Paleontology: A Field Experience

Students explain how the earth makes fossils and how dinosaur remains become fossils. In this Bringing Dinosaurs Back to Life lesson, students solve paleo-puzzles which ask students to solve problems as if they were paleontologists....

Students investigate the practice of digging for fossils. They participate in a mock dig of fossils using real bones and other artifacts. Then students dig through sand in order to go through the simulation. Students make observations...

A paleontologist finds a fossil, but then what happens? An engaging video explains what happens to fossils once they make it back to the lab. It then demonstrates three different ways of excavating the fossil from the matrix. 

Teachers can download this teaching package that introduces students to the science of paleontology. Fossil formulation and details about the work of paleontologists are discussed. Find out how paleontologists discover, stabilize, and...

Paleontologists could be considered detectives of the past. A quick online lesson describes the science of paleontology and the importance of fossils. Young scientists read about how paleontologists analyze the features of fossils to...

A famous fossil of fighting dinosaurs holds as many questions as answers. Scholars first analyze the fossil itself by virtually highlighting the specific bones of the dinosaurs and read about their function and importance. They then test...

Sometimes science is puzzling. Using an online animation, individuals manipulate skeletal bones of an ancient species to recreate its skeleton. Learners complete the skeletal puzzle and learn about the process of paleontology in person...

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...

Students explain the difficulty that paleontologists have in assembling fossil bones. Hard cookies are used to simulate dinosaur bones/fossils. They research the Apatosaurus and discuss paleontology.

At this site students play the part of a paleontologist Students must first dig up dinosaur bones using special tools and then reconstruct the dinosaur skeleton back at the lab. Along the way, the students will learn interesting facts...