorous
dinosaur tooth, dinosaur footprint, and the oldest large
mammals in Japan.
The GCM offers fossil discovery experiences andsightseeing adventures near the museum. Visitors canalso visit the 1997 dinosaur footprint discovery site on
Bentenjima Island, and “The Cretaceous Wall,” a 200-meterhigh cliff where the largest carnivorous dinosaur tooth inJapan and other dinosaur fossils were discovered.
OUR HOME , OUR WORLDINTRODUCTION

OUR HOME, OUR WORLDASO VOLCANO MUSEUMFounded in 1983, Aso Volcano Museum is located at
Kusasenri-ga-Hama, the top of the Aso central cones.
The museum’s exhibits focus on Aso Volcano and theunique geography, topography, animals and plants
within the Mount Aso area. Museum exhibitions change
regularly. Entry fees and donations from the local public
utility foundation provide funding for its operation. The
Aso Geopark Promotion Council’s office is situated in themuseum and functions as the Geopark’s administrative

center. Led by full-time volcanologists, curators andskilled geological interpreters, the staff conducts
museum and field tours for tourists and students. These
engaging professionals also provide educational support
to many schools around the park.
Because Aso is in close proximity to Korea and Hong
Kong, the museum is an important educational facility
and destination for the entire Asian region. Many of thesevisitors do not live near active volcanoes. In 2015, paid
visitation increased to more than 200,000 which included
160,000 visitors from abroad. The 2016 Kumamoto
Earthquake caused severe damage to the museum andit was closed for several months while the building andexhibits were being repaired.

specimens on exhibit that depict the natural sciences
and humanities within the Kumamoto area including
elaborate and engaging dioramas.

KUMAMOTO CITY MUSEUM
The Kumamoto City Museum (KCM) is a general museum
founded in 1952. There have been numerous transitionsin the facility over the years. The current main building
was opened in 1978. The KCM features a planetariumand collections that contain approximately 130,000
artifacts and scientific specimens representing the fields
of geology, paleontology, biology, archaeology, history,
and ethnology. There are many artifacts and scientific

OUR HOME , OUR WORLDThe KCM planetarium has a 16-meter diameter dome
where visitors can view the stars and constellationsof our universe. An informative lecture by planetarium
staff demonstrates how a starlit sky will appear on the
day of their visit, which is a very popular program at the
KCM. Images are projected with subtitles during special
program performances.
The KCM mission is to encourage members of ourcommunity and the Kumamoto region to participate in
our museum programs. We inspire active lifelong learning
through independent thinking and educational activities
that are beneficial to all age groups.

INTRODUCTION | 9

INTRODUCTION

OUR HOME, OUR WORLD

BUILDING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS:THE JAPAN-U.S. NATURAL SCIENCE MUSEUMS PROJECT
Building upon the successful sister relationships andassociations established between Kumamoto andMontana, the project goal is to develop and expanda sustainable U.S./Japan museum network thatwill promote educational learning and community
engagement through the sciences of paleontology,
geology, and astronomy.

Funded by the Japan Foundation Center for Global
Partnership and the Museum of the Rockies, the primaryobjectives of the project are to promote shared ideas,
training methods and networking that will improveteaching and science learning, and develop educational
curricula that can be used in Japanese and American
museums and schools.

Members of the Building Community Partnerships Project pose on Mount Aso at the edge of the volcano’s crater in November 2017.

10 | INTRODUCTION

OUR HOME , OUR WORLDINTRODUCTION

OUR HOME, OUR WORLD

Members of the Kumamoto Montana Natural Science Museum Association and the Building Community Partnership Project withKumamon, Kumamoto’s mascot, in November 2016.

Members of the Kumamoto Montana Natural Science Museum Association and the Building Community Partnership Project withKumamoto Governor, Ikuo Kabashima, in Kumamoto, Japan in November 2016.
OUR HOME , OUR WORLDINTRODUCTION | 11

EDUCATOR’S GUIDE OVERVIEWOUR HOME, OUR WORLDHOW TO USE THIS GUIDEThe “Our Home, Our World” Educator’s Guide is designed
to be used in fifth and sixth grade classrooms, as wellas informal learning environments like museums. This
curriculum has eleven lessons including an opening lesson,
three science units with three lessons each, and a closing
lesson. All lessons are designed to be 45 minutes in length.
This curriculum was written and designed to be used in bothMontana and Kumamoto, Japan; however, the contents
and activities are suitable for anyone interested in learning
about science and the similarities and differences of our
two cultures. Our sister-state classrooms will be using thesame lessons and doing the same activities to help Japanese
students study astronomy, geology, and paleontology whilelearning about Montana. A Japanese version of this guideincludes content standards for Kumamoto, Japan, but thelessons are the same.

To make the most of this Educator’s Guide, use the opening
and closing lessons to frame the science content andprovide the context for studying Montana’s sister state withyour students. We encourage all classrooms and museums
to use these opening and closing lessons regardless ofthe number of science lessons that will be used from thiscurriculum. The closing lesson includes three activities, onethat ties to each of the three units.
All three science units are designed to be taught by including
all three lessons from the unit. Classrooms are encouraged
to use just one or all three science units. To transition
between science units, consider the following curriculum
connections:

TRANSITION FROM…

TO...

CURRICULUM CONNECTION

Astronomy

Geology

Our night sky is made of constellations we all see, connecting our world. The
Earth’s surface is made of many moving plates, that affect all of us and create
volcanoes.

Astronomy

Paleontology

Star stories help us describe our past, just as sedimentary rock layers can tellstories of the Earth’s history.

Paleontology

Astronomy

Sedimentary rock layers can tell stories of the Earth’s history, just as star stories
help us describe our past.

Paleontology

Geology

Just as we can sort and classify fossils, we sort and classify volcanoes to better
understand their characteristics.

Geology

Astronomy

Sedimentary rock layers tell us about the Earth’s geologic past, while star stories
help us understand how past cultures interpreted their world.

Geology

Paleontology

Fossils are found in sedimentary rock layers.

12 | INTRODUCTION

OUR HOME , OUR WORLDEDUCATOR’S GUIDE OVERVIEWOUR HOME, OUR WORLDLESSON ORGANIZATION
Japanese and American curriculum is organized very
differently. As a result, the lesson structure is a blend of our
two approaches to lesson planning.

The final portion of each lesson are student pages. These
are designed to be printed as a double-sided booklet foreach student to support the lesson activities.

UNIT ORGANIZATION

When identifying the content standards each lesson
addresses, we have shortened these lesson names to“ASTRO1”, “GEO1,” “PALEO1,” etc.

Because the educational standards of our two countries are
so different, content standards are available at the beginningof the entire unit and are not identified on each individual
lesson. This is the only portion of the curriculum guide thatis different between the Japanese and American versions.
Montana standards closely follow the Next Generation
Science Standards and Common Core State Standards.
Classrooms and museums outside of Montana will be able
to align their state standards using these two national setsof standards.

LESSON ORGANIZATIONSUPPORTING HANDS-ON MATERIALSThe specific instructions of the lesson are based on
the Japanese lesson format using a table. Along with adescription of the learning activities within the lesson,
Japanese lessons also include expected student reactions
with teacher responses, and the goals and evaluation foreach segment of the lesson.

Museum of the Rockies Outreach Kits –moroutreach@montana.edu – 406-994-6591

Each unit (Astronomy, Geology, and Paleontology) is colorcoded with different headers to help educators quickly
identify the unit. The opening and closing lessons sharethe same colors and headers. Within each unit, lessons arenumbered (1, 2, and 3).

All lessons begin with the Lesson Instructions. In an
American style, the first page of each lesson identifies goals,
objectives, materials and preparation, and assessment.

Some lessons may include additional activities or extensions
after this table.
Background information follows the lesson instructions.
Japanese lessons do not typically include backgroundinformation because of standard textbooks throughthe entire prefecture. This content was included inthis curriculum because of the specific information on
astronomy, geology, paleontology, and culture of each of ourstates not available elsewhere.

OUR HOME , OUR WORLD

These lessons are designed to be able to be taught without
any supplemental materials. However, in Montana, teachers
are encouraged to contact Museum of the Rockies to inquire
about borrowing outreach kits containing real fossils to
support the paleontology lessons.

Montana’s Office of Public Instruction has numerous online
resources to support the astronomy lessons that include
star stories from the Crow and Blackfeet tribes.
https://opi.mt.gov/Educators/Teaching-Learning/IndianEducation/Science

INTRODUCTION | 13

EDUCATOR’S GUIDE OVERVIEWOUR HOME, OUR WORLDMONTANA SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARDS
5TH GRADE EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCEThis curriculum guide addresses Montana Content Standards for Science, English Language Arts and Literacy, and Social Studies
for students in grades 5 & 6. This curriculum also supports the Essential Understandings for Indian Education for All.

Montana Standard
Students must know and be able to:develop a model using an example to describe
ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, or
atmosphere interact

Disciplinary
Core Ideas

Science &Engineering Practices

Crosscutting
Concepts

RelatedLesson
GEO2,

ESS2.A

Developing andUsing Models

System andSystem Models

GEO3,
PALEO2,
PALEO3

obtain and combine information from various
sources about ways individual communities
use science ideas to protect the Earth’s
resources, environment, and systems anddescribe examples of how American Indians use
scientific knowledge and practices to maintainrelationships with the natural world

ESS3.C

Obtaining, Evaluating,& Communicating
Information

System andSystem Models

GEO2,
PALEO1use evidence or models to support the claimthat differences in the apparent brightness ofthe sun compared to other stars is due to theirrelative distances from Earth

ESS1.A

Engaging in argumentfrom evidence

Scale Proportion& Quantity

ASTRO3graph the daily changes in the length, shape,and direction of shadows; lengths of day
and night; and the seasonal appearance of
select stars to communicate the patternsof the Earth’s movement and describe how
astronomical knowledge is used by American
Indians

ESS1.B

Analyze &Interpret Data

Patterns

ASTRO1,
ASTRO2,ASTRO3

14 | INTRODUCTION

OUR HOME , OUR WORLDEDUCATOR’S GUIDE OVERVIEWOUR HOME, OUR WORLDMONTANA SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARDS
5TH GRADE LIFE SCIENCE

Montana Standard
Students must know and be able to:develop and critique a model to describe themovement of matter among plants, animals,
decomposers, and the environment

Disciplinary
Core Ideas

Science &Engineering Practices

Crosscutting
Concepts

RelatedLessonLS2.A

Developing andUsing Models

System andSystem Models

PALEO2MONTANA SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARDS
5TH GRADE PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Montana Standard
Students must know and be able to:observe and record qualitative and quantitative
evidence to support identification of materials
based on their propertiesOUR HOME , OUR WORLD

Disciplinary
Core Ideas

Science &Engineering Practices

Crosscutting
Concepts

RelatedLesson

PS1.A

Planning and Carrying
Out Investigations

Scale Proportion
and Quantity

GEO2,
GEO3

INTRODUCTION | 15

EDUCATOR’S GUIDE OVERVIEWOUR HOME, OUR WORLDMONTANA SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARDS
6TH – 8TH GRADE EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE

Disciplinary
Core Ideas

Science & Engineering
Practices

Crosscutting
Concepts

RelatedLessonanalyze and interpret data to determine scale
properties of objects in the solar system

ESS1.B

Analyze andInterpret Data

Scale
Proportion and
Quantity

ASTRO3

construct a scientific explanation based onevidence from rock strata for how the geologic
time scale is used to organize Earth’s 4.6
billion-year-old history

ESS1.C

Construct explanations Scale Proportion andand design solutions
Quantity

construct an explanation based on evidence forhow geoscience processes have changed Earth’s
surface at varying time scales and spatial scales

ESS2.A,
ESS2.C

Construct explanations
and design solutions

Montana Standard
Students must know and be able to:

GEO3,
PALEO2,
PALEO3

Scale Proportion
and Quantity

GEO1,
GEO2,
GEO3

Patterns

GEO1,
GEO2,
GEO3,
PALEO2,
PALEO3analyze and interpret data on the distributionof fossils and rocks, continental shapes, andseafloor structures to provide evidence of thepast plate motions

ESS1.A,
ESS1.B

Analyze andInterpret Datadevelop a model to describe the cycling ofEarth’s materials and the flow of energy thatdrives this process

ESS2.A

Developing andUsing Models

GEO1, GEO2,
Stability and change GEO3, PALEO2,
PALEO3develop a model to describe the cycling of water
through Earth’s systems driven by energy fromthe sun and the force of gravity

ESS2.C

Developing andUsing Models

Energy and Matter:
Flows, Cycles, &Conservation

GEO1,
GEO3,
PALEO2construct a scientific explanation based onevidence for how the uneven distributionsof Earth’s mineral, energy, and groundwater
resources are the result of past and current
geoscience processes

ESS3.A

Construct explanations
and design solutions

Cause and effect

GEO1,
GEO2,
GEO3,
PALEO2,
PALEO3analyze and interpret data on natural hazards toforecast future catastrophic events and informthe development of technologies to mitigate
their effects

ESS3.B

Analyze andInterpret Data

Patterns

GEO2

16 | INTRODUCTION

OUR HOME , OUR WORLDEDUCATOR’S GUIDE OVERVIEWOUR HOME, OUR WORLDMONTANA SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARDS
6TH – 8TH GRADE LIFE SCIENCE
Montana Standard
Students must know and be able to:

Disciplinary
Core Ideas

Science & Engineering
Practices

Crosscutting
Concepts

RelatedLessonanalyze and interpret data to provide evidence
for the effects of resource availability onorganisms and populations of organisms inan ecosystem and analyze scientific concepts
used by American Indians to maintain healthy
relationships with environmental sources

LS2.A

Analyze andInterpret Data

Cause and Effect

PALEO3

construct an explanation that predicts patternsof interactions among organisms acrossmultiple ecosystems

LS2.A

Construct Explanations
and Design Solutions

Patterns

PALEO2use argument based on empirical evidence andscientific reasoning to support an explanation
for how characteristic animal behaviors
and specialized plant structures affect theprobability of successful reproduction ofanimals and plants respectively

LS1.B

Engaging in Argumentfrom Evidence

Cause and Effect

PALEO3

construct a scientific explanation based onevidence for how environmental and genetic
factors influence the growth and developmentof organisms

LS1.B

Construct Explanations
and Design Solutions

Cause and Effect

PALEO3analyze and interpret data for patterns in thefossil record that document the existence,
diversity, extinction, and change of life forms
throughout the history of life on Earth under theassumption that natural laws operate today asin the past

LS4.A

Analyze andInterpret Data

Patterns

PALEO2,
PALEO3apply scientific ideas to construct an
explanation for the anatomical similarities anddifferences among modern organisms andbetween modern and fossil organisms to infer
evolutionary relationships

LS4.A

Construct Explanations
and Design Solutions

Patterns

PALEO1,
PALEO2,
PALEO3

OUR HOME , OUR WORLDINTRODUCTION | 17

EDUCATOR’S GUIDE OVERVIEWOUR HOME, OUR WORLDMONTANA SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARDS
6TH – 8TH GRADE PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Montana Standard
Students must know and be able to:develop a model that predicts and describeschanges in particle motion, temperature, andstate of a pure substance when thermal energy
is added or removed

18 | INTRODUCTION

Disciplinary
Core Ideas

Science & Engineering
Practices

Crosscutting
Concepts

RelatedLessonPS1.A,PS3.A

Developing andUsing Models

Cause andEffectASTRO3

OUR HOME , OUR WORLDEDUCATOR’S GUIDE OVERVIEWOUR HOME, OUR WORLDMONTANA ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND LITERACY CONTENT STANDARDS
5TH AND 6TH GRADEThis curriculum guide addresses Montana Content Standards for Science, English Language Arts and Literacy, and Social Studies
for students in grades 5 & 6. This curriculum also supports the Essential Understandings for Indian Education for All.
Reading Standards (ALL)

Astronomy
Lessons

Geology
Lessons

Paleontology
Lessons

Opening/
Closing

Key Ideas and Details

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

Open

Craft and Structure

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3Open

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

Open

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3Open

Astronomy
Lessons

Geology
Lessons

Paleontology
Lessons

Opening/
ClosingPhonics and Word Recognition

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

Open

Fluency

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3Open

Astronomy
Lessons

Geology
Lessons

Paleontology
Lessons

Opening/
Closing

Text types and purposes

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

Open Close

Production and Distribution of Writing

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

Open Close

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

Open Close

Range of Writing

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

Open Close

Speaking and Listening Standards

Astronomy
Lessons

Geology
Lessons

Paleontology
Lessons

Opening/
Closing

Comprehension and Collaboration

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

Open Close

Presentation of Knowledge and Skills

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

Open Close

Astronomy
Lessons

Geology
Lessons

Paleontology
Lessons

Opening/
Closing

Conventions of Standard English

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

Open Close

Knowledge of Language

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

Open Close

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

Open Close

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills

Writing Standards

Language Standards

OUR HOME , OUR WORLDINTRODUCTION | 19

EDUCATOR’S GUIDE OVERVIEWOUR HOME, OUR WORLDMONTANA SOCIAL STUDIES CONTENT STANDARDS
8TH GRADE BENCHMARKSThis curriculum guide addresses Montana Content Standards for Science, English Language Arts and Literacy, and Social Studies
for students in grades 5 & 6. This curriculum also supports the Essential Understandings for Indian Education for All.
Montana Social Studies Standard

Astronomy
Lessons

Social Studies Content Standard 1
Students access, synthesize, and evaluate information tocommunicate and apply social studies knowledge to real world
situations

Geology
Lessons

Paleontology
Lessons2

Social Studies Content Standard 2
Students analyze how people create and change structures ofpower, authority, and governance to understand the operation of
government and to demonstrate civic responsibility.

1, 2, 3Social Studies Content Standard 3
Students apply geographic knowledge and skills (e.g., location,
place, human/environment interactions, movement, and regions).

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3Social Studies Content Standard 4
Students demonstrate an understanding of the effects of time,
continuity, and change on historical and future perspectives andrelationships.

1, 2, 3

1, 2

Open

Open
Close

1, 2, 3

20 | OPENING LESSON

Open
Close

Open
Close

Social Studies Content Standard 5
Students make informed decisions based on an understanding of
the economic principles of production, distribution, exchange, andconsumption.
Social Studies Content Standard 6
Students demonstrate an understanding of the impact of humaninteraction and cultural diversity on societies.

Opening/
Closing

Open
Close

1, 2, 3

1, 2

1

Open
Close

OUR HOME , OUR WORLDEDUCATOR’S GUIDE OVERVIEWOUR HOME, OUR WORLDMONTANA’S INDIAN EDUCATION FOR ALL ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDINGSThis curriculum guide addresses Montana Content Standards for Science, English Language Arts and Literacy, and Social Studies
for students in grades 5 & 6. This curriculum also supports the Essential Understandings for Indian Education for All.
Essential
Understanding

Astronomy
Lessons

Opening/
Closing

1

There is great diversity among the twelve tribal nations of Montana
in their languages, cultures, histories and governments. Each Nation
has a distinct and unique cultural heritage that contributes to modern
Montana.

1, 2, 3

Open
Close

2

There is great diversity among individual American Indians as identity isdeveloped, defined and redefined by entities, organizations and people.
A continuum of Indian identity, unique to each individual, ranges fromassimilated to traditional. There is no generic American Indian.

1

Open
Close

3

The ideologies of Native traditional beliefs and spirituality persist intomodern day life as tribal cultures, traditions, and languages are stillpracticed by many American Indian peoples and are incorporated into
how tribes govern and manage their affairs. Additionally, each tribe
has its own oral histories, which are as valid as written histories. These
histories pre-date the “discovery” of North America.

1, 2, 3

Open
Close

4

Reservations are lands that have been reserved by the tribes for theirown use through treaties and was not “given” to them. The principlethat land should be acquired from the Indians only through theirconsent with treaties involved three assumptions: I. That both parties
to treaties were sovereign powers. II. That Indian tribes had some formof transferable title to the land. III. That acquisition of Indian lands was
solely a government matter not to be left to individual colonists.

1

Close

5

History is a story most often related through the subjective experienceof the teller. With the inclusion of more and varied voices, histories arebeing discovered and revised. History told from an Indian perspective
frequently conflicts with the stories mainstream historians tell.

1

Close

Description

OUR HOME , OUR WORLDOPENING LESSON | 21

22 | OPENING LESSON

OPENINGOPENING LESSONOur Home
OPENING LESSON | 23

LESSON INSTRUCTIONS
Opening Lesson: Our Home

GOAL
By studying the sister-state relationship between Montana and Kumamoto, students will gain a global perspective and anunderstanding of the world around them.

OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
1. Identify the sister-state to their state or prefecture.
2. Describe how their school day is similar and different to the school day in their sister-state.
3. Explain one benefit to a sister-state relationship.

ASSESSMENT
1. Assess student’s understanding of their sister-state through discussion and evaluation of students’ coloring of maps.
2. U
 se the Venn Diagram student pages to measure if students are able to identify similarities and differences between
Kumamoto and Montana.
3. Through the closing discussion, evaluate if students can identify one benefit to the sister-state relationship.

MATERIALSo PowerPoint presentation loaded onto a projection systemo Video clips of sister-state school day and city loaded onto a projection systemo World map
o Copies of “Student Pages,” one per student (pages 30-37)

PREPARATIONo Make copies of the student pages, one per student

Preview and load these videos for later use in class:o Kumamoto prefecture video (10 min): https://youtu.be/T4-Qg9wpWcy
o Montana videos (3:35 and 3:58 min): https://youtu.be/c7XYzOd8R01, https://youtu.be/R4-ZbVlzMVM
o Japan Elementary School (4:11 min): https://youtu.be/KCvy3Pcp7uIo US Elementary School (4:32 min): https://youtu.be/MlNNGeusB7M

24 | OPENING LESSONOUR HOMELESSON INSTRUCTIONS
Opening Lesson: Our HomeLEARNING ACTIVITIESEXPECTED STUDENTREACTION/TEACHERRESPONSESGOALS OF THISSEGMENT/METHODS OFEVALUATION

Using a world map, ask students to
identify where their country and state
are located. Introduce the Montana
Kumamoto sister-state relationshipusing the presentation provided.

Expect students to want to know why
they are learning about the sister-state
relationship. Explain the importanceof this relationship and describe theupcoming lessons you will be using.

This provides the opportunity to introduce
the curriculum, explain the sister-state
relationship, and share the partnermuseums involved in the project.

Activity 1: Using the student
worksheets, help students review what
they know about their home state andlearn about their sister-state. Have
students color in the provided maps
to identify the locations of partnermuseums.

Expect students to ask questions
about their sister-state and need help
identifying the location of cities in theirhome state and sister-state.

This provides the opportunity to better
understand the geographical location of
their home and world, including the sisterstate and partner museums.

Activity 2: Prompt students to draw apicture of their home. Have students
share their drawing with a partner orgroup.

Encourage students to draw specificlandmarks and think about things thatare important to them.

This provides the opportunity to makeconnections between Montana andKumamoto. Students in both areas
have objects or landmarks that maketheir home special to them.

Activity 3: Ask students to watch theappropriate videos for your sister-stateincluding the prefecture or state video
and the school video. After the videos,
ask students to use the Venn Diagram
to compare their home to their sisterstate.

Expect to provide one example to thestudents to start the activity. Students
may need to start with what is different
that they saw in the videos before being
able to find similarities.

This provides an opportunity to begin
comparing Montana and Kumamoto.

Lead a group discussion of how
Montana and Kumamoto aresimilar and different. Discusswith the students why Montana
and Kumamoto are sister-states
because of similarities.

Encourage students to think about thevideos they watched. Expect students
to ask questions about the sister-state
relationship.

This provides an opportunity to sharethe value of the sister-state relationship.

Give a short preview of the next
lessons your group will complete.

Expect students to ask questions.

This provides an opportunity to tellstudents that classrooms in Montana
and Kumamoto are using the samelessons.

OUR HOMEOPENING LESSON | 25

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Opening Lesson: Our Home

MONTANA AND KUMAMOTO
PREFECTURE: SISTER-STATESIn 1979, Mike Mansfield, U.S. Ambassador to Japan,
recommended that the Governors of Kumamoto andMontana establish a sister-state relationship. After
three years of discussion, Kumamoto Governor Issei
Sawada and Montana Governor Ted Schwinden signed
a sister relationship agreement at a ceremony in Helena,
Montana’s State Capitol on July 22, 1982. In signing thisagreement, Montana and Kumamoto Prefecture agreed
to promote interchange in the fields of industry, culture
and education; encourage the growth of goodwill andunderstanding between the people of both the State and
the Prefecture.

26 | OPENING LESSONIn October of 2015, 25 individuals representing seveninstitutions from Montana and Kumamoto formed
the Kumamoto Montana Natural Science Museum
Association. The Our Home, Our World curriculum is a joint
project between those institutions and is designed tofoster understanding and cultural connections throughscience education.
Participating institutions in Kumamoto are the Mifune
Dinosaur Museum, Goshoura Cretaceous Museum, Aso
Volcano Museum, and the Kumamoto City Museum.
Participating institutions in Montana are the Museumof the Rockies at Montana State University, and theCarter County Museum. Professional staff from each
institution contributed in crafting this curriculum, offering
their expertise in the fields of astronomy, geology,
paleontology, and education.

OUR HOMEBACKGROUND INFORMATION
Opening Lesson: Our Home

MONTANA: BIG SKY COUNTRY
Video links (3:35 and 3:58 min):https://youtu.be/c7XYzOd8R01,
https://youtu.be/R4-ZbVlzMVM

POPULATION: 1.04 million
SIZE: 147,040 square miles or 380,832 square kilometers(roughly the size of Japan, which is 145,936 square miles or
377,972 square kilometers).
The United States has 6 regions and 50 states. Montana
is located in the Western region and shares a northernborder with Canada. Montana is known as “Big Sky
Country” for its wide open expanses and the “Treasure
State” due to its long history of mining copper, lead, zinc,silver, coal and oil as principle products. Montana wasorganized as a territory in 1864 and became a state in1889. The name “Montana” comes from the Spanish“Montaña” meaning “mountain” or “mountainous
country.”

The Rocky Mountains and the Continental Divide run
through the state. Other attractions include Glacier
National Park, Yellowstone National Park and the Little
Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Montana has 50
state parks and terrain that varies between mountainous
in the western part of the state to grassland prairie in theeast. The main industry is agriculture, including ranching
and farming. Montana has eleven federally recognizedAmerican Indian nations on seven reservations. The
Little Shell Chippewa Tribe, which has no reservationin Montana, is recognized by the state and is currently
seeking federal recognition. The state is famous for its
paleontological discoveries, many of which have beenfound in the Hell Creek Formation, which dates back to
the time of the dinosaurs.

OUR HOME

Map courtesy Wikipedia

Image by Sabre Moore

OPENING LESSON | 27

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Opening Lesson: Our Home

KUMAMOTO: FIRE COUNTRY

The main industries are agriculture, forestry, fishing,electronics, and automobile manufacturing.

Video link (5:00): Start at 1:30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHjqJKbjAHA&sns=em

Museums like the Mifune Dinosaur Museum and
Goshoura Cretaceous Museum are uncovering theprefecture’s paleontological history. The first carnivorous
dinosaur fossil in Japan was discovered near Mifune andGoshoura Island is known as “Fossil Island”, where anabundance of vertebrate and invertebrate fossils datingback to the Cretaceous and Paleogene Periods (100-49
million years ago) can be found.

POPULATION: 1.822 million
SIZE: 2,859 square miles, or 7,405 square kilometers,(roughly equal to the size of Carter County, Montana, which
covers 3,348 square miles, or 8,671 square kilometers).
Japan has 8 regions and 47 prefectures. Kumamoto
Prefecture is located in the Kyushu Region in thesouthern part of the country. It is known as the “landof fire” due to the long history of volcanic activity in theregion through the presence of Aso Volcano. It is divided
primarily into three areas or hans, Kumamoto han,Hitoyoshi han, and Amakusa area. Kumamoto area ismade up of the Kikuchi River, Shirakawa River and Mount
Aso area.
Attractions of Kumamoto Prefecture include Mount Aso,
which is one of the largest active volcanoes in the world,many hot spring spas, and Kumamoto Castle. It has two
National Parks, two Quasi-National Parks and seven
Prefectural Natural Parks. It is mountainous in the east,
with lush sub-tropical islands to the west. The central
part is densely forested in the highlands with agricultural
plains in the low areas.

Kinki

Maps courtesy Wikipedia
28 | OPENING LESSONOUR HOMEBACKGROUND INFORMATION
Opening Lesson: Our HomeOPENING LESSON | 29

STUDENT PAGE

Opening Lesson: Our Home

MONTANA
About 9,251 km ( 5,748 miles ) away from Japan is the country of the United States of America. The United States is divided
into 6 regions and 50 states. Montana, in the Western region, is Kumamoto Prefecture’s sister-state. This means that our
two states work together to promote the exchange of culture, education and trade between one another. Over the next
few class periods, you will explore the landscapes and starscapes of Kumamoto and Montana through science and learn tounderstand your home and your world.

POPULATION: 1.04 million
SIZE: 147,040 square miles or

380,832 square kilometers

Western Meadowlark

Ponderosa
Map courtesy montanatribes.org

30 | OPENING LESSON

Bitterroot

All images courtesy Wikipedia except where noted.
OUR HOMESTUDENT PAGE

Opening Lesson: Our Home

KUMAMOTO PREFECTURE
About 5,748 miles ( 9,251 km ) away from the USA is the country of Japan. Japan is divided into 8 regions and 47
prefectures, or states. Kumamoto Prefecture, in the region of Kyushu, is Montana’s sister-state. This means that our two
states work together to promote the exchange of culture, education and trade between one another. Over the next few
class periods, you will explore the landscapes and starscapes of Kumamoto and Montana through science and learn tounderstand your home and your world.
Outline of Kumamoto and flag

Camphor tree

POPULATION: 1.822 million
SIZE: 2,859 square miles, or

STATE SYMBOLS

7,405 square kilometers

Japanese Gentian

Eurasian Skylark
All images courtesy Wikipedia

OUR HOMEOPENING LESSON | 31

STUDENT PAGE

Opening Lesson: Our Home

ACTIVITY 1

1. Bozeman is in Gallatin County. Color Gallatin County blue.
2. Ekalaka is in Carter County. Color Carter County red.
3. If you live in Montana, draw a star on your home county.

MONTANA

Images courtesy Wikipedia
32 | OPENING LESSONOUR HOMESTUDENT PAGE

Opening Lesson: Our Home

ACTIVITY 1

1. Kumamoto City is in the Kumamoto municipality, or area. Color the Kumamoto municipality blue.
2. Goshoura is in the Amakusa municipality or area. Color the Amakusa municipality red.
3. If you live in Kumamoto Prefecture, draw a star on your county.

KUMAMOTO PREFECTURE

Images courtesy Wikipedia
OUR HOMEOPENING LESSON | 33

STUDENT PAGE

Opening Lesson: Our Home

ACTIVITY 2

Draw a picture of your home or your town. Include places that are special to you, your house, or other important parts ofyour home.

34 | OPENING LESSONOUR HOMESTUDENT PAGE

Opening Lesson: Our Home

ACTIVITY 3

After watching the video of an elementary school in your sister-state, think about your own school day. Write details that
explain how Japan and Montana are different in the outer circles. Write details that tell how our schools are the same where
the circles overlap.

Kumamoto

Montana
Similarities

OUR HOMEOPENING LESSON | 35

STUDENT PAGE

Opening Lesson: Our Home

COLOR PAGE

Montana is known for the dinosaur fossils found throughout the state. Color Maiasaura, Montana’s state fossil.

FUN FACTS ABOUT MAIASAURA:• Maiasaura was a large herbivore, or plant eater, that lived 65-80 million years ago.
• Maiasaura could grow up to a height of 8.2 feet, or 2.5 meters and weighed as much as a modern hippo.
• The name Maiasaura means “caring mother lizard.”• Maiasaura was first discovered in Montana in 1979.

Image by Doyle Trankina
36 | OPENING LESSONOUR HOMESTUDENT PAGE

Opening Lesson: Our Home

COLOR PAGE

Japan is well known throughout the world for its castles. Color the Kumamoto Castle, one of the most famous castles inJapan.

FUN FACTS ABOUT KUMAMOTO CASTLE:• It is also called “Gingko Castle” for the large number of ginkgo trees around it.
• Kumamoto Castle was originally built in 1467 then completed by Kato Kiyomasa in 1607. He was the first lord of the castle.
• The castle was in use from 1467-1874.

Image courtesy Micah RauchOUR HOMEOPENING LESSON | 37

38 | ASTRONOMY1

ASTRONOMY LESSON 1
One Sky, Many Stories

ASTRONOMY | 39

LESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories

GOAL
By listening to the story of the Big Dipper through three different cultural lenses, students will explore how cultures aroundthe world created star stories to teach life lessons and how the landscapes of these cultures impact their stories.

OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
1. D
 escribe that there is great diversity among the tribal nations of Montana in their cultures and histories as shown
through star stories.
2. Explain how constellation stories are different for different cultures.

ASSESSMENT
1. U
 se the Venn Diagram student pages to measure if students are able to identify similarities and differences between the various
star stories.
2. T hrough discussion and student responses to reflective questions, assess student understanding of how different cultures caninterpret the night sky differently.

MATERIALSo Optional: Video clips of Montana’s tribal nations from Montana’s Office of Tourism loaded onto a projection systemo World mapo “Tribal Territories in Montana” map from montanatribes.org loaded onto a projection system or printed for each student
o Video clip of “The Seven Bulls” star story from Montana’s Office of Public Instruction loaded onto a projection systemo Copies of “Student Pages,” one per student (pages 46-55)

PREPARATIONo T
 he Crow and Blackfeet people do not tell stories in the summer and so it is, only in the deepest, coldest time of wintermay their stories be told. Please plan to use these lessons in the winter months.
o Make copies of the student pages, one per student.
o Preview and load the video for later use in class.

40 | ASTRONOMYONE SKY, MANY STORIESLESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories
EXPECTED STUDENTREACTION/TEACHERRESPONSESGOALS OF THISSEGMENT/METHODS OFEVALUATION

Introduce students to Montana’s tribes
by using the background informationand showing the suggested videos.
Tell students that you will be reading
stories from the Blackfeet , Crow andJapanese.

Expect students to need a physical map
to guide their understanding of tribal
history. Show the “Tribal Territories inMontana” Map.

This gives teachers the opportunity
to discuss how Montana tribes, despite
being located in the same state, are unique
nations and endure today. For Montana
teachers, this links back to IEFA Essential
Understandings 1-3 and 6.

Introduce star history in Japan by
showing the Kitora star chart. Ask
students if they can find any familiar
constellations on this chart.

Expect students to need someexamples of constellations to getstarted. Teachers should be ready toidentify popular constellations (the Big
Dipper for example) on the chart.

This gives teachers the opportunity tointroduce the constellations.

Tell the students that they will be listening
to stories about the same constellation,
the Big Dipper, from Japanese, Crow, andBlackfeet cultures. Have students follow
along on the student pages as you readthe Japanese story. Use the OPI video for
the Crow story or read the Blackfeet story
as students follow along. After the stories,
have students complete a Venn Diagram
to compare and contrast the stories.

Invite students to share the differencesand guide the discussion by beginningwith the differences in the Japaneseand Crow stories, then the Crow andBlackfeet stories.

This gives teachers the opportunity to
discuss the relationships between people
and the landscape and how that can varyfrom culture to culture.

On the star maps, help students identify
Polaris and the Big Dipper and havestudents mark them on the map.
Explain why the star maps are different
for Montana and Kumamoto.

Expect students to begin connecting
other stars with familiar constellations.
Teachers can point out others, such as
Orion. The different sky maps will becovered in Astronomy Lesson 2.

This gives teachers the opportunity toprovide background for future lessons(the two other lessons for this activity
incorporate Orion and Pleiades).

Have students draw their own
constellation on the map and write anaccompanying story.

Expect students to need some help
with constructing their stories. Teachers
should walk through the class and giveaid as needed.

This gives teachers the opportunity toassess students’ comprehension of
the material as they use key ideas anddetails to create a story.

If the class is big enough, ask
students to break into groups
and share their stories. For smallclasses, ask for volunteers toshare.

Expect students to need a little
encouragement to begin sharing stories.
If this is the case, the teacher can comeup with a short story of their own andpresent it to get things started.

This gives teachers the opportunity tohave students present their knowledge
in a creative writing assignment anddemonstrate their knowledge of spoken
and written language.

LEARNING ACTIVITIESONE SKY, MANY STORIESASTRONOMY | 41

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories

AMERICAN INDIAN NATIONS IN MONTANA, USA
The United State of America recognizes eleven of the twelve American Indian tribes in Montana. These include theAssiniboine, Blackfeet, Chippewa, Cree, Crow, Gros Ventre, Kootenai, Northern Cheyenne, Pend d’Oreille, Salish and Sioux
Nations. These tribes are located on seven reservations throughout Montana. The Little Shell Chippewa Tribe is additionallyrecognized by the state and is working toward federal recognition.
“One Sky, Many Stories” presents oral histories from two of the tribal nations in Montana, the Blackfeet and Crow. Bothstories were used in these cultures to teach younger generations the life ways of the tribe. The differences in the stories
account for different practices. While both are Plains tribal nations, it is important to remember that all American Indian
tribes are diverse in their languages, cultures, histories and governments. Each Nation has a distinct and unique cultural
heritage and there is no generic American Indian. Many of these stories continue to be told today and are a distinct facet ofcultural traditions.
Introduce your students to the enduring indigenous nations of Montana by showing this video from the Montana Officeof Tourism: https://vimeo.com/49771618

Tribal Territories ofMontana
Salish / Sqelio
Pend d’Orielle / Qaeisp’e
Kootenai / Ksanka
Blackfeet / Niitsitapi (Pikuni)
Chippewa (Ojibwe) / Annishinabe
Plains Cree / Ne-i-yak-wahk
Gros Ventre / A’aninin
Assiniboine / Nakoda
Sioux / Lakota, Dakota
Northern Cheyenne / Tsististas &So’taa’eo’o
Crow / Apsaalooke
Little Shell Chippewa /Annishinabe and Metis
Image courtesy montanatribes.org
42 | ASTRONOMYONE SKY, MANY STORIESBACKGROUND INFORMATION

Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories

THE BLACKFEET TRIBE

THE CROW TRIBE

The Blackfeet Reservation is located in northwestern
Montana near the Rocky Mountains and borders Glacier
National Park. The town of Browning serves as theheadquarters for the Blackfeet Indian Agency since theestablishment of the reservation in 1894. Present day
Blackfeet peoples are descended from the Siksika, Kainah(Bloods), and Piegans, and speak a language that belongs
to the Algonquin linguistic family. The name “Blackfeet”
is thought to refer to the characteristic black color of
their moccasins (“Montana Indians, Their History and
Location”). The location of their territory was relatively
isolated and they encountered the white man later thanmost tribes (during the latter half of the 19th century).

The Crow Reservation is located mostly in Big Horn
County in south central Montana. It is bordered to
the South by the state of Wyoming and the Northern
Cheyenne Reservation to the East. Members of the Crow
nation are historically divided between three subgroups:
Mountain Crow, River Crow, and Kicked in the Bellies.
Crow peoples are originally from the headwaters of theMississippi and the Winnipeg Lake region, known as“land of many lakes” in their oral histories. The Crow Tribe
in Montana is descended from the Apsaalooke, who
migrated westward from the Missouri River, having split
from the Hidatsa tribe 400 years ago.

Today, 9,000 of the 17,250 enrolled members of thetribe live on or near the reservation. They call themselves
Niitsitapi, meaning “the real people”.
Introduce the Blackfeet tribe to the students by showing
this short video from the Montana Office of Tourism:
https://vimeo.com/74325278
Tribal seals courtesy montanatribes.org
ONE SKY, MANY STORIES

Today, 75 percent of the tribes’ 12,527 members live
on or near the reservation and 85 percent speak Crowas their first language. Their name, Apsaalooke, means“children of the large beaked bird.”
Introduce the Crow tribe to the students by showing thisshort video from the Montana Office of Public Instruction:
https://youtu.be/N7fLb29bWM8 (begin at 25:40, end
at 26: 50)
ASTRONOMY | 43

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories

Image courtesy Wikipedia
Star chart, Kitora Tomb, Asuka, Japan (7th century)
In 1998, a star map was discovered in the Kitora Tombin the Asuka village in Japan. Dating back to the lateseventh, early eighth century, this star chart is the oldest
existing map of its kind in the world. It features 68
constellations and the movement of celestial objects isrepresented by the three concentric circles in the chart.
The polar star is featured in the center.

44 | ASTRONOMY

Cultures all over the world have created star stories
based on constellations to pass traditions and knowledge
on to the next generation. Each culture had different
names and stories for the Sun and Moon, visible planets,
stars, and star groups. These stories are told at night andduring the time of year when the featured constellation
is in the night sky. In American Indian cultures, stories are
told during the winter-time, when the nights are long andcold. Many of the stories endure today as they are passed
down to new generations.

ONE SKY, MANY STORIESBACKGROUND INFORMATION

Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories

Cassiopeia

CygnusLittle Dipper
Big Dipper

Gemini

Bozeman, Montana, USA[Date] 2017 - 12 - 01 20:00:00 [Moon Age] 12/7

Cassiopeia
CygnusLittle Dipper

Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan[Date] 2017 - 12 - 01 20:00:00 [Moon Age] 13
The difference between the two is because Kumamoto
and Montana are located at different latitudes on the
Earth. Montana is about 45° north of the equator, andKumamoto is about 32° north of the equator. In the
Kumamoto skies Polaris (the North Star) will be slightly
lower on the Northern horizon, and some stars will riseon the Southern horizon that cannot be seen in Montana.

Let’s focus on the Big Dipper, for example. You can see
the Big Dipper in Montana throughout the year, but
in Kumamoto you will not be able to see it on winternights. The starry sky of Montana and the starry sky of
Kumamoto may look similar, however, there are manydifferences including constellations that can only be seen
in one country and not the other. This affects the stories
told about stars as well.

Images by 星降るhoshifuru (hoshifuru.jp)

ONE SKY, MANY STORIESASTRONOMY | 45

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Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories

CONSTELLATION/STARJAPANESEGREEKBLACKFEETCROW

Big Dipper/Polaris

The One Star
& Big Dipper

Ursa
Minor

Fixed
Star

The Seven
Bulls

CONSTELLATIONSThe history of the constellations is ancient; many werelikely created by the Babylonian, Egyptian and Assyrian
peoples. These constellations would have moved throughthe regions via trade, and eventually they made their way
into Greece, where they were assimilated into the culture
and mythology. In the second century, Ptolemy organized

48 constellations in his famous book “Almagest”. These
are called the “Ptolemaic constellations,” and most ofthem survive to this day.
There are 88 official constellations recognized by theInternational Astronomical Union. Only the official
boundaries of these constellations are determined; there
is no official line drawing that makes up the shape of any
constellation.

Image courtesy wikihow

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Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories

Image courtesy Wikipedia
Star chart, Kitora Tomb, Asuka, Japan (7th century)
In 1998, a star map was discovered in the Kitora Tombin the Asuka village in Japan. Dating back to the lateseventh, early eighth century, this star chart is the oldest
existing map of its kind in the world. It features 68
constellations and the movement of celestial objects isrepresented by the three concentric circles in the chart.
The polar star is featured in the center.

ONE SKY, MANY STORIES

Cultures all over the world have created star stories
based on constellations to pass traditions and knowledge
on to the next generation. Each culture had different
names and stories for the Sun and Moon, visible planets,
stars, and star groups. These stories are told at night andduring the time of year when the featured constellation
is in the night sky. In American Indian cultures, stories are
told during the winter-time, when the nights are long andcold. Many of the stories endure today as they are passed
down to new generations.

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Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories

THE ONE STAR AND BIG DIPPER(SIZUOKA, JAPAN)

THE SEVEN BULLS(CROW NATION)

Big Dipper always boasted about being rich andimportant, but One Star (Polaris), the child of a poorfamily, bragged about being the center of the northernsky. This made Big Dipper very angry because he wanted
to be more important than One Star.

NOTE: Story courtesy “Montana Skies: Crow Astronomy” by
Lynn Moroney, OPI (2011)

Big Dipper tried to conquer One Star so he could again
boast about being more important. However, he wasunable to reach One Star because the pair of stars in theconstellation Ursa Minor (Kochab and Pherkad) always
stayed between One Star and Big Dipper as they turnedin the sky. This prevented Big Dipper from ever getting
close to One Star. For this reason, Kochab and Pherkad
are known as the “Guardians of the Pole,” because they
will always protect One Star (Polaris).
KEYWORDS: Polar star, Big Dipper, Ursa Major, Little Dipper,
Ursa Minor

The Crow people do not tell stories in the summer andso it is, only in the deepest, coldest time of winter is thefollowing story told.
It is best to show students a 15 minute video in place of thistelling: https://youtu.be/nzMIjr1XP38
Once, there lived a young woman who was with child.
When the baby was born, the young woman didn’t wanthim. She took her son far out into the prairie, placed himon the prairie grass and left him there. Just left him there!
A newborn.
They say that not long after that some buffalo bulls camealong. There were seven of them. They saw the childlying there. They went close to the baby and surrounded
him. They sniffed him and nudged him. The leader ofthese seven buffaloes was called “Crazy Bull”. Crazy Bull
gently scooped up the boy and held him for a moment.
He tossed him in the air, but the baby was not hurt, forwhen he landed on the ground, he began to crawl about.
Another bull came forth and like the first, used his horns
to toss the boy into the air. This time, when the boy
landed, he could stand up and he could talk. There wasyet a third buffalo who did the same thing and when theboy landed, he had turned into a young man. And they
say they named him “Buffalo Boy”.
The bulls came to love the boy, really love the boy. Those
seven buffaloes took the boy with them, they cared for
him, they watched over him and taught him many things.
They warned him, saying, “There is a bull that is very
mean. His name is “Connected Bones” and he has several
pretty wives. They will offer you water, and when they do,

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Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories

you must refuse to take even one drop. ”
One day, Connected Bones’ youngest wife came to
Buffalo Boy and as he had been told, she offered him
water. Buffalo Boy refused to drink any water. He turned
away and said no. She took her finger to the water andthen placed a small drop on Buffalo Boy’s lips and said,“Well, you drank my water anyway. Now, I will tell myhusband.”
She ran to her husband, told him what happened andConnected Bones was filled with anger. Maybe because
it was his prettiest wife. At once, he went to the lodge
of Buffalo Boy, called to him, “Buffalo Boy, get up! Comeoutside!” And they say the seven bulls came to the aid of
Buffalo Boy, telling him, “Stay inside the lodge! We’ll takecare of him.” But they could not protect the boy, and one
by one, Connected Bones broke their bones and left themdead. All seven of them. Dead. Their bodies lying here andthere on the prairie.
Again, Connected Bones called to Buffalo Boy, “Comeout!” Buffalo Boy appeared at the door of his lodge.
He had an eagle feather tucked to the back of his headand he had his arrows. They say that Connected Bones
started pawing and snorting, and then charged the boy.
But when the huge buffalo passed under him, Buffalo
Boy twisted his body, aimed his arrow, and shot the bullin the rump. That was one of the weakest parts of thebuffalo.
They say that the bull started wallowing and snorting,and charged the boy a second time. But Buffalo Boy did
the same as before. He jumped into the air just as the bullcharged him. He spun around and shot his arrow into thebull’s collarbone. That is another weak spot. When thearrow struck, the bull fell. Dead.
They say that the boy took all seven buffaloes into thesweat lodge and there, all seven bulls were healed. WhenONE SKY, MANY STORIES

they came outside the lodge, they knew that Buffalo Boy
had great powers, and that he was strong. They knew it
was time for him to go back to his people. And they said,“But we want to continue to watch over him. We need to
become something that will watch over the boy and all
the Crow people.” The seven buffaloes agreed that theyneeded to become something that would last forever.
They talked among themselves.
One of them said, “Why don’t we become trees?” One ofthem said, “No. The Crow chop the trees and make fire.
They use the trees for firewood.”
One of them said, “Why don’t we become a river?” And
one of them said, “No, the river can die. Especially in hot
weather. The river can dry up.”
One of them said, “Why don’t we become a mountain?
Mountains last forever.” And one of them said, “No. The
rain wears away a mountain. In time, even the mountains
disappear.”
There was one who had been looking at the sky and hesaid, “For as long as I can remember, there have beenstars. Why don’t we become stars and watch over the
Crow?”The seven bulls went to the sky and became the sevenstars in the Big Dipper. And they say Buffalo Boy went
back to his mother. His mother didn’t want him and heleft. And they say he went to be with his buffalo family
and he became the constant star. The star some call the
North Star.
When you look at the Big Dipper and the North Star,
remember this story of a family, held together by theirstory and their love for one another. And that is the end of
the story of the Seven Bulls and the Buffalo Boy.
KEYWORDs: North Star, Big Dipper, Buffalo, Sweat lodge

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Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories

THE FIXED STAR
(BLACKFEET NATION)
NOTE: Story citation: “They Dance in the Sky: Native
American Star Myths” by Jean Guard
Monroe and Ray A. Williamson (1987)
One summer night in Montana, two sisters decided tosleep outside their lodge. The sky was clear and there wasa warm breeze; the young women went to sleep quickly.
Before dawn, both of them awoke and gazed at the
beautiful night sky and early morning stars. Looking toward
the East, one girl pointed out Morning Star to her sister.
“That star is so beautiful. He is winking at me. How happy I
would be to have him for a husband.”As the sun came up and the day broadened, the tasks ofthe day soon grew upon them, and both young women
forgot the night’s talk.
Several days later, the sisters walked out to gather firewood.
They picked up sticks, made up their packs, and tied them on
their backs with strong leather straps. They were cheerful andchatted happily as they went. Soon the strap on one of thebundles broke. It was that of the girl who wished for Morning
Star. Each time she re-tied her bundle, the strap broke again.
Her sister said, “I’ll go on ahead. After I unload my firewood, I’ll
come back and help you.”
The first girl kept trying to fix her bundle of firewood. Finallyshe decided to wait for her sister. When she looked up
from her task, she found a handsome young man watchingher. He was dressed all in fine beaver skins and wore a talleagle feather in his hair. The young woman started to hurryaway but he stopped her. “What do you want of me?” sheasked him.
“You said you wanted me for your husband, and here I am,”he replied.
“You are a stranger to me. Why would I want you for ahusband?” She asked, startled. “I don’t even know you.”50 | ASTRONOMY

The young man laughed and replied, “One night you looked
at me in the sky and said you wished to have me as yourhusband. I am Morning Star. I have come to take you as
my wife.” The next moment, the handsome youth gently
took her hand. They smiled at each other as he removed
the feather from his hair. “Shut your eyes,” he told her andplaced the feather in her hair. They rose up into the sky.
When the young maiden opened her eyes, she was in thehouse of Sun and Moon, the youth’s mother and father.
She was not afraid, but she did feel a little confused
because she had seen no place like this before. “Come andmeet my wife,” Morning Star called to his parents. “Makeher feel at home in Sky Country.”
Moon fed the girl four berries and a little water in a shell.
The four berries, one for each direction, symbolized all thefood in the world, and the water in the shell represented all
the water in the oceans. She could not finish her meal.
After she had eaten, Moon took her aside and said, “I havesomething special for you.” She gave her a root-digger andshowed her how to gather roots, warning her not to toucha certain turnip. “This turnip is special to the Gods. It is asacred turnip,” Moon explained. “Evil will come to us all if it
is touched.”
Now, this turnip was very large, and the young woman
often looked at it when she was out digging for roots. She
wondered, “What would happen to me if I dug that turnip
up? Why is it so special?”
Many happy days came and went for the young woman
and Morning Star. After a while, she gave birth to a baby.
Each day she went out to gather vegetables for theevening meal. Each day her curiosity and desire to dig up
the turnip increased. One day she sat the baby outside toplay and decided to go out alone and dig up the turnip. The
turnip was big and the earth was hard. Her root-digger got
stuck in the ground. She grew afraid and tried to pull it out,
but it would not budge. She sat down and started to cry.
Crane Man and Crane Woman were flying overhead andONE SKY, MANY STORIESSTUDENT PAGE

Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories
heard her crying. When she saw them, she prayed to them,“Please help me.”Crane Woman said, “I have been a good and faithful wife,
so I have much power to help you. Your mother-in-law
gave you the root digger. I will teach you the songs that gowith it. They are special and will help you.” Crane Woman
burned incense and sang. Soon she pulled out the rootdigger and, dancing around the turnip, made three thrusts
with the digger. With the fourth try, she pulled out theturnip. “Take your root-digger and your turnip home,” Crane
Woman said.
As she was leaving, Morning Star’s wife looked at the hole
Crane Woman had left when she pulled out the big turnip.
She thought she could see something moving and looked
a little closer. “I can see my people and my old camp,” shethought. She felt sad to see everyone down there working
so hard while she was happy and living at ease in Sky
Country. It was the first time the young woman had beensad during her stay in Sky Country, the first time she had
missed her people.
Morning Star and Sun and Moon were extremely unhappy
when they saw what she had done. They asked her if she
had seen anything when she pulled out the turnip. “I saw
the camp and hunting grounds of my people,” she replied.
Morning Star shook his head and told her that she would
have to take the baby and go back to the Blackfeet people.
“It was wrong to dig up the sacred turnip. Sorrow has cometo Sky Country. I cannot keep you now,” he said. “When you
return to your people, do not let our baby touch the groundfor fourteen days. If he does, he will turn into a puffball andreturn to me. Then he will become a star.”
The woman did not want to leave her husband, but she
longed for her own people more. Sun called an old man tohelp return the woman to her people. The man brought astrong spider web. “I will tie you and your son to one end
and let you down through the hole in the sky,” he told her.
So the old man let her down the turnip hole and right into
her own camp.
ONE SKY, MANY STORIES“Here is the woman who went to the sky,” some boys
called when they saw her. “She has come back.” Soon thewhole camp came out to greet her and look at her baby.
Before the woman left Sky Country, Morning Star had
told her to paint a morning star symbol on the back of herlodge so she would remember her mistake in digging up
the turnip and not make another mistake and let the baby
touch the ground. She did this and watched the baby very
carefully for thirteen days.
On the fourteenth day, the woman’s mother said, “I amtired. Will you go get water for our lodge? I will watch thebaby.” The young woman agreed but warned her motheragainst letting the baby touch the ground -- although
she did not tell her why. The grandmother left the babyon the pallet a few feet away and was humming anddoing beadwork in the sunlight. Now, the baby had justlearned to crawl and wanted to play in the sunlight. Hevery quietly crawled off the pallet. Just as he touched theearth, he turned into a puffball and got tangled in a robe.
The grandmother turned around and saw the bundle
squirming. “He is asleep,” she thought happily.
Soon the mother came back. “Where is my baby?” she asked.
“I just checked him. He is asleep in the robe,” thegrandmother answered.
The mother turned to pick up her son. In his place she
found only a puffball.
That night a bright new star shone in the sky. The puffball
had risen and stuck in the hole in the sky where thewoman dug up the turnip. This is why that one star nevermoves. The Blackfoot call it Fixed Star.
The grief-stricken woman went home and painted circles
all along the bottom of her lodge to represent the puffballher son had become.
KEYWORDS: Moon, Sun, Root-Digger, Incense, Star,
Beadwork, Fixed Star (North Star/Polaris)

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Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories

COMPARE AND CONTRAST
The Big Dipper is a constellation. Listen to the stories about this group of stars from Japanese, Crow and Blackfeet cultures.
Using the Venn Diagram below, describe the similarities and differences in these stories.

ANSWER
Blackfeet

Crow

Similarities

Japanese52 | ASTRONOMYONE SKY, MANY STORIESSTUDENT PAGE

Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories

How does our culture and where we live shape our understanding of the stars and stories we tell?

ANSWERWhy do you think these stories are different from one another?

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Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories
Choose one of the star maps below anddraw a picture in the sky by connecting the dots.

Bozeman, Montana, USA[Date] 2017 - 12 - 01 20:00:00 [Moon Age] 12/7

Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan[Date] 2017 - 12 - 01 20:00:00 [Moon Age] 13
NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWOThis is because the night sky looks different depending on where you are on Earth.
Images by 星降るhoshifuru (hoshifuru.jp)
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Astronomy Lesson 1: One Sky, Many Stories

CREATIVE WRITING
Write a story about your constellation in the space below:

ANSWERONE SKY, MANY STORIESASTRONOMY | 55

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ASTRONOMY LESSON 2

Starscapes and Star Charts

ASTRONOMY | 57

LESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Astronomy Lesson 2: Starscapes & Star Charts

GOAL
Using star maps, star charts, and star stories, students will explore how latitude and longitude can be used to determine
one’s place on Earth in relation to others and to the sky as a whole.

OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
1. Explain how latitude affects the night sky seen in Kumamoto and Montana.
2. Describe how constellation stories are different for different cultures.
3. Proficiently use a star chart to identify constellations in their own night sky.

ASSESSMENT
1. During class discussion, assess student comprehension of latitude through questions and answers.
2.	Use the Venn Diagram student pages to measure if students are able to identify similarities and differences between thevarious star stories.
3.	After students have created star charts, assess the students’ ability to use the chart correctly by asking them to set the chartfor different dates and times.

MATERIALSo Power Point slides of the night sky in Kumamoto and Montana loaded onto a projection system
o Prepared star chart copies, two charts per student (one for Kumamoto and one for Montana)o Copies of “Student Pages,” one per student (pages 64-73)

PREPARATIONo S
 tar stories from the Blackfeet people are told at night and often in the winter. Please plan to use these lessons in thewinter months.
o Make copies of the student pages, one per student.
o Preview and load the video for later use in class.
o T he star charts for this lesson require extensive preparation. Each student should receive two star charts: one fromMontana and one from Kumamoto. Prior to the lesson:
1. C opy both pages of each chart (single-sided) on to cardstock paper. (Light weight paper makes the use of these charts
difficult.)
2. C
 ut out the main chart piece (colored pink). You will need to use a craft knife to remove the white interior sections of
the chart.
3. D epending on the amount of class time available and your students’ abilities, students may cut out the black circle
portion of the star map.

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Astronomy Lesson 2: Starscapes & Star Charts

LEARNING ACTIVITIESEXPECTED STUDENTREACTION/TEACHERRESPONSESGOALS OF THISSEGMENT/METHODS OFEVALUATION

Begin the lesson by handing out thestudent pages. On the star maps for
Kumamoto and Montana identify three
popular constellations. Ask students
how these maps are different and why.

Expect students to need help identifying
constellations. Ask students directquestions to help them focus theirefforts and find differences in the twomaps.

This gives the teacher the opportunity tointroduce the concept of latitude. Using
the student worksheet with the worldmap, identify Montana’s latitude (45degrees) and Kumamoto’s latitude (32degrees).

Using the presentation slides, show
students the images of the night sky as
seen in Kumamoto, Goshoura, Ekalaka,
and Yellowstone Park.

Expect students to need some help
knowing what they should look for. Askthem to focus on what stars they see.

This gives teachers the opportunity to talkto students about how you can see morestars in rural areas.

Using the presentation slides, show animage of the Pleiades star cluster andhave students find it on their maps.

Expect students to have some trouble
recognizing the constellation.

This gives teachers the opportunity toreinforce the differences in the maps andto show that the constellation is in bothskies, but in different places.

Tell students that they will be listening tostories about the Pleiades constellationfrom Japanese and Blackfeet cultures.
Have students follow along on thestudent pages as you read the Japanesestory. Use the OPI video for theBlackfeet story. After the stories, havestudents complete a Venn Diagram tocompare and contrast the stories.

Invite students to share the differencesand guide the discussion.

This gives teachers the opportunity to
discuss how constellation stories canvary from one culture to another.

Hand out the prepared pieces of
the two star charts. Have students
cut and assemble the chart andteach them how to use them.

Expect students to need help
assembling. Build a prototype. Use theinstruction page for more details.

This gives teachers the opportunity
to have students apply what they’ve
learned through the readings andbackground information in a hands on
activity.

Ask students to use their charts athome the following evening to findstars.

Finish the lesson in class the next day
by having students volunteer to sharewhat they discovered with their star
charts.

This gives teachers the opportunity to tie
lesson two into the final lesson of the unit,
which incorporates constellations andstar colors/brightness -- factors that areincluded on the star chart design.

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Astronomy Lesson 2: Starscapes & Star Charts

Cassiopeia

CygnusLittle Dipper

Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan[Date] 2017-12-01 20:00:00 [Moon Age] 13

Image by 星降るhoshifuru (hoshifuru.jp)

Above is a horizon view of the night sky as seen from Kumamoto.

The difference between the two is because Kumamoto and Montana are located at different latitudes on the Earth.
Montana is about 45° north of the equator, and Kumamoto is about 32° north of the equator. In the Kumamoto skies
Polaris (the North Star) will be slightly lower on the Northern horizon, and some stars will rise on the Southern horizon thatcannot be seen in Montana.

60 | ASTRONOMYSTARSCAPES AND STAR CHARTSBACKGROUND INFORMATION

Astronomy Lesson 2: Starscapes & Star Charts

Cassiopeia

CygnusLittle Dipper

GeminiBig Dipper

Bozeman, Montana, USA[Date] 2017-12-01 20:00:00n [Moon Age] 12:7

Image by 星降るhoshifuru (hoshifuru.jp)

Above is a horizon view of the night sky as seen from Montana.

Let’s focus on the Big Dipper, for example. You can see the Big Dipper in Montana throughout the year, but in Kumamoto
you will not be able to see it on winter nights. The starry sky of Montana and the starry sky of Kumamoto may look similar,
however, there are many differences including constellations that can only be seen in one country and not the other. Thisaffects the stories told about stars as well.

STARSCAPES AND STAR CHARTSASTRONOMY | 61

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Astronomy Lesson 2: Starscapes & Star Charts

PLEIADES: STAR STORIES FOR THIS LESSONCONSTELLATIONJAPANESEGREEKBLACKFEET

PleiadesMurikabushi

The Seven Sisters

Bunched Stars

These legends focus on the constellation Pleiades, which
are a group of seven stars, sometimes referred to as the“Seven Sisters”. The Pleiades cluster is about 410 lightyears from Earth, and contains roughly 400 stars.
The constellation of Pleiades is used in popular culture forthe car company Subaru, which is the Japanese name forthe star cluster.

Some American Indian tribes used the constellation as
an eye test for young adults and children. People who
could see more than seven stars had exceptional vision,
whereas seeing 6 stars meant the person had averagevision. Less might be an indication of near-sightedness.
This test gave elders who told the stories indicationsof the skills their listeners may have as they grew up.
Hunters who could see long distances were particularly
useful to the tribes.

Images courtesy Wikipedia

62 | ASTRONOMYSTARSCAPES AND STAR CHARTSBACKGROUND INFORMATION

Astronomy Lesson 2: Starscapes & Star Charts

STAR CHART INSTRUCTIONSThe star charts for this lesson require extensive
preparation. Each student should receive two star charts:
one from Montana and one from Kumamoto. Prior to thelesson:1. Copy both pages of each chart (single-sided) on tocardstock paper. (Light weight paper makes the use of
these charts difficult so use cardstock if possible.)
2. Cut out the main chart piece (colored pink). You willneed to use a craft knife to remove the white interior
sections of the chart.
3. Depending on the amount of class time available
and your students’ abilities, students may cut out theblack circle portion of the star map.

To use the star chart, pick the date and hour you want toobserve and set the chart so this date (located on the rimof the cut out sphere) matches the time indicated on thesleeve (the pink chart). The sphere shows the whole sky,and the curved edge of the oval on the chart represents
the horizon you’re facing.
Once outside, hold the chart in front of you and line up thechart so that it faces North. Remember that the sun setsin the west and look for Polaris, the North Star. The stars
within the oval should map the stars in front of you.
Note: If students have trouble turning the star chart, or if thesphere doesn’t fit, they can cut slits up from the top cutouts.
Image courtesy Wikipedia

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Astronomy Lesson 2: Starscapes & Star Charts

Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan[Date] 2017-12-01 20:00:00 [Moon Age] 13

Image by 星降るhoshifuru (hoshifuru.jp)

Above is a horizon view of the night sky as seen from Kumamoto.

The difference between the two is because Kumamoto and Montana are located at different latitudes on the Earth.
Montana is about 45° north of the equator, and Kumamoto is about 32° north of the equator. In the Kumamoto skies
Polaris (the North Star) will be slightly lower on the Northern horizon, and some stars will rise on the Southern horizon thatcannot be seen in Montana.

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Astronomy Lesson 2: Starscapes & Star Charts

Bozeman, Montana, USA[Date] 2017-12-01 20:00:00n [Moon Age] 12:7

Image by 星降るhoshifuru (hoshifuru.jp)

Above is a horizon view of the night sky as seen from Montana.

Let’s focus on the Big Dipper, for example. You can see the Big Dipper in Montana throughout the year, but in Kumamoto
you will not be able to see it on winter nights. The starry sky of Montana and the starry sky of Kumamoto may look similar,
however, there are many differences including constellations that can only be seen in one country and not the other. Thisaffects the stories told about stars as well.

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Astronomy Lesson 2: Starscapes & Star Charts

Image courtesy National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE
BOZEMAN, MT: 45.6770° N, 111.0429° W
EKALAKA, MT: 45.8889° N, 104.5527° W

KUMAMOTO CITY, JAPAN: 32.8031°N, 130.7079° E
GOSHOURA ISLAND, JAPAN: 32.4667° N, 130.2000° E

The Pleiades is a star cluster located in the constellation Taurus (the bull). It is commonly addressed as the “Seven Sisters” inGreek mythology, but has different names in other cultures. The Blackfeet, a tribe in Montana, refers to the constellation as“Bunched Stars” and the Japanese have a story about it called “Murikabushi.”

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Astronomy Lesson 2: Starscapes & Star Charts

JAPANESE“Murikabushi” (Okinawa, Japan)

BLACKFEET
Bunched Stars (Blackfeet Nation)Long ago, the people who lived on the island of Okinawa
were unable to find enough food, and many werestarving. For this reason, the King of heaven summoned
Nishinanachibushii and Hainanachiibushii and orderedthem to help the people on the island.

The Blackfeet people do not tell stories in the summer andso it is, only in the deepest, coldest time of winter is thefollowing story told.

But they refused the King’s order and he angrily banishedNishinanachibushii and Hainanachiibushii to the cornerof the sky. From that day on, Nishinanachibushii became
known as the Big Dipper, and Hainanachiibushii the Milk
Dipper.
Then the little star Murikabushi spoke and said, “I will try
to help them!” So Murikabushi passed through the zenith
every day to keep watch on the island. The people on theisland began to use Murikabushi’s position in the sky tohelp them determine when they should plant and growtheir crops.
Thanks to Murikabushi, the people on the island of
Okinawa would enjoy large harvests that would feed
everyone.
Today Murikabushi is called Pleiades.
KEYWORDS: Pleiades, Latitude, Zenith

NOTE: Story courtesy “Montana Skies” by Lynn Moroney,
Office of Public Instruction (2011)

It is best to show students a 15 minute video for the story:
https://youtu.be/DUkZdEocUzY
It is a clear winter night. Tonight, the stars seem to sparkle
more brightly than usual. High above we can see a small
group of stars known to the Blackfeet people as thebunched stars.
When the Blackfeet people see these six stars, they arereminded of a story of six brothers. Sit quietly and let yourimagination see the story as you listen to its words, whichteach parents and elders to treat young people properly andtells us about family love and how the six brothers came tolive in the sky.
There once lived a certain family, a father, a mother, andtheir six boys. The father was not a very good hunter andthe mother was able to gather only a few roots and berries
to feed them. They were very poor. The six brothers spent
their time close together because they had no friends.
In those days, it was the custom that when the buffalo were
calving, buffalo robes made from calf hides were made forall the young people. The calf robes were yellow, whereas
the buffalo robes of the older buffalo were dark brown. The
children placed the robes around themselves and played“buffalo”.
Each spring, every child got a new yellow buffalo robe. Thatis every child except the six boys. Year after year, it was thesame. The boys hoped for yellow robes but none came. The
other children in the camp made fun of the boys, telling thesix that they looked foolish in their brown robes. The boys

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Astronomy Lesson 2: Starscapes & Star Charts

were embarrassed. They lived each day in anger because of
the many hateful words and deeds they had to endure.
One day, the brothers agreed that after the next spring, if
they received no yellow robes, they would go far away fromtheir people. Someplace so far away that they would never
have to hear the ugly words and laughter of those thatmade fun of them. The brothers decided they would go livein the sky.
When spring came, the people went out for a big buffalo
hunt, but like all the springs before, there were no yellow
robes for the boys. The brothers agreed, “Now we shall goto the sky.” One of the boys said, “When we get to the sky,
let us take away all the water in the land for seven days andseven nights. Taking water from the people will be a good
way to punish them for all the bad things they have said tous.”
They prepared to go to the sky. The oldest brother took
some weasel hairs and carefully he placed a few hairs on
the backs of his brothers. Then he said to them, “Close youreyes and no matter what, do not open them until I tell you.”
The five younger brothers closed their eyes and kept themshut, just as they were told.
The oldest brother took a few more weasel hairs and put
them in his mouth. Next, placing the hairs in his hands, herubbed his palms together, then tossed the hairs up. Up
into the air. A few moments passed, and the oldest brotherspoke, “Now you may open your eyes.”
The brothers were amazed, they were in the sky and they
were in the lodge of the Sun and the Moon. Sun spoke tothe boys, “Why have you come to the sky?” The boys told
Sun about never having yellow robes like the others andhow their people made fun of them because they were poorand had to wear brown robes. Sun then asked, “What doyou want of me?”

“We ask that you punish the people for having treated us sobadly. Take water away from all the people for seven days,”said the boys.
Sun said nothing. But Moon took pity on the boys andbegan to weep. She told the boys she would help them, but
explained that they would have to stay in the sky forever.
Moon asked Sun to help the boys, but Sun said nothing, nota sound. She asked Sun again, but again Sun did not answer.
Only when she asked a seventh time did Sun agree to help
her.
The very next day, all the Earth was hot. Streams, rivers,
creeks and lakes dried to nothing but sand. There was nowater anywhere to be seen. That night, the people took
two dogs and went to the dry riverbed. When they reached
the bank of the river, the two dogs began to dig, and after
a while, water came out of the hole they were digging. The
dogs had made a spring. Water came from Mother Earth.
This is the first time such a thing had happened.
The days continued to be hot and the people dug holes inthe Earth. They lived in the holes for it was the only way tostay alive. During the next few days, the dogs made more
springs. Then, on the sixth day, the dogs howled, sending
their voices to Sun and Moon. The leader of the dogs was a
medicine dog, and he prayed, “Sun and Moon, have pity onus.” On the seventh day, Sun and Moon let it rain and water
returned to the Earth.
Ever since that time, the six brothers have lived in the sky
and as they were on Earth, so they are in the sky. They
remain close to one another, a family of stars seen by all
and called, “The Bunched Stars.” Look for the Bunched Stars
in the fall, the winter and the spring. Bunched together
so closely, you can reach your hand to the sky and coverthem with your thumb. The brothers cannot be seen in thesummer. For by summer, the time for calving is over and theEarth is hot and dry. And that is the end of the story of the
Bunched Stars.
KEYWORDS: Buffalo robe, Sun, Moon, Earth

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Astronomy Lesson 2: Starscapes & Star Charts

COMPARE AND CONTRAST
Listen to the stories about Pleiades from Japanese and Blackfeet cultures. Write details that explain how the stories aredifferent in the outer circles. Write details that tell how the stories are the same where the circles overlap.

ANSWER
Japan

Blackfeet
Similarities

STARSCAPES AND STAR CHARTSASTRONOMY | 69

Kumamoto

Image by 星降るhoshifuru (hoshifuru.jp)

Montana

Image by 星降るhoshifuru (hoshifuru.jp)

74 | ASTRONOMY3

ASTRONOMY LESSON 3

Colorful Constellations, Classifying Stars

ASTRONOMY | 75

LESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Astronomy Lesson 3: Colorful Constellations, Classifying Stars

GOAL
Using the constellation Orion, students will continue to study cultural oral traditions while learning about scientific concepts
including star color, size, brightness, and distance.

OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
1. Describe how constellation stories are different for different cultures.
2. Explain why different stars have different colors.
3. Discuss how star brightness is related to type of star it is and its distance from Earth.

ASSESSMENT
1. U
 se the Venn Diagram student pages to measure if students are able to identify similarities and differences between thevarious star stories.
2. D uring the discussion about the seven stars of Orion and labeling those stars, use discussion and students’ coloring to measure
understanding of star colors and types.
3. Use the activity of labeling the stars of Orion to assess through discussion student understanding of magnitude or brightness.

MATERIALSo Video: “Glow On: Crash Course Kids #20.2” loaded onto a projection system.  - https://youtu.be/Zo-sKzMWYFA (5:09 minutes)
o Video: “Star Personalities: Crash Course Kids #25.2” loaded onto a projection system.  - https://youtu.be/2PO_jMgmLvs (4:25 minutes)
o Copies of “Student Pages,” one per student (pages 82-88)

PREPARATIONo T
 he Crow people do not tell stories in the summer and so it is, only in the deepest, coldest time of winter may theirstories be told. Please plan to use this lesson in the winter months.
o F amiliarize yourself with the constellation Orion by visiting this website: http://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation- list/
orion-constellation/. Load the video links for star brightness (5:09 min : https://youtu.be/Zo-sKzMWYFA) and properties (4:25 min : https://
youtu.be/2PO_jMgmLvs ).

o Make copies of the student pages, one per student.
o Preview and load the videos for later use in class.

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COLORFUL CONSTELLATIONS, CLASSIFYING STARSLESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Astronomy Lesson 3: Colorful Constellations, Classifying StarsEXPECTED STUDENTREACTION/TEACHERRESPONSESGOALS OF THISSEGMENT/METHODS OFEVALUATION

Tell students that they will be listening
to stories about the Orion constellationfrom Japanese and Crow cultures. Have
students follow along on the student
pages as you read the Japanese andCrow stories. After the stories, havestudents complete a Venn Diagram tocompare and contrast the stories.

Invite students to share the similarities
and differences.

This gives teachers the opportunity to
discuss how star stories can vary from
culture to culture. Help students identify
that the Japanese story focuses on
Betelgeuse and Rigel, while the Crow story
uses the three stars in Orion’s belt.

Show the video about star brightness
to the class. Use the H-R diagram tocompare and contrast different stars,
including Betelgeuse.

Link the topic back to the story
from Japan by asking students why
Betelgeuse is red and Rigel is blue. Thisis due to the star’s temperature.

This provides the opportunity to introducethat colors, sizes, and the brightness ofstars do not always relate.

Have students look at the chart of theproperties of Orion’s stars. As a class,identify the colors of the constellations’stars and their apparent magnitude (orbrightness).

Expect that students will need help
reading the magnitude column.

This gives the teacher the opportunity tointroduce the table of Orion’s stars anddiscuss light and distance in space.

Show the video about star properties
to the class. Ask students to look at thetable describing the properties of Orion’sstars again. Identify the temperaturesand size/type of the constellations’stars.

Expect students to need help linking thestar type to its size.

This gives the teacher the opportunity
to build on the previous discussion andcompare and contrast the stars of Orion.

Have students use the Properties ofOrion’s Main Stars table to label andcolor the seven stars of Orion on thestudent page.

Expect students to have some difficultylabeling the stars. Use the meaningsof the star names, their locations,and magnitude to help students withlabeling.

This gives teachers the opportunity tocontinue to reinforce the concepts of
how stars are classified while tying thestars back to stories.

Review the student page as a class. Ask
the class why Betelgeuse is red andwhy the stars are drawn in different
sizes.

Encourage students to share theiranswers with the class and discuss
what they have learned.

This gives teachers the opportunity tocheck comprehension of the lesson andaddress questions.

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Astronomy Lesson 3: Colorful Constellations, Classifying StarsSTAR COLOR AND BRIGHTNESSStar color depends on its surface temperature, which isdetermined by its age and mass. A Hertzsprung-Russell(H-R) Digram is a graph that plots the color of stars in
relation to their absolute magnitude. Within the diagram,
there are three different types of stars: main sequence(like our sun), giants and supergiants, and smaller stars
known as white dwarfs.
The intensity distribution for each wavelength and typesuch as electromagnetic waves and sound waves iscalled a spectrum, and if you make the spectrum of astar’s light, you can see why the star color varies withtemperature.
Looking at the spectrum of a star’s light, you can see
what kind of light is emitted from a star and how strongly
it is radiated. The star’s light is said to be close to the“black body radiation spectrum” whose spectrum shapechanges only with the temperature of the radiator (theone that is emitting light). The high temperature star has
many components of blue light. The lower temperaturestar has more red light components. Due to this nature
the color of the star is determined by the temperature.
At Orion’s upper left is the bright red star Betelgeuse[BET-el- jooz, not beetle-juice]. This is a red supergiant
star, one of the biggest stars known: 1000 times as big
as the Sun, and 100,000 more luminous. Red supergiants
have a great amount of volume but not a great amount ofmass and they have fewer convection cells than our Sun,but those cells are much larger. This extra volume cools
the star, making these red supergiants the least hot of
the giant stars.

78 | ASTRONOMY

There are two kinds of “magnitude” which is a unit
indicating the brightness of a star.
One is an “apparent magnitude” which is the brightnessof the star seen from the Earth, and the star rating wenormally use is this apparent grade. It is different from
actual star brightness because it shows the brightness ofthe star as seen from the Earth. The brightest star in theconstellations is minus 1.46 apparent magnitude. This
star is called Sirius in Canis Major.
The other is “absolute magnitude” which is the apparent
magnitude an object would have if it were located at a
distance of 10 parsecs (about 3.26 light years). Since itdoes not take into consideration change of brightness
by distance, it becomes a grade reflecting the original
brightness of the star. For example, since the Sun is acelestial body very close to the Earth, it is extremely
bright with a 26.75 apparent magnitude. It has an
absolute magnitude of 4.83: how bright it would look to
us at 10 parsecs.
Stars with lower magnitudes (even negative magnitudes)
are brighter. Larger magnitudes are fainter stars.

COLORFUL CONSTELLATIONS, CLASSIFYING STARSBACKGROUND INFORMATION

Astronomy Lesson 3: Colorful Constellations, Classifying Stars

CONSTELLATION/STARJAPANESE

GREEK

CROW

Orion

Genji and
Heike

Orion

The Twins andthe Hand Star

Images courtesy wikihow

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Astronomy Lesson 3: Colorful Constellations, Classifying Stars

CONSTELLATION ORION: APPARENT MAGNITUDE(BRIGHTNESS) OF ITS STARS

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COLORFUL CONSTELLATIONS, CLASSIFYING STARSBACKGROUND INFORMATION

Astronomy Lesson 3: Colorful Constellations, Classifying Stars

VOCABULARY

Citation: Discovery Education, Merriam-Webster

NEBULA:A cloud of interstellar gas and dust.

PROTOSTAR:An early stage in the evolution of a star, after the
beginning of the collapse of the gas cloud from which it isformed, but before sufficient contraction has occurred topermit initiation of nuclear reactions at its core.

STAR:

A natural luminous body visible in the sky especiallyat night; a self-luminous gaseous spheroidal celestial
body of great mass which produces energy by means of
nuclear fusion reactions.

RED GIANT:

An intermediate stage of a star’s evolution during which
the hydrogen fuel supply begins to run out the star’s core
contracts; the outer shell begins to expand and, because
it is also cooling, glows red.

RED DWARF:

A star having substantially lower surface temperature,
intrinsic luminosity, mass, and size than the sun.

WHITE DWARF:

A star, approximately the size of the Earth, that has
undergone gravitational collapse and is in the final stageof evolution for low-mass stars, beginning hot and whiteand ending cold and dark.

SUPERNOVA:

The final explosion of a large star, caused by thegravitational collapse of the core, during which the star’s
luminosity increases by as much as 20 magnitudes
and most of the star’s mass is blown away at very highvelocity, sometimes leaving behind an extremely dense
core.

LIGHT-YEAR:

A unit of length in astronomy equal to the distance thatlight travels in one year in a vacuum or about 5.88 trillion
miles (9.46 trillion kilometers).

APPARENT MAGNITUDE:

The luminosity of a celestial body (such as a star) as
observed from the Earth.

ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE:

A measure of the intrinsic luminosity of a celestial body(such as a star) expressed as the apparent magnitude thebody would have if viewed from a distance of 10 parsecs.

BLACK HOLE:

A region of space having a gravitational field so intensethat no matter or radiation can escape.

NEUTRON STAR:

The dense, compact core that remains after a supernova.

PULSAR:A rapidly spinning neutron star that emits repeating
pulses of energy.

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Astronomy Lesson 3: Colorful Constellations, Classifying Stars

GENJI AND HEIKE (GIFU, JAPAN)
During the 12 th century in Japan, a legendary war
took place between the aristocratic Taira and Samurai
Minamoto families. The largest battle took place inOkumino, Gifu Prefecture. The Minamoto family won
the war which brought an end to the peaceful Heian era
in 1192. In Japanese lore, the two brightest stars in theconstellation Orion are named Heike (Betelgeuse) andGenji (Rigel). These two bright stars represent the colorsof the families. Heike is the red star and represents thecolor of the Taira family, and Genji is the white star that
represents the color of the Minamoto family.
It is believed that Heike and Genji continue to battle,
with the three stars in Orions belt keeping themapart. Because of the tremendous bravery and loyalty
demonstrated by both families during the war, the colors
red and white continue to have special significance inJapan, most notably the colors of the Japanese flag.
KEYWORDS: Star color, Orion
A Genpei Battle pitting the family of Minamoto (Rigel) againstthat of the Taira (Betelgeuse).
Image by Saori Ihara and Steve Renshaw

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Astronomy Lesson 3: Colorful Constellations, Classifying Stars

THE TWINS AND THE HAND STAR
(CROW NATION)
NOTE: Story courtesy “Montana Skies: Crow
Astronomy” by Lynn Moroney, OPI (2011)
The Crow people do not tell stories in the summer andso it is, only in the deepest, coldest time of winter is thefollowing story told.
Long ago, it was the custom for newly married couples togo out a ways and hunt antelope, deer and other kinds ofanimals. In this way, they were able to enjoy the meat of
the season. And so it was that a certain young man andhis wife was with child. He spent the days hunting andshe went about the work of the lodge.
One day, the man returned home to find that his wife
was dead and the child she carried was missing. The man
built a funeral scaffold, placed his wife’s body upon it andfor a long time he wept and grieved the loss of his dear
wife and child. A few years passed and they say that theman was inside his lodge preparing food when he heard asound. He looked up, saw nothing. But he heard a child’s
voice, “Father, will you give me something to eat?” The
man said, “Come out and show yourself.” And out fromthe tipi lining appeared a little boy. The man gave food tothe child. After that, the little boy stayed with the man.
The man was pleased to have a son. The boy playedaround the camp while the man went out to hunt eachday. This went on for a while. One day when the boy wasplaying outside, he saw another boy just his age. The newboy had risen out of a nearby spring. The two boys played
all day but when they heard the father returning home,the boy from the spring was frightened and ran back tothe spring. The next day when the father left to hunt, theboy from the spring returned and the two new friends
played each day after that.

The father had come to love the boy who had appeared
from behind the tipi lining and often made small toys andcarvings for him. In time, he made a set of arrows andgave them to the boy. The next day, the boy from thespring wished he might have arrows and that night, theboy from behind the tipi lining asked his father to makea second set. After that, each time the boy was given
something, he always wanted one more, a second this,a second that. The father became curious and asked his
son why he always wanted two of everything. “I have atwin brother,” said the boy, “before we were born, an evil
woman killed our mother. She threw me behind the tipilining and my twin was thrown into a nearby spring. He
has lived with the water animals and evil water creatures.
He is like them.”
The father knew then that the boy from the lining wastruly his son and he wondered about his other son. But
because the boy was raised by animals and was afraidof the father, the father had to make a plan to capture
him. First, he built a sweat lodge and he said to his sonfrom behind the lining, “Play with your bother as usual,
but then grab him, call for me and I’ll come running.” Thatday, while the boys were playing, the boy from behindthe lining waited for the right moment. He grabbed his
brother and called out, “Father, come! I have him.”
The father rushed to them and held the boy from thespring with all his might. He shouted to the boy frombehind the lining, “Run! Run! Start the sweat.” He thentook the son he was holding into the sweat lodge andheld him there. The father poured water upon the hotstones. The lodge filled with steam and grew hotter andhotter. The boy screamed, “Father, I am burning! Father,
let me go! I’ll burn to death.” But the father held the sonin his arms and would not let go of him. At last, the boy
remembered who he was. He realized that he was nota water being. He was not an animal. He rememberedthat he was a human being. After that, the three lived
together. Each day the brothers played and the father

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Astronomy Lesson 3: Colorful Constellations, Classifying Stars

went out to hunt. The boys were then named Thrown
Behind the Tipi Lining and Thrown Into the Spring. One
day, Thrown Into the Spring asked his brother, “Whereis our mother?” Upon learning she was dead, Thrown
Into the Spring said, “I can bring her back to life.” They
gathered up some of her belongings and went to theplace where her body was on the scaffold. Thrown Into
the Spring threw the mother’s hatchet into the air andcried out, “Mother, be careful! Your hatchet might hurt
you!” And her body moved a little. He tossed up her
pestle, “Mother, your pestle will hit you.” She moved
a little more. He tossed up her mortar, “Mother, yourmortar is going to hit you.” She moved even more. Lastly,
he tossed her comb and cried out, “Mother, get up! Comb
your hair.” And with that she sat up. She had returned tolife!
When the father returned home that evening, it was ajoyous reunion. The mother had prepared food, the lodge
fire was burning, and once again, they were a family.
The mother warned her children of all the evil things
that were around and just waiting to harm them. When
she told them about a bear who lived in a berry patch,the boys went forth and killed the bear. When she told
them about a dangerous cougar, the boys went forth andkilled the cougar. Then she told them about an elk who
had captured the wind and when he opened his mouth,
people flew into it. The boys went forth to kill the elk, butwhen they got close to the elk, he sucked them in andheld them with others he had in his stomach. Thrown
Into the Spring used his magic knife to stab the elk’sheart. He cut the side of the elk open and all of those who
had been captured were released.

Tipi Lining shot one of his magic arrows into the sky. He
shot another and another. The arrows led him to a placein the sky where there lived an old woman, the Moon.
They heard singing and drumming, the sky people had
captured Thrown Into the Spring and were planning to killand eat him.
Thrown Behind the Tipi Lining pretended he too wanted
to join the feast. He and Moon went to the lodge where
there was singing. Thrown Into the Spring was almost
dead. He opened his eyes and saw his brother who had
come to save him. Thrown Behind the Tipi Lining shouted
at the leader who was known as The One With a Long
Arm, “Let go of my brother, or I will destroy you!” He
showed his power by using a magic arrow to shatter arock into small pieces. Afraid, Long Arm let go of Thrown
Into the Spring. Thrown Behind the Tipi Lining gathered
up his brother and the two returned to Earth.
But they were not yet safe, for Long Arm wanted his
revenge. He reached down to Earth and tried to grab
Thrown Into the Spring. Thrown Into the Spring acted
quickly. Using his magic knife, he cut off the hand of Long
Arm and tossed the hand into the sky.
It can be seen even now, high above the winter’s sky.
Look for the hand in the sky. When you see it, remember
the story of the twin brothers, how they had great power,
and how the sweat lodge can heal those who forget who
they are and who they belong to.
KEYWORDS: Mortar, Pestle, Sweat Lodge, Burial
Scaffold, Tipi

Tired after all this, the brothers went into a deep sleep.
Upon waking, Thrown Into the Spring was nowhere to
be seen. No footprints, no signs at all. Thrown Behind the

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COLORFUL CONSTELLATIONS, CLASSIFYING STARSSTUDENT PAGE

Astronomy Lesson 3: Colorful Constellations, Classifying StarsCOMPARE AND CONTRAST
Listen to the stories about Orion from Japanese and Crow cultures. Write details that explain how the stories are different in
the outer circles. Write details that tell how the stories are the same where the circles overlap.

ANSWER
Japan

Crow
Similarities

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STUDENT PAGE

Astronomy Lesson 3: Colorful Constellations, Classifying StarsHERTZSPRUNG-RUSSELL (H-R) DIAGRAM

Image courtesy creative commons

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Astronomy Lesson 3: Colorful Constellations, Classifying StarsSTAR COLOR AND BRIGHTNESS IN ORION
The three stars that form the belt of Orion make up a
constellation in many cultures. In Australia, the belt iscalled the Saucepan, in South Africa, it’s The Three Kingsand in Spain and Latin America, The Three Marys. In the
Crow tribe in Montana, the belt makes up the wrist in
the constellation known as the Hand Star and in Japan,
Betelgeuse and Rigel correlate to a tale of military history.

There are seven major stars in the constellation of Orion:
Betelgeuse; Bellatrix; Alnitak; Alnilam; Mintaka; Saiph andRigel. Betelgeuse and Rigel are the brightest stars in theconstellation and eighth and sixth brightest in the nightsky, respectively. The star properties are covered in thetable below.

PROPERTIES OF ORION’S MAIN STARSSTAR NAME COLOR

TYPETEMPERATURE(celcius)

APPARENTMAGNITUDE*(BRIGHTNESS)DISTANCE
NAME(Light Years) MEANINGLOCATION IN
ORION

Betelgeuse

Red

Supergiant

3,000

0.42

643

Hand Of
Orion

Right Shoulder

Rigel

Blue

Supergiant

10,000

0.18

860

Left
Foot

Left Foot

Bellatrix

Blue

Giant

21,0001.659 - 1.64

250

FemaleWarriorLeft Shoulder

Mintaka

Blue

Giant

33,000

2.23

1200

Belt

Belt ( Right )Alnilam

Blue

Supergiant

27,0001.64 - 1.74

2000

String of
PearlsBelt (Middle)

AlnitakBlue

Triple Star

33,0001.77

1260

GirdleBelt (Left)

Saiph

White

Supergiant

26,000

2.09

650

Sword

Right Foot*Stars with lower magnitudes are brighter. Larger magnitudes are fainter stars.

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Astronomy Lesson 3: Colorful Constellations, Classifying Stars

ORION’S MAIN STARS
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Use the PROPERTIES OF ORION’S MAIN STARS Table to find the names of the seven stars that make up theconstellation Orion.
2. Using the magnitude and location, label the seven stars on the picture below.
3. Use colored pencils to color each star red, blue, or white.

88 | ASTRONOMY

COLORFUL CONSTELLATIONS, CLASSIFYING STARSCOLORFUL CONSTELLATIONS, CLASSIFYING STARSASTRONOMY | 89

90 | GEOLOGY1

GEOLOGY LESSON 1
Volcanic Landscapes

GEOLOGY | 91

LESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Geology Lesson 1: Volcanic Landscapes

GOAL
Students will explore how different types of volcanoes have different types of volcanic eruptions. In both Kumamoto andMontana, students will discover that Aso Volcano and Yellowstone Volcano are significant volcanoes to our homes and theworld.

OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
1. Chart four different types of volcanic eruptions.
2. Watch videos of volcanic eruptions.
3. Observe and describe volcanic rock samples to interpret the type of eruption that formed them.

ASSESSMENT
1. R
 eview students’ work on the “Identification of Volcanic Eruption Types” to assess student understanding for the four types of
volcanic eruptions.
2. Watch for students demonstrating active listening during the videos.
3. A
 ssess students’ work on the “Identification of Volcanic Rocks” page and student answers during the final large group sorting
activity.

MATERIALSo Copies of “Student Pages,” one per student (pages 99-102)
o Videos of volcanic eruptions (listed in background information) loaded onto a projection systemo Five or more different types of volcanic rock samples
o Optional: magnifying glasses or loupso P ictures of the eruptions in Hawaii, Yellowstone, Mount St. Helens, and Aso printed on regular paper to post to a whiteboard

PREPARATIONo Make copies of the student pages, one per student.
o Preview and load the videos for later use in class.
o Get samples of various volcanic rock types to use in the classification exercise for students.
o Look at educational material available from the National Park Service on the geology of Yellowstone Park. Here is a link:
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/geology.htm

o Look at educational material available for Aso Volcano. Here is a link: http://www.aso-geopark.jp/en/charm/index.html

VOLCANOES
92 | GEOLOGY

VOLCANIC LANDSCAPESLESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Geology Lesson 1: Volcanic Landscapes

EXPECTED STUDENTREACTION/TEACHERRESPONSESGOALS OF THISSEGMENT/METHODS OFEVALUATION

Begin the lesson by asking students what
they know about volcanoes .

Expect students to need a familiar landmark
to get started. If you are located in Japan,
show images of Aso Volcano and explain its
siginificance (see student pages). If in the US,
begin with Yellowstone.

This gives teachers the opportunity to uncover
misconceptions to address later in the lesson.
Please note: This lesson is designed for a 45
minute period. For longer lessons and optional
homework, ask students to research other typesof volcanic eruptions and share with the class thenext day.

Using the Identification of Volcanic Rocks
page, have the class look at different rocks
and fill out the worksheet as a group. Later,
they will be learning how these rocks relate todifferent volcanoes.

Expect students to need a few questions toguide their learning. Encourage them to lookat the texture and feel of the rock, as well as
the color. A small magnifying glass or loupe
may be a helpful tool for students to use while
examining the rock.

This gives teachers the opportunity to engage
student’s senses. Ask students to volunteer
to share their answers with the class. Lead a
discussion for 2 minutes then move on to thevideos.

Show the students the video clips provided
for each type of volcanic eruption. After each
video, have them use the student page todescribe the eruption.

Expect students to need some guidance on
what to look for in the videos. Teachers should
explain the videos as they are shown and link
the eruptions to the types of rocks they emit.

This gives teachers the opportunity toconnect the two activities and check student’s
comprehension of the lesson by leading ashort discussion.

On the board or poster board, write fourtypes of volcanic eruptions and post images(located in student pages). Have students
bring their rock sample images to the board
and place it on the image of the eruption
they think matches the rock.

Not all rocks will be placed correctly. Lead ashort discussion with the class to explain whysome rocks may be placed in a different place.

This gives teachers the opportunity to address
the link between the rocks and volcanic
eruptions as well as ensure that the lesson isunderstood by the full class.

Lead students in a discussion about what
they have learned. Explain that there aredifferent types of volcanoes all over theworld, and that there are famous ones
located in their own country.

Review the lesson by asking students to share
where each image of a volcanic eruption isfrom (Aso, Yellowstone, or Hawaii) .

This gives teachers the opportunity to connect
the lesson back to the student’s lives andexperiences, as well as expand knowledge ofother places.

LEARNING ACTIVITIESVOLCANIC LANDSCAPES

VOLCANOESGEOLOGY | 93

LESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Geology Lesson 1: Volcanic Landscapes

OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS:PLATE TECTONICS

1. H
 ave students research where the plate tectonics arelocated as well as where the volcanoes are locatedusing online digital maps or printed maps of the digital
resource. Then have the students plot three tectonic
plates and three volcanoes on a blank world map (Hint:
most volcanoes are located where two plate tectonics
meet or collide). Students may use computers, maps,
or reference books for research. The approved website
they can use:

2. G
 ive each of the students their own Eruption Path
worksheet where they will research and record theprevious eruption paths of the Aso and Yellowstone
volcanoes. Have students analyze these paths andcreate a projectile path for where they think thevolcanoes will erupt again.

2. S
 tudents will make observations about patterns they
notice in the location of the plates and volcanoes intheir science notebooks. Also have the students reflect
on how living near a volcano might affect the people
near Yellowstone Volcano and Aso Volcano. Is livingon plates with active volcanoes an issue? Will thepeople live day to day in fear of an eruption? Have thestudents write about their responses in their science
notebooks.

http://www.protezionecivilewp;jsessionid=3DDAFAE6B2D6096A41CF6
8577C44324F?contentId=PDE12771· http://earthquakes. volcanodiscovery.com/ and http://www.
· worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/tectonic.htm

3. T hen come back together and have students share
their thoughts of what they think it would be like living
near an active volcano.
4. B ased on these findings, now zoom in on Yellowstone
Volcano and Aso Volcano. Ask students: What tectonic
plates control these volcanoes?

EVACUATION PLAN

Can scientists predict when Yellowstone Volcano and
Aso Volcano will erupt again? Can we predict the pathsof ejected material from either of the eruptions? How?
1. P
 ut students into small groups and have them
research how scientists can predict future eruptions.
Record what they discover in a Reflective Journal.
VOLCANOES
94 | GEOLOGY

3. H
 ave students research hazard plans that exist forthese regions in case of another eruption. Have
students make a list of procedures that are necessary
to evacuate the area or cope with an eruption in a
Reflective Journal.

4. D iscuss an appropriate evacuation plan for Yellowstone(Wyoming and Montana) or the Aso Volcano area.
What has the US government or Japanese government
set up for disaster relief? (Homeland Security, FEMA,etc.) Consider things like air quality, magma flow, plant
and animal life, and a safe location for people in thesurrounding location to go to.
5. Based on their research have students design theirown evacuation plan, emergency supply kit, or family
emergency communication plan for their town/family insmall groups.
6. Upon completion, students will present theirevacuation plans to the class backing up their plan withwhat they’ve learned. Discuss if your evacuation plan isrealistic or not. Do you see a moral or an ethical dilemmain having or not having an evacuation plan? Could thisevacuation plan be adopted by the general public? Whyor why not?
https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/faqs_ash3d.html

VOLCANIC LANDSCAPESBACKGROUND INFORMATION

Geology Lesson 1: Volcanic Landscapes

TYPES OF VOLCANIC ERUPTIONSWhen volcanoes erupt they “give off a vast range of
products from steam and gas to molten lava, ash,pumice, and boulders, all of which are ultimately derived
from magma, the molten material that rises frombeneath the Earth’s crust” (Scarth 2009).
In an oversimplified model, volcanic eruptions can begrouped under four main categories: mild, moderate,
vigorous, and violent. The three major eruptions of
Yellowstone Volcano are famous because they createdthe landscape and thermal features that became the firstnational park in the world.

VERY VIOLENT

VIOLENT

MODERATEMILD

Aso Volcano is famous because it is one of the mostactive volcanoes in the world and is the setting for the
UNESCO Aso Geopark.

Scientific studies of the eruption provide information
about the phases of the eruption supported by geologic
layers of volcanic rock that show evidence of pyroclastic
flows, ashfall, and lava flows. By analyzing the layers,
the type of volcanic material they contain, and how thedeposits were distributed, geologists have been able toreconstruct the different eruptions.
From this information, the time of the eruptions havebeen documented (and thus the frequency of eruptions
can be determined), the types of eruptions that occurred
during different time intervals interpreted, and from thisit can be predicted over what time frame future eruptions
might occur, how violent these eruptions might be, andthe areal distribution of different impacts.

GEYSER

Hydrothermal, geysers, hot springs, mud pots.
EXAMPLE: Yellowstone National Park: 		

HAWAIIAN

Explosive molten lava with very hot magma.
EXAMPLE: Hawaii’s Big Island:

PLINIANhttps://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=USCvVndukjAhttps://youtu.be/_hyE2NO7HnU

Pyroclastic flows. Lots of gas! Vicious, cool magma, gas blasts out with enormous force.
Explosions shatter the magma in dust and ash. Scorching, glowing clouds of ash and fumes
that race down the sides. Pumice.
EXAMPLE: Mount St. Helens disintegrates in enormous landslide:
http://www.discovery.com/tv- shows/discovery-presents/videos/ understanding-volcanoes-mt-sainthelens/

CALDERAVOLCANIC LANDSCAPES

Pyroclastic flows. Lots of gas! Vicious, cool magma, gas blasts out with enormous force.
Explosions shatter the magma in dust and ash. Scorching, glowing clouds of ash and fumes
that race down the sides. Pumice. Much, much larger and more violent than any othervolcano type.
EXAMPLE: · Aso Volcano caldera. Caldera simulation: https://youtu.be/BBGmXsZHInw
VOLCANOESGEOLOGY | 95

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Geology Lesson 1: Volcanic Landscapes

TYPES OF VOLCANIC ROCKS
Examine each rock sample provided. Describe the color and crystal size of each sample. Then draw a detailed picture of therock.

CRYSTAL SIZEERUPTION TYPE

Light in color (pink or grey).

Very small, hard to observe
without a magnifying glass.

CALDERA

ANDESITE

Bluish grey or grey.

Large crystals that form
slowly, deep in the earthor small crystals that form
quickly at the surface.

VIOLENT/PLINIANBASALT

Grey to black, weathers to abrown or rusty red.

Very fine.

HAWAIIAN

Pale in color, white, cream,
blue or grey. Sometimes
brown.

Fine grained, may not containcrystals.

VIOLENT/PLINIAN

Black

None, lacks crystals.

OBSIDIAN

RHYOLITE

COLOR

PUMICEANSWER:

96 | GEOLOGYCALDERAVOLCANIC LANDSCAPESBACKGROUND INFORMATION

Geology Lesson 1: Volcanic Landscapes

FAST FACTS ABOUT VOLCANOESCOMMON MISCONCEPTIONS·T here are six main categories of volcanoes: flood orplateau basalts, calderas, composite or stratovolcanoes,
shield volcanoes, cinder cones, and lava domes.

One type of volcanic hazard that most people think offirst is lava flow, which is the flow of hot molten rock. Yet
a lava flow is one of the least deadly of all of the volcanic
processes. This is partly because lava flows do not movevery fast, only traveling a few miles per hour. There isanother type of flow that comes from a volcanic eruptionthat is much more dangerous than a lava flow, and that isa pyroclastic flow. A pyroclastic flow is a dense collectionof fragments and gases from a volcanic eruptionthat flows down the slope of a volcano. A lava flow issomething that might inch towards you giving you time
to flee, while a pyroclastic flow is something that races
down the side of a volcano, leaving little time to react.
The high speeds at which a pyroclastic flow travels, which
can be more than 100 miles per hour, make this volcanic
hazard very dangerous. Not only are pyroclastic flows
dangerous because of their speed, but also because
they are very hot (1,000 degrees Celsius, 1839 degrees
Fahrenheit) and contain toxic gases.

· Igneous rocks are classified based on composition
and mode of occurrence. The major types of volcanic
rocks are rhyolite, andesite, and basalt. Each of theserock types is associated with different categories of
volcanoes.
·A so Volcano had four major explosive eruptions
from 270,000 to 90,000 years ago. These eruptions
produced pyroclastic flows covering central Kyushu andformed a large caldera. Less violent post-caldera activity
has continued since the last major eruption and morethan seventeen central cones were formed. Volcanic
eruptions at Aso volcano are very frequent events anderuptions occur every 10-20 years. Aso is one of theworld’s most active volcanoes.
·Y ellowstone Volcano has had three major caldera
eruptions at 2,100,000 years ago, 1,300,000 years ago,and 640,000 years ago. Pyroclastic flows from these
eruptions covered a large area around Yellowstone andashfall deposits covered large areas of the western
United States. Post-caldera rhyolite and basalt lava
flows occurred between 164,000 years ago and 72,000
years ago and have filled in much of the most recent
caldera. Volcanic eruptions at Yellowstone are very
infrequent events.

VOLCANIC LANDSCAPES

http://study.com/academy/lesson/volcanic- hazards-definitiontypes-prevention.html#

Video Link: Pyroclastic flow:

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/discovery- presents/videos/
ultimate-guide-to-volcanoes- pyroclastic-flow/

GEOLOGY | 97

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Geology Lesson 1: Volcanic Landscapes

VOCABULARYPUMICE:A very light and porous volcanic rock.

PYROCLASTIC FLOW:

Huge, glowing clouds of scorching hot gas and volcanic
fragments, ranging in size from dust, ash, and pumice
to large rocks which are expelled at great speed in aturbulent mass.

RHYOLITE:

A volcanic igneous rock with a very high silica content. It
is usually pink or gray in color with grains so small thatthey are difficult to observe without a hand lens. Rhyolite
is made up of quartz, plagioclase, and sanidine, withminor amounts of hornblende and biotite.

ANDESITE:

VOLCANO:A mountain or hill, typically conical, having a crater or ventthrough which lava, rock fragments, hot vapor, and gas
are being or have been erupted from the Earth’s crust.
Burning mountain, comes from the name of the Roman
god, Vulcan, god of fire and the blacksmith of the gods.

MAFIC:

Relating to, denoting, or containing a group of darkcolored, mainly iron and magnesian minerals such as
pyroxene and olivine.

FELSIC:

Relating to or denoting a group of light-colored minerals
including feldspar, feldspathoids, quartz, and muscovite.

LAVA:

A volcanic rock intermediate in composition between
rhyolite and basalt. Andesite lava is of moderate viscosityand forms thick lava flows and domes. The word andesite
is derived from the Andes Mountains in South America,
where andesite is common.

1. Molten rock that reaches the earth’s surface through a
volcano or fissure.
2. The rock formed by the cooling and solidifying ofmolten rock.

BASALT:

Molten rock usually located deep within the mantle of
the Earth that occasionally comes to the surface throughcracks in the mantle or through the eruption of volcanoes.

A mafic volcanic rock, is the most widespread of all
igneous rocks, and comprises more than 90% of all
volcanic rocks. Because of its relatively low silica content,
basalt lava has a comparatively low viscosity, and forms
thin flows that can travel long distances. It is also foundas intrusive dikes and sills. Many moon rocks broughtback by Apollo astronauts are of basaltic composition.

98 | GEOLOGYMAGMA:

VOLCANIC LANDSCAPESSTUDENT PAGE

Geology Lesson 1: Volcanic Landscapes

TYPES OF VOLCANIC ERUPTIONSOLD FAITHFUL GEYSER OFYELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.
Image courtesy USGSKILAUEA VOLCANO IN HAWAII.
Image courtesy Wikipedia

MOUNT ST. HELENS.
Photo by Austin Post, USGS, May 18, 1980

MILD/ GEYSER ERUPTION

MODERATE/HAWAIIAN ERUPTIONVIOLENT/ PLINIAN ERUPTION

Hydrothermal, geysers, hotsprings, mud pots.

Explosive molten lava with very
hot magma.

Pyroclastic flows. Lots of gas!
Vicious, cool magma, gas blasts out
with enormous force. Explosions
shatter the magma in dust and ash.
Scorching, glowing clouds of ash
and fumes that race down the sides.
Pumice.

VOLCANIC LANDSCAPES

VOLCANOESGEOLOGY | 99

STUDENT PAGE

Geology Lesson 1: Volcanic Landscapes

TYPES OF VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS(CONTINUED)

ASO VOLCANO CALDERAImage courtesy Creative Commons

Mt. Mazama Eruption
Image courtesy US National Park Service

CALDERA ERUPTIONVERY VIOLENT CALDERA ERUPTION

The present caldera in Aso Geopark was formed
approximately 90,000 years ago by a huge eruption.
Pyroclastic flow deposits from that eruption have been
discovered in Yamaguchi Prefecture as well as across the
Ariake Sea in Shimabara and Amakusa. Aso is one of theworld’s most active volcanoes.

Pyroclastic flows. Lots of gas! Vicious, cool magma, gas
blasts out with enormous force. Explosions shatter themagma in dust and ash. Scorching, glowing clouds of ash
and fumes that race down the sides. Pumice. Much, muchlarger and more violent than any other volcano type.

VOLCANOES
100 | GEOLOGY

VOLCANIC LANDSCAPESSTUDENT PAGE

Geology Lesson 1: Volcanic Landscapes

IDENTIFICATION OF VOLCANIC ROCKS
Examine each rock sample provided. Describe the color and crystal size of each sample. Then draw a detailed picture of therock.

ANSWER:CRYSTAL SIZEDRAW A PICTURE

SAMPLE 5

SAMPLE 4

SAMPLE 3

SAMPLE 2

SAMPLE 1

COLOR

VOLCANIC LANDSCAPES

VOLCANOESGEOLOGY | 101

STUDENT PAGE

Geology Lesson 1: Volcanic Landscapes

IDENTIFICATION OF VOLCANIC ERUPTION TYPES
Watch videos showing the different types of volcanic eruptions. Write the name and location of one volcano of each type.
Describe the eruption and indicate if there is lava or not. Then draw a detailed picture of the eruption.

ANSWER:
EXAMPLEDESCRIPTION( INDICATE IF THERE IS LAVA)

MODERATEHAWAIIAN

VIOLENTGEYSER

PLINIANVERY VIOLENTMILD

ERUPTIONDRAW A PICTURE

CALDERA102 | GEOLOGY

VOLCANIC LANDSCAPESVOLCANIC LANDSCAPESGEOLOGY | 103

104 | GEOLOGY2

GEOLOGY LESSON 2

Natural Disasters - Our Changing Landscape

GEOLOGY | 105

LESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Geology Lesson 2: Natural Disasters - Our Changing Landscape

GOAL
Students will explore how natural hazards research—based on detailed observations and improved understanding of thephysical processes responsible for natural hazards—can help us to understand and reduce natural hazard risks.

OBJECTIVES
1. Discuss how the Earth’s landscape changes through the movement of plate tectonics, which creates earthquakes.
2. Apply their learning in a hands-on activity by creating buildings out of simple materials.
3. List factors that make buildings earthquake resistant.

ASSESSMENT
1. L isten to student responses during the discussion to assess understanding of plate tectonics. Alternatively, use thestudent pages to have students underline main ideas in the text.
2. Observe students during the activity to ensure all students are engaged.
3. Assess students’ work on the “Designing Earthquake-Resistant Buildings “ page.

MATERIALSo Copies of “Student Pages,” one per student (pages 114-119)
o Video of “Understanding Earthquakes” by National Geographic loaded onto a projection system (https://youtu.be/cavq2HFBa-U)
o 30 toothpicks and 30 miniature marshmallows per student
o 8-inch square disposable baking dishes (one per every four students with one additional pan for the display model)
o Boxes of gelatin (one per every baking dish)

PREPARATIONo Make copies of the student pages, one per student.
o Preview and load the videos for later use in class.
o P repare the gelatin in the disposable baking dishes the night before the lesson so students can begin the activity rightaway.
o Make a model toothpick structure as an example.

106 | GEOLOGY

NATURAL DISASTERS - OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPE

LESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Geology Lesson 2: Natural Disasters - Our Changing Landscape

EXPECTED STUDENTREACTION/TEACHERRESPONSESGOALS OF THISSEGMENT/METHODS OFEVALUATION

Tell students that they will be learning
about natural hazards and disasters, withearthquakes as a focus. Lead a discussion on
the differences between natural hazards anddisasters.

Expect students to need examples. Teachers
should reference the background information
provided in the lesson plan.

This gives teachers the opportunity to discuss
hazards and disasters in Montana andKumamoto and engage students in talking
about their own experiences.

Introduce the subject of earthquakes byshowing the video link (2:57):
https://youtu.be/cavq2HFBa-U

Ask students to name some examples ofearthquakes. Expect students in Japan to talkabout the Kumamoto earthquakes of 2016
and Montana students to mention California
and Yellowstone.

This gives teachers the opportunity to discuss
the layers of the Earth, plate tectonics, andseismic waves.

Using the student pages, show the exampleof the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake and theearthquake studies in Yellowstone. Have
students complete the Venn Diagram tocompare and contrast the earthquake activity
at Aso and Kumamoto with Yellowstone.

Expect students to need visuals for thisportion. Encourage students to think about
the frequency of earthquakes and theirpotential impact on communities.

This gives teachers the opportunity to use
the earthquake student pages to discuss
how earthquakes are measured according
to magnitude and the causes of the one in
Kumamoto.

Tell students they will now use what they
have learned about earthquakes to make abuilding model and conduct an experiment totest it. Pass out toothpicks and marshmallows
to each student and have them break into
groups of four. Give each group a baking panof gelatin.

Expect students to need some guidance on
how to create their structures. Show them theexample and tell students that each building
must be at least 2 levels high, and contain atleast one triangle and one square.

This gives teachers the opportunity to show
students how surface waves and body waves
from earthquakes effect buildings. Encourage
students to test their buildings by shaking
their baking dish. If there is time, rebuild themagain.

Have students record their building design on
the student page and explain what worked
and what did not. Lead a short discussion of
how we live with natural hazards to try to
prevent natural disasters.

Link the discussion to the activity by asking
students to examine their buildings. Ask why
they think shorter buildings and those thatincorporated more triangles (cross bracing)were more successful.

This gives teachers the opportunity to discuss
construction practices in earthquake prone
areas, as well as disaster mitigation practices
such as evacuation planning, hazard mapping,and monitoring.

LEARNING ACTIVITIESNATURAL DISASTERS - OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPEGEOLOGY | 107

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Geology Lesson 2: Natural Disasters - Our Changing Landscape

NATURAL HAZARDS VERSUS
NATURAL DISASTERS
Every year in the United States and Japan, natural
hazard events threaten lives and property, resulting indeaths and billions of dollars in damage. The costs andconsequences of natural hazards can be enormous,and each year more people and infrastructures are
at risk. Natural hazards research—based on detailed
observations and improved understanding of the physicalprocesses responsible for natural hazards—can help
us to understand and reduce natural hazard risks and to
make and effectively communicate reliable statements
about hazard characteristics, such as how often theyoccur, their magnitude, their extent, the consequences ofthese events, and when and where possible, the timingof future events.

WHAT IS A NATURAL DISASTER?

A natural disaster is any natural hazard that affects
human lives or property. A natural hazard, such as anearthquake that occurs at the bottom of the sea and thatno one feels, is not considered a natural disaster, while anearthquake such as the one in Pakistan in 2005 that killed
nearly 100,000 people and destroyed many homes androads was a terrible natural disaster.

WHAT IS A NATURAL HAZARD?

A natural hazard is any naturally occurring event thatposes a danger to human life or property. “Natural
hazards” is a general term for events such as volcanoes,
earthquakes and tsunamis. Types of natural hazards
include: avalanche, earthquake, flood, forest fire,
hurricane/typhoon/cyclone, landslide, thunderstorm/
blizzard/ice storm, tornado, tsunami and volcano.

108 | GEOLOGY

An example of a natural hazard is a mudslide, pictured above.
Images courtesy Aso Volcano Museum

NATURAL DISASTERS - OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPEBACKGROUND INFORMATION

Geology Lesson 2: Natural Disasters - Our Changing Landscape

NATURAL DISASTERS AND HAZARDSIN MONTANA
Montana is a stunningly beautiful state of vast extent. It is
mountainous to the west and high plains to the east. The
rugged topography reflects a legacy of millions of yearsof dynamic geologic processes that include earthquakes
along faults which created mountains and valleys,
volcanic eruptions, glaciers that sculpted the surface, andrivers that eroded and flooded. The variable topography
and position on the continent also creates extreme
weather conditions leading to devastating storms, floods,
and droughts that create dangerous fire conditions.
These natural processes become disasters when theyinteract with people, or hazards when they have thepotential to interact with people.
People first arrived on Montana’s landscape about
12,500 years ago, so only those natural events thathave occurred during the past 12,500 years can reallybe considered natural disasters. These have included
fires, storms, floods, and earthquakes. Of these, thebest known are those that have occurred duringhistorical times. Fires, storms, and floods have occurred
most frequently. However, Montana lies within theIntermountain Seismic Belt, and infrequent, disastrous
earthquakes have occurred historically within Montana
and are likely to occur in the future. The two most recentof these were the Helena earthquake of 1935 and the
Hebgen Lake earthquake of 1959, both of which resulted
in tremendous damage to human infrastructure and theloss of human lives.

NATURAL DISASTERS - OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPE

Montana lies on the boundary of the dormant but still
active Yellowstone Supervolcano. The Yellowstone
Volcano has not erupted during the time humans have
lived in Montana, but it still has the potential to erupt
in the future, and this eruption would most certainly
affect humans. Thus, it is classified as a geologic hazard.
The Yellowstone Volcano erupted 2.1 million years
ago, 1.3 million years ago, and 0.64 million years ago.
These eruptions were of incredible violence but are very
infrequent events. Thus, the chance of an eruption in thenear future is extremely small.

Images courtesy USGSGEOLOGY | 109

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Geology Lesson 2: Natural Disasters - Our Changing Landscape

NATURAL DISASTERS AND
HAZARDS IN KUMAMOTODISASTERS CAUSED BY CALDERATOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGICAL FEATURES
Many people are drawn to live in Aso by the beauty andnatural bounty of the volcano. However, the region isvulnerable not only to eruptions but also to disasters
related to its unique topographical features, such as thecaldera, volcanic ash soil, and high altitudes. In July 2012,25 people living in the caldera died when the caldera wallcollapsed due to torrential rain. Disasters of a similar scaleoccur once every few decades, bringing serious damage
to the region. Other examples of natural disasters typicalto the Aso region are as follows:

Images courtesy USGSHIGH OVERALL RAINFALL AND FREQUENTTORRENTIAL RAINS

Aso is located in the center of Kyushu. Its highest point is
Mt. Takaoka, at 1,592 m above sea level, with the caldera
floor at 500-600 m and the outer rim of the somma
almost 700-900 m. Because of its high vertical interval,
annual total precipitation exceeds 3,000 mm.

FLOODS ON THE CALDERA FLOOR

Aso Dani Valley in the north caldera has flat topography,
making it particularly vulnerable to flooding when heavy
rain causes the Kurokawa River to overflow.

COLLAPSE OF THE CALDERA WALL

SURFACE MUDSLIDES IN THE GRASSLANDS

Volcanic ash soil is common in the grasslands. The
juxtaposition of a highly compacted layer of volcanic ash
and a softer soil layer creates conditions where erosion
and mudslides occur easily.

EARTHQUAKES CAUSED BY FAULT ACTIVITY

The caldera is bisected by the Dita-Kumamoto tectonic
line, which runs from northeast to southwest Kyushu.
Other faults run through the area surrounding thecaldera, particularly to the southwest. Activity on thesefaults sometimes causes earthquakes. A recent example
is the Northern Kyushu Earthquake that occurred in
1975, causing serious damage to buildings.

Because the caldera wall is steep, and its surface iscovered with volcanic ash deposits, it collapses easily
even in relatively low rain conditions.

110 | GEOLOGY

NATURAL DISASTERS - OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPEBACKGROUND INFORMATION

Geology Lesson 2: Natural Disasters - Our Changing LandscapeTHE 2016 EARTHQUAKE IN KUMAMOTO, JAPAN, WAS CONSIDERED A NATURAL DISASTER DUE
TO THE AMOUNTOF DAMAGE DESCRIBED IN THE TABLES BELOW:
THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE

BILLION YEN

Building ( housing related )Water Supply Facility
Electricity and Gas Facilities
Medical / Welfare Facilities
Public Civil Engineering Facility
Highway
Educational Facilities ( excluding cultural properties )Other Public Facilities
Public Transportation
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Commericial Work Relationship
Cultural Property
Waste Treatment

2,037.7
11.9
28
75.8
268.5
34.2
94.4
73.6
8.6
148.7
820
93.6
90

TOTAL

3,785

PREFECTURE
Fukuoka
Saga.
Kumamoto
Oita .
Miyazaki

CASUALTIES & INJURIES
DEATHSSERIOUS
0
1
0
4
246
1,165
3
11
0
3

TOTAL

249

1,184

LOSS OF STRUCTURES:
PREFECTURE Complete

HOMES 		HalfPartialBUILDINGS
Public Other

ETC.
Fire

Yamaguchi
Fukuoka
Saga.
Nagasaki
Kumamoto
Oita .
Miyazaki

0
0
0
0
8,664
10
0

0
4
0
0
34,335
222
2

3
251
1
1
153,907
8,110
39

0
0
0
0
439
0
0

0
0
2
0
11,062
59
0

0
0
0
0
15
0
0

TOTAL

8,674

34,563

162,312439

11,123

15

MINOR
16
9
1,553
23
3
1,606

Images from the disaster:

Images courtesy Aso Volcano Museum
NATURAL DISASTERS - OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPEGEOLOGY | 111

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Geology Lesson 2: Natural Disasters - Our Changing Landscape

EARTHQUAKE-RESISTANT
BUILDINGS
The proximity of Japan to the Ring of Fire means thatit frequently experiences earthquakes of varying
magnitude. Thus, the country has long required strictbuilding codes for skyscrapers and other public buildings.
Materials that are flexible and shock absorbent, coupledwith modern technology to analyze the performanceof a building has contributed to engineering practices
that have put Japan among the most resilient in theworld. Even some older buildings, like Kumamoto Castlein Kumamoto City, are being retrofitted to be more
earthquake-resistant in the future.

Towers that incorporate earthquake resistant engineeringtake advantage of the physics of gravity; as the dead loadof a tower pushes down, the ground pushes back up andsmall movements of air push from the sides. Including
a foundation on a building distributes the load into thesurrounding ground material, thus helping to balance thesideways wind force. The strength of the ground affects
the size of the foundation. For example, a foundation
placed in rock can be smaller than one placed in sand or
mud.
To gain further background on the engineering involvedin this activity, watch the TED talk “Build a Tower, Build aTeam” at: https://youtu.be/H0_yKBitO8M.

Earthquake resistant construction methods in Japan.
Image courtesy Creative Commons

Restoration of Kumamoto Castle.
Image courtesy muza-chan.net
112 | GEOLOGY

Earthquake resistant design.
Image courtesy Creative Commons
NATURAL DISASTERS - OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPEBACKGROUND INFORMATION

Geology Lesson 2: Natural Disasters - Our Changing Landscape

VOCABULARYCITATION: Glossary of Geology, 2017, Edited by Klaus
K.E. Neuendorf, James P. Mehl, Jr., and Julia A. Jackson,
American Geosciences Institute

AVALANCHE:

A large mass of snow, ice, soil, or rock, or mixtures ofthese materials, falling, sliding, or flowing very rapidly
under the force of gravity. Velocities may sometimes
exceed 500 km/hr.

EARTHQUAKE:

A sudden motion or trembling in the Earth caused by theabrupt release of slowly accumulated strain.

FLOOD:

A rising body of water (as in a stream, lake, or sea, or
behind a dam) that overtops its natural or artificial
confines and that covers land not normally under water.

FOREST FIRE:

An uncontrolled fire in a forested area.

HURRICANE:

A tropical cyclone, especially in the North Atlantic andeastern North Pacific basins, in which the sustained nearsurface wind speed equals or exceeds 64 knots (73 mph).

LANDSLIDE:

A general term covering a wide variety of massmovement landforms and processes involving thedownslope transport, under gravitational influence, of
soil and rock material en masse. Terminology designatinglandslide types generally refers to the landform as wellas the process responsible for it, e.g. rockfall, translationalslide, block glide, avalanche, mudflow, liquefaction slide,and slump.

NATURAL DISASTERS - OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPE

NATURAL DISASTER:

A disaster affecting humans that is caused by a natural
hazard.

NATURAL HAZARD: A natural event that could cause

destruction.

THUNDERSTORM:

A mesoscale weather system produced by strong
convection currents surging to great altitudes within
the troposphere. Consists of cumulonimbus clouds
accompanied by lightning and thunder and often, locallyheavy rainfall (or snowfall) and gusty surface winds.

TORNADO:A small-scale cyclone, generally less than 500 m
in diameter and with very strong winds. Tornadoes
commonly occur as dark funnel-like features suspended
from low-lying cumulonimbus clouds.

TSUNAMI:A gravitational sea wave produced by any large-scale,
short-duration disturbance of the ocean floor, principallyby a shallow submarine earthquake, but also bysubmarine slumps, subsidence, or volcanic eruption.

TYPHOON:

A tropical storm in the region of the Indian or western
Pacific oceans.

VOLCANO:(a) A vent in the surface of the Earth through whichmagma and associated gases and ash erupt; also, theform or structure, usually conical, that is produced by theejected material.
(b) Any eruption of material, e.g. mud, that resembles amagmatic volcano.

GEOLOGY | 113

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Geology Lesson 2: Natural Disasters - Our Changing Landscape

EARTHQUAKES AS
NATURAL HAZARDSVideolink(2:57):https://youtu.be/cavq2HFBa-U
Citation:https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/eqscience.php

Earthquakes are one of the most damaging anddangerous natural disasters on Earth. This is because
they occur with little or no warning, can cause
catastrophic damage, and because some of the mostpopulated places on Earth are in seismically active areas
meaning they are very prone to earthquakes. The seismic
waves associated with earthquakes cause groundmovement which can cause buildings, roads and bridges
to collapse, and catastrophic landslides and mud flows inareas of high relief.
An earthquake happens when two blocks of the earth
suddenly slip past one another. The surface where theyslip is called the fault or fault plane. The location below
the Earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called
the hypocenter, and the location directly above it on thesurface of the Earth is called the epicenter.

Image courtesy Creative Commons
The Earth has four major layers: the inner core, outer core,mantle and crust. The crust and the top of the mantle
make up a thin layer on the surface of the Earth. But thiscover is not one piece – it is made up of many pieces likea puzzle covering the surface of the Earth. These puzzle
pieces are constantly moving because the part of the
Earth underneath them is like a fluid. The plates sitting on
top of this fluid move with the currents in this fluid, andover geologic time the plates are pulled apart (like east
Africa), pushed together (like the Himalayas), or scrape
past each other (like southern California). We call thesepuzzle pieces tectonic plates, and the edges of the plates
are called the plate boundaries. The plate boundaries are
made up of many faults, and most of the earthquakes
around the world occur on these faults. Since the edgesof the plates are rough, they get stuck while the restof the plate keeps moving. Finally, when the plate has
moved far enough, the edges unstick on one of the faults
and there is an earthquake.
Think of it as if you’re playing a game of tug-of-war with afriend. You’re both pulling hard on the rope from each end
and suddenly your friend lets go of the other side of therope. All the tension quickly leaves the rope and you fall to
the ground. The release of energy during an earthquake isvery similar.

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/eqscience.php

Image courtesy Wikipedia

114 | GEOLOGY

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Geology Lesson 2: Natural Disasters - Our Changing Landscape

HOW ARE EARTHQUAKES RECORDED?
Earthquakes are recorded by instruments called seismographs. The recording they
make is called a seismogram. The seismograph has a base that sets firmly in the
ground, and a heavy weight that hangs free. When an earthquake causes the groundto shake, the base of the seismograph shakes too, but the hanging weight doesnot. Instead the spring or string that it is hanging from absorbs all the movement.
The difference in position between the shaking part of the seismograph and the
motionless part is what is recorded. (https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/eqscience.php)
Images courtesy Creative CommonsHOW DO SCIENTISTS MEASURE THE SIZE OF EARTHQUAKES?
The size of an earthquake depends on the size of the fault and the amount of slip on the fault, but that’s not somethingscientists can simply measure with a measuring tape since faults are many kilometers deep beneath the Earth’s surface.
So how do they measure an earthquake? They use the seismogram recordings made on the seismographs at the surfaceof the Earth to determine how large the earthquake was. A short wiggly line that doesn’t wiggle very much means a small
earthquake, and a long wiggly line that wiggles a lot means a large earthquake. The length of the wiggle depends on the sizeof the fault, and the size of the wiggle depends on the amount of slip.
The size of the earthquake is called its magnitude. There is one magnitude for each earthquake. Scientists also talk about
the intensity of shaking from an earthquake, and this varies depending on where you are during the earthquake.
NATURAL DISASTERS - OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPEGEOLOGY | 115

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Geology Lesson 2: Natural Disasters - Our Changing Landscape

MONITORING EARTHQUAKES INYELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
Yellowstone is one of the most seismically active areasin the United States. Approximately 1,000 to 3,000
earthquakes occur each year in the Yellowstone area;
most are not felt. They result from the enormous
number of faults associated with the volcano.

They do this through The Yellowstone Seismic
Network (YSN). The YSN is operated cooperatively
by the University of Utah, the US Geological Survey’s
Volcano Hazards Program, and the National Park
Service. The network covers the seismically andvolcanically active Yellowstone National Park andsurrounding area. It is designed to monitor volcano andgeyser-related earthquake activity and for studying
the subsurface processes of Yellowstone.

Scientists closely monitor earthquakes in Yellowstone
Park to better understand the geology of the
Yellowstone Volcano and associated thermal features.

Approximately2,000 earthquakesoccurred inYellowstonein2014. Reddots=earthquakes.NPSmap.Earthquakedata provided courtesyUniversity ofUtah.https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/earthquakes.htm

116 | GEOLOGY

Location map of the YSN monitoring network.(http://www.uusatrg.utah.
edu/RBSMITH/ public_html/IMAGES/ys-seisnet.jpg)

NATURAL DISASTERS - OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPESTUDENT PAGE

Geology Lesson 2: Natural Disasters - Our Changing Landscape

EARTHQUAKES IN ASO

Inside the caldera in Aso there are frequent volcanic
tremors and volcanic earthquakes caused by volcanic
activities such as the movement of magma. Volcanic
activity in Aso causes volcanic earthquakes to occur
several dozen times a day, and sometimes hundredsof times a day. This shows that the movement ofmagma and volcanic gas is constant. However, magmaof Mt. Nakadake, the only active volcano in Aso, isbasaltic, so large scale volcanic earthquakes seldom
occur.
In the Aso area, a foreshock of magnitude 5.5 occurredat 13:40 on January 22, 1975. The main shock ofmagnitude 6.1 occurred at 23:19 on the next day,followed by several magnitude 5 aftershocks. Tenpeople were injured, roads were damaged in 12 places,
there were 15 landslides, 16 houses were completely
destroyed, 17 were partially destroyed, and 181
were slightly destroyed by the earthquake. These
earthquakes are thought to be caused by an active
fault and not by volcanic activities.

EARTHQUAKES IN KUMAMOTOIn Kumamoto, inland earthquakes frequently occur
because many active faults are distributed there.
In the Kumamoto area, a series of earthquakes
known as the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake occurred
between Kumamoto Prefecture and Oita Prefecture
starting at 21:26 on April 14, 2016. The two largestof these earthquakes had a seismic intensity of 7 on
the Meteorological Agency seismic intensity class andoccurred on the night of April 14 and the early morningof April 16, 2016. The quakes damaged more than
190,000 houses, including 8,000 that were completely
destroyed. In 2017, a report listed the death toll at
approximately 225, including those who died over the
past year of indirect causes due to illness exacerbatedby evacuation (a number that is three times thatof those who were killed by direct causes). There
were also many aftershocks associated with theseearthquakes.

Image courtesy USGSNATURAL DISASTERS - OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPEGEOLOGY | 117

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Geology Lesson 2: Natural Disasters - Our Changing Landscape

COMPARE AND CONTRAST
Learn about earthquakes in Aso and Kumamoto and earthquakes near Yellowstone National Park. Write details that explain
how earthquakes in these two regions are different in the outer circles. Write details that tell how our regions are the same
where the circles overlap.

ANSWER
Aso/Kumamoto

Yellowstone
Similarities

118 | GEOLOGY

NATURAL DISASTERS - OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPESTUDENT PAGE

Geology Lesson 2: Natural Disasters - Our Changing Landscape

ACTIVITY1

Draw a picture of your marshmallow and toothpick building design.

ACTIVITY 2
Describe what design features made your building more earthquake-resistant.

ACTIVITY 3
How would you modify your design next time to make it more earthquake-resistant?

NATURAL DISASTERS - OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPEGEOLOGY | 119

120 | GEOLOGY3

GEOLOGY LESSON 3

Sedimentology - Building Our Landscape

GEOLOGY | 121

LESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Geology Lesson 3: Sedimentology - Building our Landscape

GOAL
Students will explore sedimentology, the study of modern sediment such as sand, silt and clay and the processes that resultin their formation, transport, desposition and post-despositional changes that transform sediment into sedimentary rocks.

OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
1. Explain how sedimentary rocks are different from other types of rocks.
2. Describe how sedimentary rocks are formed.
3. Draw the three main types of rocks using notes.

ASSESSMENT
1. L isten to student responses during the discussion to assess understanding of the different rock types. Alternatively, use
the student pages to have students underline main ideas in the text.
2. Review students’ answers on the worksheet pages.
3. Assess students’ work on the student pages.

MATERIALSo Copies of “Student Pages,” one per student (pages 116-121)o Clear, plastic water bottles with lids (one per student)o M aterials to fill the bottles including soil, sand, gravel, leaves, roots, small sticks, and/or dead plant material (consider
having students gather as homework prior to the lesson)

PREPARATIONo Make copies of the student pages, one per student.
o G ather the materials and make sure there is enough for each student. Divide the materials into piles using bowls orplates to distribute.

122 | GEOLOGYSEDIMENTOLOGY - BUILDING OUR LANDSCAPE

LESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Geology Lesson 3: Sedimentology - Building our Landscape

LEARNING ACTIVITIESEXPECTED STUDENTREACTION/TEACHERRESPONSES

Read students the section on “What are
Sedimentary Rocks and How are they Made?”
Lead a short discussion to emphasize themain ideas of sedimentary rock formation.

Encourage students to revisit their student
pages to look for main ideas. Tell students they
will be doing an activity that will show them
the process of making a sedimentary rock.

This gives teachers the opportunity to help
students understand basic concepts of
sedimentology before the hands-on activity.

Give each student a water bottle and havethem layer the gravel, sand, soil and plantmaterial inside the bottle (in that order).

Ask students: How are our bottles like
sedimentary depositional environments?
How are they NOT like them? Ask students todraw a picture of their bottle.

This gives teachers the opportunity to encourage
students to think critically and check theircomprehension of the material.

Have students pour water into their bottles
and make a prediction on their student pageabout how the bottle will look after it isshaken.

After students make a prediction, havestudents shake the bottle and put it on theirtable.

This gives teachers the opportunity to check
student’s comprehension of the lesson.

After 5 minutes, have students record
what their bottle looks like.

Expect students to need some guidance inevaluating their predictions. Encourage themto refer to their earlier drawing.

This gives teachers the opportunity to discuss
the students predictions.

Read the section on “sedimentary rocks” andhave students draw examples of
the rock types on their student pages.

Expect students to have some trouble coming
up with examples of each type. Have students
refer to the examples provided.

This gives teachers the opportunity tointroduce other types of rocks and guidestudents through the “how to identify types ofrocks” image.

Have students draw another sketch of theirbottle and lead a class discussion on what
has changed and how the sediment has
settled.

Expect students to need some guidance inthe discussion. Ask “What do you notice about
how the layers are forming?” and “Why do you
think they’re forming this way?” to get started.

This gives teachers the opportunity to checkcomprehension of the lesson and havestudents reflect on how the lesson relates tothe activity.

SEDIMENTOLOGY - BUILDING OUR LANDSCAPEGOALS OF THISSEGMENT/METHODS OFEVALUATIONGEOLOGY | 123

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Geology Lesson 3: Sedimentology - Building our LandscapeROCK TYPES

Rocks are solid masses that occur naturally as part of our planet and other planetary bodies. Geologists put rocks put into
three fundamentally different categories: IGNEOUS ROCKS, SEDIMENTARY ROCKS, METAMORPHIC ROCKSSEDIMENTARY ROCKSCHEMICAL sedimentary rocks are derived from

Igneous rocks make up the bulk of the Earth’s crust, butthey’re often covered by layers of sedimentary rock.
Sedimentary rocks record the continuous erosion of
the Earth’s surface and the products of this process,and their transportation to their current resting placein the rock record. As the name suggests, sedimentaryrock is formed from sediments or debris transported byliquid water, ice, or wind that become compacted andcemented together. Sedimentary rocks are secondary
rocks, as they are formed from the accumulation of small
pieces of pre-existing rock - that is, parent rock. There
are three main types of sedimentary rocks, based on thesource of the sediment.

dissolved material carried in solution to lakes andoceans. When conditions are favorable, material
precipitates out of solution and settles to the bottom
where it accumulates as sediment. Precipitation may
occur due to physical processes such as evaporationor through the biologic activity of living organisms. For
example, limestone is the most abundant chemical
sedimentary rock. It’s typically formed either when calcite
precipitates from seawater, or more often, from shells
and other carbonate skeletal material produced by livingorganisms is deposited on lake or ocean bottoms to form
sedimentary rocks. Most limestones are of biologicalorigin.

CLASTIC sedimentary rocks are made up of fragments

ORGANIC sedimentary rocks form when organic
matter (carbon-based organic material from livingorganisms) is deposited upon the death of the organism.
These organic-rich deposits come from varied types oflife at all scales; microscopic microbes and algae, leaves,roots, and soft parts of animals. Coal (mostly formed
from cellular plant material in swamps) is an example ofan organic sedimentary rock.

of preexisting rocks. Weathering and erosion of previously
formed rocks form clastic particles called detritus, anddetrital sedimentary rocks are accumulations of detritus.
For example, particles of gravel weathered from older
rock forms conglomerate, particles of sand weatheredfrom older rock forms sandstone, and particles of mud(silt and clay) weathered from older rocks forms siltstoneand shale.

BUILDING OUR LANDSCAPE
124 | GEOLOGYSEDIMENTOLOGY - BUILDING OUR LANDSCAPEBACKGROUND INFORMATION

Geology Lesson 3: Sedimentology - Building our Landscape

IGNEOUS ROCKS

Igneous rocks are crystalline solids that form directlyfrom cooling magma. Magma is molten rock made by
the partial melting of rocks in the Earth’s interior underconditions of high temperature and high pressure. As
rock melts, it becomes less dense and rises towards the
Earth’s surface. Magma that reaches the Earth’s surface
is called lava. Many lava flows are quiet, like the eruptionof Hawaiian volcanoes, but some can be violent, such as
the eruption of Mount St. Helens back in 1980.
Igneous rock that forms at the surface of the Earthis referred to as extrusive or volcanic rock. These arenamed after the Roman fire god, Vulcan. Basalt is a good
example of extrusive igneous rock.
Magma that cools, hardens, and forms igneous rockbefore it reaches the Earth’s surface is called intrusive or
plutonic after Pluto, the Roman god of the Underworld.
These rocks cool over long periods of time and, thus,
develop large crystal structures, as we see in granite.
Some intrusive rocks are subsequently exposed to thesurface - but only after uplifting or erosion of the Earth’s
surface, otherwise they would remain buried.

METAMORPHIC ROCKS

Metamorphism is the transformation of one rock type
into another rock type. Metamorphic rocks are formed
from exposing pre-existing igneous, sedimentary, andeven other metamorphic rocks to extreme temperatures
and/or pressures deep within the Earth.
Rocks that become deeply buried under the Earthare exposed to increased temperature and pressure.

SEDIMENTOLOGY - BUILDING OUR LANDSCAPEThis heat and pressure causes mineralogical changes
in the pre-existing rock to forms more stable under
the increased heat and temperature environment.
Crystals form but are elongated and oriented reflecting
the direction of the pressure under which they form.
Common metamorphic rocks include gneiss, schist, slate
and marble.

SUMMARY

In summary, rocks are solid masses occurring naturally
as part of our planet. Rocks can be put into threefundamentally different types: igneous, sedimentary andmetamorphic rock.

IGNEOUS rocks are crystalline and form directly fromcooling magma, which is molten rock made by partial
melting of rocks in the Earth’s interior. Lava is magmathat reaches the Earth’s surface. Extrusive or volcanic
rock is igneous rock that forms at the surface of the
Earth, while intrusive or plutonic rock is igneous rockformed beneath the Earth’s surface.

SEDIMENTARY rocks form from sediments or debris

that settle out of water and become cemented together.
Clastic sedimentary rocks form from solid particles ofweathered and eroded rock. Chemical sedimentaryrocks form from material carried in solution to lakes andoceans. Organic sedimentary rocks are formed fromcarbon-rich organic matter deposited upon the death ofonce living organisms.

METAMORPHIC rock is formed from pre-existingrock. As such, both sedimentary and metamorphic rockare secondary rocks, as they are formed from other rocks.

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STUDENT PAGE

Geology Lesson 3: Sedimentology - Building our Landscape

WHAT ARE SEDIMENTARY ROCKSAND HOW ARE THEY MADE?

Previously formed rocks are weathered at the Earth’s
surface, eroded to form sedimentary particles, and thentransported by water, ice, and/or wind.

Think about how a sandwich is made: a bottom layer ofbread, layers of cold cuts and cheese, and then anotherpiece of bread on top. In a similar fashion, sedimentaryrocks are made from layers just like a sandwich. The
layers are originally laid down horizontally (law of original
horizontality) and the layers below are older than thelayers above (law of superposition).

The sediment moves until the energy carrying it is nolonger great enough to move the particles and they
are deposited and accumulate over time. The regions
where the particles are deposited are called sedimentarydepositional environments. Sedimentary depositional
environments include areas such as river basins, lakes,
coastal swamps, or oceans. Organisms that live in theseenvironments are deposited with the sediment when
they die and may be preserved as fossils. Layers uponlayers are formed on top of one another with time andeventually the layers harden and turn to rock.

Sedimentary rocks are made when erosion, or the
breaking down of the land around you, takes place. The
particles of rock that break down are called sediment. The
sediment can be grains of sand, mud, pebbles, minerals,
fossils or plants.

Image courtesy creative commons
126 | GEOLOGYSEDIMENTOLOGY - BUILDING OUR LANDSCAPESTUDENT PAGE

Geology Lesson 3: Sedimentology - Building our LandscapeROCK TYPES

Rocks are solid masses that occur naturally as part of our planet and other planetary bodies. Geologists put rocks into threefundamentally different categories: IGNEOUS ROCKS, SEDIMENTARY ROCKS, METAMORPHIC ROCKSSEDIMENTARY ROCKS

Igneous rocks make up the bulk of the Earth’s crust, butthey’re often covered by layers of sedimentary rock.
Sedimentary rocks are secondary rocks, as they areformed from the accumulation of small pieces of preexisting rock - that is, parent rock. There are three maintypes of sedimentary rocks, based on the source of thesediment.

CLASTIC sedimentary rocks are made up of fragments
of preexisting rocks. Weathering and erosion of previously
formed rocks form clastic particles called detritus, anddetrital sedimentary rocks are accumulations of detritus.
For example, particles of gravel weathered from older
rock forms conglomerate, particles of sand weatheredfrom older rock forms sandstone, and particles of mud(silt and clay) weathered from older rocks forms siltstoneand shale.

CHEMICAL sedimentary rocks are derived from

dissolved material carried in solution to lakes andoceans. When conditions are favorable, material
precipitates out of solution and settles to the bottom
where it accumulates as sediment. Precipitation may
occur due to physical processes such as evaporationor through the biologic activity of living organisms. For
example, limestone is the most abundant chemical
sedimentary rock. It’s typically formed either when calcite
precipitates from seawater, or more often, from shells
and other carbonate skeletal material produced by livingorganisms is deposited on lake or ocean bottoms to form
sedimentary rocks. Most limestones are of biologicalorigin.

ORGANIC sedimentary rocks form when organic
matter (carbon-based organic material from livingorganisms) is deposited upon the death of the organism.
These organic-rich deposits come from varied types oflife at all scales; microscopic microbes and algae, leaves,roots, and soft parts of animals. Coal (mostly formed
from cellular plant material in swamps) is an example ofan organic sedimentary rock.

Images courtesy creative commons
SEDIMENTOLOGY - BUILDING OUR LANDSCAPEGEOLOGY | 127

STUDENT PAGE

Geology Lesson 3: Sedimentology - Building our Landscape

FUN FACTS· The layers in sedimentary rocks are called strata.
·W hen sediment is buried it compacts and is cemented
together to form rock. This process is called lithification.
·W ithin sedimentary rocks, you will often find fossils orplants millions of years old.
·S edimentary rocks are helpful in learning about Earth’spast.
·T able salt that you may put on your food is from achemical sedimentary rock called halite.
·C halk for a chalkboard comes from a form of limestone.
·S edimentary rocks are being made every day upon
Earth’s surface. They are formed when layers and layersof sediment get compressed together and eventuallyharden into rock.
·T he three types of sedimentary rocks are clastic (formed
from rocks that are broken down to form sediment andthat sediment is transported and deposited), chemical(formed when dissolved minerals precipitate fromwater) and organic (formed from broken down plant andanimal organic matter). The layers in sedimentary rocks
are called strata, and they can help scientists learn about
Earth’s past.

Images courtesy creative commons
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STUDENT PAGE

Geology Lesson 3: Sedimentology - Building our Landscape

MAKING SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

Draw a picture of your water bottle after each step and label each layer with the following words: Plants, Gravel, Sand andSoil.

Before adding water

After adding water &shaking

After water has
settledWrite a prediction of what your bottle will look like after you shake it:

130 | GEOLOGYSEDIMENTOLOGY - BUILDING OUR LANDSCAPESTUDENT PAGE

Geology Lesson 3: Sedimentology - Building our Landscape

There are three types of sedimentary rocks. Use your student pages to find the names of these three rock types. Writethem in the boxes below and draw a picture of a rock that matches each type.

Rock type: ________

Rock type: ________

Rock type: ________

Look at your water bottle and explain how it demonstrates the formation of sedimentary rocks.

SEDIMENTOLOGY - BUILDING OUR LANDSCAPEGEOLOGY | 131

132 | PALEONTOLOGY1

PALEONTOLOGY LESSON 1
Practices of Paleontology

PALEONTOLOGY | 133

LESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Paleontology Lesson 1: Practices of Paleontology

GOAL
Students will explore the many specific steps and techniques that are followed from asking permission and discoveringa fossil to museum research and display. These steps make up the practices of paleontology and differ depending on theenvironment where the fossil is found.

OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
1. Describe the basic steps in the practices of paleontology.
2. Compare and contrast the practices of paleontology in Montana and Kumamoto.

ASSESSMENT
1. Use the case study review pages to assess student understanding of the practices of paleontology in Montana and Kumamoto.
2. D uring the class discussion and by assessing student work using the Venn Diagrams, evaluate the students’ abilities tocompare and contrast the practices of paleontology in Montana and Kumamoto.

MATERIALSo Power Point slides of the practices of paleontology loaded onto a projection systemo Copies of “Student Pages,” one per student (pages 138-152)
o Optional: Examples of paleontology tools from the vocabulary lists on the student pages

PREPARATIONo Make copies of the student pages, one per student.
o Preview and load the Power Point presentation for later use in class.
o Gather any examples of paleontology tools from the vocabulary lists on the student pages.

134 | PALEONTOLOGYPRACTICES OF PALEONTOLOGYLESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Paleontology Lesson 1: Practices of Paleontology
EXPECTED STUDENTREACTION/TEACHERRESPONSESGOALS OF THISSEGMENT/METHODS OFEVALUATION

Using the provided powerpoint
and images, explain the process of
paleontology to the class.

Expect students to need clarification onsome of the steps. Teachers can use thepowerpoint to illustrate the steps.

This gives teachers the opportunity tointroduce the practices of paleontology
and cover the steps: Permission,
Discovery, Excavation, Transportation and
Display. This will prepare students to readtheir case studies.

Divide the class into four or moregroups. Assign each group one of
the four case studies. Explain to thestudents that two of the studies arefrom Montana, and two are from
Kumamoto. Ask students to readthe student page that describes thepractices of paleontology in the area of
their case study.

Expect students to need clarification on
new vocabulary.

This gives teachers the opportunity toteach students about geography.

Ask students to read the case studies
and answer the questions about it as agroup.

Expect students to need clarification on
new vocabulary. Use examples of thetools if possible.

This gives teachers the opportunity
to incorporate the vocabulary terms
for the unit into the lesson. Students
should connect the tools to one or moreof the steps (discovery, excavation,transportation, preparation or display).

Ask one student from each group toshare what they learned from their casestudy by reviewing their answers toeach question.

Expect students to discover that theMontana and Kumamoto sides havedifferences in the tools that are taken
into the field.

This gives teachers the opportunity to
guide students to share what they havelearned and discover the differences.

Lead a discussion of the differencesin the field seasons and the practicesof paleontology between Montana
and Kumamoto. Have students record
similarities and differences on the Venn
Diagram student page.

Expect students to wonder about whysome tools are the same for Montana
and Kumamoto and why some aredifferent.

This gives teachers the opportunity
to discuss fossil environments inKumamoto and Montana. For example,
in Kumamoto, some sites are locatedon islands, hence the necessity fortransportation by ship and the need fortide tables.

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Paleontology Lesson 1: Practices of Paleontology

PRACTICES OF PALEONTOLOGY
To find fossils, you first need to know where to look.
For example, if you want to find a Tyrannosaurus rex you
will need to find rocks that were deposited at the timethat T. rex lived. Geologists study the Earth and makedetailed maps that show where different ages of rocks
are exposed at the Earth’s surface. By studying a geologic
map, you may identify a promising location to look fora T. rex. Before you can dig up a dinosaur, you need tomake sure you have permission to do so. Often you willneed a special permit to excavate fossils. Once you haveobtained permission, you can then go out and look forfossils. This is called prospecting and discovery. Whenpaleontologists are prospecting, they spend a lot oftime hiking outdoors, searching the ground for pieces offossils. Sometimes, you may find pieces of fossil boneon the ground that eroded out of a hill. If you can findthe spot where the bone fragments originated, you may
have an important discovery. At this point, it may bedifficult to determine what exactly is in the hill. It could bea fossilized rib, or an entire skeleton. The only way to findout is to dig into the hill and begin excavating the fossil.
Paleontologists must be very careful when they excavatea fossil, because they are often very fragile. Shovels,
hammers, and picks may be used to remove rock, but
smaller brushes and chisels are used when working close
to the fossil. Once the fossils are exposed, they might
be coated with glues or hardeners to help keep them
together during the excavation. Before the specimens
are removed from the ground, it is very important torecord as much information as possible about how they
are positioned in the rocks. This may help you figure out
how the fossil was preserved, or how the animal died.
Paleontologists take detailed notes and photographs,
measurements of depth and orientation, and draw mapsof how the fossils are positioned in the ground.

136 | PALEONTOLOGY

Once all this information is collected, it is time tocarefully remove the fossils from the ground. To do this,paleontologists typically encase fossils in layers of burlap
and plaster, called a field jacket. A field jacket is similar tothe cast a doctor might put around a broken arm; just asthat cast is made to protect a broken bone, a field jacket
is made to protect the fossil as it is transported fromthe field back to the museum. The size of a field jacket
depends on what’s inside; sometimes a field jacket isvery small, and you can carry it out of the field in yourhand; sometimes a field jacket is so large and heavy thata helicopter is required to lift it and carry it to a truck fortransport back to the museum.
Back at the museum, the field jackets are opened, andthe remaining rock must be carefully removed fromaround the fossil. During preparation, scientists use
picks and brushes to carefully remove the rock that has
encased the fossil for millions of years. Sometimes, if therock is very hard, they may need to use more powerfultools, such as an air scribe, which is like a small jackhammer that chips away hard rock bit by bit. Preparators
fit together any broken pieces of the fossil, so it can bestudied. Sometimes fossils can take weeks, months, oreven years to prepare, depending on how fragmented
they are and the hardness of the rock in which they areencased.
Once the fossil is prepared, it goes into the museum’s
fossil collections. The collections area is like a library,
but instead of books, it contains fossils. Each specimen
is assigned a number and entered into a computer
database. This allows the museum to keep track of eachfossil. The fossil is stored on a shelf or in a cabinet. Now
that the fossil is cataloged, it can be available for research,education, or display in a museum exhibition.

PRACTICES OF PALEONTOLOGYBACKGROUND INFORMATION

Paleontology Lesson 1: Practices of Paleontology

Images courtesy Mifune Dinosaur Museum

EXCAVATING FOSSILS IN JAPAN: A NOTE ON OBTAINING PERMISSION
Fossils are important evidence for understanding evolution and paleoenvironments. In Japan, people are usually
allowed to look for fossils that are on the surface without permission from a landowner unless the landownerprohibits it. However, to excavate fossils on someone’s land, permission must first be granted. Paleontologists
contact landowners through a local Board of Education or museum near the area where the fossils were discovered.
After permission is received, excavation can proceed.
With the abundance of surface soil and vegetation in Japan, outcropping of Mesozoic rocks is rare. Although we canpredict the occurrence of fossils based on geologic data, it is difficult to decide specifically where to obtain permission
without evidence of fossils appearing on the surface.
Although there are laws that provide protection for archaeological and historical resources, laws protecting
paleontological resources are inadequate. Fossils specified as natural resources and their localities can be protected
through an agreement with the landowner. However, sometimes there are multiple landowners of a locality and it
may be difficult to obtain permission from them all.
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PALEONTOLOGY IN MONTANA

Images courtesy Museum of the Rockies

In Montana, people who study fossils, called
paleontologists work in the field during the summer
season. This is because there is too much snow in winter.
The climate is dry and hot, and paleontologists must be
sure to take a hat and sunscreen to the field, as well as
plenty of water.

about how the dinosaur was preserved. A special stick,called a Jacob’s Staff, is used to measure where the fossil
is found in the rock layer and will help paleontolgists
understand when the dinosaur lived. Sometimes, thefossils of dinosaurs can be covered by a lot of hard rock,so a jack hammer can be necessary.

In Montana, the end of the Age of Dinosaurs isrepresented by the geologic unit called the Hell Creek
Formation. Paleontologists use a geologic map to findwhere the formation is located across the state. Onceyou have located areas where the Hell Creek Formation
is exposed, you will want to determine who owns or
manages that land. On public lands, it is necessary toobtain an official permit to collect fossils.

In order to protect the fossils once they have been
exposed to air, palentologists use layers of burlap andplaster to make field jackets. First, cover the fossil inpaper towels or aluminum foil; this will help to separate
the fragile fossils from the plater that will protect themduring transportation. To mix the plaster in the field, fill ashallow bucket with water. Combine the plaster powder
and water in the bucket and then dip your burlap in the
mixture.

Once a field team has made a discovery and obtained
permission to excavate the fossil, they will then get tools
to dig up the fossil. These may include a rock hammer,
shovel and chisels. You will also need small plastic bags tostore small pieces of fossils. A notebook will be needed torecord information about the excavation. Paleontologists
use a special compass to record details about how thefossils are oriented in the ground, which can lead to clues
138 | PALEONTOLOGY

Once the fossils are fully encased in field jackets,
paleontologists transport them back to the museum
using a truck and trailer. Sometimes, a field jacket is so
big that you might even need a helicopter to lift it onto aflatbed truck. Once the fossils are on the truck, it’s time
to drive them back to the museum where they can beprepared by fossil preparators, studied by researchers,
and maybe put on exhibit.
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Paleontology Lesson 1: Practices of Paleontology

PALEONTOLOGY IN KUMAMOTO

Images courtesy Mifune Dinosaur Museum

In Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, paleontologists areable to work in the field year-round due to a temperate
climate. Unlike Montana, paleontologists in Kumamoto
Prefecture often have to remove layers of plant matter,or vegetation, to get to the fossil layer. In many cases, like
Goshoura in Amakusa, a boat or ship are necessary toreach fossil sites.
In Kumamoto, fossil dinosaurs are located within the
Mifune Group. Paleontologists use a geologic map ofKumamoto Prefecture to find where the formation is
located. Places like Goshoura Island also have their own
geological maps that show the area in greater detail.
Once a fossil is discovered, paleontologists must get
permission from the person or manager of the land. In
Japan, landowners are contacted through the local Boardof Education or local museum.
Once a field team has permission to excavate the fossil,
they will need to gather the right tools for the field.
Depending on where the fossil is located, a grass cutter
to remove plants may be needed. If it is near an ocean or
marine environment, it is necessary to bring a list of tidetables to determine safe times to excavate. Plastic bags
PRACTICES OF PALEONTOLOGY

will store small pieces of fossils, and a rock hammer will
enable you to split open hard rock.
High pressured water is used to keep the site clean andto enable paleontologists to locate additional fossils.
An air compressor is needed to use this tool and thejackhammer. Once a fossil is exposed, it is covered inconsolidant and protected with a field jacket made fromplaster soaked burlap, or wrapped with foam and packing
tape.
Once the fossils are excavated, they will need to betransported back to the museum either by truck overland,or ship if there is water. The fossils are then prepared byfossil preparators, studied by researchers, and may evenbe placed on exhibit.
Fun fact: Dinosaur discoveries are very new in Japan. Thismeans that paleontologists are often finding new species
that they can name!

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PERMISSION
Bill and Carol Winkley,ranchers in Carter County,
gave permission for Walter
Peck (the museum director)
and his crew to excavate
the fossil from their private
land.

DISCOVERY
Images courtesy Carter County Museum

CASE STUDY - CARTER COUNTYMUSEUM, MONTANA, USA:
CCM V-1938.8
Edmontosaurus annectens

Orville Carrol reported thediscovery of fossil bones
by landowner William“Bill” Winkley to Walter
Peck on July 13, 1938. The
crew of the Carter County
Geological Society used
a geologic map to locate
the bones in the Hell Creek
Formation.

MEANING OF NAME:EXCAVATIONLOCATION FOUND:

Three members of the
Carter County GeologicalSociety set out for the site
on August 1, 1938. Here,Ted Snyder uses a chisel
and pick to scrape away
the dirt to reveal the bone.
The foil is to keep bone
fragments together. He is
wearing a hat to protect
himself from the sun.

Giant Duck

Winkley Ranch, Carter County, Montana

ROCK FORMATION:
Hell Creek Formation

YEAR DISCOVERED:1933

YEAR FIRST DISPLAYED:1954 in the basement of the old Carter County HighSchool in Ekalaka, Montana.

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Once the bones were
exposed, Walter Peck
identified them as bones
belonging to the hadrosaur
or duck-billed dinosaur
family.
The image at right shows afemur exposed, with rockhammer to show the scale.
It took a full week to
excavate these bones.
They were then treatedwith consolidant, coveredin layers of paper towel,
burlap and plaster(pictured right).
Excavation of the fullskeleton was completed inearly October, 1938.

TRANSPORTATIONPREPARATIONMarshall Lambert, themuseum Director from1946 to 1996 and ascience teacher at Carter
County High School (CCHS),
finished the prep work on the Edmontosaurus fossil after
Peck’s death in 1946. He is pictured above using a small
brush to clean the skull before display.

DISPLAY
This dinosaur was first displayed in the basement of the
old Carter County High School (CCHS) in 1954. Marshall
Lambert enlisted the help of other members of the Carter
County Geological Society to mount the specimen. The
exhibit opening was covered as a part of the 1954 Life
Magazine article “The Town that Hunts Bones.”
In 1976 the specimen was remounted in the museum’s
new building by Marshall Lambert and community
members. It can still be seen on display at the Carter
County Museum.

The field jackets were loaded into a truck & trailer on
October 2, 1938 and taken to a storage building in
Ekalaka.

Images courtesy Carter County Museum

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PERMISSION
Museum of the Rockies had
to obtain a permit from twofederal agencies because theskeleton was located on Army
Corps of Engineers land within
the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.
Images courtesy Museum of the Rockies

CASE STUDY - MUSEUM OF THE
ROCKIES, MONTANA, USA:
MOR 555
Wankel T.rex (Nation’s T.rex)
Tyrannosaurus rex
MEANING OF NAME:
Tyrant Lizard KingLOCATION FOUND:

Nelson Creek area of Fort Peck Lake,
McCone County, Montana

The permit applications took three weeks to approve foreach of the two years (1989 & 1990) that the fossil was
excavated.

DISCOVERYWith this fossil, the discovery
happened when Kathy Wankel
found fragments of armbones in 1988. She brought
the bones to the paleontology
staff at the Museum of
the Rockies and had them
identified.

ROCK FORMATION:

EXCAVATIONYEAR DISCOVERED:

MOR staff began excavation
on September 9, 1989. Since
there was limited time, thecrew decided to cover the
exposed bones with a winterfield jacket made from plastersoaked burlap.

Hell Creek Formation
1988

YEAR FIRST DISPLAYED:1990 in a temporary preparation lab at Museum of the Rockies

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The field jacket protected theexposed bone until the crew
could return the following
year. This first phase of the
excavation process took 14
days.
MOR staff returned tocontinue excavation on June4, 1990. It was summer,and crew members needed
a hat, drinking water,and sunscreen to protect
themselves during the hot
days.
Since most of the skeleton
was articulated, the crew had to make several large fieldjackets with plaster soaked burlap. The largest field jacket
containing the pelvis and left leg weighed almost 4 tons.
The excavation was completed on July 1 after a periodof 25 days. Progress on the excavation was recorded in
notebooks.

TRANSPORTATIONOn July 2, the field jackets were lifted with a large front-end
loader and placed on a small
flatbed truck where they were
shuttled to a main road.
On July 3, it took 7 hours totransport all the field jackets to theMuseum of the Rockies.

PREPARATION
Preparation of the arm tookapproximately two weeks by
one preparator. Preparationof the skeleton tookapproximately two years.

Fossil preparators at
Museum of the Rockies used
picks and brushes to carefully remove the rock that had
encased the fossil for millions of years. Sometimes, if therock is very hard, they may need to use more powerfultools, such as an air scribe, which is like a tiny jackhammer that chips away hard rock bit by bit.

DISPLAY
The Wankel T. rex was originally displayed from 1990 to
1992 in a temporary viewing lab, so the public could watch
how the bones were being prepared. In September 2001, abronze replica of the skeleton was installed in the front of theMuseum of the Rockies. The actual fossils were on display intheir original death pose in the Hall of Horns and Teeth at theMuseum of the Rockies from 2005 to 2014.
There are more than 25 replicas of the Wankel T. rex skeletonand skull exhibited in museums around the world. A replicaskull is currently on display as part of a T. rex ontogenetic
series in the Tyrant Kings exhibit at the Museum of theRockies.
In April 2014, the real Wankel T. rex specimen wastransported to the Smithsonian National Museum of
Natural History in Washington D.C.
Images courtesy Museum of the Rockies

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MONTANA CASE STUDY REVIEW
Read the case studies for paleontological work in Montana and use thevocabulary box to answer the following questions.
VOCABULARYGEOLOGIC MAP

BURLAPSHOVELSUNGLASSES/HATFLATBED TRUCK & TRAILERJACOB’S STAFF

CHISELBACKPACKALUMINUM FOIL

JACK HAMMERROCK HAMMERFRONT-END LOADERPAPER TOWELSPLASTIC BAGS

BRUSH

DRINKING WATER

PLASTERPICKSNOTEBOOKSUNSCREEN

AIR SCRIBE

1. In what season can you dig for fossils in Montana?

2. What tool helps a scientist choose where to look for fossils?

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Paleontology Lesson 1: Practices of Paleontology

3. What tools do you need to excavate fossils?

4. What tools do you need to protect the fossil during transportation?

5. What tools do you need to transport a fossil?

6. What tools do you need to prepare fossils in a museum?

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Paleontology Lesson 1: Practices of Paleontology

PERMISSION
Prior to acquiring accessto the Amagimi Quarry
fossil locality, the Mifune
Dinosaur Museum had to
obtain permission froma private landowner. A
contract between Mifune
Town and the private landowner was written and signedby both parties. This process took one week.

Images courtesy Mifune Dinosaur Museum

CASE STUDY - MIFUNE DINOSAURMUSEUM, KUMAMOTO, JAPAN:
Therizinosaurid
MDM 1942
MEANING OF NAME:DISCOVERY
The braincase of this dinosaur
was discovered during excavationof the Amagimi Quarry site. A
crewmember recognized bone
fragments in a rock in the quarry
and brought them back to themuseum for identification andpreparation.

Scythe Lizard

LOCATION FOUND:

Amagimi Quarry, Mifune Town, Kamimashiki County,
Kumamoto PrefectureROCK FORMATION:“Upper Formation”, Mifune GroupDISCOVERED:
March1998

YEAR FIRST DISPLAYED:

2004 at Mifune Dinosaur Museum

146 | PALEONTOLOGYEXCAVATION
Preparing the quarryfor excavation required
removing vegetation (trees,
bushes, grass) with grass
cutters to expose the rocklayers. A backhoe followedby jackhammers, hammers
and chisels were used to remove the surface rock andto locate fossil specimens in the sandstone bonebed.

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Paleontology Lesson 1: Practices of Paleontology

High pressured water was used routinely to keep
the site clean which helped to locate additional fossil
specimens. Both the jackhammer and high-pressured
water required the use of an air compressor.
Exposed fossils encased in matrix were stabilized witha consolidant, then protected with either field jackets
made from plaster soaked burlap, or wrapped withfoam and packing tape.
The Mifune Dinosaur Museum field crew worked
7 to 10 days each year over a period of five years.
During that period, other specimens (isolated teeth,
humerus and other skeletal material) belonging to thetherizinosaurid were discovered.

TRANSPORTATIONPREPARATION
Fossil preparation of thebraincase and additional
therizinosaurid specimens
occurred over a three-year
period. Air scribes were used
to remove the hard matrix
from the fossils.
Final preparation was completed in 2003.

DISPLAY
The braincase and associated fossil specimens are on
display in the Cretaceous Age exhibit at the Mifune
Dinosaur Museum.

The specimens were placed in large plastic containers, thentransported by truck back to the Mifune Dinosaur Museum.

Images courtesy Mifune Dinosaur Museum

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Paleontology Lesson 1: Practices of Paleontology

PERMISSION
Prior to acquiring accessto the fossil locality where
the tooth was discovered,
the Goshoura Cretaceous
Museum had to obtain
permission from a stonequarrying company before
any work took place.

DISCOVERY

Images courtesy Goshoura Cretaceous Museum

CASE STUDY - GOSHOURACRETACEOUS MUSEUM, KUMAMOTO,
JAPAN:The Mayor of Goshoura commissioned a researchteam from Kochi University to explore Cretaceous
sediments on Goshoura Island for one week. There wereseven members of the research team. They could only
access the fossil locality areas by water taxi or ship asthese areas cannot be reached by car. One of the teammembers discovered a black colored fossil on the rocksurface in the quarry. The team realized that there wereserrations on the edge of the fossil indicating it was alarge tooth from a carnivorous dinosaur.

GCM-VP66

The largest carnivorous dinosaur tooth discovered in Japan.

LOCATION FOUND:

The quarry is known as The Cretaceous Wall, Goshoura
Island, Amakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture.

ROCK FORMATION:

Eboshi Formation, Goshoura GroupDISCOVERED:
March1997

YEAR FIRST DISPLAYED:

July 1997 at the Goshoura Cretaceous Museum’s Grand
opening ceremony.

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EXCAVATIONPREPARATION

The fossil tooth wasembedded in a large rockthat could not be moved.
The large rock was split
into a smaller size by one of
the quarry workers using a
backhoe or power shovel.

The rock containing thefossil was brought tothe laboratory at Kochi
University. Preparationof the specimen was
extremely difficult becauseof the hardness of the rock.

Team members then usedhammers and chisels to
remove a smaller piece of rockwith the tooth still embeddedin the matrix.

Using small chisels and hammers, it took one month
to expose one side of the tooth. The specimen was
exhibited in matrix for a few years before it wascompletely removed from the rock with air scribes andair chisels.

DISPLAY
TRANSPORTATIONThe specimen and matrix were hand carried and takenby ship to the mainland where it was transported by
car to Kochi University.

The specimen is on display in the first exhibition roomat the Goshoura Cretaceous Museum.
A replica of the tooth is on exhibit at the Fukui
Prefectural Dinosaur Museum in Katsuyama, Japan.

Images courtesy Goshoura Cretaceous Museum

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Paleontology Lesson 1: Practices of Paleontology

KUMAMOTO CASE STUDY REVIEW
Read the case studies for paleontological work in Kumamoto and use thevocabulary box to answer the following questions.
VOCABULARYGEOLOGIC MAP

CHISEL

BURLAPGRASS CUTTER

BRUSHNOTEBOOKBACKHOE

HIGH PRESSURE WATERPACKING TAPE

JACKHAMMERAIR COMPRESSORTRUCKROCK HAMMERPLASTER

PLASTIC CONTAINERAIR CHISELAIR SCRIBE

1. In what season can you dig for fossils in Kumamoto Prefecture?

2. What tool helps a scientist choose where to look for fossils?

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Paleontology Lesson 1: Practices of Paleontology

3. What tools do you need to excavate fossils?

4. What tools do you need to protect the fossil during transportation?

5. What tools do you need to transport a fossil?

6. What tools do you need to prepare fossils in a museum?

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Paleontology Lesson 1: Practices of Paleontology

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

After reviewing the different case studies from Montana and Kumamoto with your class, write details that explain how thepractices of paleontology are different between our two countries in the outer circles. Write details on how the practices are
the same where the circles overlap.

Kumamoto

Montana
Similarities

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154 | PALEONTOLOGY2

PALEONTOLOGY LESSON 2

Different Times, Different Fossils

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LESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Paleontology Lesson 2: Different Times, Different Fossils

GOAL
The Earth and its landscapes change over time. Scientists use the fossil record to understand Earth’s environments andclimates millions of years ago. By creating two stratigraphic columns and comparing them, students will learn that both
places are needed to tell the story of geologic time.

OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
1. Match ancient creatures to their location in the fossil record.
2. Compare and contrast the fossil record and stratigraphy of Montana and Kumamoto.

ASSESSMENT
1. Check student pages for the correct placement of creatures on the stratigraphy pages.
2. E valuate student answers on the “Comparing Stratigraphy of Montana and Kumamoto” student page to assess students’ability to compare and contrast the fossil records.

MATERIALSo Copies of “Student Pages,” one per student (pages 160-177)
o Optional: Video – “PBS Eons: A Brief History of Geologic Time” loaded on to a projection system
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWp5ZpJAIAE&t=118so Scissors and glue/tape for each student

PREPARATIONo Make copies of the student pages, one per student.
o Preview and load the video for later use in class.

DIFFERENT TIMES, DIFFERENT FOSSILS
156 | PALEONTOLOGYLESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Paleontology Lesson 2: Different Times, Different Fossils
EXPECTED STUDENTREACTION/TEACHERRESPONSESGOALS OF THISSEGMENT/METHODS OFEVALUATION

Introduce students to the activity byconnecting the lesson to “Practices of
Paleontology.” Tell students that they
will learn how scientists find dinosaurs
using geologic maps.

Expect students to need a visualreference. Teachers can reference
the geologic maps for Montana andKumamoto and go through the layers.

This gives teachers the opportunity to tellstudents how geologic maps show therocks present on the Earth’s surface andcategorize them by the age of the rocks
and the type of rocks present (called rockformations).

Describe the process of Geologic time.

Expect students to need a visualreference. Teachers can use theprovided video link.

This gives teachers the opportunity todescribe how the landscape changed overtime and affected the organisms that lived
upon it. The type of sedimentary rocks
are determined by the environments ofdeposition that are responsible for theirformation.

Explain the process of fossilization andshow students examples of fossils
that come from different formations in
Montana and Kumamoto described in
the student pages.

Expect students to need a visual of
the process. Show the image of theformation of a Triceratops fossil provided
in the background information.

This gives teachers the opportunity toconnect fossilization to sedimentology
through the formation of stratigraphic
layers.

Connect the lesson to the worksheet
material by asking students what period
the dinosaurs lived in (Mesozoic, including
the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous
Periods) and have them point out where
the rock outcrops for this period are inMontana and Kumamoto.

Take this opportunity to explore
examples of dinosaurs from Montana,
Mifune and Amakausa as described in
the student pages.

This gives teachers the opportunity to
discuss how the geologic maps can help
students place the fossils in time.

Have students cut out the creature
cards and glue/tape them to theappropriate location on the stratigraphy
pages.

Expect students to need some guidancewith arranging the fossils. Teachers
should reference the worksheet keys tohelp students.

This gives teachers the opportunity
to have the class work in groups andcomplete the project together.

Have students complete the final
worksheet with reflective questions.
Lead a class discussion of the materialusing these questions as a guide.

Expect students to need guidance tocomplete the worksheet.

This gives teachers the opportunity
to check student comprehensionof the lesson and address any
misunderstandings.

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Paleontology Lesson 2: Different Times, Different Fossils

GEOLOGIC TIME

Video link (12:07 min): https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=rWp5ZpJAIAE&t=18s

When you think of time, you may think of the time you
can see passing by on a clock. Seconds, minutes, hours.
Or perhaps the time you can keep track of on a calendar:days, weeks, months, or even years. But evidence inrocks indicates that time is far more vast than what canbe seen on a clock or even a typical calendar.

In order to explore questions like the age of the dinosaurs
and the age of the Earth, we must consider geologic time.
Geologists (scientists who study the Earth) have divided
the history of the planet into a geologic time scale,
which relates the different layers of rock on the planet
to periods of time. Studies of the rocks indicate thatmany rock formations were formed over millions ofyears. Evidence from geology reveals that the Earth isapproximately 4.5 billion years old.
This huge amount of time has been divided into time
periods in a similar way to how years are divided into
weeks and months.

Image courtesy Wikipedia
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Paleontology Lesson 2: Different Times, Different Fossils

For example, the Age of Dinosaurs is known as the
Mesozoic Era and it lasted from ~252 until 66 million
years ago. The Mesozoic Era is divided into: the Triassic
Period (which lasted from approximately 252 to 201
million years ago), the Jurassic Period (201 to 145 million
years ago), and the Cretaceous Period (145 to 66 million
years ago).
The Mesozoic Era was followed by the Cenozoic Era,
which is sometimes called the Age of Mammals. We arestill living in the Cenozoic Era today.

This Era is divided into the Paleogene Period (fromapproximately 66 million years ago until 23 million yearsago), the Neogene Period (from approximately 23 million
years ago until 2.5 million years ago), and the Quaternary
Period (approximately 2.5 million years ago until thepresent day).
Recorded human history accounts for only the last few
thousand years of the millions and millions of years ofEarth’s history. The overwhelming majority of the planet’s
past is represented in geologic time.

Image courtesy Wikipedia
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Paleontology Lesson 2: Different Times, Different Fossils

NEOGENE (0.018MA)

PALEOGENE (32MA)

LATE CRETACEOUS (66MA)

EARLY CRETACEOUS (109 MA)

LATE JURASSIC (150MA)

CARBONIFEROUS (318MA)

CAMBRIAN (500MA)

PRE-CAMBRIAN (700MA)

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Paleontology Lesson 2: Different Times, Different Fossils

NEOGENE (0.18MA)

AMAKUSAPALEOGENE (49MA)

LATE CRETACEOUS(100-66MA)
EARLY CRETACEOUS(101MA)

PLEISTOCENE (.018MA)

MIFUNELATE CRETACEOUS(100-66MA)

LATE TRIASSIC(220MA)LATE PERMIAN (255MA)

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THE PROCESS OF FOSSILIZATION(DINOSAURS)STEP 1: DEATH

Dinosaurs that die near water or in a windy area have agreater chance of becoming a fossil because water andwind carry sand and mud which can bury the dinosaur.

STEP 2: BURIAL

The river’s current pushes sand and mud over thedinosaur’s body, completely covering it. The burial stepis one of the most important steps, because it allows
the dinosaur’s body to be preserved and protects its
remains from scavengers. Frequently, paleontologists
find incomplete fossilized skeletons. Sometimes
the dinosaur’s remains are scattered by scavengers,
predators, or water currents before burial occurs.

STEP 3: PERMINERALIZATION

Minerals can sometimes soak into the bones of thedinosaur. In living animals’ bones (including humanbones), blood vessels travel through these tiny tunnels,
nourishing the bone and allowing it to strengthen andgrow. When the animal dies, the blood vessels often
deteriorate leaving the holes behind. These holes
are what allow the bones to absorb the surrounding
minerals. Fossils may be replaced by minerals and thoseminerals are the ingredients of rocks. But sometimes
the original material of long extinct creatures can still berecovered. For example, the frozen remains of woolly
mammoths have been discovered and largely intact
ancient insects have been found trapped in amber (fossil
tree resin).

STEP 4: TIME PASSES

In order for the fossil to last for millions of years, it muststay completely covered. With time and exposure to
weather, fossils can erode and disintegrate.

STEP 5: UPLIFT AND EROSION

The layers of our Earth are constantly in motion! In orderfor the fossil to be discovered, the layer in which the fossil
is buried must be pushed closer to the surface, or thelayers covering it must be worn away.

Image courtesy North Dakota Geological Survey,
Becky Barnes Artist

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BIOSTRATIGRAPHY

Rocks record time. When you see layers of rocks inhillsides, cliffs, and mountains, you are actually looking
back in time because the rocks that make up thosehillsides, cliffs, and mountains were deposited or formed
a long time ago, and different layers of rocks formed at
different times. If you wish to find a certain kind of fossil,
you need to first find rocks that were deposited during
the time period that that creature existed on this planet.
To find a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, you will need to firstfind rocks that were deposited during the Cretaceous
period, the time that Tyrannosaurus rex lived on Earth. If
you want to find a Velociraptor, you will need to look inmuch older rocks. Not only did these dinosaurs live at
different times, but they also lived in different places.
Tyrannosaurus rex lived in North America and Velociraptor
lived in Asia. Some time periods are not preserved as
rock everywhere. Some rocks represent ancient oceans
and some rocks represent ancient land. Different rocklayers may contain the fossils of very different creatures,
but only by comparing and considering the fossils foundthroughout all the rock layers can we complete our viewof what types of animals were found across the planet as
the Earth has changed over time.

Rock layers in Grand Canyon National Park, USA
Image courtesy Creative Commons

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FOSSILS OF MONTANA
PRE-CAMBRIAN DEPOSITS AND THEIR FOSSILS
Pre-Cambrian aged rocks are common in western
Montana and contain evidence of some of the earliest
life forms known on Earth. Stromatolites are groups ofbacteria that lived in colonies and formed distinctive,
mound like colonies. Their fossils are found in PreCambrian rocks in Montana and living stromatolites canstill be found on Earth today.

JURASSIC DEPOSITS AND THEIR FOSSILS

Montana is a good place to find fossils from the late Jurassic
Period (~150 million years ago). The Morrison Formation is a
Jurassic geologic unit that is exposed in parts of Montana andcontains fossils of many long-necked sauropod dinosaurs,
such as Diplodocus carnegeii. Also found in the Morrison
Formation are the fossils of meat-eating theropod dinosaurs,
like Allosaurus fragilis.

Allosaurus fragilis
Diplodocus carnageii

Stromatolite

PALEOZOIC DEPOSITS AND THEIR FOSSILS

Fossils from the Paleozoic Era are found throughout
Montana. Some of the earliest fossils from the Paleozoic
are trilobites from the Cambrian Period (~ 500 million
years ago). Trilobites like Elrathiella were some of theearliest relatives of modern insects and spiders. Later in
the Paleozoic, in the Carboniferous (~ 318 million yearsago) shallow lagoons covered Montana and were filledwith strange sharks and other fishes. Today, these lagoon
deposits are called the Bear Gulch Limestone and one of
the fishes found there is Echinochimaera meltoni, a relativeof modern ratfishes.

CRETACEOUS DEPOSITS AND THEIR FOSSILS

Rocks from the Cretaceous period are found in much ofMontana and give paleontologists a great view of what
the area was like through the last period of the Age ofDinosaurs. Two Cretaceous formations that have been thesites of many fossil discoveries are the Cloverly Formationand the Hell Creek Formation. Many important fossils havebeen discovered in the Early Cretaceous (~ 109 million yearsago) Cloverly Formation of Montana. When Deinonychus
antirrhopus was discovered in Montana in the 1960’s, it
had many features that were very bird-like and showedpaleontologists that dinosaurs were very different fromslow, cold-blooded lizards. Another common dinosaur foundin the Cloverly Formation is the plant-eater, Tenontosaurus
tilletti. Tenontosaurus and Deinonychus fossils have beenfound together and Tenontosaurus may have been one of thefavorite foods of Deinonychus.

Elrathiella

Echinochimaera meltoni

Tenontosaurus tilletti

Deinonychus antirrhopus
Images by Kari Scannella
DIFFERENT TIMES, DIFFERENT FOSSILS

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HELL CREEK FORMATIONThe Hell Creek Formation is the geologic unit that
represents the very end of the Mesozoic Era in Montana
and surrounding regions. It is where the fossils of someof the last non-avian dinosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus
rex and Triceratops, are found. The Hell Creek Formation ismade up of many layers of rock; the layers at the bottom
were deposited first and are the oldest. The layers at the
top were deposited last and are the youngest. As you go
up through the layers of the Hell Creek Formation you
are going up through time. The bottom of the Hell Creek
Formation is marked by a large sandstone unit called thebasal sandstone. Overlying the basal sandstone are manylayers of mudstone. Above these mudstones is anotherlarge sandstone unit, called the JenRex sandstone (it isnamed after a specimen of T.rex that was discovered init). Everything below the JenRex sandstone is considered
the lower unit of the Hell Creek Formation. Above the
JenRex sand is another series of mudstones and thenanother large sandstone called the Apex sandstone.
Everything from the base of the JenRex sandstone
to just underneath the Apex sandstone is considered
the middle unit of the Hell Creek sandstone. Above
the Apex sandstone are another series of mudstones.
There is another thick sandstone which typically occurs
approximately 10 meters below the top of the HellCreek Formation; this sandstone is called the “10 metersandstone”. At the very top of the Hell Creek Formation
there is a prominent dark line, which consists of coal.
This is called the Z-coal and often marks the boundary
between the Hell Creek Formation and the overlying Fort
Union Formation.

PALEOGENE DEPOSITS AND THEIR FOSSILS

Mammals and dinosaurs first appeared at about thesame time, in the Triassic Period (~ 230 million yearsago). Dinosaurs were the dominant land animals during
the Mesozoic Era, but after the Age of Dinosaurs ended,mammals became the dominant land animals. The
Cenozoic Era (66 million years ago to today) is sometimes
called the Age of Mammals, and rocks from this Era arefound across much of Montana. The first part of the
Cenozoic Era was the Paleogene period, which lasted
until ~ 23 million years ago. During the Paleogene, there
were already a wide variety of different mammal species.
One of the most common fossil mammal groups is agroup of animals called the oreodonts. Many speciesof oreodonts are known, including the giant species
Megoreodon grandis. These animals would have lookedsomething like a combination of modern pigs, sheep, andcamels.

Megoreodon grandis

QUATERNARY DEPOSITS AND THEIR FOSSILS
We live in the Cenozoic Era today. Rocks depositedin the most recent part of the Cenozoic Era (called
the Quaternary Period) are also common throughout
Montana. Fossils from 18,000 years ago reveal animals
that looked very similar to animals alive today. Bison
antiquus was an ancient relative of modern bison,and Mammuthus primigenius was related to modernelephants, although today elephants are not native toMontana.

Tyrannosaurus rex
Triceratops prorsus

Mammuthus primigenius

Bison antiquus
Images by Kari Scannella

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Paleontology Lesson 2: Different Times, Different Fossils

GEOLOGIC MAP OF MONTANA

Map modified from State Geologic Map by
Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology

NEOGENE AND/OR QUATERNARY ROCKPALEOGENE ROCKUPPER CRETACEOUS ROCKLOWER CRETACEOUS ROCKJURASSIC ROCKUPPER PALEOZOIC ROCKLOWER PALEOZOIC ROCK
PRECAMBRIAN SEDIMENTARY ROCKNON-SEDIMENTARY ROCKDIFFERENT TIMES, DIFFERENT FOSSILS
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FOSSILS OF MIFUNEPALEOZOIC DEPOSITS AND THEIR FOSSILS

The Mizukoshi Formation in Mifune Town was deposited
during the Late Permian Period (~ 255 million years ago).
Fossils from this formation include the ancient shelledcreature, Alispiriferella lita.

The LOWER FORMATION (95-93 MA) consists mainlyof sandstone and siltstone deposited in a shallow sea,
and contains abundant bivalves and gastropods. The
estuarine and coastal deposits contain brackish-waterand shallow marine mollusks. The middle Cenomanianammonite Eucalycoceras sp. cf. E. spathi was reported fromthe middle part of the formation. The Mifune bivalve
fauna is comprised of 52 species representing 37genera,
and is important in correlating the international marine
system with the nonmarine continental system in Asia.

Alispiriferella lita

TRIASSIC DEPOSITS AND THEIR FOSSILS

Fossils from the Triassic Period, the first period of the Ageof Dinosaurs, have been found in the Konose Group, inthe east side of Kumamoto Prefecture. The ancient clam,
Dicerocardium kuwagataforme, lived 220 million years ago,
and its fossils are found in the Konose Group.

Dicerocardium kuwagataforme

CRETACEOUS DEPOSITS AND THEIR FOSSILSThe Upper Cretaceous Mifune Group in this area yields
dinosaur fossils. The Mifune Group is divided into threeparts: the Basal, Lower, and Upper Formations.

The BASAL FORMATION (96-95 MA) consists mainlyof nonmarine molluscan fossils in the upper part of theformation and include the brackish-water mollusks
Conorbis (Gastropoda) and Nipponicorbula (Bivalvia).

Squalicorax (Lower Formation)

The UPPER FORMATION (93-90 MA) consists ofabundant vertebrate remains, freshwater mollusks, andplant fossils.

Sorlestes (Upper Formation)

Therizinosaur (Upper Formation)

QUATERNARY DEPOSITS AND THEIR FOSSILS

Very recent fossils (~18,000 years old) are known fromthe Tsumori Formation of Mashiki Town in the east sideof Kumamoto. The insect Elaphrus japonicas is commonly
found in this area.

Elaphrus japonicus
Images by Kari Scannella
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FOSSILS OF AMAKUSA

The sediments of the Goshoura area consist of theCretaceous Goshoura Group and Lower Subgroup of
the Himenoura Group, the Paleogene Miroku Group andHondo Group, and the Quaternary Takeshima Formation.

CRETACEOUS DEPOSITS AND THEIR FOSSILS

The mid Cretaceous (100 million years ago) Goshoura
Group consists of non-marine and shallow marine
environments that contain many fossils. Characteristic
rocks in the Goshoura Group are red rocks depositedin the floodplain environment, and Trigonia sandstone
containing many kinds of shallow marine molluscan
fossils. There are also other sediments containing
mollusks. These fossil-bearing rocks can be found on
the coast and in a small river valley. Dinosaur fossils
also occur in this sediment, where a theropod dinosaur(Carnosaur) and ornithopod dinosaur (Iguanodon) havebeen found. A plesiosaur fossil has also been found fromthe Goshoura Group on Shishijima Island near Goshoura
Island.
Pterotrigonia sakakurai

Carnosaur

The late Cretaceous (85 million years ago) Lower
Subgroup of the Himenoura Group consists of offshore,deep sea marine deposits. It is characterized by thealternation of sandstone and mudstone beds which were
deposited in the deep sea by turbulent mudstone flowsthat accumulated offshore. Fossils found in this group
include cephalopods such as ammonites and inoceramus,
shark teeth, coprolites, and fish. From this formationin the Amakusa Kamijima area, ungula of a theropod
dinosaur and a Mosasaurus tooth have been discovered.

Eupachydiscus

Ammonites, inoceramus,
trigonia, and dinosaurs areindex fossils, and Trigonia isa facies fossil that indicates ashallow marine environment.

PALEOGENE AND THEIR FOSSILSThe Paleogene (49 million years ago) Miroku Group
contains sediment that has accumulated from terrestrial
and shallow marine environments. Red beds depositedfrom terrestrial environments are common in this group.
Mammalian fossils including the oldest large mammal
Trogosus coryphodontid, Perissodactyla, roots and othertrace fossils are found in the Miroku Group. Mammal
fossils from this group have been found in Kumamoto
Prefecture and Kagoshima Prefecture, indicating thata variety of mammals existed here during the Eocene.
A benthic foraminiferous (Numrites) found in the sandy
shallow marine deposits is a facies fossil indicating awarm climate during the Eocene.
The Paleogene (46 million years ago) Hondo Groupsediment was deposited in a deep sea environment. The
alternation of sandstone and mudstone deposits can be
seen. Fossils such as trace fossils and radiolarians havebeen found in these deposits. Molluscan and coral fossils
have been found from this group outside the Goshoura
area.

QUATERNARY DEPOSITS AROUND GOSHOURA
The Quaternary (5,000 years ago) Takeshima Formation
is a terrestrial marsh deposit, found in small areas on
Takeshima Island. Plant fossils such as trees, leaves,seeds, pollen, and fossil roots are found on the coast of
Takeshima.

Coryphodon
Sauropod
Images by Kari Scannella
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Paleontology Lesson 2: Different Times, Different Fossils

GEOLOGIC MAP OF KUMAMOTO PREFECTURE

Map modified from
Fukada Geological
Institute (1964),
Geological mapof Kumamoto
Prefecture by Naigai
Map Production Inc.

NEOGENE AND/OR QUATERNARY ROCKTRIASSIC ROCKPALEOGENE ROCKUPPER PALEOZOIC ROCKUPPER CRETACEOUS ROCKLOWER PALEOZOIC ROCKLOWER CRETACEOUS ROCKNON-SEDIMENTARY ROCKJURASSIC ROCKDIFFERENT TIMES, DIFFERENT FOSSILSPALEONTOLOGY | 169

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Paleontology Lesson 2: Different Times, Different Fossils

COMPARING STRATIGRAPHY OF MONTANA AND KUMAMOTO

After completing the stratigraphy activity, answer the following questions to compare the geologic layers and fossils ofMontana and Kumamoto.
Put an “X” in the appropriate boxes to show the rock layers in the three different areas studied in the activity.
PreCambrian Cambrian

Carboniferous Triassic

Late
Early
Jurassic Cretaceous

Late
Cretaceous Paleogene Pleistocene

NeogeneMontana
Amakusa,
Kumamoto
Mifune,Kumamoto

What age of rocks found in Montana commonly contain fossils, but are NOT found in Kumamoto?

What age of rocks are found in Kumamoto, but are not found or do not commonly produce fossils in Montana?

What age of rocks commonly produce fossils in all three areas?

In this rock layer found in all three areas:a. Are the fossils found in Montana, Amakusa, and Mifune the same?
b. Are there different creatures found in the different areas?
c. What do the fossils tell us about the landscape in each area and the Earth as a whole?
Why do scientists compare the fossil records in areas that are so far away (like Montana and Kumamoto)? What can welearn from this?

DIFFERENT TIMES, DIFFERENT FOSSILS
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Paleontology Lesson 2: Different Times, Different Fossils

STRATIGRAPHY OF MONTANANEOGENE AND/OR QUATERNARY (0.018MA)

PALEOGENE (32MA)

LATE CRETACEOUS (66MA)

EARLY CRETACEOUS (109 MA)

LATE JURASSIC (150MA)

CARBONIFEROUS (318MA)

CAMBRIAN (500MA)

PRE-CAMBRIAN (700MA)
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STRATIGRAPHY OF KUMAMOTOAMAKUSANEOGENE AND/OR QUATERNARY (0.125MA)

PALEOGENE (49MA)

LATE CRETACEOUS(100-66MA)
EARLY CRETACEOUS(101MA)MIFUNE

PLEISTOCENE (??)

LATE CRETACEOUS(100-66MA)

LATE TRIASSIC(220MA)LATE PERMIAN (255MA)

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Paleontology Lesson 2: Different Times, Different Fossils

CREATURE CARDS MONTANA

Cut out each “creature card.” Glue or tape the creature cards to the Stratigraphy Charts using the background color and thefossil’s location (Montana, Mifune, or Amakusa) as a guide.

Diplodocus carnageii
MONTANA

Mammuthus primigenius
MONTANA

Tyrannosaurus rex
MONTANA

Elrathiella
MONTANA

Megoreodon grandis
MONTANA

stromatolite
MONTANA

Echinochimaera meltoni
MONTANA

Bison antiquus
MONTANA

Triceratops prorsus
MONTANA

Tenontosaurus tilletti
MONTANA

Deinonychus antirrhopus
MONTANA

Allosaurus fragilis
MONTANA

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Paleontology Lesson 2: Different Times, Different Fossils

CREATURE CARDS KUMAMOTO

Cut out each “creature card.” Glue or tape the creature cards to the Stratigraphy Charts using the background color and thefossil’s location (Montana, Mifune, or Amakusa) as a guide.

Sauropoda
AMAKUSA

Carnosauria
AMAKUSA

Therizinosauridae
MIFUNE

Dicerocardium kuwagataforme
MIFUNE

Palaeoloxodon naumanni
AMAKUSA

Coryphodon
AMAKUSA

Squalicorax
MIFUNE

Elaphrus japonicus
MIFUNE

Pterotrigonia sakakurai
AMAKUSA

Eupachydiscus
AMAKUSA

Alispiriferella lita
MIFUNE

Sorlestes mifunensis
MIFUNE

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178 | PALEONTOLOGY3

PALEONTOLOGY LESSON 3
Transforming Land and Life

PALEONTOLOGY | 179

LESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and Life

GOAL
Organisms change over time as a result of changes in physical or behavioral traits that are passed down throughgenerations. These changes can be a result of the transformation of environment.

OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
1. Describe how natural selection causes species to evolve.
2. Identify how Triceratops and Pterotrigonia changed over time.

ASSESSMENT
1. Through the class discussions, listen for student repsonses that show an understanding of natural selection.
2. Use the student pages to measure if students are able to describe how Triceratops and Pterotrigonia changed over time.

MATERIALSo Copies of “Student Pages,” one per student (pages 184-195)
o Prepared fossil pieces (see preparation)

PREPARATIONo Make copies of the student pages, one per student.
o M ake copies of the fossil pieces pages and cut out the shapes. These will be distributed to small groups of students, witheach group getting both species of the Triceratops or Ptertrigonia at one time. A class size of 24 students (divided into six
groups of four students) would need three sets of Triceratops pieces and three sets of Ptertigonia pieces for this activity.
o Optional: Video – Evolution of the Eye▪. https://youtu.be/4SXHMm51-68

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TRANSFORMING LAND AND LIFE

LESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and LifeEXPECTED STUDENTREACTION/TEACHERRESPONSESGOALS OF THISSEGMENT/METHODS OFEVALUATIONAs a class, read the “Introduction to
Evolution.” Lead a short discussion about
the bird beaks described to reinforce theconcept of natural selection. Explain to
the students that they will be doing anactivity to see how a fossil from Montana(Triceratops) and one from Japan(Pterotrigonia) evolved over time.

Expect students to have somequestions about what they’re hearing.
Use the images provided in the
background information to help themvisualize concepts.

This gives teachers the opportunity toinvite questions after the reading and to
ask students to give examples of otheranimals that have been artificially andnaturally selected.

Divide your class into multiple groups.
For each group, pass out the combined
Triceratops or Pterotrigonia fossil pieces.
Have students work together to discoveron their own that the fossils are fromtwo different species of the same typeof animal. Ask students to arrange thefossil pieces on their table to make it ascomplete as possible.

Expect students to have some difficultybuilding the animal. Encourage students
to use their student pages to reference
the complete fossil shape.

This gives teachers the opportunity to
explain that fossils are not often complete
and there are different species ofcommon fossils, including Triceratops andPterotrigonia.

Have students complete the student
page to help them describe thedifferences they see between the two
species.

Expect students to need some help with
the questions. Use the answer key andbackground information to guide students
through answering the questions.

This gives teachers the opportunity toassess what the students have learned
throughout the lesson.

Once the students have completed theactivity with one set of fossil pieces,
have groups switch cards and repeat
the activity with the other animal.

Expect students to have some difficultybuilding the animal. Encourage students
to use their student pages to reference
the complete fossil shape.

This gives teachers the opportunity
to explain that fossils are not often
complete and there are different speciesof common fossils, including Triceratops
and Pterotrigonia.

Have students complete the student
page to help them describe thedifferences they see between the two
species.

Expect students to need some help
with the questions. Use the answer
key and background information to
guide students through answering thequestions.

This gives teachers the opportunity toassess what the students have learned
throughout the lesson.

Once all students have completed
the activity for both organisms, lead a
discussion about what they learned
during the activity.

Students should describe thatorganisms, including Triceratops andPtertrigonia changed over time, creating
two different species.

This gives teachers the opportunity toassess what the students have learned
throughout the lesson.

LEARNING ACTIVITIESTRANSFORMING LAND AND LIFE

PALEONTOLOGY | 181

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and Life

MORPHOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF TRICERATOPS FROM
THE HELL CREEK FORMATION IN MONTANA, USA
WHAT IS TRICERATOPS?
Triceratops was one of the lastof the large horned dinosaurs,
or ceratopsids, that lived during
the Mesozoic Era. Ceratopsid
dinosaurs lived during the late
Cretaceous period. Remains ofceratopsids have been found in
North America and Asia.
Triceratops is commonly found in the uppermost
Cretaceous sediments in Montana. The name
“Triceratops” is derived from three Greek terms (tri= three), (kéras=horn), and (ops = face). Triceratops
translates to “Three-horned face”; this animal had twolarge horns above the eyes and one horn above the nose(the nasal horn).
The horns of Triceratops have been hypothesized tohave been used for defense from predators, for fightingwith other Triceratops, or as display structures to help
Triceratops recognize other Triceratops or to show off, likethe tail of a peacock.

Triceratops was a herbivore (plant-eater) and used its
parrot-like beak and numerous teeth to shear throughvegetation in its environment.
Triceratops shared its environment with several otherdinosaurs, including the giant carnivore Tyrannosaurus rex,
the large duck-billed dinosaur Edmontosaurus, the domeheaded Pachycephalosaurus, and the armored dinosaur
Ankylosaurus.
Currently there are two known species of Triceratops:
Triceratops horridus and Triceratops prorsus. The skullsof these two species are slightly different; Triceratops
horridus has a small nasal horn and shallow beak while
Triceratops prorsus has a long nasal horn and deeper beak.
Triceratops horridus has been found in the lower layers ofthe Hell Creek Formation and Triceratops prorsus has beenfound in the upper layers of the Hell Creek Formation.
It has been hypothesized that Triceratops horridus evolved
into Triceratops prorsus over time.

The skull of Triceratops changed as it grew from a baby
to an adult. Juvenile Triceratops had horns that curved
backwards and as Triceratops aged, the horns curved
forwards. Also, young Triceratops had triangular spikes
around the large bony crest at the back of their skulls but
as they matured, the spikes became flattened and lessnoticeable.
Sediments from the Hell Creek Formation were deposited
between approximately 67.5 and 66 million years ago.
Triceratops is found throughout the Hell Creek Formationand in sediments of similar age in surrounding regions.

182 | PALEONTOLOGY

Images courtesy Carter County Museum (left) and Museum of theRockies (above)
TRANSFORMING LAND AND LIFEBACKGROUND INFORMATION

Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and Life

MORPHOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF PTEROTRIGONIA FROMTHE GOSHOURA AND MIFUNE GROUPS, KUMAMOTO PREFECTURE JAPANPTEROTRIGONIA FROM THE GOSHOURA GROUP AND
MIFUNE GROUP
Sediments from the Goshoura Group are 100 million
years old, and sediments from the Mifune Group are
90 million years old. Pterotrigonia are often discoveredfrom these two geologic groups. There have been twelve
species discovered from the Goshoura Group on theislands of Goshoura and Shishi-jima.
Three species have been found in the Mifune Group,
one of which is the same species found in the Goshoura
Group. Two species described here evolved over time,
Pterotrigonia amakusensis from the Goshoura Group andPterotrigonia higoensis from the Mifune Group.
WHAT ARE TRIGONIIDAE?
Trigoniidae are bivalves that thrived during the Mesozoic
Era. They diversified during the Jurassic and Cretaceous
periods. They are named for their triangular-shaped shell.
Only one group, Neotrigonia, remains living today in theocean near Australia.

Pterotrigonia amakusensis is named after the Amakusa
region, and Pterotrigonia higoensis refers to “Higo,” which
is Kumamoto’s older name. Pterotrigonia amakusensis isfound in marine sediments and are deposited dozens ofmeters below sea level. Pterotrigonia higoensis is found inshallow marine tidal deposits. Pterotrigonia amakusensischanged its shape and evolved into Pterotrigonia higoensis
as it adapted to a different marine environment.

PTEROTRIGONIA OF THE CRETACEOUS PERIOD
Pterotrigonia is commonly found in lower to middle
Cretaceous sediments in Japan.
There are approximately thirty species named in Japan.
The name “Pterotrigonia” is derived from two Latin terms(Ptero = Wing), (Trigonia = Triangle). They are discoveredfrom marine sediments all over the world. These facies
fossils help paleontologists to understand the age ofmarine sediments and paleo-environments world-wide.

Images courtesy Goshoura Cretaceous Museum
TRANSFORMING LAND AND LIFE

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STUDENT PAGE

Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and LifeINTRODUCTION TO EVOLUTION
If you walk outside in the area where you live, you willencounter familiar plants and animals. If you travel to a
nearby town, the types of plants and animals you find will
still be very familiar to you. But, if you travel to anothercontinent, you will find many plants and animals thatare different from those you find back home. The further
away from home you are, the more unusual the creatures
you encounter will seem.
If you were to travel back through time, you would findmore unfamiliar creatures the further back you traveled.
If you were transported to your hometown 50 years ago,
you probably wouldn’t notice many major differences in
the plants and animals. But travel back ten million years
into the past and you will find yourself with numerous
creatures that aren’t there anymore. If you were totravel back 66 million years into the past, you wouldfind yourself surrounded by many large dinosaurs, hugemarine reptiles in the seas, and exotic vegetation on land.
We don’t have a machine that can take you back throughtime, but you can still see the plants and animals that
inhabited the world in the past by exploring the fossil
record. The sedimentary rocks of the Earth are found inlayers (called strata). If you walk down a hill, you will walk
down the different layers of rocks that were depositedover time. Typically, the lowest layers of the hill are theoldest (they were deposited first) and the highest layersof the hill are the youngest (they were deposited last).
Notice that fossil creatures exhibit changes as you gofrom one layer to another. This change in the populationsof living things over the course of generations is called
evolution. Evolution can be fast or slow and can occur indifferent ways. Dinosaurs, like all animals, evolved fromearlier forms.

Photos by Sabre Moore

people. There are different genders, different hair colors,different eye colors, different shapes and sizes. All of thepeople you see are members of the same species: Homosapiens. The differences you see between individuals iscalled variation in a population. When there is variation
in a population, it is possible for certain traits to be“selected”.
For example, many people today breed a type of fish
called Japanese Koi. Koi are known for their beautiful andelaborate colors. Koi breeders pick the fish with the mostbeautiful colors and have them produce baby koi, so thatthe next generation of koi will contain more fish with thecolors that they like. Over time, many of the koi in the
population will carry with them the tendency to have thebeautiful colors that their parents had. This process of
selecting which varieties will be increased in a population
and which will be decreased is called artificial selection.

If you look around you, you will see differences between

184 | PALEONTOLOGY

TRANSFORMING LAND AND LIFESTUDENT PAGE

Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and Life

Natural selection is the same process, except insteadof people selecting which individuals will produce thenext generations, the creatures’ ability to survive in theirenvironment is the deciding factor. Imagine there is a
population of birds living in an area and eating the seedsof the local plants; this population has variation in thesize and shape of their beaks. Some have thin, long beaks
and some have thicker, stronger beaks. If some of thesebirds were to fly to a nearby island where the seeds all
have very thick shells, only the birds with strong beaks
would be able to break open the shells and eat the seeds.
Because the strong-beaked birds can best survive, theywould have the most baby birds and these baby birds
would carry their parents’ tendency to have strong beaks.
Over time, the population of birds on the island would
come to be dominated by birds with thick, strong beaks.
The thick-beaked birds have been naturally selected foron this island. Eventually, these thick-beaked birds may
become so different from the population of birds on themainland that they would be considered a new species.

It is the same way that the birds with thicker beaks were
better able to survive on the island, or the Koi with thenicest colors were artificially selected to produce more
Koi. In this way, life has evolved (or changed) over thecourse of the millions of years of the history of the Earth.

When you look at the plants and animals in the fossil
record, you can see the traits that were selected for overtime. Some dinosaurs have big, strong teeth. Some havelong, narrow necks. Some have large claws, or strong
legs, or long tails. All of these traits gave these groups ofanimals advantages that helped them to better survive intheir environments and have baby dinosaurs.

Photo by Sabre Moore
TRANSFORMING LAND AND LIFE

Image courtesy Wikipedia
PALEONTOLOGY | 185

STUDENT PAGE

Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and LifeEVOLUTION OF TRICERATOPS (MONTANA)
Frill Spikes

Frill
Brow Horn

Brow Horn

Nasal Horn

Nasal Horn

Beak
Beak

TRICERATOPS HORRIDUS· Found in the lower Hell Creek Formation· Small nasal horn
· Nasal horn positioned farther from beak thanin Triceratops prorsus

TRICERATOPS PRORSUS· Found in the upper Hell Creek Formation· Large nasal horn
· Nasal horn positioned more directly above beak than 		Triceratops horridus

Triceratops existed until the end of the Mesozoic Era(the Age of Dinosaurs). At that time, Triceratops prorsus
appears to have been the last species of Triceratops thatremained and it went extinct with many other dinosaurs
approximately 66 million years ago.

Images courtesy Museum of the Rockies
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Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and LifeEVOLUTION OF TRICERATOPS (MONTANA)
Use the skulls pictured on the previous page to answer the following questions:Triceratops horridus and Triceratops prorsus are recognized as two species based on the shapes of the horns and beak. What aresome similarities between these Triceratops species?

Why might Triceratops have evolved a larger nasal horn over time?

Triceratops changed as it evolved, but the skull of Triceratops also changed as it grew from a baby to an adult. Look at the two
example Triceratops skulls. One belongs to an older (more mature) Triceratops than the other. Which skull belongs to an older
Triceratops and which parts of the skull reveal this?

TRANSFORMING LAND AND LIFE

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STUDENT PAGE

Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and LifeEVOLUTION OF PTEROTRIGONIA (KUMAMOTO)

Images by Koji Hirose

PTEROTRIGONIA AMAKUSENSIS· Costellae (band): A little bit thin
· Area (flat portion): Two halves· Inflated bivalve: Not as inflated as Pterotorigonia 			higoensis, thin shell

PTEROTRIGONIA HIGOENSIS· Costellae (band): thicker than Pterotrigonia amakusensis· Area (flat portion): ruffled, divided into three segments· More inflated bivalve: puffed up, thick shell· Found in shallow marine environments

Pterotrigonia were abundant 100 million years ago(Goshoura Group) and their populations declined
significantly 90 million years ago (Mifune Group)
when they became extinct. After their extinction, adifferent group of Trigonia emerged. This group is called
Apiotrigonia and Yaadia. They are found in the Amakusa
area in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.
Photos by Sabre Moore

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TRANSFORMING LAND AND LIFESTUDENT PAGE

Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and LifeEVOLUTION OF PTEROTRIGONIA (KUMAMOTO)
Use the shells pictured on the previous page to answer the following questions:
Which species lived in a river or tidal flat environment, and which lived in deep marine environments?

What changes can occur when a species is living in a shallow marine environment and is affected by water flow and windthat causes wave motion?

How did the shape of the shell change over time?

TRANSFORMING LAND AND LIFE

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STUDENT PAGE - ANSWER KEY

Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and LifeEVOLUTION OF TRICERATOPS (MONTANA)
Use the skulls pictured on the student page to answer the following questions:Triceratops horridus and Triceratops prorsus are recognized as two species based on the shapes of the horns and beak. What aresome similarities between these Triceratops species?

Both species have three horns on their skull. Larger horns (brow horns) are found over the eyes and the horn above the nose
(nasal horn) is smaller than the brow horns. Both species have a large bony frill at the back of the skull and a sharp beak at
the front of the skull.

Why might Triceratops have evolved a larger nasal horn over time?

Triceratops lived at the same time as a large carnivorous dinosaur, perhaps the bigger nasal horn was for better defense
against T. rex or maybe it helped Triceratops to compete with and win fights against other Triceratops. Maybe it was used todisplay to other Triceratops (visual communication) and Triceratops with larger nasal horns were more successful than thosewith smaller nasal horns.

Triceratops changed as it evolved, but the skull of Triceratops also changed as it grew from a baby to an adult. Look at the two
example Triceratops skulls. One belongs to an older (more mature) Triceratops than the other. Which skull belongs to an older
Triceratops and which parts of the skull reveal this?

By comparing the two skulls, we can see that the Triceratops horridus skull has horns above its eyes that curve slightly
backwards and slightly more pointed spikes around the frill at the back of its skull. These features indicate that it was lessmature than the Triceratops prorsus skull, in which the horns curve forwards and the spikes around the frill are flattened.

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TRANSFORMING LAND AND LIFESTUDENT PAGE - ANSWER KEY

Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and LifeEVOLUTION OF PTEROTRIGONIA (KUMAMOTO)
Use the shells pictured on the student page to answer the following questions:
Which species lived in a river or tidal flat environment, and which lived in deep marine environments?

Pterotrigonia amakusensis is found in marine sediments and are deposited dozens of meters below sea level, whereas
Pterotrigonia higoensis is found in shallow marine tidal deposits.

What changes can occur when a species is living in a shallow marine environment and is affected by water flow and windthat causes wave motion?

Hint - tidal flats are affected by water because they are shallow and near land.

How did the shape of the shell change over time?

- Increased thickness of the shell.
- Strengthening the costal (As in thickening of bone).
- Folds in the shell make it stronger (Like a ridged sheet of metal ).
- Environmental changes over time can lead to adaptations in the shell structure.

TRANSFORMING LAND AND LIFE

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LESSON MATERIALS: TRICERATOPS HORRIDUS
Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and Life

TRICERATOPS HORRIDUS

Cut out these pieces carefully for the matching activity.

TRICERATOPS HORRIDUS

TRICERATOPS HORRIDUS

TRICERATOPSHORRIDUS

TRICERATOPS HORRIDUS

192 | PALEONTOLOGY

TRICERATOPSHORRIDUS

TRANSFORMING LAND AND LIFE

LESSON MATERIALS: TRICERATOPS PRORSUS
Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and Life

TRICERATOPS PRORSUSCut out these pieces carefully for the matching activity.

TRICERATOPS PRORSUS
TRICERATOPS PRORSUS

TRIC E R

TRANSFORMING LAND AND LIFE

PRORS

US

TRICERATOPS PRORSUS

TRICERATOPSPRORSUSAT O P S

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LESSON MATERIALS: PTEROTRIGONIA AMAKUSENSIS
Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and Life

PTEROTRIGONIA AMAKUSENSIS
Cut out these pieces carefully for the matching activity.

PT
AM E ROAK TRI
US GO
EN NI
SIS A

PTEROTRIGONIAAMAKUSENSIS

PTEROTRIGONIAAMAKUSENSIS

PTEROTRIGONIA AMAKUSENSIS

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TRANSFORMING LAND AND LIFE

LESSON MATERIALS: PTEROTRIGONIA HIGOENSIS
Paleontology Lesson 3: Transforming Land and Life

PTEROTRIGONIA HIGOENSIS
Cut out these pieces carefully for the matching activity.

N

IA

GO
I
S
TR S I
O
N
ER OE
T
P IG
H

PTEROTRIGONIAHIGOENSISPTE ROT
HIGOEN RIGONIASISPTEROTRIGONIAHIGOENSISTRANSFORMING LAND AND LIFE

PALEONTOLOGY | 195

196 | CLOSING LESSONCLOSING

CLOSING LESSONOur World
CLOSING LESSON | 197

LESSON INSTRUCTIONS
Closing Lesson: Our World

GOAL
People and cultures are influenced by their landscapes. While we have differences, the people of Montana and Kumamotoshare similar landscapes and cultures. This lesson will help students explore the culture of their sister-state throughactivities related to the three units of this curriculum.

OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
1. Complete one or more cultural activities related to their units of study in this curriculum.
2. E
 valuate the importance of the sister-state relationship between Montana and Kumamoto in building our sharedunderstanding of earth and space science.

ASSESSMENT
1. Ensure all students participate in the selecting closing activities.
2. T hroughout the final discussion and student pages, listen and look for student comments that reflect the importance of oursister-state relationship in contributing to the shared nature of science.

MATERIALSo Copies of “Student Pages,” one per student (pages 202-208)
o Origami papero Rulers (one per student)o Colored pencils
o Images of star quilts and shapes
o Optional: Video – Assiniboine and Sioux (3:00)
https://youtu.be/2Dgvx1a9hQc

PREPARATIONo Make copies of the student pages, one per student.
o Optional: Video loaded onto a projection system

198 | CLOSING LESSONOUR WORLDLESSON INSTRUCTIONS
Closing Lesson: Our WorldEXPECTED STUDENTREACTION/TEACHERRESPONSESGOALS OF THISSEGMENT/METHODS OFEVALUATION

Tell students that they have learned
about an aspect of our world during theprevious lessons (astronomy, geology
or paleontology). Now they are goingto tie this knowledge into activities thatincorporate language, art andgeometry.

Expect students to need a stronglink between the closing lesson andthe material they have covered. Ask
students to share what they havelearned about geology, paleontology,
and/or astronomy.

This gives teachers the opportunity tolink the upcoming activities to the earlier
lessons.

Select one or more appropriate closing
activities based on the units covered:
Astronomy: Star Quilt Activity
Geology: Kanji Activity
Paleontology: Origami Activity

Expect students to need some guidanceon the Origami and Star Quilt activities.
Review basic shapes and properties forthis lesson and have a model sauropod
ready.

This gives teachers the opportunity toshow images of different shapes andcover basic mathematical propertiesof figures. The Star Quilt section gives
teachers the opportunity to show theprovided video and explain the reservation
system in Montana.

After completing the appropriate
activities, have students complete thefinal reflection worksheet and leada discussion on what the students
learned about their sister-statethroughout the curriculum.

Encourage students to give examples of
their favorite topics or activities.

This gives teachers the opportunity toanswer any final questions and address
any misconceptions.

Lead a discussion on the importance ofMontana and Kumamoto’s sister-state
relationship. Ask the students to identify
how this relationship can help us build
a greater understanding of Earth andspace science.

Encourage students to think about thelessons they completed and what theylearned about earth and space sciencein their sister-state. Ask students how
knowledge from their sister-state canhelp them understand their homelandscape.

This gives teachers the opportunity toemphasize the importance of the sisterstate relationship in building our sharedknowledge of our world.

LEARNING ACTIVITIESOUR WORLD

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Closing Lesson: Our World

Kanji

about 242 mm

Kanji are Chinese characters adopted and used in theJapanese written language. The term means “Hancharacters”, from the Chinese “hanzi” or writing system.
Prior to the introduction of Chinese characters, Japanese
had no written form. Between 593 to 628, during thereign of Empress Suiko, the Japanese court sent full scale
diplomatic missions to China, resulting in an increased
Chinese literacy. The oldest written kanji in Japan dates
back to the 7th century and is a record for trading clothand salt stenciled onto a thin, rectangular shape of wood.

OrigamiHandmade paper was brought to Japan by monks from
China in the sixth century and was a luxury item. In
ancient times, paper folding was used for ceremonial or
religious purposes but by the Edo period (1603-1868)
it became recreational as well. This was helped alongby the mass production of paper, and in 1797, written
instructions for the art form first appeared in Akisato
Rito’s Sembazuru Orikata or “Thousand crane folding”.
By the late 1800s, the term for this type of art went fromorikata (folded shapes) to “origami,” a combination of theJapanese words oru (to fold) and kami (paper).

about 333 mm

During the Heian period (794 to 1185) a system called
kanbun was developed and involved using Chinese
text with marks that allowed Japanese speakers to
restructure the characters to the rules of Japanesegrammar. In modern Japanese, kanji are used to write
nouns and adjective and verb stems.

Japanese paper(called washi).

(Dinosaur)Children write kanji
with brush and india ink(called shuuji or shodou).

Traditional origami is made up of folding patterns passed
down from generation to generation, either orally or
annotated. Modern origami sometimes features models
created by designers, which can be copyrighted material.
It also prioritizes a puzzle aspect and involves folding asingle square of paper without the use of cuts or glue.
Page from Sembazuru Orikata depicting crane folding pattern
200 | CLOSING LESSONOUR WORLDBACKGROUND INFORMATION
Closing Lesson: Our WorldSTAR QUILT TRADITIONStar quilts are one of the traditional art forms of theAssiniboine and Sioux tribes of northeastern Montana.
In the mid 1800s, millions of bison were killed by bison
hunters to supply the growing global demand for bisonhides. By 1881, bison herds were gone from northern
Montana and missionaries were visiting the newly
established Fort Peck reservation. They introduced fabricand sewing to the Assiniboine and Sioux women, who
adapted the “Morning Star” pattern to quilts. The quilt
served in place of the traditional red buffalo robe at theirfunerals and ceremonies.
Today, the quilts are used in Yuwipi, or “give-away”
ceremonies, and are one of the most valued gifts ofNorthern Plains Nations. They may be given to honora new family member, newly married couple, or to a
family to honor a loved one who has died. It has becomea tradition on some Montana reservations to give a star
quilt to girls and boys on basketball teams to indicate
respect, honor, and admiration for that person.
The eight pointed star is a sacred symbol and a star quilt
stands for honor and protection. The Assiniboine and
Lakota Sioux nations believed the planet Venus to be a
guiding star as it represented the direction from which
spirits travel to Earth.

THE ASSINIBOINE, SIOUX, AND
FORT PECK RESERVATIONVideo link: https://youtu.be/2Dgvx1a9hQc

Fort Peck Reservation is located in northeastern Montana
and is home to members of the Assiniboine and Siouxnations. It was established in 1871 and the agency was
relocated to its present day location in Poplar, Montana.
About 6,800 people live on the Fort Peck Reservation,with another 3,900 tribal members living off thereservation. It includes more than 2 million acres or 2.4
trillion tsubos of land.
The seal of the Fort Peck tribe features a buffalo hide andincorporates the colors red, yellow, and black, which aresacred to the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes.
The buffalo symbol in the
middle of the seal is actually amap of the waterways on thereservation.

MATHEMATICS OF STAR QUILTS

Star quilts are made from material cut into pieces that
resemble a diamond, or rhombus shape. The rhombus isformed by a single isosceles triangle reflected across its
non-congruent side. Eight rhombi are used to make up
the eight pointed star.

OUR WORLD

CLOSING LESSON | 201

STUDENT PAGE: KANJI

Closing Lesson: Our World

KANJI

People sometimes name things after the way they look. For example, the state of Montana comes from the Spanish“Montaña” meaning “mountain” or “mountainous country”. The symbols for the word “Japan” in the writing system known
as Kanji come from the Chinese characters for “origin of the sun.” This is because Japan is located east of China.

Copy the symbol for Japan in
the box below.

about 242 mm
Japanese paper(called washi).

about 333 mm
Children write kanji
with brush and india ink(called shuuji or shodou).

202 | CLOSING LESSONOUR WORLDSTUDENT PAGE: KANJI

Closing Lesson: Our World

Copy the symbols in the provided boxes.

(MONTANA)(MONTANA)OUR WORLD(KUMAMOTO)(KUMAMOTO)

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STUDENT PAGE: STAR QUILTS
Closing Lesson: Our WorldMATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS IN STAR QUILTS

The people of the Sioux and Assiniboine tribes in Montana create star quilts, which feature an eight pointed star that
represents the Morning Star, also known as the planet Venus. This pattern uses triangles to make a rhombus, or diamondshape. This shape incorporates lines of equal length to create symmetry, or balance. Indigenous science looks at thisbalance between the land and the animals and people that live upon it.

Measure the sides of the triangle at left and write them inthe spaces provided. Circle the sides that are equal.

Trace the dotted line to make your triangle into arhombus.

The colors red, black, and yellow are symbolic colors for
the Lakota Sioux. Use the coloring template on the next
page to make your own star quilt.

204 | CLOSING LESSONOUR WORLDSTUDENT PAGE: STAR QUILTS
Closing Lesson: Our World

Quilt block models: Almira Buffalo Bone Jackson (Assiniboine), National Museum of the American Indian, and Mary Youngman (Sioux)
Images courtesy Creative CommonsOUR WORLD

CLOSING LESSON | 205

STUDENT PAGE: ORIGAMI
Closing Lesson: Our WorldORIGAMI SAUROPOD

Sauropods were long-necked dinosaurs that lived in the Jurassic and early Cretaceous period. They have been
discovered in Montana and Kumamoto Prefecture. Below are directions to make your own sauropod using theJapanese art of origami. The word “origami” comes from the Japanese words oru (to fold) and kami (paper).

There are many different shapes used in origami. They have been colored brown. Use the instructions to answer
the following questions:
1. What shape is in step one?
2. What shape is in step four?
3. What shape is in step six?
4. What shape is in step seven?

206 | CLOSING LESSONOUR WORLDSTUDENT PAGE: ORIGAMI
Closing Lesson: Our WorldORIGAMI CRANE

1

6

2

3

5

4

8

7

12

13

14

9

11

10

15

Illustration courtesy Mifune Dinosaur Museum
OUR WORLD

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STUDENT PAGE

Closing Lesson: Our World

FINAL REFLECTION
Sister-state’s name: _____________________
Describe one reason it is important:

Draw a picture of why it is important:

208 | CLOSING LESSONOUR WORLDOUR WORLD

CLOSING LESSON | 209

REFERENCES & APPENDICESOUR HOME, OUR WORLDOPENING LESSONOUR HOME

https://youtu.be/T4-Qg9wpWcy
https://youtu.be/c7XYzOd8R01

ASTRONOMY LESSON 2
STARSCAPES AND STAR CHARTS
Moroney, L. 2011. Montana Skies: Crow Astronomy.
Montana Office of Public Instruction. pp. 39.

https://youtu.be/KCvy3Pcp7uI

Renshaw, S.L. 2012. ,‘The Inspiration of Subaru as a
Symbol of Cultural Values and Traditions in Japan’, eds.
Nicholas Campion and Rolf Sinclair, Culture and Cosmos,
Vol. 16 nos. 1 and 2, pp. 175-191.

https://youtu.be/MlNNGeusB7M

http://hoshifuru.jp

https://youtu.be/c7XYzOd8R01

https://youtu.be/DUkZdEocUzY

https://youtu.be/R4-ZbVlzMVM

https://youtu.be/R4-ZbVlzMVM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHjqJKbjAHA&sns=em

ASTRONOMY LESSON 1
ONE SKY, MANY STORIES

Monroe, J.A., Williamson, R.A. 2007. They Dance in the
Sky: Native American Star Myths. Houghton Mifflin
Company. pp 130.
Moroney, L. 2011. Montana Skies: Crow Astronomy.
Montana Office of Public Instruction. pp. 39.
Uchida, T.1973. Star dialects and folklore. Iwasaki
Bizyutsusya. pp. 288-230.
http://hoshifuru.jp
https://vimeo.com/49771618

ASTRONOMY LESSON 3
COLORFUL CONSTELLATIONS,
CLASSIFYING STARS

Renshaw, S., Ihara, S. 1999. Yowatashi Boshi; Stars that
Pass in the Night. Japan’s Cultural Heritage Reflected in
the Star Lore of Orion. Volume 63, Number 10, pp. 2-17.
Griffith Observer.
https://youtu.be/Zo-sKzMWYFA (5:09 minutes)
https://youtu.be/2PO_jMgmLvs
http://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation- list/
orion-constellation/
https://youtu.be/Zo-sKzMWYFA)
https://youtu.be/2PO_jMgmLvs

https://vimeo.com/74325278
https://youtu.be/N7fLb29bWM8
https://youtu.be/nzMIjr1XP38
210 | REFERENCES & APPENDICESOUR WORLDREFERENCES & APPENDICESOUR HOME, OUR WORLDGEOLOGY LESSON 1
VOLCANIC LANDSCAPES

https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/geology.htm
http://www.aso-geopark.jp/en/charm/index.html
http://earthquakes. volcanodiscovery.com/
http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/tectonic.htm
http:/www.protezionecivilewp;jsessionid=3DDAFAE6B2D6096A41CF68577C44324F?
contentId=PDE1771
https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/faqs_
ash3d.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USCvVndukjAhttps://youtu.be/_hyE2NO7HnU
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/discovery-presents/
videos/understanding-volcanoes-mt-saint-helens/
https://youtu.be/BBGmXsZHInw
http://study.com/academy/lesson/volcanic- hazardsdefinitiontypes-prevention.html
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NATURAL HAZARDS – OUR
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DIFFERENT TIMES,DIFFERENT FOSSILS

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