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Unit Plan
American Geosciences Institute

American Geosciences Institute: Fossils

For Students 6th - 8th
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.
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Layer Cake Geology

For Teachers K - 1st
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,
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Handout
Other

Black Hills Institute of Geological Research: All About Fossils

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
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Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: Historical Geology

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

National Park Service: Fossils in Time Unit

For Teachers 5th - 9th
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...
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Website
American Geosciences Institute

American Geological Institute: Evolution and the Fossil Record

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
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Unit Plan
University of California

University of California Museum of Paleontology: Stories From the Fossil Record

For Students 4th - 9th
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.
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Graphic
Other

The Paleontology Portal: Fossil Gallery

For Students 9th - 10th
An image gallery of fossils through time. Students choose a time period to see what life was like by studying the fossils.
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Handout
Estrella Mountain Community College

Online Biology Book: Paleobiology: Fossils and Time

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
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Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: Life & Geologic Time

For Teachers 6th - 8th
[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...
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Lesson Plan
Utah Education Network

Uen: Fossils

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders act as paleontologists to figure out the environment where various fossils would have existed.
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Graphic
Other

Fossil Museum: Geologic Time

For Students 9th - 10th
Pictures of fossils are arranged in chronological sequence and by geologic period. Pictures include scientific names and location where the fossils were found.
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: American Field Guide: Relative Dating Telling Time Using Fossils

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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,...
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Adventures at Dry Creek

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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...
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Article
Other

Utah Geological Survey: How Do Geologists Know How Old a Rock Is?

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
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Lesson Plan
University of California

Ucmp: A Relative Dating Activity

For Students 9th - 10th
An learning activity to help students grasp the concept of relative dating and geologic time.
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Website
University of California

Ucmp: Online Exhibits

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
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Handout
US Geological Survey

Usgs: Fossils and Rocks

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
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Article
Other

Planetary Society: Relative and Absolute Ages in Histories of Earth and the Moon

For Students 9th - 10th
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....
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Website
US Geological Survey

Relative Time Scale

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
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Article
American Geosciences Institute

American Geosciences Institute: How Do Species Change Over Geologic Time?

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out about the ways that species change and evolve over time and generations.
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Geo Logic: Lagerstatten and Unique Fossils

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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.
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Website
University of California

University of California Museum of Paleontology: Fossil Evidence

For Students 9th - 10th
Understanding Evolution provides evidence for evolution using fossils. There are also links to lesson plans.
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Website
University of California

Ucmp: Learning From the Fossil Record

For Students 6th - 8th
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.

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