Investigate rocks. Explore how scientists can read the rocks to learn about the history of the Earth.

FOR STUDENTS

		What's the Big Idea About Paleontology? Article for grades 3 through 8 Most living things never become fossils. And most of the fossils created will never be found. Learn more about these extremely rare—and valuable—records of the past.
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		Meet the PaleontOLogists Article for grades 3 through 8 If you dig dinosaurs, then you need to meet these OLogists. Find out what cool stuff Anna, Max, Reva, and Mark have uncovered while following their curiosity.
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		What Do You Know About Paleontology? Activity for grades 3 through 8 How much do you know about the Age of Dinosaurs? Brush the dust and other sediment off your brain, and test your paleontology knowledge with this interactive quiz.
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		Beyond T. rex Evidence and Analysis for grades 3 through 8 Only a small fraction of the 400-plus known species of extinct dinosaurs have appeared on TV and movie screens. Meet some of the more unusual members of T. rex and Velociraptor's family tree.
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		Create Your Own Mesozoic Museum Activity for grades 3 through 8 What would it be like to organize a dinosaur exhibit? Find out by creating your own miniature Mesozoic Museum. Don't forget to invite your friends and family to the opening!
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		Finding Fossils Activity for grades 3 through 8 You don't have to be a professional paleontologist to collect the remains of ancient life. Anyone can find fossils. This handy how-to guide tells you where to look and what to do.
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		Buried Bones Activity for grades 3 through 8 The next time you have chicken, don't throw out the bones—bury them in plaster of Paris. Then, scrape by scrape, see firsthand the challenges archaeologists face when excavating fossils.
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		Drawing Dinos Activity for grades 3 through 8 Ever wonder how scientists can look at a bunch of bones and draw what a dinosaur looked like? Learn their five-step trick. Then, bring a Stegosaurus skeleton to life.
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		Going Gobi Article for grades 3 through 8 Who would travel halfway around the world to spend the summer in a desert where brutal sandstorms and surprise flash floods are on the itinerary? Meet Mike and Mark, who've made the trek annually since 1990.
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		Kids in the Hall of Planet Earth: Rocks in Your Cabinet Article for grades 3 through 8 Chances are good that there are rocks and minerals in the pots you cook with, the dishes you dine on, and the food you eat. See which ones are hiding out in your kitchen.
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		Face-to-Fossil Article for grades 3 through 8 Join the inquisitive Deena Soris as she interviews the fossil of a Protoceratops. This dashing dino, dug up in Mongolia in the 1920s, offers insight into his former life—and the secrets he's still keeping.
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BACKGROUND FOR EDUCATORS

		Fighting Dinosaurs: New Discoveries from Mongolia Exhibition Materials for grades 3 through 12 Travel to Mongolia's famed Gobi Desert for a look at some amazing fossils you've never seen before. For starters, there's a fierce Velociraptor that was apparently buried alive while attacking a Protoceratops.
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		Paleontology Books Reference List for grades 3 through 8 Take a tour of evolution. Discover a dinosaur nesting ground in Patagonia. Travel in the Magic School Bus to Dinosaur Land. And dig up lots of dinosaur facts with these 12 kid-friendly books.
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		Amber: Window to the Past Exhibition Materials for grades 3 through 12 A menagerie of insects. Feathers and flowers. A gecko lizard, a scorpion, and a frog. All preserved for millions of years in amber. Explore the clues left behind by ancient ecosystems.
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		Fossil Halls Exhibition Materials for all ages Take a virtual stroll through the Museum's Fossil Halls any time, day or night. You can get a close-up look at some of our most famous dinosaurs and meet the early relatives of mammals.
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		Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth Exhibition Materials for all ages Did you know you can see a zircon crystal that's nearly as old as Earth at the Museum? Or a whopping 38 tons of rock—about the weight of six adult African elephants? Explore the Hall of Planet Earth.
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		Creating the Hall of Planet Earth Exhibition Materials for grades 6 through 12 Tour Earth's dynamic, 4.5-billion-year story. You'll see continents drift, mountains build, oceans form, glaciers slice through rock—and how the museum has brought these events and more to life.
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		Rock Dating Gallery Article for grades 9 through 12 The discovery of radioactivity in 1896 made it possible to determine the precise age of rocks. But how exactly does radioactive element dating work? Find out with this multimedia overview.
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		Dinosaurs in Patagonia Article for grades 6 through 12 In 1997, a team of scientists traveled to a remote region of Argentina to search for early birds and their ancestors. Instead, they made the remarkable discovery of a large dinosaur nesting ground.
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		Theropod Fossil Hunt Dispatch Article for grades 6 through 12 In 1996, Dr. Mark Norell was stunned by a 3x5-inch photograph shown to him by a colleague. Follow along as that snapshot leads him to Dave, a well-preserved fossil of a feathered dromaeosaur.
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		Video Gallery: Mark Norell's Research Article for grades 6 through 12 This dromaeosaur found in northeastern China was covered from head to tail in feathers. In fact, in terms of fluffiness, it would've looked like a Persian cat. Learn more about the origin of feathers.
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		Earth Scientist Gallery Article for grades 6 through 12 What did it take to create the Hall of Planet Earth? For starters, scientists able to collect Hawaiian lava, basaltic columns from Washington State, and sulfur from a live volcano in Indonesia.
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Discover how volcanoes, earthquakes, and weather shape the Earth's surface features. Learn how scientists study the Earth's interior. Explore the landforms that lie hidden beneath the world's oceans.

FOR STUDENTS

		Exploring Density Activity for grades 3 through 12 Why do some materials sink to the core of a planet while others float to the crust? This experiment uses marshmallow fluff and molasses to illustrate the concept of planet differentiation.
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		The Formation of the Solar System Article for grades 3 through 12 About 4.6 billion years ago, our solar system came into being. This comic strip explains the processes that led to the creation of the planets and the asteroid belt.
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FOR STUDENTS...MORE CHALLENGING

		Journey to the Deep Sea Vents Curriculum Materials for grades 6 through 8 Even if the ocean's surface is calm, it's anything but that down on the ocean floor. Volcanoes and earthquakes occur regularly, just as they do on dry land. Introduce your students to the dynamic sea floor.
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BACKGROUND FOR EDUCATORS

		Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth Exhibition Materials for all ages Did you know you can see a zircon crystal that's nearly as old as Earth at the Museum? Or a whopping 38 tons of rock—about the weight of six adult African elephants? Explore the Hall of Planet Earth.
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		Glaciations and Conglomerates Gallery Article for grades 9 through 12 If you look closely, you can see that the broken-up rock fragments in this conglomerate aren't resting on each other, meaning this composite rock wasn't created in a river. How, then, was it created?
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		Let's Talk with Bob Bindschadler about the Movement of Ice Sheets Article for grades 6 through 12 More than any other, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has the greatest potential to raise sea levels all over the world. Learn how scientists are studying it, both in the field and back in the lab.
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Learn more about the Earth, the Sun, the Moon and the planets of our Solar System. Read interviews with astronomers and learn what tools they use to study our universe.

FOR STUDENTS

		3-D Model of the Big Dipper Curriculum Materials for grades Kindergarten through 8 In outer space, you might not recognize the Big Dipper. The stars that form this constellation exist in 3-D not 2-D—so the star pattern changes with your viewpoint. Take another look at the Big Dipper.
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		What Do You Know About Astronomy? Activity for grades 3 through 8 How much do you really know about our place in space? Test your astronomy knowledge with this interactive quiz. Don't worry, there's no grading—just a helpful look at the answers when you're done!
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		What's the Big Idea About Astronomy? Article for grades 3 through 8 Huge distances, gigantic sizes, and long periods of time—astronomy is a BIG subject. We've brought learning about it down to size with this look at the big ideas you need to know.
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		Meet the Astronomers Article for grades 3 through 8 If you're starry-eyed for astronomy, then you need to meet these OLogists. Find out where Astrid, Kristina, Mercer, Thomas, and Neil have followed their curiosity.
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		Interview with Mars Activity for grades 3 through 8 Join forces with Stella Stardust to create a red-hot interview of the red planet. As Mars, you can proudly tell the world about being home to the largest volcano in the solar system.
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		The Formation of the Solar System Article for grades 3 through 12 About 4.6 billion years ago, our solar system came into being. This comic strip explains the processes that led to the creation of the planets and the asteroid belt.
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		Stargazing Activity for grades 3 through 8 There are thousands of stars in the night sky. Hidden among them are constellations and planets. How many can you find? Record your sightings in a stellar sky journal.
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		Space Travel Guide Activity for grades 3 through 8 Can you convince your friends to spend the next school break on Pluto? Let your imagination run wild, and write an inspiring work of science fiction.
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		Cosmic Cookies Activity for grades 3 through 8 Did you know Jupiter's Great Red Spot is really a 300-year-old hurricane that's twice as wide as Earth? Find out more awesome facts. Then celebrate your cosmic smarts with a solar system of cookies.
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		Solar System Scavenger Hunt Activity for grades 3 through 8 Try this on for size: If Earth were the size of your head, then Mercury would be an orange and Jupiter a small car. Size up the planets for yourself with a model scavenger hunt.
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		Impacts Article for grades 3 through 12 Why do you think they call it “Impacts"? A comic strip shows what can happen—and does happen—when asteroids head for Earth.
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FOR STUDENTS...MORE CHALLENGING

		Welcome to Mars Article for grades 6 through 12 Did you know Mars was named for the Roman god of war because the planet's surface looks blood-stained? Or that the Red Planet actually gets its coloring from surface rust? Take a trip to our "closest neighbor."
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		The 3-D Universe Article for grades 6 through 12 A 2-D map is a great guide here on Earth—and virtually worthless for finding your way around in outer space. Take a 3-D look at mapping our solar system and universe.
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BACKGROUND FOR EDUCATORS

		Afpectus Lunae: Does the Moon Rotate on Its Axis? Article for grades 6 through 12 Like Earth, the Moon rotates on its axis. So why do we see only one view of its face? Grab two oranges, and let this 8th-grader from Pennsylvania show you the answer.
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		Rose Center for Earth and Space Exhibition Materials for grades 6 through 12 Fly through the Orion Nebula, watch a black hole in action, download the universe to your desktop, or zoom around the museum's Scales of the Universe exhibit.
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		After-School Educator's Guide to OLogy: Astronomy Curriculum Materials for grades 3 through 8 What kid isn’t drawn to this very, very big subject: the universe, and the life cycles of everything in it? This is a guide for after-school educators to the Astronomy section of OLogy, the Museum’s science Web site for kids.
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		Astronomy Web Sites for Kids Reference List for grades 3 through 12 Find cyberspace field trips, images from Hubble, a Mars Trip Planner, live Web cams, astronomy camps, NASA careers, and more out-of-this-world resources on these kid-friendly Web sites.
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		Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites Exhibition Materials for all grades up to 12 Hundreds of times each year, a rock survives the fiery trip from space and lands on Earth. Take a look at some of these "fallen stars" that have been recovered from around the globe.
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		Hall of Meteorites Educator's Guide Curriculum Materials for grades 6 through 12 Get ready for a comprehensive look at meteorites through the latest research and cutting-edge technology. Make the most of your visit with this practical guide.
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		Cullman Hall of the Universe Exhibition Materials for grades 6 through 12 Just like humans, stars are born, live out their lives, and then die. See the life cycle for stars play out before your eyes (in a matter of minutes) with this Hall of the Universe Web site.
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Discover Earth's diverse water habitats and their inhabitants. Learn the causes of water pollution and what people are doing to keep our water clean.

FOR STUDENTS

		What Do You Know About Marine Biology? Activity for grades 3 through 8 How much do you know about our watery world? Find out with this interactive quiz. Here's a hint to get you started: The greatest diversity of life on Earth is NOT found in your bathroom!
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		What's the Big Idea About Marine Biology? Article for grades 3 through 8 How is the ocean like a layer cake? What cool and spooky creatures live there? And just how important is the ocean to humans? Dive deep into marine biology with this kid-friendly introduction.
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		Supersaturated Salinity Activity for grades 3 through 8 You know that oil and water don't mix, but what about saltwater and freshwater? Find out firsthand with this kid-friendly experiment that examines both salinity and density.
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		Journey to the Bottom of the Sea Activity for grades 3 through 8 Did you know sound moves five times faster in water than in air? Or that cleaner fish have "cleaning stations" where they remove parasites? Deepen your knowledge with this ocean life challenge.
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FOR STUDENTS...MORE CHALLENGING

		Let's Talk With Melanie Stiassny About the Oceans Article for grades 6 through 12 Living on land as we do, it's easy to forget this is a water planet. Yet life appeared about 3.5 billion years ago in the ocean, and instead of leaving, most things stayed there.
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BACKGROUND FOR EDUCATORS

		Ocean Books Reference List for grades 3 through 8 Explore the ocean's depths. Make your own diving bird mobile or Treasure Island map. Discover what sharks eat—and how it tastes. And set your mind afloat with these 12 kid-friendly books.
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		Dispatch from the Deep: Global Ocean Circulation and Deep Sea Temperatures Article for grades 6 through 12 At the ocean's surface, winds create waves and currents. So why, then, are there currents moving all the way down at the deepest depths? Find out what's behind all this deep sea churning.
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		Life on the Reef Article for grades 6 through 8 In September 2000, marine biologists from across the U.S. gathered in the Bahamas to study creatures along one of the world's largest barrier reefs. They even got help from NASA. Dive in to their expedition findings.
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		The Mystery of a Lifeless Creek: Investigating Dissolved Oxygen and Fecal-Coliform Bacteria Article for grades 6 through 12 This 9th-grader from Pennsylvania has many fond memories of the creek near her house—yet, this creek contains no aquatic life. Join her as she sets out to determine why.
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		Milstein Hall of Ocean Life Exhibition Materials for all grades up to 12 More than two-thirds of the planet is covered by ocean, yet less than five percent of it has been explored. Dive in for an in-depth look at Earth's mysterious, fragile, and amazingly vital ocean.
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		Let's Talk with Stephanie Shipp about Glaciers, Sea Ice, and Life on Antarctica Article for grades 6 through 12 If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet breaks apart, it could release enough water to raise the sea level by six meters (19.7 feet). Meet a scientist studying the ice sheet's past in order to predict its future.
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		Mangroves: The Roots of the Sea Article for grades 9 through 12 Breathing tubes that act like snorkels, roots that filter freshwater from seawater, and seeds that can ride the waves for a year before taking root—welcome to the remarkably tough mangrove forest.
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		Oscawana: A Dying Lake? Article for grades 6 through 12 Oscawana has all the symptoms of a dying lake. Join this seventh-grader from New York as she hunts for the culprits—and examines what can be done to restore the lake.
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		Florida's Fragile Reefs: What's Happening to this Underwater World? Article for grades 6 through 12 Investigate reefs in the Florida Keys to see how and why they are dying not just there, but all over the world. Then learn what can be done to save these "rain forests of the sea."
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		Setting Rivers Free Article for grades 6 through 12 More than two million dams block virtually every waterway in America. But how many of these structures have seen their day? Learn what happens when dammed rivers are set free.
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		Mothers of East L.A. Water Conservation Article for grades 6 through 12 Among their many initiatives, the Mothers of East Los Angeles reduced water usage in their community by 325 million gallons a year. How did they do it? By distributing ultra-low-flush toilets.
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Discover more about the Earth's weather and climate, and how scientists track and monitor storms.

FOR STUDENTS

		The Path to El Niño Article for grades 3 through 8 Every two to seven years, wind, cloud, and sea level patterns change in the Pacific Ocean near the equator. Learn about this hard-to-predict climate change; then see if you can create your own El Niño.
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FOR STUDENTS...MORE CHALLENGING

		Weather Report Evidence and Analysis for grades 6 through 12 You don’t need high-tech equipment like an anemometer to measure the wind speed at your field site. This easy-to-complete weather report helps you classify the wind’s speed by observing its effects.
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		Amazing Albedo Activity for grades 6 through 12 There's a good reason why your summer attire is lighter and brighter than your winter wardrobe. This easy experiment illustrates the power of albedo in black and white.
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		Seasonal Cycle Evidence and Analysis for grades 6 through 12 If the Earth turns all the way around every 24 hours, then why are some days longer than others? And why do we have winter and summer? See the answers for yourself—in a matter of seconds.
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		Let's Talk with Christina Hulbe about Studying Ice Flows for Clues to Climate Change Article for grades 6 through 12 What's better than watching ice melt? Building a computer model to simulate the melting! Ice flow plays an important role in everything from deep ocean circulation patterns to global warming.
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BACKGROUND FOR EDUCATORS

		The Rise of Oxygen Article for grades 6 through 12 Oxygen is so essential that it's hard to imagine Earth without it. Yet it wasn't in the atmosphere for the first half of our planet's 4.5-billion-year history. Trace the profound effects of its rise.
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		Studying Tree Rings to Learn About Global Climate Article for grades 9 through 12 By taking biopsy-like samples from centuries-old Siberian pines, scientists have reconstructed a 300-year record of temperature changes for the Arctic and the Northern Hemisphere.
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		Antarctic Weather Reports Evidence and Analysis for grades 6 through 12 The weather station names paint quite a picture of Antarctica—Penguin Point, Ski-Hi, and Windless Bight. Which one would you guess had the lowest temperature? And what month was it recorded in?
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		Transformation of the Bioshphere: Global Environmental Change Exhibition Materials for grades 6 through 12 Neglecting our planet's soils, atmosphere, and water is costly. It has harmed ecosystems and species, and it is degrading the quality of human life. Take a worldwide look at some of the effects.
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		Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth Exhibition Materials for all ages Did you know you can see a zircon crystal that's nearly as old as Earth at the Museum? Or a whopping 38 tons of rock—about the weight of six adult African elephants? Explore the Hall of Planet Earth.
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		Derecho Article for grades 9 through 12 In just 20 minutes, a derecho blew boathouses and docks into the air and knocked down 25 million trees in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Explore this rarely seen windstorm.
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		Climate Change Graphics from the Hall of Planet Earth Exhibition Materials for grades 9 through 12 A year without a summer? Volcanic eruptions recorded in ice? Take a look at the world through the eyes of a geologist, and see the effects of climate changes.
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