Fossils Teacher Resources
Find Fossils lesson plans and worksheets
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Curated OER
Biology Jeopardy
Play Jeopardy as you review what might possibly be an entire year's high school biology course! The vast variety of questions requires that you read through the slides to make sure that they all relate to your curriculum. You could make...
DoodleScience
Non-Renewable Energy Resources
What is a fossil fuel and why is it important? The video explains fossil fuels as an energy source and how they may be harmful to the environment. Nuclear energy is an alternative with its own implications.
Fuse School
How The Atmosphere Changed
Has Earth's atmosphere always been capable of supporting life? Discover how the air around us has evolved in the first video in a series of seven. Learners watch the amazing transformations that occurred within the atmosphere...
Fuse School
Coal, Oil and Gas Hydrocarbons
Where do the hydrocarbons we use for energy come from? Science scholars learn the origins of our fossil fuels in a short video. The animated video includes information on how fossil fuels formed, their uses, and how a number of useful...
The Brain Scoop
The Origin of Mammal Movement: Harvard Adventures, Part I
It may be difficult for some humans to walk and chew gum at the same time ... but reptiles can't breathe while running at all! Compare the skeletal systems of reptiles and mammals in the first installment of Brain Scoop's fossils and...
PBS
The Extinction That Never Happened
How do scientists define a mass extinction event in the fossil record, and what happens when they are wrong? Scientists find living plants and animals previously believed to be extinct on almost every continent. An engaging video...
PBS
The Mystery of the Eocene’s Lethal Lake
One lake in Germany killed everything that swam in it, drank from it, or flew over it providing scientists with an incredible fossil record and a huge mystery. PBS Eons explains the rarity of the fossil finds including turtles in the...
PBS
Life, Sex, and Death Among the Dire Wolves
Scientists know a great deal about extinct dire wolves thanks to a large number fossilized in one geographical area. They lived in groups, hunted opportunistic or wounded prey, and were fierce in battle and sex. Learn more with an...
PBS
Did Raptorex Really Exist?
Ancient fossils have many stories to tell. Scientists must use different strategies to read these remnants. A video lesson explains how archeologists use different strategies to date each specimen. The timeline of a fossil helps identify...
American Museum of Natural History
What Do You Know About T. Rex?
There's so much to learn about dinosaurs. A 10-question quiz tests knowledge of the more detailed characteristics of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. As individuals complete the quiz, they better understand how fossil records helped define some of...
Curated OER
Coal Derivatives by Destructive Distillation
Chemists use the destructive distillation technique to produce three derivatives from a sample of bituminous coal. You will find background information, a materials list, procedures, and sample follow-up questions that you can use in...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Living Dinosaurs: Fact or Fiction?
Are birds descendants of dinosaurs? Learners consider the question as they watch an informative video comparing fossil records of dinosaurs with current species. Following the video, groups ponder the evidence to draw conclusions about...
Crash Course
Evolution: It's a Thing
Evolution is a theory but thank goodness gravity is a law. What is the theory of evolution and what are the facts supporting this theory? Here's a short video that explains how fossils, homologous structures, biogeography, and direct...
SciShow
Great Minds: Mary Anning, "The Greatest Fossilist in the World"
How would you feel if you made a scientific discovery and weren't recognized because of your gender? Mary Anning basically founded paleontology, but she could never publish her own discoveries. From discovering how to clean fossils and...
Fuse School
The Rock Cycle
Aren't all rocks the same? High school earth scientists can say "definitely not!" after viewing the second in a series of seven videos. Beginning with an easy analysis and comparison of sandstone and granite, class members follow the...
Fuse School
Effect on Health of Air Pollutants
Is air making us sick? How exactly does air pollution contribute to illness across the world? Part five in a series of seven about the atmosphere addresses these questions and many others. This is a perfect resource to show during your...
Teacher's Pet
Evidence for Evolution
Just over 1/3 of Americans reject evolution, insisting all living things have existed in their present form for all of time. The video offers multiple types of support for evolution. It discusses the evidence from fossils, anatomy,...
Bozeman Science
ESS1C - The History of Planet Earth
Take a trip back in time as the history of the earth is uncovered. An interesting video lesson explains the different methods scientists use to learn about the earth's past. While emphasizing teaching strategies, the lesson instructor...
The Brain Scoop
Fisher Dissection: Harvard Adventures, Part 2
What can we learn about the evolution of mammals from a fisher? An engaging video from Brain Scoop's fossils and geology series illustrates the anatomical features of mammals through the dissection of a fisher. Content includes the...
PBS
The Rise and Fall of the Bone-Crushing Dogs
Fun fact: giant, bear-sized dogs with teeth that crush bones existed in North America. Learn about the three species of dogs and their ultimate fates as cats moved into the area. An informative video describes the rise of all three...
PBS
Your Place in the Primate Family Tree
Your family get-togethers are about to become more interesting! A video lesson in the PBS Eons series describes the primate family tree that leads to the one and only—homo sapiens. Discover the fossil evidence that leads scientists to...
PBS
The Island of Huge Hamsters and Giant Owls
From cute little birds to giant aviary specimens—all animals evolve! Learn how natural selection on an isolated island in the Mediterranean encouraged animals species to increase in size. The narrator discusses fossil evidence that...
American Museum of Natural History
What is Earth?
Humans have only inhabited Earth for a short part of its existence. An online resource explains how scientists use clues from rocks and fossils to piece together information about Earth prior to humans. The online instruction includes...
Consortium for Ocean Leadership
Nannofossils Reveal Seafloor Spreading Truth
Spread the word about seafloor spreading! Junior geologists prove Albert Wegener right in an activity that combines data analysis and deep ocean exploration. Learners analyze and graph fossil sample data taken from sites along the...
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