Decide on how your school will use Museum in a BoxSet up the museum displayPick activity boxDownload its lesson planTeach (one class period)Repeat in any order

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

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

Museum in a Box

Q: 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

Q: 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

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.

A table with various fossils layout and a play button in the middle of the screen

Receiving Museum in a Box

User Guide

Museum in a Box Users Guide

Museum in a Box Contents

How to Use

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.

Lesson	Description	Lesson Plan Link	Slide Show Link	Activity Box	Activity Inventory

Box 1: What is a Fossil?	A fossil is any evidence of prehistoric life that is at least 10,000 years old. In this activity, students will learn that fossils are evidence of past life	What is a Fossil?		Yes
Box 2: How Do We Know Birds Are Dinosaurs?	By observing the body parts of skeletons of ancient dinosaurs and modern birds, students will learn how scientists determined that birds are a kind of dinosaur.	How Do We Know Birds Are Dinosaurs?		Yes
Box 3: Who Walked Here?	Paleontologists study trackways—fossilized footprints—for clues about how ancient dinosaurs behaved. In this activity, students will analyze dinosaur trackways for clues about non-avian dinosaur behavior.	Who Walked Here?	Famous Trackways	Yes
Box 4: Mystery Fossil	Scientists study modern animals for clues about the behavior of ancient dinosaurs. In this activity, students will examine a mystery fossil and compare it with body parts of living animals. They will use evidence and their imaginations to hypothesize about what the fossil is and how it was used.	Mystery Fossil	Mystery Fossil Reveal	Yes

Museum in a Box

Welcome!

Quick-Start Guide

Using Museum in a Box

Additional Resources