Curated OER
Curse of T. Rex
Students debate ownership by researchers and commercial dealers of fossils found on public land. They research and collect information on collecting, buying, and selling fossils from public land. They suggest ways to enable the...
Curated OER
Where Should We Place Archaeopteryx?
Students classify Archaeopteryx using pictures of actual fossils and scientist representations of how the animal might have looked. They compare Archaeopteryx's characteristics to those of the five extant vertebrate groups to...
Curated OER
It's All In The Rocks
Middle schoolers think critically to determine fact or inference when examining sedimentary layers with embedded fossils. Geology and evolutionary biology are introduced. They individually write a story about various diagrams and share...
Curated OER
Studying Fossils
Students study the Evolution in the Light of Fossils. Activities in this lesson range from quantitative measurements of hominoid skulls to the comparison of hominoid bone structures. They hypothesize dinosaur size and speed by looking at...
Curated OER
Investigating Erosion in an Outdoor Classroom
First graders observe the effects of erosion. They work in groups to simulate erosion in a streambed, participate in class discussion, read books about fossils and rocks and then go on a fossil hunt.
Curated OER
Dinosaur Detectives
Young scholars examine amphibian evolution by comparing fossils with a modern-day skeleton. They experience the scientific thought process of drawing conclusions from limited paleontological data. Student groups align the figures with...
Curated OER
Fossil Guide
Students produce a "Fossil Guide" that covers twelve fossils and includes a drawing and written description for each fossil. The written description should include such things as size, shape, and general appearance.
Curated OER
Dig It!
Second graders complete various activities about dinosaurs and fossils. They conduct Internet research, participate in a sandbox dinosaur fossil dig, and create a computer slideshow presentation using information they found on various...
Curated OER
Make a Cast of a Tyrannosaurus rex Fossil
Second graders examine the formation of fossils and list the different types. They make cast model of a dinosaur fossil. They write about conditions that are necessary for fossils to form and create a model of a buried fossil.
Curated OER
Dino Fossils
Primary paleontologists discover the information they can gather from examining fossils. They place pictures in the correct sequence showing how an animal becomes a fossil. They discuss which sediments would preserve fossils better as well.
Curated OER
Paleoecology of "Fossilized" Owl Pellets
Students examine fossilized owl pellets to determine how a species environmental preferences allow us to reconstruct probable past environments. Differences in anatomy are used to identify species in this lesson.
Curated OER
Mineral Replacement in Fossil Formation
Fourth graders explore fossils and how they are formed. They create their own "fossils" out of plaster of Paris. They record their findings in their science journals.
Curated OER
Dino Traces
Students are introduced to the type of evidence that is found at a typical dinosaur dig. They create rubbing casts of bone impressions on paper and, using bones, identify dinosaurs.
Curated OER
Mold It
Learners make molds of various items of their choosing using the Molt-It kit. They discuss the scientific value of making molds.
Curated OER
Dino Detectives
As students examine maps of Utah, 4th graders search for clues about what prehistoric life was like in Utah.
Curated OER
Dinosaur I Finding And Dating
Students investigate how long dinosaurs lived on Earth and how that compare to how long man has been on Earth. They discover how scientists excavate fossils.
Curated OER
Insects Preserved in Amber
Students examine and discuss amber and fossils in amber. They simulate the preservation of an insect in amber using glue, a dead insect, and food coloring, listen to a poem about amber, and view real amber under a magnifying glass or...
Curated OER
Can You Dig It?
Learners investigate a fossil site and diagram a site map. They role play as paleontologists.
Curated OER
Mud Fossils
Students create their own fossils in an activity using plaster of paris and a variety of objects which can be fossils, e.g. chicken bones, twigs, shells, etc. After making their fossils, they allow them to dry and discuss time and its...
Curated OER
Geology
Fourth graders devise a workable inch-to-inch scale for a geologic timeline sequencing the eras covered in the unit. They hypothesize from descriptions of dinosaur fossil evidence.
Curated OER
Be a Paleontologist
Students search for fossils in a simulated archeology site and explore how paleontologists mark out a dig site.
Curated OER
Fossils and Migration Patterns in Early Hominids
Students plot the locations where major fossils of hominids have been found to extrapolate possible migratory patterns.
Curated OER
Dino Dung!
Students examine how there is more to poop than they think! After reading through material, they answer a series of questions on coprolite, and explore the diet and physical attributes of dinosaurs, as well as their environment.
Curated OER
LESSON PLANS (print version) pdf What is a Fossil?
Students can better explain how mould and cast fossils occur when they make their own cast fossils using plaster of Paris and objects such as shells, bone or even their own hand or footprint.