Lesson Plan
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Posters and People

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers create and design posters reflecting the types of litter harmful to aquatic wildlife. They explain the dangers of fishing line to aquatic wildlife, plastic bags to dolphins, and fish nets to fish. They design a poster...
Worksheet
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Idioms

For Students 7th - 9th
It's often confusing which word should be used to complete a sentence. Although this worksheet's title insinuates that idioms will be discussed, the practice section is just about using words like to, who, with, as, and that correctly....
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Creating New Forms of Life

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Although not particularly educational, here is a creative group activity in which high school biologists will use their imaginations to create a new life form combining characteristics from existing life forms. Each group must come up...
Lesson Plan
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The Case of the "Lost Gorge:

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the case of a map making expedition. In groups, they read a case study on "The Lost Gorge" in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. They examine maps and determine where the error in the map-making occured to end...
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Dig This

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore the work of paleontologists and the life of dinosaurs and create a sculpture of the bones of a Stegosaurus. The sculpture was then buried and used by other classes for a dig.
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Relative Dating-Telling Time Using Fossils

For Teachers 7th - 9th
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...
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Crocodiles

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study crocodiles and how they have survived and adapted over time. In this crocodiles lesson students research information on crocodiles.
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Vertebrate Dioramas

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students describe the development of their chosen form of vertebrate life from the past to the present in a four to six page paper. They explain the use of a phylogenetic tree, and use this to exemplify an organism's evolutionary change...
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Toilet Paper Geologic Time Scale

For Teachers K - 6th
Students examine and demonstrate the extent of geologic time compared to recent time. They develop a demonstration of geologic time using an unrolled roll of toilet paper, with each sheet of toilet paper representing 20 million years.
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Mesozoic Murals

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students create a mural of one of the Mesozoic Periods. In this geologic timeline lesson, students will research the plants and animals that lived in the Mesozoic Era in order to create a mural to scale that represents one of the three...
Lesson Plan
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Creating New Forms of Life

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers are asked to use their imaginations to take the idea of biotechnology one step further. Before beginning this activity students read and complete a report on the book "Jurassic Park," which deals with the use of...
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No bones About It -A Mosasaur

For Teachers 3rd - 10th
Young scholars model a paleontologist's activities. They identify dinosaur bones and reassemble them into a skeleton of an extinct reptile.
Lesson Plan
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State of the Planet's Wildlife

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners view and discuss a video about the challenges facing wildlife on the planet Earth. They define key terms, watch the video, and answer discussion questions about the film.
Lesson Plan
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Fossil Inferences

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders use their knowledge about fossils to arrange fossil pictures in sequence from oldest to youngest. They explain how fossils can be used to make inferences about past life, climate, geology, and environments and discover...
Worksheet
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Life Has A History

For Students 6th - 9th
In this biology worksheet, students identify and match various classes of species found today. Then they explain why biodiversity exists today on earth and define evolution. Students also describe who a paleontologist is and what they do.
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Cartoons for the Classroom: Taking Swipes at the Auto Industry

For Students 8th - 12th
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the auto industry and respond to 3 talking point questions.
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A Basin Filled With Time

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars use fossil leaves and a mathematical formula to study climate change. In this climate change and fossil lesson plan, students determine the differences in temperatures during two different times during the Cenozoic era...
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Measure for Measure: Time & Temperature

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners examine scientific inquiry.  In this time and temperature lesson students create a template to solve scientific problems and work through a science problem. 
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Living Fossils

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study the term living fossil and examine why some of the reasons they survived.  In this fossils lesson students form a hypothesis and use data to see if it is accurate. 
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Fossil Hunters!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars explore the various ways in which geologists create fossil records. Working in pairs, students create a model of a fossil record through a hands on activity. They relate their experience to recent discoveries in geology...
Worksheet
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Species Subtraction

For Students 2nd - 3rd
In this subtraction worksheet, student use a table of information to write equations and solve, then complete one related extension activity. 
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Steppin' Out: Using Inquiry to Challente Alexander's Stride Analysis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students distinguish between walking, jogging and running trackways in humans. They analyze the phylogenetic progression of the leg position as described by pace width and angulation, comparing amphibians, reptiles and mammals. Research...
Worksheet
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Classification

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
In this classification worksheet, students will look at how biological classification began and how scientific names are used in biology. Students will use a table showing the classification of four organisms to answer 10 short answer...
Lesson Plan
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Tsunami

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine what causes tsunamis and why they all behave differently.  In this tsunami lesson plan students complete a group activity after viewing a video.