Tracking Global Change Through Ocean Fossils

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Introduction

National Middle School Science Standards

Earth Science, Life Science

Key Terms

paleobiology, foraminifera, plankton, ocean fossils, indicator species, extinction, climate change　

Key Concepts

Studying the fossil record of small ocean animals　
What foraminifera reveal about Earth's history　
Earth's deep history of climate change
Causes and consequences of climate change
Technology used by paleobiologists

Resource Types

Videos and Webcasts

Global Change - Reading Ocean Fossils with Paleobiologist Brian Huber on Smithsonian Science How
Time: It’s Like, So Deep Smithsonian Science Education Center
Smithsonian Paleobiologist Brian Huber Ocean Portal
Foraminifera on the Seafloor Ocean Portal

Printable Lessons

Fossil Forams and the Scientific Process Ocean Portal
Mohawk Guy and his Band of Neogene Planktic Foraminifer Friends JOIDES Resolution-International Ocean Discovery Program
Weighing the Evidence for a Mass Extinction- In the Ocean HHMI Biointeractive
Preparation Techniques for Use of Foraminifera in the Classroom U.C. Museum of Paleontology
Climate History from Deep Sea Sediments Earth Exploration Toolbook

Posters and Worksheets

Foraminifera -- Earth's Microscopic Recordkeepers HMMI Biointeractive

Online Activities

Arctic Climate Rollercoaster Forces
Paleoclimate: A History of Change HHMI Biointeractive

Science Literacy Resources

Middle School Level

How Do We Know the Climate Is Changing? NASA

High School Level

Global Climate Change in Perspective Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
A Record from the Deep: Fossil Chemistry NASA Earth Observatory
A Drilling Project in Tanzania (6/3/2013) Digging the Fossil Record: Paleobiology at the Smithsonian

Advanced Reading Level

Here's How Scientists Reconstruct Earth's Past Climates Smithsonian Magazine

Subject Guides

Paleontology Subject Guide Smithsonian Libraries

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

The Global Change Through Ocean Fossils teaching resources support students in meeting the following middle school NGSS Performance Expectations.

Earth Science

MS-ESS1 Earth's Place in the Universe

MS-ESS1-4 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth's 4.6-billion-year-old history.

MS-ESS2 Earth's Systems

MS-ESS2-2 Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth's surface at varying time and spatial scales.

Life Science

MS-LS4 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

MS-LS4-1 Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.
MS-LS4-2 Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.

Resource Type

Subject Guides

Grade Level

6-8

Learning Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

Topics

Earth Science, Life Science, Paleontology

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