Unit Plan
University of California

University of California Museum of Paleontology: Geologic Time

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about geologic time, including the age of the Earth by putting it in terms of pages in a book.
Graphic
University of California

Ucmp: Fossil Record

For Students 9th - 10th
Charts when certain species of plants first appeared.
Lesson Plan
University of California

Ucmp: A Relative Dating Activity

For Students 9th - 10th
An learning activity to help students grasp the concept of relative dating and geologic time.
Website
University of California

Ucmp: Georges Cuvier

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the University of California, Berkeley offers a biography of George Cuvier. Scientific ideas of George Cuvier are presented, such as those related to comparative anatomy, fossils, the idea of extinction, and others....
Website
University of California

Ucmp: Inferring the Possible Speed of Dinosaurs

For Students 9th - 10th
An essay detailing the evidence used to determine how quickly dinosaurs moved. Includes pictures of fossilized dinosaur tracks.
Handout
University of California

Ucmp: Introducing Crinoids

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from University of California is an introduction to crinoids with pictures. Click on another link to learn about the history and ecology, fossils, or morphology.
Activity
American Geosciences Institute

American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Tracking Dinosaurs

For Students 9th - 10th
Two activities that will help students learn how paleontologists are able to determine, based on fossil evidence, whether a particular dinosaur was walking or running when it left footprints behind.
Lesson Plan
Discovery Education

Discovery Education: Dinosaur Detectives

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
For this lesson, students conduct research on what paleontologists do when they study dinosaur fossils. They learn about some of the major paleontologists, what they discovered, and how opinions about fossils change over time as new...
Website
University of California

Ucmp: Dinoflagellates

For Students 9th - 10th
The University of California provides background material on dinoflagellates which exhibit bioluminescence. Site includes information on their fossil record, ecology, and structure.
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Building a Dinosaur From a Chicken

For Students 9th - 10th
Renowned paleontologist Jack Horner has spent his career trying to reconstruct a dinosaur. He's found fossils with extraordinarily well-preserved blood vessels and soft tissues, but never intact DNA. So, in a new approach, he's taking...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: We Can Dig It!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this lesson, third grade students will explore "fossils" by using chocolate chip cookies in an interactive fossil dig! Through creative problem-based learning that incorporates technology, students will work in collaborative groups to...
Article
DOGO Media

Dogo News: Discovery Reveals Modern Hippos Evolved in Africa

For Students 3rd - 8th
Article reports on a recent fossil discovery in Kenya that reveals new information about the evolution of the modern-day hippo. Includes video.
Activity
American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History: Living Large

For Students 3rd - 5th
This engaging game about dinosaurs allows students to analyze and interpret fossil data, as well as engage in argument from evidence. The game helps students to understand that fossils provide evidence about the types of organisms that...
Handout
University of California

University of California Museum of Paleontology: Geology and Geologic Time

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides information about the geologic relationships of rock layers, as well as much about geologic time and the history of Earth.
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.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Paleobiology: Paleo Art

For Students 9th - 10th
Collection of art demonstrates a branch of scientific illustration that specializes in drawing fossils and other paleontological subject matter. Includes information on providing proper care for historical paleo art and offers methods of...
Unit Plan
University of California

Ucmp: The Evolution of Flight in Birds

For Students 9th - 10th
Evidence from the fossil record is used to support bird evolution from small carnivorous dinosaurs. In the student module, feathers, behavior, and skeletal structure are examined in an interactive lesson designed to impart a complete...
Handout
University of California

Ucmp: Cyanobacteria

For Students 9th - 10th
General information on the cyanobacteria, the blue-green algae and the features that make them different from prokaryotic bacteria. Also included are pages that point to more specific info, like life history and fossil records.
Handout
University of California

Ucmp: Green Algae

For Students 9th - 10th
UC Berkeley offers good examples of green algae. Definition of green algae, habitat, various types of green algae, fossil record, ecology, and morphology.
Handout
University of California

Ucmp: Yesterday's Trees Today's Horsetails

For Students 9th - 10th
Berkeley offers a brief introduction to these Sphenophyta. At the bottom of the page, you can go to sections such as fossil record, ecology/history and systematics.
Handout
University of California

Ucmp: Plantae

For Students 9th - 10th
At this resource learners can take a look at the plant kingdom with a detailed examination of fossil records, life history and ecology, systematics, and morphology.
Lesson Plan
American Geosciences Institute

American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Be a Paleontologist!

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Ask students to think like private investigators working on a case where they answer this question: Where is paleontological evidence of past life likely to be discovered?
Website
Other

Strange Science: Palenotology Timeline

For Students 9th - 10th
A large timeline containing major events in the history of paleontology and biology.
Handout
Other

Bio Web Evolution: Homepage

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from BioWeb Evolution was originally created as a ThinkQuest entry, and it has some good basic information about evolution. This page is on fossils and geologic time.