Teaching article
A moved fossil clue loses context if nobody records its place
Relate context to later interpretation using a paper model.
Show two identical paper clues in different locations, then remove one without a note. The remaining card cannot tell the class where it came from, making lost contextual information concrete rather than abstract.
Show how context changes what can be inferred later. Moving a clue without recording it removes information that appearance alone cannot recover.
Appearance cannot recover every missing detail
Record each context. Move one without notes. Compare lost information.
An unrecorded moved card no longer shows its original position.
This is a model of documentation.
Which information cannot be recovered? Use before-and-after images.
Resources
- Fossil Clue Partner Game — Use the paper clues as a classroom evidence model.
Further reading
Read next
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- An orbit model shows a relationship, not every force
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