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Studying Fossils
Students compare and contrast key skeletal differences between chimpanzees and humans: brain size, teeth, hand and thumb, trunk, pelvis, lower limb, foot and big toe. They then sort and group a set of mixed "fossil bones" of chimpanzee...
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Rockin? Chalk (Integrating science - make own chalk)
Students use plaster of Paris, talc, and cornstarch to create their own chalk. They hypothesize what mixture of ingredients produce the "best" chalk. Students discuss what they think are the characteristics of the "best" chalk.
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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...
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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.
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Studying Fossils: Hominoid Skull Comparison
High schoolers collect data on the differences in Hominid skulls using acrylic casts of fossil skulls. They measure a series of structures on skulls from six different species then use the data to determine evolutionary relationships...
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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...
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Fabulous Fossils
Students investigate how fossils are formed. They read the book, "Digging Up Dinosaurs," examine fossil samples, create a fossil imprint using play-doh, and complete a Fossil Questionnaire activity sheet.
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How Did Humans Evolve?
Young scholars complete an online activity in which they examine fossils to find possible hominid family trees.
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Fossils
Students complete a unit on fossils. They read and discuss informational handouts, define key vocabulary terms, answer discussion questions, create a geologic timeline and a timeline of their own life, analyze bones, and create a fossil...
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Dinosaurs are for the Birds
Students use the Internet to see photographs of fossils from dinosaurs. They read articles about dinosaurs and birds and what they had in common. They also examine a dinorama site in which they discover why some dinosaurs needed feathers.
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Digging into the Past
Students discover how fossils are found and how they help scientists reconstruct the past. They examine how they shed light on what kinds of animals and plants lived over the years, when they lived, and under what environmental conditions.
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Draw T. rex
Students explore how scientists determine what prehistoric animals looked like based on their bones. They draw a picture of the skull of a Tyrannosaurus Rex by copying an image from an overhead or book.
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How Big is a Dinosaur?
Fourth graders create enlarged replica of a stegosaurus drawing, using a grid to practice coordinates.
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Fossils 2: Uncovering The Facts
Students recognize the kind of information that can be accumulated by studying dinosaur fossils, and explain that some fossil facts are made based on comparisons with living organisms. They are introduced to the concept of evolution.
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Hunting Invertebrate Fossils in the Classroom
Students acquire a general knowledge of fossils and paleontology, the study of evidence of life in the past and identify the major invertebrate groups (phyla) commonly found in the fossil record.
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The Great Fossil Find - Reconstructing the Pieces
Students go on an imaginary fossil hunt. They follow a script read by the teacher, students "find" (remove from envelope) paper "fossils" of some unknown creature. They attempt to reconstruct fossil pieces into an animal.
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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.
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Natural Selection and Evidence Worksheet
Matching and fill-in-the-blank exercises give biology whizzes a chance to practice vocabulary associated with evolution. Terms to be reviewed focus on evidence for evolution, natural selection concepts, and some genetics words. You could...
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Fun with Fossils
Second graders explore the geologic process of fossil formation. In this geology lesson, 2nd graders discuss the job of a paleontologist and make their own model of a fossil. This lesson includes teacher directed questions.
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Science Jeopardy - Virginia Geology
Unique in content, this Jeopardy-style game quizzes participants on the geology of the state of Virginia. Categories include provinces, east or west, under the surface, once alive, and fun facts. Other than teachers of upper elementary...
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Vocabulary Words of the Southwest
A simple vocabulary definition worksheet 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....
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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.
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Fossils and Dinosaurs
Students explore fossils and dinosaurs. In this science lesson, students discuss how fossils are created. Students draw muscles and skin on a stegosaurus.
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Determining the Age of Fossils
Students explore radioactive dating using a radiometric Dating website. In this chemistry lesson plan, students will work in small groups to collect data that shows how fossils are dated. As a follow-up, students will research a...