These are the teaching notes for a case study in which students use cooperative learning and role-playing to explore the scientific, technical, environmental, and ethical issues related to the possibility of cloning dinosaurs from ancient DNA. The case was designed to enhance the learning environment in an introductory class through cooperative problem-solving and to promote active participation in ... Full description.

This National Park Service (NPS) website contains details about Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho. It discusses the history of the area, geology of the monument, geologic history, habitats, vegetation and wildlife present in this region. An education section includes a teacher's guide containing geologic activities for the classroom about topics such as earth history, hot spots, volcanoes ... Full description.

This information is designed to connect what students have learned about scientific arguments to the role and nature of explanatory models in science. They will be asked to read and discuss a brief handout about scientific models and their function in science. They will discover that models are ideas that scientists use to explain patterns they see in the natural world, a model is an idea that has ... Full description.

In this lesson, students experience the historical discovery of fossils which increasingly link whales to earlier land-dwelling mammals. This experience also reveals how scientists can make predictions about past events based on the theory that whales evolved from certain groups of early land mammals. Such predictions suggest the age and location of sediments where fossils of early whales would most ... Full description.

In this case study activity, students will investigate arctic geology and hydrology as well as tundra ecology and consider options for sewage treatment. Public safety, environmental impact, and issues of construction and engineering will be explored. This Starting Point example page builds on the Lifelines Online case study and includes learning goals, context for use, teaching notes and tips, teaching ... Full description.