Paleontology Teacher Resources

Students investigate rocks. In this geologic age lesson, students conduct an experiment to determine absolute age as one would for rock layers. Students graph data and problem solve using results. 

Students research archaeology. In this archaeology lesson, students conduct research about archaeology and one ancient culture. Students write a magazine article about an archaeological dig.

What can this rock be? Pupils pretend to be paleontologists by sketching fossils and making predictions about their types. To determine whether they can identify the type of dinosaur, class members compare their observations and...

Scientists find and name 30-40 new dinosaurs every year. A timely video discusses the siats meekerorum, one relatively newly discovered dinosaur. It explains the pieces scientists found and how they use those to better understand the...

Geologists are gneiss, tuff, and a little bit wacke. The fifth chapter of seven includes ten activities at four different levels. The hands-on activities cover fossils including how they are formed, vertebrates, invertebrates,...

Imagine a world where the only animals roaming the earth are domesticated. One day, we might not have to imagine the scenario of no wild animals—and that day approaches faster than predicted. A video explains the evolution from...

Shark teeth in Idaho, China, and Russia confused scientists for hundreds of years. A spiral of sharp teeth presented the first clue, but where would they even go on a shark? Learn more about the strange case in a video that is part of a...

While scientists have know about dinosaurs that flew in the air, lived on land, and swam in the water, a episode from the PBS Eons series reveals recent discoveries of a dinosaur that was semi-aquatic—the first known semi-aquatic...

Students act as paleontologists, examining pictures of dinosaur skeletons and applying their knowledge of the relationship between skeletal features and survival, to create 'Paleontology Reports' about their perceptions of the lives of...

Learn about the study of paleoecology with a resource about Dr. Grace Bush and her contributions to the field. After reading a one-page passage, learners answer comprehension questions and explore their personal interests in different...

Students explore fossils. For this fossils geology lesson, students use tools to reveal embedded "fossils" (made with plaster of Paris by the teacher-instructions included), then describe and illustrate their findings.

As a review or note taking guide, this resource wraps up a unit on the tree of life. Biology bigwigs define phylogeny and answer questions about the subsequent classification of organisms. The worksheet takes a straightforward and...

Ever wonder what a paleontologist does, or have a little learner yearning to know everything about fossil hunters? This comprehensive video shows what paleontologists do and why they do it. Get your kids thinking about the wonders of a...

Excite your class with this clip that describes one of the most interesting dinosaur finds ever. Found by a high school student, a completely articulated mummified hadrosaur was uncovered in the high deserts of North Dakota. Why are...

Watch how paleontologists scour the Gobi Desert to find fossils that fill in a gap in the fossil record. How big did dinosaurs get during the Jurassic period? Get your class thinking about these questions and more with this short clip....

Behind the closed doors of natural history museums lies a hidden world of scientific research and discovery that goes unseen for visitors. Follow along as this short video explores different scientific mysteries that have been...

Breath new life into your class's study of dinosaurs with this extensive collection of materials. Offering everything from a printable T-rex mask, word searches, and connect-the-dots activities to informational handouts, hands-on...

Do you know what Sonic hedgehog is? Yes, it is a video game character, but it is also a protein that controls how your fingers develop. A paleontologist discusses the development of the arm and hand, beginning with fish and ending...

When was the last time you ate a dinosaur? Viewers might just be surprised when they learn the answer from a video that explains what is and what is not a dinosaur. Classification systems and definitions are picky things, and as the...

Dimetrodon is generally featured in children's books about dinosaurs even though it wasn't a reptile and lived in an earlier era than dinosaurs. The way life developed wasn't as smooth as many people think. The video focuses on the...

West of the West's documentary Arlington Springs Man and a two-page scientific article about the same topic provide the text for a reading comprehension exercise that asks individuals to craft a one page summary of information gathered...

West of the West's documentary Arlington Springs Man introduces viewers to the remarkable finds on Santa Rosa Island. Archaeologist have discovered on this small island that is part of the Channel island chain, human and pygmy mammoth...

Fossils are fun with a function! But, why aren't they everywhere? Discover the unique conditions needed for fossil formation using an illustrated video. Junior paleontologists learn the differences between whole body and trace fossils,...

What was the paleontologist's favorite album? The fossil record! Introduce the concept of fossils as evidence for evolution to your biology class with an inspiring video. The narrator of the Fuse School video from the Evolution playlist...