Provides (1) information on how dinosaurs lived and were adapted to survive; (2) activities on this topic; and (3) ready-to-copy student materials. Each activity includes an objective, list of materials needed, recommended age level(s), subject area(s), and instructional strategies. (JN)

Presents lists of materials needed and procedures to build a collection of dinosaurs using different sized boxes, build life-sized dinosaur bones using paper-mache and chicken wire, make paper dinosaur stickers, and make dinosaur pop-up cards. These arts/crafts activities can be used to complement activities in science and other subjects. (JN)

Describes an activity which introduces students to the nature and challenges of paleoanthropology. In the exercise, students identify diagrammed bones and make interpretations about the creature. Presents questions and tasks employed in the lesson. (ML)

Reviews varying positions taken in the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/Y) extinction controversy. Analyzes and contests the meteoritic impact theory known as the Alvarez Model. Presents an alternative working hypothesis explaining the K/T transition. (ML)

Describes paleontological studies of trace fossils (the impressions that record the animal's activity) such as dinosaur footprints. Discusses the importance of findings to our knowledge of dinosaur social behavior and community structure. Also tracts evolution of behavior from the Upper Triassic through the Upper Cretaceous, building evidence of…

Discusses fossilization as a topic involving chemistry, geology, and biology. Describes the processes of silicification and pyritization. (MLH)

The article points out the growing attempts by creationists to have special creation presented with evolution in any educational discussion of the origin of life. The evolution theory is shown to be consistent with known scientific facts while the theory of special creation does not adequately account for these facts. (LS)

Discusses the "sudden explosion" of animal fossils during the Cambrian era, suggesting that the "explosion" is a result of organic evolution, leading to remarkably preservable calcareous skeletons. Suggests that earlier organisms were soft-bodied and consequently were poorly preserved in the fossil record. (JN)

Discussed is the potential of vestigial structures and unexpressed developmental patterns from an organism's natural history to provide for rapid morphological change based on small genetic change which may call these suppressed attributes back into action in modified form. (RE)

Describes classroom science demonstrations and experiments that simulate the process of fossil formation. Lists materials, procedures and suggestions for successful activities. Includes ten student activities (coral fossils, leaf fossils, leaf scars, carbonization, etc.). Describes a fossil game in which students work in pairs. (CS)

Describes a lesson that engages middle school students in learning about peer review. Uses the article "Archaeoraptor Fossil Trail," which was published in the November, 1999 issue of "National Geographic" as an example of a real life story of how peer review forces scientists to critically re-examine a fossil discovery. (SOE)

Summarizes recent findings that help in understanding how evolution has brought about the diversity of plant life that presently exists. Discusses basic concepts of evolution, diversity and classification, the three-line hypothesis of plant evolution, the origin of fungi, and the geologic time table. Included are 31 references. (CW)

Presented is a discussion of recent evidence on the evolution of human forms on earth gathered and evaluated using mitochondrial DNA techniques. Theories regarding the possibility that a common female ancestor existed in Africa about 200,000 years ago are discussed. A list of teaching aids is provided. (CW)

The major concepts inherent in studies of organism-substrate interrelationships as a whole are critiqued. Various modes, styles, processes and products of marine sediment bioturbation are described. Shortcomings of the present state of research knowledge on this topic are discussed. Listed are 154 references. (CW)