Curated OER
I Have a Bone To Pick With You
Students explore fossils and how they are found by paleontologists.
Curated OER
History of Our Solar System Time Line
Ninth graders explore the concept of ratios. In this ratio lesson, 9th graders construct a to scale time line that starts at the beginning of time. Students determine the correct placement of big events in time such as when the dinosaurs...
Curated OER
LESSON PLANS (print version) pdf What is a Fossil?
Students can better explain how mould and cast fossils occur when they make their own cast fossils using plaster of Paris and objects such as shells, bone or even their own hand or footprint.
Curated OER
Science: Down Home Dinosaurs
students participate in hands-on activities to discover the different types of fossils. Using teacher-provided materials, they make models of cast and trace fossils. After writing essays describing how traces are formed, students plan a...
Curated OER
Investigation 3 - Examining Your Fossil
Fourth graders examine the fossils they made previously. They examine the details of the fossil with a hand lens and come up with conclusions about the fossils. They record what they see and draw conclusions about the environment of the...
Curated OER
Extinction Is Forever
Students observe models of two kinds of forests with low and high biodiversity. They observe and record the effects of habitat destruction or extinction rates. They also conduct research about mass extinction like that of the ancient...
Curated OER
Dig This
Fifth graders explore the work of paleontologists and the life of dinosaurs and create a sculpture of the bones of a Stegosaurus. The sculpture was then buried and used by other classes for a dig.
Curated OER
Dino-Data
Middle schoolers are presented with a set of data about dinosaurs and asked to hypothesize about what the data can tell us. They modify their hypotheses as more information is revealed.
Curated OER
Geology of Connecticut
Students examine the geology of Connecticut, including plate tectonics, glaciation, and fossil formation.
After reviewing past lessons, they write essays about what life may have been like in the Mesozoic Period. Following a field...
Curated OER
Dino Long Legs
Students calculate the stride length of a walking or running animal. They use scale models of dinosaurs to calculate the leg and stride length of the animals.
Curated OER
Raptor Poetry
Students create poems about raptors. They discuss raptors and create three poems including at least two of the following: haiku, diamante, found, and acrostic. They create a classroom book of poems or conduct a poetry slam where students...
Curated OER
Eagles and Other Raptors
Students become familiar with basic facts and behavior of the American Bald Eagle using a combination of classroom presentation, Video, Internet searching, "hands on" computer activity, and touching of feathers and displays.
Curated OER
Recycling for Raptors
Students write persuasive letters in support of the Recycling for Raptors campaign. They review raptor groups and names and categorize the raptor species and the groups which they belong. They research businesses, schools, and...
Curated OER
Raptor Poster Project
Learners create posters about raptors. They synthesize information they read about raptors and select a raptor. They draw a picture of their raptor and include facts relating to where it lives, characteristics, feeding habits, size, name...
Curated OER
Inferences Using Evidence
What is an inference, and how can you use textual evidence to create one? Introduce your developing readers to the world of inferencing with this presentation. Terms are defined, and several examples are shown. The class works together...
Curated OER
Technology Squares: Mammals
Review basic vocabulary related to mammals. This short quiz game allows students to test their skills and understanding of scientific vocabulary. This game is appropriate for grades 5-7 and covers very basic concepts.
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Synthesis of Nickel Nanowires
It's all about the scale—they're not just wires, they're nanowires! The second lesson of the series builds on the oxidation-reduction experiment in the first lesson. Scholars synthesize a sample of nanowires using electrolysis. As they...
Curated OER
Continental Drift
Be sure to come prepared to discuss the theory of Pangaea and the two super-continents, Laurasia and Gondwanaland. Collaborative learners look for fossil evidence that supports the theory that one super-continent divided into two. They...
It's About Time
Mass Extinction and Fossil Records
The focus of a fossil-based lesson uses graphs and charts that allow young paleontologists to make inferences about events of mass extinction. They must apply their previous knowledge about fossil records in this final lesson of the...
Polar Trec
Where is the World's Water?
Scholars discover the amount of the Earth's water in various locations such as the ocean, ice, the atmosphere, etc. They then make a model of the how much water those percentages represent. Finally, analysis questions bring the concepts...
Curated OER
Science Quiz: Earth Quiz
In this earth science quiz instructional activity, students respond to 20 short answer and true or false questions regarding earth science topics.
Curated OER
Where is Grand Dewey Daddy?
Third graders find books. In this library activity, 3rd graders use the Dewey Decimal System to find books and determine the shelves they are located on.
Curated OER
Asteroids
Students examine a potential asteroid impact site. They describe evidence and theories for extinction events.
Curated OER
"A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury: Questions
These questions are designed to accompany Ray Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder," and could be used to guide and focus readers or as an assessment of reading skill and knowledge of the elements of a story. Page one focuses on questions of...