Kiln Trail Fossils
This video shows the Kiln Trail in Floyd County, Iowa, including the fossils that can be found there. This is one of the most abundant places in Iowa to find and collect fossils. The features of the fossils tell us about the environments in which they lived.
Location
Fossil and Prairie Park Preserve, Rockford, IA
Possible Guiding, Compelling and/or Anchoring Questions
- Why are there so many fossils in one place?
- Why aren’t there fossils in all layers of rock in Iowa?
- What kind of environment could the fossils have lived in?
Classroom Suggestions
Students could:
- Move through stations with different fossil types comparing and recording their observations.
- Discuss the features of the fossils found and hypothesize what type of environment they lived in.
- Match up a fossil with a photo of its modern counterpart.
- Identify the nearest location from their home to collect fossils.
Related Resources
- Floyd County Conservations: Fossil and Prairie Center: Describes the fossils that can be found off of Kiln Trail.
- Iowa Geological Survey | Paleontology: Provides a background on fossils specifically found in Iowa.
- Iowa Fossil Sites and Collecting Localities: Shows specific regions around Iowa where fossils can be collected.
- Britannica Kids: Fossils: Kid-friendly resource for fossil formation information.
Iowa Core Alignment
3-LS4-1:Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago
Credit Info
Media produced for Iowa Outdoors by Iowa PBS.
Submitted by Dan Voss and Madison Beeler as part of their Iowa STEM Teacher Externship experience at Iowa PBS.
Funding for Iowa Science Phenomena provided by:
