American Museum of Natural History
Talk to a Titanosaur
Learn all about the Titanosaur with an engaging website that delves deep into the large reptile's physical traits, family history, discovery, and fossil reconstruction.
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Dinosaurs
Learners participate in a simulated archeological dig to gain an understanding of the earth's development as well as the organisms on it. In this dinosaur lesson plan, students work in small groups removing five pieces from the 'dig' one...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Dinosaur Bones (Barner)
Dig into some prehistoric vocabulary in Bob Barner's informative book Dinosaur Bones. This works best if you introduce the primitive words before reading the story. These are the focus terms in the text: ancient, climate, extinct,...
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Identifying Fossils
Students create model fossils. In this fossils instructional activity, students view pictures of fossils and compare and contrast these fossils. Students read about fossils and create a database chart with the facts they learn. ...
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Dino Fossils
Primary paleontologists discover the information they can gather from examining fossils. They place pictures in the correct sequence showing how an animal becomes a fossil. They discuss which sediments would preserve fossils better as well.
American Museum of Natural History
Mesozoic Museum
Mini museum curators create an exhibit that showcases the Mesozoic era. Pupils use their knowledge of dinosaurs to make informative posters, drawings, and dioramas. Following three steps to complete the hands-on activity, scholars read...
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Dinosaur Daze
Students review, create, and inquire about dinosaurs, the fossilization process, and paleontology by successfully completing each of six classroom stations.
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Lost World Dinosaurs
Students determine how accurate the dinosaur-makers were in creating realistic dinosaurs for the Jurassic Park ride. They explore how the ride designers are going to top themselves How could the next ride be even better?
Core Knowledge Foundation
The History of the Earth Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology
A read-aloud anthology focuses on Earth's history. Over three weeks, young scholars listen to and discuss stories about the layers of the Earth, minerals, fossils, different kinds of rocks, and dinosaurs. After the lesson's text, each...
American Museum of Natural History
A Whale of a Tale
What's the most interesting fact about a blue whale? Learners read an interview about the similarities between the Titanosaur and the blue whale displays at the American Museum of Natural History. Pupils learn not only about blue whales...
Curated OER
MUD-A Walk
Students investigate their tracks to determine the number of footsteps it takes to travel the entire length of their bodies. Then they determine the taller of two children and the shorter of two children with their tracks. Students also...
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Jeopardy - Earth Sciences
Questions about water, weather, geology, astronomy, and the scientific process make up this Jeopardy game. It is a pretty well-rounded set of slides, although you may want to be aware that a few of the questions are specific to the state...
National Energy Education Development Project
Exploring Oil and Gas
The United States consumes more oil than any other country, about 1.85 billion barrels (or 77 billion gallons) a day. Viewers learn about the history of fossil fuel exploration and how they are formed in an informative presentation. They...
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Excavation Dig
Students engage in a role-play of a dinosaur excavation dig. They dig through sand to locate buried bones and then discuss the ethics of destroying buildings and other property to get at the fossil remains.
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Build-A-Horseshoe Crab
Students discover many facts about horseshoe crabs. Students identify the main body parts of horseshoe crab. They explore the habits of the horseshoe crab and their importances to the ecosystem. Adaptations for younger students are...
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Life Underground
First graders build a terrarium in order to observe animal and plant life dynamics. In this biology lesson plan, 1st graders compare how organisms survive in different environments. They write their observations and analysis in their...
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Energy Crisis and Energy Alternatives
In this energy crisis and energy alternatives worksheet, students fill in the blanks of sentences when given terms related to the environment, the energy crisis, renewable resources and non-renewable resources.
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Cooking with the Sun!
Students access prior knowledge of solar energy and understand that solar energy produces heat. In this solar cooker lesson, students complete grade appropriate experiments using the heat of the sun. Students complete a worksheet on...
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MUD-Research Center Lesson Plan
Students research chosen sub-topics on mud. They research topics such as idioms about mud, crime solving using tire tracks and animal homes made of mud. Afterward, they choose a presentation method such as a Word document, PowerPoint...
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Dell House Dig
Pupils experience an archaeological dig exploring off the shore of Black Hawk Island and Wisconsin River. They study in the same place where the infamous Dell House once stood. Dell House and its historical significance is reviewed...
Read Works
Read Works: Dinosaur Discovery
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text dinosaur fossils found on an island in Germany. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Read Works
Read Works: Dinosaur Discovery
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read text, a map, and a chart about dinosaur fossils. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in comparing and contrasting.
Read Works
Read Works: Dinosaur World
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about dinosaurs and how scientists learn about them. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Building a Dinosaur From a Chicken
Renowned paleontologist Jack Horner has spent his career trying to reconstruct a dinosaur. He's found fossils with extraordinarily well-preserved blood vessels and soft tissues, but never intact DNA. So, in a new approach, he's taking...