Science 4 Inquiry
Layers and Laws: The Law of Superposition and Index Fossils
What can layers of rock teach us about the climate? Young scientists solve a mystery about who stole a cookie by applying the law of superposition. Then, they apply the same concept to solve a more difficult mystery, trying to determine...
Curated OER
Relative Dating-Telling Time Using Fossils
Students explore how to read fossil range charts. They develop an knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the fossil record. Students become familiar with the concepts index fossil and fossil range. Students use bar graphs to...
Curated OER
Examining the Fossil Record
Students create an evolutionary tree based on fossil morphology and their ages. In this fossil record lesson plan, students are given 23 pictures of fossil. They study their morphology and arrange the fossils by age and structures on a...
Columbus City Schools
The Mystery of Earth’s History
Every living creature can leave a fossil record, yet most fossils belong to extinct organisms rather than ones currently living. Scholars learn about dating rock layers, fossils, and the environment of the past. Pupils understand that...
Curated OER
Radiocarbon Dating
Students play the dating game by going to the website given by the teacher. They also are presented with the powerpoint, done the m&m simulation, and determine the age of the mummified seal and man.
Curated OER
The Rock and Fossil Record-Science Puzzlers, Twisters & Teasers
In this earth science worksheet, students complete 12 questions about rocks and fossils in the form of anagrams, riddles, sequences, and brain teasers.
Curated OER
History of Life
In this history of life worksheet, students will explore how mass extinctions have occurred on Earth, the different periods of the geological time scale, and scientists' use of fossil records. Students will complete 3 fill in the blank...
Curated OER
What Contains Carbon?
Students explore elements by analyzing everyday objects and materials in class. In this carbon lesson, students define several vocabulary terms such as carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon, and carbonate. Students view a group of items,...
Virginia Department of Education
Evidence of Evolution
What an impression fossils make! In this activity, aspiring paleontologists view fossils and construct a timeline to further understand how the lack of natural adaptation caused historical organisms to become extinct. While they should...
Curated OER
Science NetLinks: Fossils and Geologic Time
Learners investigate the development of the geologic time scale. Also, to introduce them to the major time periods in earth's history, as well as to the role fossils play in helping us understand this history.
Curated OER
Fossils and Geologic Time
Students explore the development of the geologic time scale. They examine the major time periods in earth's history. Students discuss the role fossils play in helping us understand history.
Curated OER
Excavating Your Recycling Bin as a Fossil Record
Students explore how scientists examine the past and use rock layers with fossils to understand the past. For this excavation lesson students divide into groups and complete an activity.
Curated OER
Determining the Age of Fossils
Students examine the concept of radioactive dating. In this radioactive dating lesson, students investigate how to determine the ages of fossils and rocks as they learn about half-life radioactive decay.
Curated OER
Who Was Here First? Relative Dating
Learners read about and complete question activities for the topic of relative dating. In this relative dating lesson, students read information for the topic and then complete two activities to further their understanding of geologic...
Curated OER
The History of Life
In this Earth's history worksheet, students will complete 5 true or false questions based on the early history of the Earth. Students will match 7 fossil vocabulary words to their definitions. Students will complete 4 short answer...
Curated OER
Regents High School Examination: Physical Setting Earth Science 2008
Throughout this earth science exam, high-school geologists complete a series of multiple choice and short answer questions about the solar system, atmosphere, and earth system. This is an amazing test, as are all of the exams developed...
Curated OER
Geologic History PowerPoint Follow Sheet-The Rules of the Game
In this geologic history worksheet, learners answer questions about the earth's history, about dating fossils, about layers of rocks and about unconformity.
Curated OER
PATTERNS IN TIME
Students build a realistic sense of geological time, seek clues of transition fossils and find them. In this investigative instructional activity students complete several activities and worksheets on fossils.
Channel Islands Film
Arlington Springs Man: Lesson Plan 2
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...
Curated OER
The History of Life
In this history of life worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle by figuring out the vocabulary words associated with the 11 clues given. Then students review how paleontologists use fossils to learn more about past living things...
Curated OER
Do-It-Yourself Fossils
In this fossils instructional activity, students create their own casts, molds, imprints, and embedded fossils. Then students complete a fossil comparison chart. This instructional activity has 12 fill in the blank questions.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Using the Scientific Process to Study Human Evolution
Did humans and dinosaurs coexist? How do we know? Scholars dig in to the tools and methods researchers used to study the process of human evolution by watching a slideshow with embedded video clips. Pupils learn the importance of asking...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Deep History of Life on Earth
Take it all the way back! Young scientists discover the changes that took place from the time Earth became solid to present day through an interesting interactive. The resource guides users through key events that have shaped our world...
Curated OER
Using Radioactive Decay To Determine Age
Learners explore the process of carbon dating fossils to determine their age. They simulate radioactive decay using pennies in a shoe box. Heads represents a decayed atom each time they shake the box. They use the data to calculate the...