American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Fossils
Seven hands-on lessons module where students learn about fossils. These inquiry-based investigations explore how fossils form, properties of fossils, comparing fossils, how they show the age of the Earth, and what paleontologists do.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Layer Cake Geology
Using a cake analogy, this activity teaches concepts such as: geologic time, rock layers, fossils, Law of Superposition, and relative dating. Activity can be modified to grade level and appropriate content for students,
Other
Black Hills Institute of Geological Research: All About Fossils
The Black Hills Institute of Geological Research is a world-renowned center for paleontology. Here they describe in clear language how fossils are formed and preserved, and what information they give us about the past, particularly in...
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Historical Geology
In this interactive tutorial you will explore how geologists use clues in rocks to determine the order in which rocks formed. Learn how principles of radioactivity are used to assign actual ages to rocks. Students will explore fossils...
Curated OER
National Park Service: Fossils in Time Unit
In this lesson, students learn about the earth's past by studying clues that have been left behind, such as fossils and rocks. Students will find the answers to many questions: What is paleontology?, What is geological time?, What can we...
American Geosciences Institute
American Geological Institute: Evolution and the Fossil Record
The American Geological Institute has done an excellent job of defining and explaining evolution in this online booklet. Darwin, fossils, natural selection, and change over time are some of the concepts that are covered. Make sure to see...
University of California
University of California Museum of Paleontology: Stories From the Fossil Record
This colorful, interactive site demonstrates how fossils can be used to discover a range of information about the past. Topics include Past Lives, Paleoecology, Geologic History, and Biodiversity.
Other
The Paleontology Portal: Fossil Gallery
An image gallery of fossils through time. Students choose a time period to see what life was like by studying the fossils.
Estrella Mountain Community College
Online Biology Book: Paleobiology: Fossils and Time
Find out how fossil evidence has been the major link to learning about Earth's geologic history. See several illustrated interpretations of a geologic time scale in this online biology textbook.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Life & Geologic Time
[Free Registration/Login Required] This Flipchart accompanies chapter 14 in the Glencoe Earth Science text. The flipchart contains pictures that help students learn about Geologic time: Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic and explains...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Fossils
Fourth graders act as paleontologists to figure out the environment where various fossils would have existed.
Other
Fossil Museum: Geologic Time
Pictures of fossils are arranged in chronological sequence and by geologic period. Pictures include scientific names and location where the fossils were found.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: American Field Guide: Relative Dating Telling Time Using Fossils
This website integrates video footage and information with lesson plans and activities to teach students about the concept of relative dating. Students will graph a range chart for ammonites, determine the geologic age for several rocks,...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Adventures at Dry Creek
This educational module enables students (5-12) to experience ongoing research of University of California paleontologists studying about life in Montana 60-70 million years ago. It gives students the opportunity to experience the...
Other
Utah Geological Survey: How Do Geologists Know How Old a Rock Is?
Geologists generally know the age of a rock by determining the age of the group of rocks, or formation, that it is found in. The age of formations is marked on a geologic calendar known as the geologic time scale. Development of the...
University of California
Ucmp: A Relative Dating Activity
An learning activity to help students grasp the concept of relative dating and geologic time.
University of California
Ucmp: Online Exhibits
Visit the virtual exhibits at this site to learn more about paleontology, the history of the earth, and life on earth. Use the information on this site to understand geology, geologic time, evolution, and phylogeny.
US Geological Survey
Usgs: Fossils and Rocks
Part of an online publication offered by the U.S. Geological Survey, this articles sheds light on how studying fossils became an important part of understanding geologic time.
Other
Planetary Society: Relative and Absolute Ages in Histories of Earth and the Moon
A lengthy scholarly article that discusses the geologic time scale, its history of development, age-dating events that occurred in different eras, and how absolute and relative dating are used to assess the ages of the Earth and Moon....
US Geological Survey
Relative Time Scale
This is a good resource for anyone who wants to understand the historical development that led to our understanding of relative dating. This site also has links to index fossils and a table of geologic time.
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: How Do Species Change Over Geologic Time?
Find out about the ways that species change and evolve over time and generations.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Geo Logic: Lagerstatten and Unique Fossils
With GEOLogic questions, students are asked to match several unique fossils with the sites and locations where they were found, as well as their geologic age.
University of California
University of California Museum of Paleontology: Fossil Evidence
Understanding Evolution provides evidence for evolution using fossils. There are also links to lesson plans.
University of California
Ucmp: Learning From the Fossil Record
Fossils provide scientists with clues about Earth's past. This site from the University of California's Museum of Paleontology is great for exploring lots of information on fossils.