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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fantastic Fossils

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students learn about the kinds of fossils and what scientists can learn from them.  In this earth science lesson, students are told how engineers and paleontologists work together.  Then students create a "fossil fondue" and write a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Back to the Past

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students label fossil imprints. For this Geology lesson, students view fossil imprints of several items. Students explain what a fossil is.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What did T. rex taste like?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the three domains of life and explain that all living things share a common ancestor.  In this paleontology lesson students are introduced to the process of illustrating evolutionary relationships. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

No bones About It -A Mosasaur

For Teachers 3rd - 10th
Students model a paleontologist's activities. They identify dinosaur bones and reassemble them into a skeleton of an extinct reptile.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fabulous Fossils

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
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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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: Making Trace Fossils

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students 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 use...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossil Inferences

For Teachers 4th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossils!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

T-Rex

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine the differences between a scavenger and a predator.  In this predator lesson plan students research an animal and study its physical traits. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Archeological Finds

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars explore archeology and it contributions to human history. They write a magazine article describing the discovery of a dig.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Paleontologist: Can You Dig It?

For Teachers K
Students investigate what a paleontologist does. They participate in a dinosaur dig, write a story, and explore the Dinosaur Dig website to view and discuss photos of a real dinosaur dig.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dinosaur Detectives

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students examine amphibian evolution by comparing fossils with a modern-day skeleton. They experience the scientific thought process of drawing conclusions from limited paleontological data. Student groups align the figures with the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The End of an Era

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the American-Mongolian paleontology expedition of Cretaceous fossil beds at Ukhaa Tolgod in the Gobi Desert. They present information about the life forms, tectonics, climate and geology of this time.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Xenosmilus

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students play the roles of paleontologists on a dig. They unearth a few fossils at a time and attempt to reconstruct the animal the fossils represent.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Footprint Detectives: Making Inferences Using Dinosaur Trackways

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hide and Seek with Bones: A Mapping and Scaling Comparison

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Young scholars examine and simulate how paleontologists map objects. They hide and find objects using a grid to map the objects' placements.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal Tracks - Walking and Running

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners, using paper and water, make tracks and record the time needed to make them. They compare tracks made walking and running to determine the speed of the animal.
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Lesson Plan
Project SMART

Dinosaur Trek

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders investigate dinosaurs. They explore various websites, submit questions to a paleontologist online, construct cut and paste model dinosaur skeletons, develop a graph to compare dinosaurs, and label pictures from online...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossil Impressions of Ancient Life

For Teachers K - 6th
Students make a mold using Plaster of Paris and then make a cast using that same mold. They pick a fossil and describe how it looks. They write a fictionalized story about its life, or burial. (
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biology: Howler Monkeys Tell All

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dig It!

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders complete various activities about dinosaurs and fossils. They conduct Internet research, participate in a sandbox dinosaur fossil dig, and create a computer slideshow presentation using information they found on various...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossils

For Teachers 4th
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.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Replacing Missing Links in the Evolutionary Chain

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Examine the evolution of various species of hominids from their earliest existence approximately 4.5 million years ago to today. In small groups, learners research one of the ten stages of hominid evolution and then create a poster and...
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Lesson Plan
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California Academy of Science

What Kind of Geologist Am I?

For Teachers 2nd - 5th Standards
Transform your class into young geologists as they learn about six different branches of geology. Using the included geology career descriptions and picture cards, learners work in small groups deciding which tools and locations fit...

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