Fossils from Ancient Seas

Glenn and Heidi Reed of Myrtle Beach South Carolina made a special trip to Bullock County for a fossil module that focused on whales. Like all mammals, ancient whales breathed air, were warm-blooded, and fed their babies milk. A big whale can be as big round as two school buses. The Reeds showed different body parts of a 25 to 30-foot long fossilized right whale. The rib from the whale was approximately six feet long.

Other fossils presented included a 7"-long Megalodon shark's tooth and various forms of fossilized excrement or coprolites. Students were able to identify and take home a variety of fossils donated by the Reeds and the Geological Survey of Alabama.

Time restrictions did not allow for an art module. However, the students returned to school with plain canvas tote bags, art supplies and journals. The teacher planned for the students to create tote bags depicting their favorite fossil. The journals will be used in follow-on descriptive writing exercises.