Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Fantastic Fossils

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students learn about fossils - what they are, how they are formed, and why scientists and engineers care about them.
Website
American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History: Paleont O Logy: The Big Dig

For Students Pre-K - 1st
This colorful and inviting resource houses tons of paleontology activities to explore. Play the Layers of Time puzzle game, create your own make-believe dig site by burying chicken bones in plaster of Paris, learn how to draw dinosaurs,...
Website
American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History: Dinosaurs: Bambiraptor and Birds

For Students 9th - 10th
A 14-year-old boy found the fossils of a brand new species of dinosaur--the Bambiraptor. Find out the fun facts about what scientists have discovered about the Bambiraptor and how closely it was related to birds with this resource.
Unit Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Learning Lab: Fossils: Footprints Across Time

For Students 9th - 10th
Smithsonian Education presents "Fossils: Footprints Across Time." Teachers can download this teaching package that introduces students to the study of fossils. Students will discover what fossils can teach us about the Earth as it was...
Article
American Geosciences Institute

American Geosciences Institute: How Do Paleontologists Identify Fossils?

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the methods that paleontologists use to identify fossils.
Handout
University of California

Ucmp: Chondrichthyes Fossil Record

For Students 9th - 10th
This Berkeley site offers a great overview of when the class appears in the fossil record.
Handout
University of California

Ucmp: Aves: Fossil Record

For Students 9th - 10th
A very good article on the fossil evidence and the prominent theory on the evolution of birds. Addresses both sides and presents information. Predominently agrees with the pro-dinosaurian point of view.
Handout
University of California

Ucmp: Cnidarian Fossil Records

For Students 9th - 10th
At this University of California, Berkeley site you can find out far back the Cnidarians show up in Fossil records. Also, find out how much they have changed over time! Be sure to click on the highlighted words to go to other interesting...
Handout
Talk Origins Archive

Talk Origins: Fossil Hominids: Richard Leakey

For Students 9th - 10th
Biography of Richard Leakey that deals with his paleontological work and his efforts to preserve African wildlife.
Handout
Treehut

Suzy's World: What Is a Fossil?

For Students 3rd - 5th
This site, which is a personal site from Suzy's World by Suzy Cato, explores fossils. Find out some basic facts about fossils, including who studies them and what they are made of. A fun experiment is also included.
Website
University of California

Ucmp: Online Exhibits

For Students 9th - 10th
Visit the virtual exhibits at this site to learn more about paleontology, the history of the earth, and life on earth. Use the information on this site to understand geology, geologic time, evolution, and phylogeny.
Handout
ArgentinaXplora.com

Argentinaexplora.com: Paleontologia en Argentina Dinosaurios

For Students 9th - 10th
Offers a look at dinosaur paleontology in Argentina with accompanying articles about specific eras and regions of the country.
Handout
University of California

Ucmp: The Dinosauria

For Students 3rd - 8th
The Dinosauria provides the latest information about dinosaurs, including debunking myths, early dinosaur discoveries, characteristics of specific dinosaurs, life history, and discovery of dinosaur fossils.
Lesson Plan
Indiana University

Ensi: The Great Fossil Find Lesson Plan

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students hear a story as they "find" bones that you have put in an envelope for them. Their job is to begin assembling the bones as best they can. The students will invariably come up with different configurations--just like scientists...
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
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Adventures at Dry Creek

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This educational module enables students (5-12) to experience ongoing research of University of California paleontologists studying about life in Montana 60-70 million years ago. It gives students the opportunity to experience the...
PPT
University of California

Ucmp: Paleoecology

For Students 3rd - 8th
This engaging presentation gives examples of insights gained throught the science of paleoecology. Examples are provided that show how paleoecologists use fossils to determine past climates, ecosystem changes and interactions between...
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
Other

Virtual Exploration Society: Roy Chapman Andrews

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about a real life Indiana Jones. Roy Andrews was a paleontologist who discovered fossils from the Cretaceous period in the middle of the Gobi Desert.
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.
Website
Other

Canal Kids: Dinossauros (Dinosaurs), a Era Dos Gigantes

For Students Pre-K - 1st
A good introduction to dinosaurs for young Portuguese-speaking children. Uses an engaging writing style, cartoon-style graphics, and animation to teach about the Mesozoic era. Coverage includes types of dinosaurs and their features,...
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.