EXPLORING LIFE ON ANCIENT EARTH: EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH ACTIVITIES OF THE PALEONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Fossils captivate our imaginations by providing glimpses into Earth’s ancient past. They contribute to our understanding of evolution and extinction, the functioning of ancient ecosystems, and the biology of ancient organisms ranging from the exotic to the mundane. They furnish evidence of plate tectonic motions, the ages of rocks, and past climate conditions. Fossils therefore offer myriad opportunities to excite and engage students in scientific discovery.

The Paleontological Society (PS) is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is the advancement of the science of paleontology. As part of that mission, the PS has developed a variety of educational resources in order to encourage and support students and their teachers. We have produced a series of short brochures on common types of fossils and a set of hands-on PK-12 activities using fossils that target general science skills and specific content standards in life and earth sciences. These resources are freely downloadable from the PS website (http://www.paleosoc.org). The Society maintains a listing of “Regional Resource People,” PS members who have agreed to field questions and otherwise assist people living in their region of the United States, which is also available on the PS website. In addition, the Society runs a grant program to support educational outreach efforts by PS members; these grants have funded numerous teacher training workshops, the production of outreach “kits” of fossil specimens and casts, museum exhibits and field site programming for the public, podcasts and radio programs. The PS has also co-sponsored the PaleoPortal educational website (http://www.paleoportal.org/), developed with the University of California Museum of Paleontology, the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The Society believes that by capitalizing on the natural appeal of fossils, we can promote science learning among students of all ages and encourage the next generation of paleontologists.