Curated OER
Excavating Your Recycling Bin as a Fossil Record
Students explore how scientists examine the past and use rock layers with fossils to understand the past. In this excavation lesson students divide into groups and complete an activity.
Curated OER
Studying Fossils
Students study the Evolution in the Light of Fossils. Activities in this activity range from quantitative measurements of hominoid skulls to the comparison of hominoid bone structures. They hypothesize dinosaur size and speed by looking...
Curated OER
Investigation 1 - Identify & Compare Fossils
Fourth graders examine different items to see if they can recognize fossils. This be an introduction to the different fossils they be studying later and help them make inferences about past environments of Utah.
Curated OER
Fossils
First graders write a brief informational description of a real life object, person, place or event using information gained from observations. They create their own fossil imprints and write a brief description about the fossil that...
Curated OER
Mineral Replacement in Fossil Formation
Fourth graders explore fossils and how they are formed. They create their own "fossils" out of plaster of Paris. They record their findings in their science journals.
Curated OER
Fossil Evidence
Students evaluate each other's fossil imprints and they try to identify the original object. They comprehend the importance of accuracy in identifying a fossil imprint. Students create an answer sheet that has space for the names of the...
Curated OER
Paleoecology of "Fossilized" Owl Pellets
Young scholars examine fossilized owl pellets to determine how a species environmental preferences allow us to reconstruct probable past environments. Differences in anatomy are used to identify species in this lesson.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Living Dinosaurs: Fact or Fiction?
Are birds descendants of dinosaurs? Learners consider the question as they watch an informative video comparing fossil records of dinosaurs with current species. Following the video, groups ponder the evidence to draw conclusions about...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Weighing the Evidence for a Mass Extinction: Part 1 – In the Ocean
Extinction events have happen throughout geologic history, but only five mass extinctions occurred over the last 4.5 billion years. Scholars view fossils from a layer of sediment during an extinction event and observe patterns to draw...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Weighing the Evidence for a Mass Extinction Part 2: On Land
What can fossils tell us about periods of extinction? Young scholars interpret fossil layers to make conclusions about changes in life during different geological time periods. They analyze the fossils for abundance and diversity as well...
American Museum of Natural History
What Do You Know About T. Rex?
There's so much to learn about dinosaurs. A 10-question quiz tests knowledge of the more detailed characteristics of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. As individuals complete the quiz, they better understand how fossil records helped define some of...
Curated OER
Regents High School Examination: Physical Setting Earth Science 2009
Junior geologists address 50 multiple choice questions and 35 short answer questions about the earth system. Plenty of visuals are included for interpretation: diagrams, graphs, maps, photographs, laboratory setups, weather symbols, and...
Curated OER
Regents High School Examination: Physical Setting Earth Science 2006
Test your class on earth science with this extensive resource. This test, created by The University of the State of New York Regents, is made up of 50 multiple choice questions and 32 short answer questions that cover the branches of...
Curated OER
Regents High School Examination: Physical Setting Earth Science 2010
Every topic under the sun is covered in this New York State Regents High School Examination. With the focus of earth science, participants answer 85 quesitons about the solar system, geologic time, rocks and minerals, landforms, and...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Human Feet Are Strange
Feet are neat! So, if you've already walked the path of examining animal footprints with your class, put them in the shoes of early humans! A well-designed activity incorporates video, discussion, and hands-on learning to demonstrate how...
US Environmental Protection Agency
Tree Rings: Living Records of Climate
Open with a discussion on weather and climate and then explain how tree rings can provide scientists with information about the earth's past climate. Pupils analyze graphics of simulated tree rings from various US locations for the...
Curated OER
History of Life
In this history of life worksheet, students will explore how mass extinctions have occurred on Earth, the different periods of the geological time scale, and scientists' use of fossil records. Students will complete 3 fill in the blank...
Curated OER
What We Know About Dinosaurs?
Third graders determine what can and cannot be learned from fossils. In this fossils lesson, 3rd graders discuss what can and cannot be learned from fossils, then students create and observe their fossils.
Curated OER
Classifying Rocks
Third graders classify rocks. In this rocks and minerals lesson, 3rd graders observe, make inferences and conclusions about rocks, minerals, soil and fossils.
Curated OER
Dino Babies
Learners distinguish between dinosaurs and fossils. They escribe what paleontologists do and how they reconstruct the lives of dinosaurs from the fossil record. In addition, they state that dinosaurs hatched from eggs.
Curated OER
The History of Life
In this Earth's history worksheet, learners will complete 5 true or false questions based on the early history of the Earth. Students will match 7 fossil vocabulary words to their definitions. Learners will complete 4 short answer...
Curated OER
The History of Life
In this history of life worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle by figuring out the vocabulary words associated with the 11 clues given. Then students review how paleontologists use fossils to learn more about past living things...
Curated OER
Can You Find...on the "Progression of Life" Poster?
Students examine and analyze a poster that presents various types of animals throughout the ages. They determine biological classification with fossils and earth history in a game.
Curated OER
Patterns In Time
Seventh graders examine fossils. In this vertebrate fossils lesson students view a demonstration.