DISCOVERING KANSAS GEOLOGIC HISTORY IN THE K-12 CLASSROOM USING 3D FOSSIL TOOLKITS

For millions of years, Kansas was home to many diverse ancient ecosystems, ranging from large seaways filled with carnivorous marine reptiles to Ice Age megafauna roaming in rolling grasslands. The evidence for ancient life can be found all over Kansas through the rock record, making paleontology one of the first ways children and young adults engage with Earth Sciences. Despite being acknowledged as a crucial "gateway science" capable of fostering an understanding of contemporary changes, Earth Sciences are not mandated in Kansas's K-12 curriculum. Consequently, individual teachers have the discretion to include it in classroom instruction. Finally, the hands-on teaching of paleontology poses challenges due to the scarcity and fragility of well-preserved fossils, making them unsuitable for extensive handling and transportation.

To overcome these barriers and engage students in fresh, innovative ways, The Kansas Geological Survey has collaborated with the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum to develop "History of Kansas 3D Fossil Toolkits." These toolkits will feature 3D models representing up to thirty fossil taxa commonly represented in the rock record of Kansas and will also include corresponding curricula tailored to meet state science standards. These toolkits will be freely accessible to all Kansas K-12 educators in an effort to promote accessible resources for teaching Earth Sciences in the state's classrooms. This presentation will detail the methodology behind creating 3D meshes and models, the assembly of the toolkits, and showcase examples of developed curricula to support classroom activities.