Interactive Historical Vignettes (IHVs) can serve as introductions to scientific content, pique students' interest, and reveal the nature of science to students (Clary and Wandersee 2006). Additionally, pivotal episodes in the life of a scientist can reveal the humanness of science, and the cultural and societal constraints in which the scientist…

Renee Clary and James Wandersee implemented the Stratigraphy and Data Interpretation Project described in this article when they recognized that some students were having difficulties constructing appropriate graphics and interpreting their constructed graphics for an earlier mathematics-science project in their classrooms. They also previously…

The "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) focus attention on integrating engineering and math in science instruction. The dinosaur trackway project described in this article shows that it is possible to assign engineering applications to students in disciplines other than physics and to integrate math and engineering applications in…

Some of the most important scientific studies are associated with either incredibly large dimensions (e.g., the universe) or extremely small proportions (e.g., the cell). While a teacher's curriculum may often switch from mega-expanses to minutia, they should question how easily students comprehend the change in sizes. This article addresses…

Gravel is a component of parking lots, highway shoulders, garden pathways, and filtration systems. Few people bother to scientifically examine gravel and determine its origin, but gravel can be an effective, inexpensive, and abundant resource for science classrooms. It can serve as a portal for several interdisciplinary science activities and…

This article discusses a creative visualization project to motivate and engage students. Students depict a dinosaur in its ecosystem and include all three elements of the environment: air, land, and water. Students explore scientific content in evolution, natural selection, food webs, ecosystems and geologic time. (Contains 6 figures.)

Professors of an online graduate-level paleontology class developed the concept of marquee fossils--fossils that have one or more unique characteristics that capture the attention and direct observation of students. In the classroom, Marquee fossils integrate the geology, biology, and environmental science involved in the study of fossilized…

Massive extinctions of animals and the arrival of the first humans in ancient Australia--which occurred 45,000 to 55,000 years ago--may be linked. Researchers at the Carnegie Institution, University of Colorado, Australian National University, and Bates College believe that massive fires set by the first humans may have altered the ecosystem of…

Now, a research team from Virginia Tech and Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology has discovered uniquely well-preserved fossil forms from 550-million-year-old rocks of the Ediacaran Period. The research appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The discovery of these unusually preserved fossils reveals unprecedented…

Describes paleontological studies of trace fossils (the impressions that record the animal's activity) such as dinosaur footprints. Discusses the importance of findings to our knowledge of dinosaur social behavior and community structure. Also tracts evolution of behavior from the Upper Triassic through the Upper Cretaceous, building evidence of…

Presents an activity that simulates involvement in a paleontology dig in which students in teams unearth a skeleton and follow field procedures for documenting the dig and handling specimens. Provides details of each stage of the project. (DDR)

Presents a density study in which students calculate the density of limestone substrate to determine if the specimen contains any fossils. Explains how to make fossils and addresses national standards. (YDS)

Describes activities for secondary earth science and biology classes in collecting, preparing, mounting, and manipulating microfossils. (SL)

Describes amber and its hardened form called copal. Explains how amber is formed and where it comes from. Discusses possibilities of obtaining DNA from insects caught in amber. (PR)

Described is an activity where students prepare high-quality fossil specimens to demonstrate the theory of evolution. The technique needed for fossil removal, the geologic and paleoclimatic setting, and the fish morphology are discussed. (KR)