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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

ACTIVITY 6: MAKE A FOSSIL MOLD AND CAST and ACTIVITY 7: HOW BIG WERE PREHISTORIC ANIMALS?

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Instructions for two terrific ancient history lessons for your primary paleontologists are provided in this resource. The first involves the creation of fossil cast replicas using plaster of Paris. The directions are detailed, but the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Fossils

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders examine the differences between cast and mold fossils. They discuss geological time and how many fossils are millions of years old, then create a cast fossil using clay and a shell, and a mold fossil using a shell and...
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Activity
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NOAA

Climate Is Our Friend…Isn’t It?: Make an Extinction Polyhedron

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Climate affects populations in different ways. Scholars research extinct organisms and mass extinctions in part three of the 10-installment Discover Your Changing World series. They create graphic organizers, then fill in the information...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossils and our Past (part 1 of 3)

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders investigate how some extinct organisms resemble organisms that are still alive today. They watch and discuss the Magic School Bus video about fossils, then create clay fossil imprints, matching the imprints to plaster of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forming Fake Fossils

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students make fake fossils using clay and leaves or shells
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

White Glue Fossils: Casts, Molds, and Impressions

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students make impressions and molds in clay and them make casts with glue. After the glue dries students remove their fossils.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Prehistory

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students create mock fossil records based on current scientific theories about prehistory. By learning about what fossil records teach us about different prehistoric time periods, students gain a greater understanding of theories of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Impressions in Clay

For Teachers K - 8th
Students examine how fossils are created. They make impressions of different objects in clay and compare them to examples of fossils.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What are the Different Kinds of Fossils?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine different types of fossils. In this fossil lesson plan, students investigate the attributes of mold fossils, trace fossils, cast fossils, and true form fossils. Students create their own fossil samples.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Candle-Wax Fossils: Casts, Molds, and Impressions

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine and define fossils. They create their own impressions and molds in clay and candle wax, making external and internal molds.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Science Review for Grade 3 (3.1)

For Students 3rd
In this science review for grade 3 (3.1) learning exercise, 3rd graders answer 25 multiple choice questions about earth science in standardized test format.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossils

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders create a fossil using an impression made with a shell pressed into clay and filled with plaster of Paris and a mold made out of dough and impressed with a shell. They also will receive a paragraph which contains four...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Dinosaur Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students explain what a fossil is, learn six dinosaurs and tell one characteristic about each, then describe verbally what a dinosaur might have looked like.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

3rd Grade Earth Science

For Teachers 3rd
In this Earth Science worksheet, 3rd graders answer multiple choice questions about minerals, properties, fossils, and more. Students complete 20 questions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Fossil Record

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars research about the animals found in Burgess Shale. In this earth science instructional activity, students evaluate the significance of fossils in human history. They create models of their chosen animal.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossil Evidence

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students evaluate each other's fossil imprints and they try to identify the original object. They comprehend the importance of accuracy in identifying a fossil imprint. Students create an answer sheet that has space for the names of the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Making a Good Impression"

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students are shown how fossils are formed and to learn how extinct organisms lived based on their remains and surroundings. They are shown TAKS review problems on the overhead related to evolution and fossil evidence. Students discuss...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

When Dinosaurs Ruled the World

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create their own fossil.  In this fossil lesson, students explore dinosaurs and fossils through reading Fossils Tell of Long Ago by Aliki.  Upon completion of the story, students use modeling clay to create a cast. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock Layers

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Young scholars interpret a rock core sample from a clay model. In small groups, they layer modeling clay in a plastic container using coarse-grained spices sprinkled in to represent fossils. They switch containers with another group and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Join the Dinosaur Age

For Teachers K
Students role-play and complete various activities associated with dinosaurs and paleontology. They listen to the book, "Dinosaur Bones," participate in a simulated dig site, explore various websites, sing dinosaur songs, and create clay...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Core

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders take their own "core sample" with clay and/or play-dough and correlate the layers of the earth.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Good Impressions

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders participate in an experiment where they experiment with impression fossils. They identify and describe the measurable attributes of the impression fossils. There are many parts and materials for this experiment.
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

The Methane Circus

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
Step right up! An engaging research-centered lesson, the third in a series of six, has young archaeologists study the amazing animals of the Cambrian explosion. Working in groups, they profile a breathtaking and odd creature and learn...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Grand Canyon History Lesson

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explore the history of the Grand Canyon. In this Grand Canyon lesson, students read "Grand Canyon National Park" by David Peterson and respond to questions regarding the piece. Students also create their own fossil models that...