Lesson Plan
Desert Discoveries

Invent - A - Saurus

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders get to invent their own dinosaur! This is done by using a very clever worksheet embedded in the plan. The worksheet leads them through naming their dinosaur by having explanations of the Latin terminology that is used with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Studying Fossils

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students hypothesize dinosaur size and speed by looking at dinosaur track way or by measuring a dinosaur models water displacement. In addition, techniques to help students become familiar with the ways paleontologists study fossils can...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating New Forms of Life

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers are asked to use their imaginations to take the idea of biotechnology one step further. Before beginning this activity students read and complete a report on the book "Jurassic Park," which deals with the use of...
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Birds

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study birds and examine the idea that they evolved from reptiles or dinosaurs.  In this birds instructional activity students divide into groups and research one side of the debate, then at the end have the students debate...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Name Match

For Teachers 7th - 9th
In this name match worksheet, students match up ten species to their description or history by drawing a line between one to the other.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating New Forms of Life

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Although not particularly educational, here is a creative group activity in which high school biologists will use their imaginations to create a new life form combining characteristics from existing life forms. Each group must come up...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Life Has A History

For Students 6th - 9th
In this biology worksheet, students identify and match various classes of species found today. Then they explain why biodiversity exists today on earth and define evolution. Students also describe who a paleontologist is and what they do.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Archaeology and Prehistoric Native Americans

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars study the terms paleontology and archaeology and examine how they can help us learn about prehistoric Native Iowans.  In this archaeology lesson plan students discuss these terms and view a video on Native...
Handout
Indiana University

Indiana Univ. Bloomington: Geo Notes: Dinosaur Fossils Not Found in Indiana [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Discusses the mass extinction event that wiped out many prehistoric animals 65 million years ago and why there are no dinosaur fossils to be found in Indiana.
Handout
Other

Digi Morph: Dinosaurs at Digi morph.org

For Students 9th - 10th
DigiMorph is a database of high-quality images from living and extinct animals, made available for scientists, educators, researchers and students. This section is devoted to dinosaur fossils, some of them among the most famous in the...
Activity
Other

Tramline: Dinosaurs: A Prehistoric Adventure for Grades 2 5

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Travel across the Internet to learn about dinosaurs in this virtual field trip. The trip is designed for Grades Two to Five. Topics include dinosaur fossils, extinction, paleontology, anatomy, behavior, etc.
Website
University of California

Ucmp: What Killed the Dinosaurs?

For Students 9th - 10th
This UC Berkeley site extensively covers the death of the dinosaurs. It includes history, theories, invalid hypotheses, and current arguments.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Fossils & Dinosaurs the Extinction of Dinosaurs

For Teachers 2nd - 4th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] This informational text passage provides some explanations of what may have caused the dinosaurs to become extinct.This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential reading skills...
Website
Natural History Museum

Natural History Museum: Dinosaurs and Other Extinct Creatures

For Students 3rd - 8th
This is the opening site for the online exhibit at the Natural History Museum. The exhibit features a wealth of information on dinosaurs including a dinosaur directory, fossil specimens, information, pictures, and more. The exhibit also...
Website
Enchanted Learning

Enchanted Learning: Zoom Dinosaurs

For Students 3rd - 5th
Zoom Dinosaurs is a comprehensive on-line hypertext book about dinosaurs. It is designed for students of all ages and levels of comprehension. It has an easy-to-use structure that allows readers to start at a basic level on each topic,...
Unit Plan
Tramline

Tramline: Dinosaurs: A Prehistoric Adventure for Grades 2 5

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Click "Start Fieldtrip," for a wonderful look at a subject that has been a constant amazement to children of all ages. This dinosaur learning module for grades 1-3 is a "Prehistoric adventure," discussing dinosaur fossils, the size of...
Website
Other

Canal Kids: Dinossauros (Dinosaurs), a Era Dos Gigantes

For Students Pre-K - 1st
A good introduction to dinosaurs for young Portuguese-speaking children. Uses an engaging writing style, cartoon-style graphics, and animation to teach about the Mesozoic era. Coverage includes types of dinosaurs and their features,...
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Fossils & Dinosaurs: The Age of Dinosaurs

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This nonfiction passage describes the time period when dinosaurs were still living on earth and describes the event that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.This passage is a stand-alone curricular...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

National Park Service: Fossils in Time Unit

For Teachers 5th - 9th
For this lesson, students learn about the earth's past by studying clues that have been left behind, such as fossils and rocks. Students will find the answers to many questions: What is paleontology?, What is geological time?, What can...
Website
San Diego Natural History Museum

San Diego Natural History Museum: Dinosaur Dig

For Students 3rd - 5th
The San Diego Natural History Museum provides dinosaur lovers with plenty of information and fun facts with links to Finding Fossils and Dinosaur Bytes.
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History: O Logy: Layers of Time: Fossil Game

For Students 3rd - 8th
Game through which students order layers of sedimentary rock, from oldest to newest, based on the type of fossils they contain.
Handout
University of California

Ucmp: The Dinosauria

For Students 3rd - 8th
The Dinosauria provides the latest information about dinosaurs, including debunking myths, early dinosaur discoveries, characteristics of specific dinosaurs, life history, and discovery of dinosaur fossils.
Website
Other

The Dinosaur Museum

For Students 3rd - 8th
The Dinosaur Museum is located in Blanding, Utah. Use this site to learn all about the exhibits and dinosaur information.