This publication provides an introduction to the theory of plate tectonics. It was intended as a companion to the map entitled 'This Dynamic Planet', published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Smithsonian Institution. Topics include the history and development of the theory, lines of evidence, plate motions and interactions, hotspots, what drives plate motion, and extraterrestrial plate ... Full description.

The goal of the PALEOMAP Project is to illustrate the plate tectonic development of the ocean basins and continents, as well as the changing distribution of land and sea during the past 1100 million years. In the section on Earth history you can select any time period, read about that period, and see the plate distribution during that period. There is also a section on climate history where you can ... Full description.

This Why File article investigates the controversy over 'Sue', the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex remains ever found. A timeline of the events is given that led to her final placement at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. Due to politics, land rights, ownership arguments, and other issues, her bones were unsettled and not completely studied from 1990 to 1996. This article also examines ... Full description.

This Classroom Connectors lesson plan fossils and how they are formed. The site provides goals, objectives, an outline, time required, materials, activities, and closure ideas for the lesson. The Classroom Connectors address content with an activity approach while incorporating themes necessary to raise the activity to a higher cognition level. The major motivation is to employ instructional strategies ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It discusses the dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex, and whether or not it was a scavenger or a predator. After researching many physical aspects of this dinosaur, students explain their views on this topic to show what they have learned. It includes objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions, evaluation ideas, ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on Alfred Wegener's theory of Continental Drift and the evidence used to support it. Using fossil types and maps, students view similarities between continents that led Wegener to conclude that they had once been together as a supercontinent, Pangea. Included are objectives, materials, procedures, discussion ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on the Mesozoic era of Earth's history, when the dinosaurs were alive. Students divide into groups to research one of the three periods of this time, and create a habitat mural for that time period. At the end, comparisons are made between the three time periods to discover how dinosaurs evolved during ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on topography and how to identify significant landforms in literature. This is a cross-curricular lesson where students use a novel they have recently read to identify and understand topography features and the geological terms that identify these landforms. Included are objectives, materials, procedures, ... Full description.

This informational tour offers students a basic understanding of geologic time, the evidence for events in the history of the Earth, relative and absolute dating techniques, and the significance of the Geologic Time Scale. Students move at a self-selected pace by answering questions correctly as they go. The teacher's guide contains all the details needed to use this computer activity, including handouts, ... Full description.

This Classroom Connectors lesson plan discusses the characteristics of geologic time, including the law of superposition, fossil preservation, casts and molds, and various events through the history of the Earth. The site provides goals, objectives, an outline, time required, materials, activities, and closure ideas for the lesson. The Classroom Connectors address content with an activity approach ... Full description.