Curated OER
How Old Is Illinois?
High schoolers use fossils found in rocks to determine the age of the strata between Rock Island and Chicago. Pupils pretend they are geologists. They must determine the age of all rock layers between the Mississippi River and Lake...
Curated OER
Correlation And Strata: Findasaurus
Students use fossils to correlate and locate the correct strata, and determine where in those strata dinosaurs might be found. They see it is now possible to see how dinosaur fossils can be traced from one place to another.
Curated OER
How Old Is Illinois?
High schoolers use fossils found in rocks to determine the age of rock in Illinois. They use a chart to identify the fossils and then identify the periods of rock.
Curated OER
Evolution worksheet
Looking at evolution in detail, this thorough worksheet has complex questions requiring details and explanations of natural selection and diversity. Various examples of biological characteristics are available, and students choose the...
Curated OER
Fossil Inferences
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...
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. For this excavation lesson students divide into groups and complete an activity.
Curated OER
Shells on the Mountain Top?
Students work in groups to remove fossils from sediments, classifying as many organisms and parts of organisms as possible into major groups. They study the data from each formation and make conclusions about the types of organisms and...
Curated OER
Three Dimensional Geology
Here is a fine lesson plan on geology designed for high schoolers. Learners use rocks, fossils, and other geological clues to determine the geology of an area. Then, they make recommendations to a fictitious city council about the...
Curated OER
Evidence for Evolution
In this evidence of evolution worksheet, students review notes given by referring to the Nelson Biology text, chapter 11/13. Students read the notes and the specified pages in the text.
Biology Junction
Evolution – Diversity of Life
Scientists noticed animals with backbones share similar bone structure despite having different forms, such as fins, arms, and wings. Young scientists gain an appreciation for evolution by understanding the history of the theory. They...
Curated OER
Edible Rock Layers
Students use edible food items to conduct an experiment that simulates the movement, folding, and faulting of rock strata like sandstone, siltstone, limestone, and shale. Students then get to eat the experiment when completed.
Curated OER
Candy Quakes
Eighth graders, using a candy bar, gum, and Twizzlers, demonstrate the effects of deformational forces on the earth's crust. They examine the processes of rock and fossil formation.
Curated OER
The Great Continental Drift Mystery
Pupils stud the concept of Pangaea by using Wegener's clues to construct a map of the continents joined together. They determine how fossil distribution can be used to enhance the study of continental drift. They locate the...
Curated OER
Who Was Here First? Relative Dating
Students read about and complete question activities for the topic of relative dating. For this relative dating lesson, students read information for the topic and then complete two activities to further their understanding of geologic...
Curated OER
Three Dimensional Geology
Students use rocks and fossils to interpret the geology of an area. They use prior knowledge and make recommendations about where to build a subdivision based on the rocks.
Curated OER
Candy Quakes
Eighth graders use candy to show the effects of deformation forces on the earth's crust. In this rock and fossil formation instructional activity students construct models and simulations to describe and explain natural phenomena.
Discovery Education
The Time of Our Life
Mammals are some of the newest organisms to appear on Earth. Young scholars complete an activity that results in a timeline showing the appearance of different types of living organisms. Provided with a list that spans from prokaryotes...