Museum in a Box

Welcome! 

Museum in a Box brings dinosaur fossils, paired with hands-on, inquiry-based activities, into your classroom. Your students will conduct investigations that mirror the type of inquiries carried out by paleontologists at the American Museum of Natural History and at other scientific institutions. 

These activities invite students to think, question, and explore like scientists: observing closely, forming hypotheses, and developing evidence-based explanations. Furthermore, each lesson plan aligns with New York State elementary learning standards. 

Quick-Start Guide 

Watch these helpful videos to get you started. 

Receiving Museum in a Box 

• You will receive 2 shipping crates that weigh approximately 70lbs each 
• How to move your crates: 
  • Shipping crates contain wheels that can be attached, see video for details 
  • Use an available dolly 
  • Two people can carry each crate 

User Guides 

Museum in a Box Contents 

• Crate 1: Backdrop, tablecloth, How Do We Know Birds Are Dinosaurs? Crate 2: What Is a Fossil?, Who Walked Here?, Mystery Fossil 

Using Each Activity Box 

• Each activity box = 1 class period activity 
• All materials included (except lesson plans, writing and drawing utensils) 
• Links to online resources for each activity  

How to Use 

1. Decide on how your school will use Museum in a Box
2. Set up the museum display
3. pick activity box
4. Download its lesson plan
5. Teach (one class period)
6. Repeat in any order

Before you Start 

Choose one or both Introductory lessons depending on grade level 

What is a Dinosaur? (slideshow for all grade levels): Introduce your students to the diversity of dinosaurs with this slideshow featuring illustrations of famous (and not so famous) dinosaurs. You can do this activity even before your box arrives to get your students excited. 

What is Paleontology? (online article for Grades 3-5): This online, interactive article covers all the “big ideas” behind the field of paleontology. Students can read the whole thing, or just one or a few of the big ideas. You may also choose to read the article aloud to younger students. 
 

Using Museum in a Box 

Setting Up 

Museum in a Box has two sets of elements: the museum display and the activity boxes. There are two suggested configurations for the use of Museum in a Box 

• Central location: Museum display and all activities are used in one classroom, library or other commonly accessed area  
• Dispersed: Several classrooms use and rotate individual activities, museum display or banner is used in central area, or omitted 

Museum Display 

The Museum Display creates a small museum in the classroom, library, or other central location. The display includes individual objects from activity boxes that will get kids excited and asking questions before the activities start. Please note that because the museum display uses objects from the activities, they will need to be removed to be used during the activity session. 

Included Components: 

• Double-sided banner – 6'6 wide x 7’ 
• 6’ tablecloth 
• Object labels and display stands 

School to provide:  

• 6’ table or other surfaces for “display” 

Objects used in Museum Display: 

• Box 1: Coprolite, dinosaur bone 
• Box 2: Pigeon skeleton, T. rex skeleton model, T. rex furcula cast, Archaeopteryx plaque cast, Velociraptor skull cast 
• Box 3: Large trackway cast 
• Box 4: Mystery fossil – Stegosaurus tail spike 

Activity Boxes 

Once you have completed the Introductory Lesson, you can do the activities in any order, though we do recommend starting with What Is a Fossil?  

Each activity is intended to take one 40-minute class period.  Links to lesson plans below include teacher overview, classroom setup, K-2 and 3-5 worksheets, other online resources, and relevant standards. 

All physical objects for each activity are included in the box. Any consumable including handouts, writing or coloring utensils are not included.