Ancient Life Activities

Look into the past with these activities exploring Ancient Life. Written by Joan Sharp, Simon Fraser University, with support from the Beaty Museum Team, teachers, and paleontologists along the way. All the examples used in these activities highlight species found in ancient British Columbia, many from the Eocene period in the Okanagan Highlands.

There are four standalone activities that you can use in your classroom, bringing authentic paleontology projects to your students without a field trip! You will also find these lesson plans in our Ancient Life Beaty Box. Additional supplementary materials can be explored on our resource page.

A hand on a trackway, an image of ancient BC, and a tray of fossils.

 

 

 


Dinosaur Trackways
How can we use fossil footprints to determine size and speed of dinosaurs from the past? This lesson plan will introduce your class to properly measuring trackways, mathematics, and types of fossils. Use life-sized projections of the trackway casts on display at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum to get hands-on with measurements.
Grades 10-12 | Focused on Geology 12


A Fossil Thermometer
How do paleontologists estimate climate of the past? Learn about fossil leaf margin analysis, and how to compare the past to the present in the Okanagan Highlands. Discuss climate change and conservation paleobiology along the way!
Grades 10-12 | Focused on Environmental Science 11-12 and Geology 12


Fossilization Game
Are fossils more or less likely to form, based on the organism and environment they live in? This interactive game will mimic some of the chance events that influence fossilization likelihood. Compare different environmental conditions that impact fossils of various types, highlighting Eocene species found in the Okanagan Highlands.
Grades 10-12 | Focused on Geology 12


Paleoecology in the Okanagan Highlands
How do paleontologists infer the ecological conditions of the past, including rainfall and temperature ranges? You will identify fossils from the Okanagan Highlands, using their nearest living relatives that are found today. Using data from modern species, you will predict the climate of the Okanagan Highlands in the early Eocene period, and discuss the process along the way.
Grades 10-12 | Focused on Earth Science 11 and Geology 12


Special thanks to Joan Sharp, Samindi Fernando, Hazel Walling, Erin Barley, Dr. Rolf Mathewes, Dr. Bruce Archibald, Simon Fraser University, and the Smithsonian for developing these activities, testing, and providing invaluable scientific knowledge.

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