Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Archeological Finds

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore archeology and it contributions to human history. They write a magazine article describing the discovery of a dig.
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...
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.
Activity
American Museum of Natural History

Make Your Own Dino Stationary

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Scholars follow five steps to create dinosaur-themed stationery using basic computer skills.
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

T. Rex Roar Mixer

For Students 6th - 12th
Scholars predict the sound of a tyrannosaurus rex roar with a mixing board equipped with audio from crocodiles, chickens, loon, macaw, peccary, sea lion, and bison.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Science Lesson Plans on Geologic Time

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Springboard your fourth and fifth graders into the study geologic time. They will complete 7 activities to learn about geologic time and the topics most often associated with it: astronomy, creation, planet formation, volcanology,...
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

Pterosaurs: The Card Game

For Students 6th - 12th
Piecing together the past is a challenging endeavor. Learners get a taste of that challenge as they play a game that incorporates several components such as trophic levels, geological time periods, and catastrophic events. Pairs work to...
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

Dress up a T. Rex

For Students 6th - 12th
Scholars play with an image's color and brightness to predict how tyrannosaurus rex's skin, feathers, and eyes would have appeared. Information and real-world pictures shed light on what evidence guides our assumption of how a...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Branches of Science Lesson Plans

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Teachers can use branches of science lesson plans to get students excited about science careers.
Lesson Plan
1
1
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...
Lesson Plan
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

The Dating Game

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learn about the human's ancestors through the (carbon) Dating Game. Use the script to have your high schoolers act out one round of the game. Once they have the idea, they will research another human ancestor and play a second round the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dinosaur Eggs Discovered! Unscrambling the Clues

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Just a heads up: this lesson is based on a book, Dinosaur Eggs Discovered! Unscrambling the Clues. If you do not have or do not want to purchase the book, you may still find the other activities and worksheets useful in your earth...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geologic Age

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students investigate radioactivity as a tool for measuring geologic time and how geologists use this information to determine the absolute age of rocks or minerals.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocks, Minerals, and Erosion

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students identify and describe rocks that contain records of the earth's history and explain how they were formed. They formulate questions about and identify needs and problems related to objects and events in the environment, and...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Using computers in the content area

For Teachers K - 4th
Students practice grade appropriate computer basics and integrate them into  the curriculum areas. in this technology lesson, students understand correct behaviors while using the computer. Students become familiar with the Internet...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Extinction

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students peruse illustrations of living things and extinct life forms, which they compare and categorize as living or extinct.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History of the Earth

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students work together in groups to research the characteristics of the Mesozoic Era. Using various sources, they must include information about climate, landforms, plants and animals found during this time period. They create a...
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.
Unit Plan
University of California

University of California Museum of Paleontology: Stories From the Fossil Record

For Students 4th - 9th
This colorful, interactive site demonstrates how fossils can be used to discover a range of information about the past. Topics include Past Lives, Paleoecology, Geologic History, and Biodiversity.
Website
Other

Denver Museum of Nature and Science: Follow a Fossil

For Students 9th - 10th
Students examine paleontology, the study of ancient life on Earth. Some topics explored are vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants.
Website
Untamed Science

Untamed Science: Biology: Evolution: How to Become a Fossil

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about what a fossil is, the different types that scientists use for study, and processes that form them. [2:57]
Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: How a Dinosaur Became a Fossil

For Students 3rd - 8th
This interactive resource adapted from the Museum of Paleontology at the University of California, Berkeley shows how a dinosaur can be buried under sediment after it dies, become a fossil, and then become exposed and discovered by...
Website
Burke Museum

Burke Museum: Marine Fossils

For Students 9th - 10th
"Marine fossils and their living relatives" is part of a larger site dedicated to the research and collection information of the Burke Museum on Paleontology.
Graphic
Burke Museum

Burke Museum: Paleontology

For Students 9th - 10th
This collection of artifacts and information on Paleontology from the Burke Museum includes online exhibits and access to pictures from various collections.