Curated OER
Discovering Fossils
Students explore fossils. In this fossils geology instructional activity, students use tools to reveal embedded "fossils" (made with plaster of Paris by the teacher-instructions included), then describe and illustrate their findings.
Alabama Learning Exchange
We Can Dig It!
Third graders understand the process by which fossils and rocks are excavated. For this fossil and rock lesson, 3rd graders explore the job of the paleontologist in a podcast.
Curated OER
Digging For Dinosaurs
In this dinosaur themed worksheet, students work together as a team of paleontologists to draw the dinosaur bones they discovered at a dig site. They must label their drawing on a grid map and then provide data about the length and...
Curated OER
Fossil Inferences
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...
Curated OER
Fossils!
Students conduct Internet research about different types of fossils, the animals they are from, and some famous paleontologists. They also participate in some interactive activities and hands-on lessons in which they create their own...
Curated OER
Science: Making Trace Fossils
Young scholars explore types of fossils and discover how sediment affects fossil preservation. They focus their study on trace fossils and create their own using sediment, water, and a small organism such as a snail or lizard. Students...
Curated OER
Learning about Fossils
Students 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
Footprint Detectives: Making Inferences Using Dinosaur Trackways
Students analyze and discuss footprints and dinosaur tracks. They listen to books about paleontologists, create and analyze their own trackways using black paper and chalk, examine the data, and form hypotheses about footprints and...
Curated OER
Hide and Seek with Bones: A Mapping and Scaling Comparison
Students examine and simulate how paleontologists map objects. They hide and find objects using a grid to map the objects' placements.
Curated OER
Cookie Paleontologists
Students become cookie paleontologists. In this paleontology lesson, students try to excavate whole chocolate chips from a chocolate chip cookie without breaking the cookie. They use toothpicks and paintbrushes to do it.
Curated OER
Biology: Howler Monkeys Tell All
Students examine a PBS special about howler monkeys as an introduction to scientific forensic investigative methods. In groups, they conduct a host of experiments containing clues which point to discovery. By challenging assumptions,...
Curated OER
Fossils
Fourth graders act as paleontologists and attempt to figure out the environment where various fossils would have existed. They explain how fossils can be used to make inferences about past life, climate, geology, and environments.
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.
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...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Fossils
Fourth graders act as paleontologists to figure out the environment where various fossils would have existed.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Learning Lab: Prehistoric Climate Change and Why It Matters Today
In a lesson in this issue of Smithsonian in Your Classroom, students do the work of a team of paleontologists studying a time of rising carbon dioxide and rapid global warming during the Eocene epoch. By examining fossils of tree leaves,...
Children's Museum
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: Dinosphere
Students will learn how dinosaurs were classified, compare shapes and sizes, and explore how paleontologists make discoveries. They'll analyze how dinosaurs interacted back in the day, and make their own dinosaur drawings and a fossil cast.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Dinosaur Train
Dinosaur Train sparks children's interest in life science and natural history. As they explore a variety of animals, children develop the inquiry skills and knowledge needed to help them think, talk and act like paleontologists. Choose...
Indiana University
Ensi: The Great Fossil Find Lesson Plan
Students hear a story as they "find" bones that you have put in an envelope for them. Their job is to begin assembling the bones as best they can. The students will invariably come up with different configurations--just like scientists...
University of California
Ucmp: The Case of the Irish Elk
This site provides a general overview of the extinct deer species, the Irish Elk.
Other
The Dinosaur Museum
The Dinosaur Museum is located in Blanding, Utah. Use this site to learn all about the exhibits and dinosaur information.
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.
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.
Natural History Museum
Nhm: From Bodies to Bones and Back Again
Can dinosaurs be recreated like in the movie Jurassic Park? This resource describes the reality of re-creating a genetic blueprint of dinosaurs.