Welcome to our virtual resources page! While we’re all social distancing, we thought we’d share links to courses, books, interactive tours, and other educational resources [all free while we’re sheltering in place]. We’ll try to keep this page updated. Big thank you to everyone who has shared with us. Stay healthy and safe!
Jurassic VR
Sam Noble Scientists in the Classroom
Canadian Museum of Nature
Alf Museum Virtual Experiences
Dinosphere
Interactive Globe of Ancient Earth
Expeditions
Royal Tyrrell Museum From Home
More teaching guides and webinars are available at Smithsonian Science.
Media and Science
Use this lesson plan to help your students read beyond the headlines about scientific studies.
I Know Dino Lesson Plans
Access multiple I Know Dino, dinosaur-themed lesson plans. For elementary, middle school, and high school students.
Research Quest
An engaging and powerful series of science investigations that improve students’ critical thinking.
How Bones Fossilize ... or Don't
This video features Paleontologist Kay Behrensmeyer, who specializes in the study of how things fossilize, or don’t.
Mass Extinction – Solving the Dinosaur Mystery
This video features Dr. Kirk Johnson, a paleobotanist and Sant Director of the National Museum of Natural History.
What Tiny Fossils Explain about Big Dinosaur Ecosystems
This video features Dr. Matthew Carrano, a paleontologist at the National Museum of Natural History.
The Science of Verbs
The student will connect science to everyday, unusual, or rare actions carried out by people.
Fossil Lesson Plans
Lesson plans on fossils of individual phyla and introducing fossils and how they are formed.
I Notice, I Wonder, It Reminds Me Of
Help student develop a mindset of curiosity, and provide language tools to engage with the natural world.
AMNH Ology
Stories, games, quizzes, and more.
Family Activity: Birds and Worms
In this activity, children will discover the value of camouflage as they pretend to be birds in search of colored worms.
Science Red Flags
The more red flags you can identify in a claim, the less reliable it will be. They should be compared to the Hallmarks of science, which indicate science that’s conducted properly.
Dinosaurs and Fossils
Information about fossils, with links to even more resources. Big thanks to Lyndhurst STEM club for sharing.
Fossil Friday Webchats
Join the Alf Museum and the Western Science Center online every Friday for Fossil Friday chats!
SUE the T. rex Virtual Tour for Classrooms
Learn about this famous fossil’s history, complete with trivia and interactive 3D model, in this virtual tour just for classrooms.
Dinosaurs and the Scientific Method
How to use dinosaurs to teach the scientific method, conservation and ethics
Learning Portal: Royal BC Museum
Pathways, illustrations, and more about dinosaurs and other topics.
Giraffatitan dinosaur: Back to life in 360 VR
Teleport to the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin to encounter the Jurassic giant Giraffatitan.
How Fossils Explain the Rise of Dinosaurs
This video features Dr. Hans Sues, a paleontologist at the National Museum of Natural History.
Inside the Smithsonian's Fossil Prep Lab
This video features Michelle Pinsdorf, fossil preparator at the National Museum of Natural History.
Dino Doom
What evidence exists for the extinction of the dinosaurs and 75% of all animal and plant species at the end of the Cretaceous Period?
Nature Nuggets: A Hummingbird's Nest
Learn about nests and their builders as you observe a hummingbird building its nest.
Mapping Mockingbirds
By solving a logic puzzle, students will learn about the speciation of the Galápagos mockingbirds.
Jeopardy Labs
JeopardyLabs allows you to create a customized jeopardy template without PowerPoint.
Armored Penguin
This site contains a number of resources that various people (including educators and students) can use to make puzzles of various types.
University of Hong Kong: Dinosaur Ecosystems
Natural History Museum
Free talks and online activities.
Because birds are dinosaurs, and live cams are fun.
Bonus!
Compare and identify birds with this comparison tool.
Google Arts & Culture
Online exhibits and stories about dinosaurs from multiple museums.
Amy Karle & The Smithsonian
The basis for this collection by Amy Karle is “Hatcher”, a 66-million-year-old Triceratops skeleton in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History who made history as the first “digital dinosaur”.
Paper Dinosaurs, 1824–1969
Paper Dinosaurs is an exhibition of original printed materials related to the history of dinosaur discovery.
Museum Collections
Museums Victoria Collections
Dinosaur items in the collection. Includes details, photos, and videos.
Open Access at the Smithsonian
Digital resources in the public domain.
Canadian Museum of Nature
Online collection data for dinosaurs and more.
Smithsonian 3D Digitization
Includes details about the item, videos, and downloads.
Smithsonian Open Access (different UI)
Digital resources in the public domain.
Coloring Pages, Activity Sheets, and Games
YDAW Coloring Pages
Free downloadable coloring pages from Your Dinosaurs Are Wrong.
Royal Tyrell Coloring Pages and Zoom Backgrounds
Free downloadable coloring pages and Zoom backgrounds from the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
Science Focus Worksheets
Worksheets aimed at Key Stage 3 and 4 students. Includes a quiz, a set of questions based on a feature, and a project idea.
Steve Becker Activity Sheets
Free downloadable coloring pages and word searches.
Sam Noble Coloring Pages
Free downloadable coloring pages from Sam Noble Museum.
Fossil Collection Activities
Questions, games, and more.
Dino Solitaire
Dinosaur-themed solitaire.
Dinosaur Books
More Paleontology Books
Even More Reading
Join your favorite authors on Zoom where you can have spirited discussions from the privacy of your own quarantined space!
