American Museum of Natural History
Mesozoic Museum
Mini museum curators create an exhibit that showcases the Mesozoic era. Pupils use their knowledge of dinosaurs to make informative posters, drawings, and dioramas. Following three steps to complete the hands-on activity, scholars read...
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Fossil Formation Fun
Students compare the three types of fossils: preserved organisms, mineral replacement fossils, and impression fossils. They create a model of amber,
sponge fossil, and make traces of fossil.
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Identifying Fossils
Students create model fossils. In this fossils lesson, students view pictures of fossils and compare and contrast these fossils. Students read about fossils and create a database chart with the facts they learn. ...
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Dinosaur Skeletons
Students investigate the anatomy of a dinosaur, describe its skeleton, and arrange pretend bones using toothpicks, popsicle sticks, tongue depressors, and a variety of wooden beads.
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When Dinosaurs Ruled the World
Students create their own fossil. In this fossil lesson, students explore dinosaurs and fossils through reading Fossils Tell of Long Ago by Aliki. Upon completion of the story, students use modeling clay to create a...
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Report Writing
Why don't dinosaurs wander the earth any longer? Answer this fascinating question with young readers as they examine a brief informational text. There are bolded words to separate text sections which are an excellent example of...
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Fossil Formation
Students discuss fossils. In this science lesson, students simulate fossils within Earth's layers by using gummy fish and bread.
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LESSON PLANS (print version) pdf What is a Fossil?
Students can better explain how mould and cast fossils occur when they make their own cast fossils using plaster of Paris and objects such as shells, bone or even their own hand or footprint.
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Living Fossils
Students study the term living fossil and examine why some of the reasons they survived. In this fossils lesson students form a hypothesis and use data to see if it is accurate.
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Dinosaurs
Students will develop goals for inquiry. They will also improve content area reading and research skills. The context of studying dinosaurs will help learners to distinguish from organisms that live presently and those from the past...
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Curious? Is T-Rex King?
In this "Curious? Is T-Rex King" activity, students answer 4 multiple choice questions interactively, then check their answers online.
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Fossil Hunters!
Learners explore the various ways in which geologists create fossil records. Working in pairs, students create a model of a fossil record through a hands on activity. They relate their experience to recent discoveries in geology and...
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Fossil Adventure
Students create a book about the process of a dinosaur becoming a fossil. In this earth science lesson plan, students are taught about fossils and create a book that tells what happened to a dinosaur's bones after they die.
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Make Words
In this making words worksheet, students make as many English words as they can from the letters found only in the word Ichthyosaurus.
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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.
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Quiz: Dinosaurs
For this science worksheet, 3rd graders will respond to questions pertaining to dinosaurs. Students will answer ten questions consisting of true/false, and multiple choice.
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Fossilworks
Students research fossils and fossil formation. They explain how fossils are formed, identify fossil formations and use casting plaster to produce fossil replicas.
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Dinosaur Eggs Discovered! Unscrambling the Clues
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...
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Fossil Fuels--Discoveries and Uses
Student examine the close relationship between fossil energy and our daily lives. To demonstrate to the student the close relationship between fossil energy and our daily lives.
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Making Tracks
Fifth graders examine the fossil footprints of two and four legged dinosaurs. Using this information, they try to determine how the dinosaurs lived their lives. They use their own walking pattern to compare it to the dinosaurs and...
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Making Tracks
Students participate in groups to show how two legged and four legged dinosaurs walked. Using fossilized footprints, they identify the two and four legged dinosaurs shown. They use the internet to determine what happen by a specific...
American Museum of Natural History
Identification Adventure
Put all the pieces together. After a skeleton is put together, pupils play the scientist to determine the type of animal they have by using a classification tree to narrow down the identity. After each decision, they gain advice from an...
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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.
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Footprint Detectives: Making Inferences Using Dinosaur Trackways
Students analyze and discuss footprints and dinosaur tracks. They listen to books about paleontologists, create and analyze their own trackways using black paper and chalk, examine the data, and form hypotheses about footprints and...