In a first-year seminar on mass extinctions, a field-based, paleontology-focused exercise promotes active learning about Earth's biodiversity, form and function, and the biomimicry potential of ancient and modern life. Students study Devonian fossils at a local quarry and gain foundational experience in describing anatomy and relating form to biological function. Another goal is to give students a firsthand opportunity to evaluate the fossil record and what it reveals about past mass extinction episodes on our planet. Students who complete this exercise acquire the basic tools for developing and testing hypotheses. They become more skilled at making observations and inferences about familiar species that live in modern environments and about the strange and marvelous creatures that inhabited Earth's lost worlds. Finally, students gain valuable insights into how bioinspired designs can solve human problems in a sustainable way, elevating their appreciation for the value of species conservation as the Sixth Extinction gains traction.