Curated OER
How Did Humans Evolve?
Students are introduced to four important fossil finds: the First Family, the Hadar Skull, Lucy, and the Laetoli Footprints. They explore how scientists interpret fossils to try to better comprehend how humans evolved. This activity...
Curated OER
It's All in the Rocks
Students think critically to determine fact or inference when examining sedimentary layers with embedded fossils. They are being introduced to geology as well as evolutionary biology.
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
Fossils
Fifth graders study the characteristics of fossils. They create a chart comparing the different fossil size, shape and texture. Students make observations and describe fossil characteristics in journals.
Curated OER
Comparing Fossils
Learners explore early hominid evolution as they analyze bones that share characteristics of both apes and humans. Students compare and contrast key skeletal differences between chimpanzees and humans. In groups, they sort and group a...
Curated OER
Learning about Fossils
Young scholars explain the difficulty that paleontologists have in assembling fossil bones. Hard cookies are used to simulate dinosaur bones/fossils. They research the Apatosaurus and discuss paleontology.
Curated OER
Vocabulary Words of the Southwest
A simple vocabulary definition activity has young geographers of the Southwest putting term meanings into their own words. The fifteen words include (but are not limited to) adobe, butte, canyon, economy, erode, fossil, and landform....
Curated OER
Frogs Frogs Frogs
Students view a disk on the continental movement and analyze the given data on fossils, rock types and climate zones. In this geology lesson students draw a diagram of the earths layers, take a quiz complete a PowerPoint presentation.
Curated OER
Living Fossils
Middle schoolers 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.
Curated OER
Tiktaalik: Evolution of a "Fishapod"
High schoolers explore fossils in order to gain a perspective of evolution. For this evolution lesson students watch several videos an fossils and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
The Fossil Evidence for Evolution
Young scholars explore how scientists use fossils to explore how various species have evolved over time. In this fossil lesson students study how to date fossils.
Curated OER
Human Evolution
Students examine fossils in order to study humans and how humans evolved over time. In this human evolution lesson students examine different genetic relationships between humans and other species.
Curated OER
Patterns In Time
Seventh graders examine fossils. In this vertebrate fossils lesson students view a demonstration.
Curated OER
Fossil Evidence for Plate Tectonics
Learners draw maps of counties that were important to the discovery of plate tectonic theory. In this plate tectonics lesson students excavate constructed fossil sites from matching coastlines and discuss the possible explanations...
Curated OER
PATTERNS IN TIME
Students build a realistic sense of geological time, seek clues of transition fossils and find them. In this investigative lesson students complete several activities and worksheets on fossils.
Curated OER
Fossil Imprints
Third graders discover fossil imprints. In this fossil lesson, 3rd graders get a piece of clay and create their own fossil imprints using animals provided by the teacher. They share their fossils with their partner and complete a data...
Curated OER
When Dinosaurs Ruled the World
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...
Curated OER
The History of Life
In this Earth's history activity, 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
Carbon Dating
For this carbon dating worksheet, students read about carbon dating and the estimate the age of a given fossil. This one-page worksheet contains one multi-step problem.
Curated OER
General Description of Site
For this earth science worksheet, students identify what a site matrix is and that is composed of a sandstone mixture. They excavate each quadrant and write detailed journal entries. Students also complete a site map that illustrates...
Curated OER
Fossil Hunters!
Learners 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 and...
Curated OER
Dino Babies
Students distinguish between dinosaurs and fossils. They escribe what paleontologists do and how they reconstruct the lives of dinosaurs from the fossil record. In addition, they state that dinosaurs hatched from eggs.
Curated OER
Utah Archaeology
Students study past cultures of those who made areas of Utah their home by exploring the artifacts these cultures left behind. Students will explore different types of fossils and learn that fossils are evidences of past life.
Curated OER
The Fossil Record
Students research about the animals found in Burgess Shale. For this earth science lesson, students evaluate the significance of fossils in human history. They create models of their chosen animal.