Curriculum provided by the Tate Geological Museum
The following lessons were designed to fit the Natrona County School District # 1 essential curriculum standards as of May 2012. Natrona County is located in central Wyoming. Lessons were created with the Tate Geological Museum’s exhibits in mind so that teachers and visitors could work outside of the museum to enhance learning and follow-up with museum visits. The Tate Geological Museum is located in Casper, Wyoming. Illustrations by Russell J. Hawley, Tate Geological Museum Educator.
Explanation of State Standard Codes: (ST) 8.1.2.C
(ST) Letters in parenthesis stand for the Level of Cognitive Demand – Key: (R) = Recall (A) = Application (ST) = Strategic Thinking (ET) = Extended Thinking
8–The first number indicates the grade level. Kindergarten is indicated with a K.
1–The second number indicates the Content Standard
2–The third number indicates the Benchmark under the Content Standard
C–The fourth letter or number indicates the Sub Benchmark under the Benchmark, which is under the Content Standard.
These standards are posted in greater detail on the NCSD #1 website
Primary
Preschool
Dinosaur Week Unit
Includes ideas for math, literacy, science, music, art and fun recipes!
Kindergarten
Lesson: Dinosaur Eggs
Includes an activity to sort dinosaur eggs and learn about two types of dinosaurs: oviraptor & maiasaura. Discussion includes dinosaur parenting.
Lesson: Sorting Rocks
This lesson introduces students to sorting and classifying rocks through a hand-on activity.
Second Grade
Lesson Plan: What do scientists do?
Conduct an experiment like a scientist: Sink or Float
Third Grade
Lesson: Why was the Struthiomimus sedens, the ostrich-mimic dinosaur, so fast?
This lesson teaches how anatomy affects mobility. It includes an activity that helps students compute their leg ratio and compare it to ostrich and the Struthiomimus measurements to help determine speed.
- Lesson Plan: Struthiomimus speed (Word doc)
- Ostrich-mimic dinosaur illustration (PDF available upon request)
Intermediate
Fourth Grade
Lesson: The Road to Fossilization
Understanding the NPS Fossilization Poster and Stratigraphic Range
Lesson: The Rock Cycle
Learn about igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks and how they change through this fun experiment
Lesson: Rock Exploration 101
Kids will learn about the scientific process through rock exploration
Lesson: Create a Dinosaur Illustration and Poem
Study Dinosaur Habitat included Internet resources
Lesson: Watching the Video Dee the Mammoth
Includes discussion questions and classroom worksheet with answers for instructor
Lesson: Dichotomous Mineral Keys
Students will use a dichotomous key to identify minerals
Lesson: Understanding Geologic Time
Students will create a geologic timeline, mnemonic and draw corresponding life on their timeline.
Lesson: Understanding Geologic Features – Big Taffy Mountain by Dana Van Burgh
Using candy, students will gain an understanding of how rock layers were bent.
Fifth Grade
Lesson: Drawing Dee & Researching Mammoth Habitat
Lesson(s):
2 Lesson Plans that work together:
Lesson: Comparing and contrasting elephants and mammoths
Identifying skeleton bones of Dee, discussion of mammoth and elephant ancestry
- Identifying mammoth skeleton (Word doc)
- Dee the Mammoth Skeleton Key (Word doc)
- Ancestry of elephants (Word doc)
- Contrasting elephants and mammoths (PDF)
Sixth Grade
Lesson: Fibonacci Through Time
Students will apply the Fibonacci principle in identifying prehistoric animal and plants
Lesson: Women in Paleontology
A good lesson for March, as it is Women’s History Month. Students will learn about paleontology and the important contributions women have made to the science.
Secondary
Seventh Grade
Lesson: Convection in the Mantle
Students will explore plate tectonics with this lesson
Lesson: Self-Guided Tour of the Tate Geological Museum
This lesson includes a worksheet students to find answers at the Tate Museum, with attached answers for the instructor. In addition, this lesson includes post visit discussion questions for the classroom.
Lesson: Earthquake Measurement
The Richter Scale using the Khan Academy Video
Lesson: Understanding the Theory of Pangaea
This lesson includes background information regarding the theory of Pangaea and uses an activity that helps students understand the concept. Web links to additional information included.
- Lesson Plan: Pangaea (Word doc) – not currently available
- Activity: Plate Tectonics Crossword (Word doc)
- Illustrations of Animals in lesson (PDF) – not currently available
- Pangaea Reunited Worksheet (PDF) – not currently available
- Plate Tectonics Vocabulary list with definitions (Word doc) – not currently available
- World Continents Map for Lesson (PDF) – not currently available
Eighth Grade
Lesson Plan: Comparing and Contrasting Knightia and Cutthroat Trout
This lesson helps student learn fish anatomy and learn about Wyoming’s state fish. Included are weblinks and a fish anatomy worksheet.
Lesson Plan: Dinosaur Names – Root Origins
This lesson demonstrates how dinosaurs were named by exploring the Greek & Latin root words.
Ninth through Twelfth Grade
No lesson available
Fun and Games
- Easily accessed online and can be played as a class, projected on your Smartboard.
- Easily accessed online and can be played as a class, projected on your Smartboard.
Learn how to Draw Dee the Mammoth – available upon request
Triceratops Craft
Make a fun and easy model of a triceratops with the template and instructions – available upon request
Invertebrate Fun page (PDF) – available upon request
Make a Dinosaur Food Web (PDF) – available upon request