Learners determine what types of information can be determined by looking at fossils. In this fossil lesson plan, students examine facts about and images of the Tyrannosaurus Rex at an assigned web site. They apply their knowledge to...

Students research and develop a presentation about a famous fossil hunter/archaeologist. In this fossil hunter/archaeologist lesson plan, students listen to a reading of Don Brown's, Rare Treasure: Mary Anning and Her Remarkable...

Students create mock fossil records based on current scientific theories about prehistory. By learning about what fossil records teach us about different prehistoric time periods, students gain a greater understanding of theories of...

Seventh graders investigate how fossils are formed and discuss how scientists determine the appearance of ancient plants and animals. They make fossils of everyday objects for others to identify. They make spreadsheets to display fossil...

Breath new life into your class's study of dinosaurs with this extensive collection of materials. Offering everything from a printable T-rex mask, word searches, and connect-the-dots activities to informational handouts, hands-on...

Students investigate the evidence and consequences of global warming. They read and discuss an article, conduct a debate, evaluate their community's climate statistics, log their gas consumption for a week, and develop a panel discussion...

Students create posters to raise awareness about endangered species.  In this endangered and extinct species instructional activity, students use the Internet to research endangered and extinct animals, record their findings on a...

Students develop an understanding of the evolution of species in the context of the woolly mammoth. They examine the fossil record to explain natural selection.

Students examine and analyze a poster that presents various types of animals throughout the ages. They determine biological classification with fossils and earth history in a game.

Climate affects populations in different ways. Scholars research extinct organisms and mass extinctions in part three of the 10-installment Discover Your Changing World series. They create graphic organizers, then fill in the...

Foster's Rule? Allopatric speciation? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation, class members use Venn diagrams to compare endemic species on the Channel Islands with mainland related species. They then create a...

Students research the origin of oil and natural gas to gather an understanding of the stages of fossil fuel formation. Then the class creates murals depicting the life cycle of a fossil fuel.

Students examine amphibian evolution by comparing fossils with a modern-day skeleton. They experience the scientific thought process of drawing conclusions from limited paleontological data. Student groups align the figures with the...

Students research the amount and kinds of energy that are produced and consumed in the United States, including the limitations of this kind of consumption. They research and create a display to teach classmates about a specific...

With global temperatures on the rise faster than ever recorded, the effects of a heating planet could be devastating. Allow learners to discover just what the world is in store for if the warming continues through a series of videos, a...

Students explore elements by analyzing everyday objects and materials in class. In this carbon lesson plan, students define several vocabulary terms such as carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon, and carbonate. Students view a group of items,...

Students compare and contrast fossil fuels and bio-fuels. They brainstorm what mining might look like in the future. Students view the film "A Day in the Life of a Coalminer." They discuss fossil fuels and the methods of extraction....

Students investigate energy by researching how oil reservoirs work. In this fossil fuels lesson, students conduct an experiment using a half full bottle of water, corn oil and oxygen, recording their data as the elements are mixed...

Students identify some of the different species of crabs and tell how they adapt themselves to their environment. They discuss the evolution and stages of development of the crabs. They identify the Phylum Arthropoda and the Class...

Climate change affects even the largest and intimidating of landforms—even Mount Everest! A resource helps teach learners the connection between global climate change and its effects on Earth. Activities include videos, class discussion,...

Students view pictures of distant "cousins" to humans. They place them in order by their distance from humans. Students receive a packet of six pages featuring graphics and a cousins summary page. They work in groups to complete 5 cousin...

Students work in groups as they read chapters of Charles Darwin's, Voyage of the Beagle. They take notes on the chapter and in their group make a timeline of the chapter. They tape the timelines together in order to depict the entire...

Middle schoolers identify one object that would tell the story of their lives. In groups, they determine what can and cannot be told from objects left behind. After watching a video, they compare and contrast chicken bones to human...

Students investigate the stripes in sedimentary rocks, using a structure at Petra, Jordan, as an example, and then do a hands-on activity using mixed nuts to illustrate the layering of sedimentary rocks.