Education is an important aspect of UCMP's mission, including efforts targeted at the K-12 level.

Classroom Activities and Lessons
	Understanding Evolution is a comprehensive on-line resource developed to meet the needs of K-12 teachers. The site provides an informal on-line course covering essential science content, as well as a searchable database of resources for the classroom. Introduced in 2004.
	Explorations Through Time is a series of interactive, web-based educational modules that address topics such as fossils, the history of life, biological evolution, the science of paleontology and the scientific process.
	Learning From the Fossil Record is a set of articles and classroom activities using paleontology to teach major concepts in science.
	The Paleontology Portal provides access to high-quality North American paleontology resources on the Internet, including information about particular geographic regions, geologic time periods, and representative fossils.
	ISTAT Digital Curriculum Guide contains lessons in physical science, life science, and earth and space sciences for grade levels 6-8 and 9-12.
Teacher Resources
—	Docent Tours are available to school and youth groups. Visit T. rex and Pteranodon, and find out more about what happens behind the scenes!
—	UCMP's Annual Short Course offers teachers and the general public an opportunity to examine topics in paleontology.
—	California’s Landscape - a course developed for San Francisco Unified School District teachers, this site contains both content and lessons about plate tectonics, Earth’s materials, and California geology.
—	Our Dynamic Earth - a course developed for San Francisco Unified School District teachers, this site contains both content and lessons about about the Earth as a dynamic system, composed of the lithosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (living things).
—	Geosciences in Alaska shares the adventures of nine California teachers who participated in a field and research experience in Alaska in 2002.
Appropriate for Students
—	UCMP's enormous collection of on-line exhibits can be explored as a class, used for individual research or explored just for fun.
—	Dinosaur fans, start your explorations—with Dinolinks!
—	Kids Corner is devoted to pictures and stories submitted by our younger visitors.
—	If you're interested in the science of paleontology, check out our "What is Paleontology?" page, or explore our list of frequently asked questions (FAQ).
—	I Want to be a Paleontologist provides information about the profession of paleontology and how you can become a paleontologist.
—	Paleo Profiles provides a glimpse into the life of a paleontologist through a series of interviews with a diverse number of individuals.
—	Do you need help with some of those tough words you find in the exhibits? Use UCMP's glossary.
Other Web Resources for Teachers
—	Access Excellence - is a national education program sponsored by Genentech. The site provides an on-line network connecting teachers to other teachers and to activities and resources. Emphasis is on biotechnology and related sciences.
—	ActionBioscience.org - provides articles by scientists, science educators, and science students on issues related to seven bioscience challenges: environment, biodiversity, genomics, biotechnology, evolution, new frontiers in science, and bioscience education.
—	The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study - (BSCS) develops and supports the implementation of innovative science education curriculum for students in kindergarten through college.
—	BIODIDAC - provides a large number of photographs and diagrams of animals and protists are available from this site, which may be downloaded and used free of charge. Created by biology teachers in Canada as a clearinghouse for biology teching aids, BIODIDAC is available in both French and English versions.
—	California Science Teachers Association - (CSTA) represents science educators statewide - in every science discipline at every grade level, Kindergarten through University.
—	California Regional Environmental Education Community - provides an excellent source for Environmental Education resources in California.
—	Digital Library for Earth System Education - (DLESE) has created a library of educational resources and services to support Earth system science education, at all levels, in both formal and informal settings.
—	The Educator's Reference Desk - provides access a variety of educational issues, lesson plans, and The ERIC database, which is the world's largest source of education information.
—	The Human Genome Project Website - was created "to deal with the ethical, legal, and social implications of genetic information and its dissemination." Among other features, it includes a showcase of related student work.
—	NASA Quest - provides online resources including lessons, interviews, videos, and live interactions with NASA experts.
—	National Center for Science Education - works to promote the teaching of evolutionary science, to counter creationist claims, and to increase public understanding of evolution.
—	National Science Education Standards - present a vision of a scientifically literate populace. They outline what students need to know, understand, and be able to do to be scientifically literate at different grade levels.
—	The Natural History of Genes - is a part of the Genetic Science Learning Center web site and provides teachers with "genetic science activities and hands-on experiments to illustrate how DNA, genes, and chromosomes relate to disease, conservation, forensics and more."
—	The Virtual Bacterial ID Lab - a site produced by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute that puts visitors in a "virtual laboratory" where they must uncover the genetic secrets of a disease-causing bacterium.

Home  |   What's new  |   About UCMP  |   History of life  |   Collections  |   On-line Database  |   Other resources