Proposal for a simplified Lesson Plan on Molecular Paleontology for inclusion in a High School Biology subject

In this work, we sought to present a proposal for a simplified Lesson Plan on the teaching of basic contents of Molecular Paleontology, to be inserted in the discipline of Biology during the last years of High School, as it is a contemporary and lacking theme in the area, since, when present in textbooks, it is usually discussed in an isolated, decontextualized way and without any connection with the topics of the fossil record. In particular, its essential utility for the organization of didactic sequences that contemplate an application of current contents about the fossil record and its use in the knowledge of the biology of extinct species is glimpsed. With this in mind, we present and discuss a view on the instructional process and, in particular, on the class, starting to indicate guidelines for the development and evaluation of a class on Molecular Paleontology. Therefore, this proposed Lesson Plan brought a general overview of paleomolecular knowledge, making access to research and the choice of material by the teacher more agile and practical. The didactic sequence was designed for the last years of High School, as it presupposes the student's ability to recognize certain terminologies and critically evaluate the scientific literature. Also, the resource is intended for application in three classes, with more time being allocated in the last one for student evaluation. We consider that the application of the basic elements of Molecular Paleontology as a content to Biology classes constitutes an urgent scenario for quality teaching