Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Out & About: Dinosaurs

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students discover details about dinosaurs in Great Britain. In this dinosaur lesson, students visit selected museums and learning centers online and in person to examine and study dinosaur exhibits.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What are the Different Kinds of Fossils?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars examine different types of fossils. In this fossil lesson, students investigate the attributes of mold fossils, trace fossils, cast fossils, and true form fossils. Young scholars create their own fossil samples.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lost World Dinosaurs

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students determine how accurate the dinosaur-makers were in creating realistic dinosaurs for the Jurassic Park ride. They explore how the ride designers are going to top themselves How could the next ride be even better?
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

Investigation 6 - Dinosaur Extinction

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research and analyze theories on why dinosaurs became extinct. They need to find clues as to what the cause may have been. They record the evidence that they find to support their theory on the Dinosaur Extinction Theory...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossil Evidence for Plate Tectonics

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners draw maps of counties that were important to the discovery of plate tectonic theory.  In this plate tectonics lesson plan students excavate constructed fossil sites from matching coastlines and discuss the possible...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Sedimentary Rocks

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students make models of sedimentary rock layers to explain how rocks form layers and represent ancient environments. Layers of sediment and fossils are added together to simulate the environment and connections to sedimentary rocks are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prehistoric Mesosaurus

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers draw conclusions why Mesosaurus has only been found in Africa and Brazil and how its fossil remains serve as important evidence that shows where two continents were once joined together.
Activity
Curated OER

The Gopher Tortoise

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Can you believe the gopher tortoise was around when the dinosaurs were walking the Earth. Learn all about this creature that is one of Florida's most popular reptiles. Hands-on-activities and a glossary full of scientific terms...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make a Cast of a Tyrannosaurus rex Fossil

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders examine the formation of fossils and list the different types. They make cast model of a dinosaur fossil. They write about conditions that are necessary for fossils to form and create a model of a buried fossil.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Lesson Plans

For Teachers 1st - 7th
Learners gain understanding of how a fossil is formed and why they are so important.  In this fossil lesson students create their own fossils.
PPT
Curated OER

Jeopardy - Earth Sciences

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Questions about water, weather, geology, astronomy, and the scientific process make up this Jeopardy game. It is a pretty well-rounded set of slides, although you may want to be aware that a few of the questions are specific to the state...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Adopt-A-Dinosaur Project

For Students 6th - 8th
In this science worksheet, students research a dinosaur of their choice. Then they create a picture page that includes a slogan that describes their dinosaur. Students also complete a fact sheet, including all of their resources used.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Have All the Dinosaurs Gone?

For Teachers 1st
First graders listen to and discuss Patrick's Dinosaurs by Carol Carrick. They have a pretend dinosaur dig using dog biscuits and chicken bones. Students discuss how fossils are formed and make reproductions of them. After discussing the...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Fossils: Clues to Ancient Life

For Teachers 4th - 8th
You can make your students amateur paleontologists with great fossil lesson plans.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossils

For Teachers 1st
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossils

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Young scholars discuss the work of a paleontologist and examine several fossils and books on paleontology. They use clay and Plaster of Paris to create a cast of an object and compare this activity to the formation of fossils in nature.
Unit Plan
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1
Core Knowledge Foundation

The History of the Earth Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology

For Teachers 1st Standards
A read-aloud anthology focuses on Earth's history. Over three weeks, young scholars listen to and discuss stories about the layers of the Earth, minerals, fossils, different kinds of rocks, and dinosaurs. After the lesson's text, each...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Dinosaur Jokes

For Students 5th - 7th
For this science worksheet, students use the key code found on the right to locate the answers to each of the bad dinosaur jokes. Then they write out the answer to the joke.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: Down Home Dinosaurs

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
students participate in hands-on activities to discover the different types of fossils. Using teacher-provided materials, they make models of cast and trace fossils. After writing essays describing how traces are formed, students plan a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Paleogeographic Mapping (o.k. Fossils Are Neat But What Good Are They?)

For Teachers 1st - 7th
Students examine how evidence from fossils can be used in paleogeographic interpretation. They gain experience in developing multiple hypotheses.
Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

By Air, Land, or Sea: The Formation and Location of Our Natural Resources

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Coal forms from the ancient remains of plants that were alive on Earth before the dinosaurs! Scholars use their t-charts from the previous activity over resources and research to determine if their information is correct. Through...
Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Weighing the Evidence for a Mass Extinction Part 2: On Land

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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...
Worksheet
Curated OER

History of Life

For Students 5th - 8th
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...