Mosasaurs & Tectonics

AUDIENCE
Grades 7-12

STANDARDS SUPPORTED
NCCRS-Science: SC.7.13.5.A; SC 7.14.6.A; SC.8.14.7.A; HS.13.3A; HS.14.4.A & B
NGSS: Earth’s Systems, Earth’s Place In The Universe, History of Earth

PROGRAM DURATION
45 minutes

DESCRIPTION
North America’s Great Plains is an ocean of grass.  It was once a vast sea.  Join us to examine 70-million year old mosasaur, shark, and Xiphactinus fossils, as well as a variety of rocks - the direct evidence of this ancient Western Interior Seaway that divided the continent in half. We will actively utilize the disciplines of paleontology, geology, and the scientific theory of plate tectonics to understand this vastly different place in time.     

PROGRAM STRUCTURE
This live, interactive program utilizes our Mesozoic Gallery where we examine mounted fossils of ancient marine creatures including mosasaurs, Xiphactinus, and sharks.   We will also inspect a variety of rock specimens we pull just for this program. We engage your students with an active wonder and inquiry process. And we always leave plenty of time for questions! It is helpful if you have these rocks within your classroom as hands-on examples: sandstone, limestone, shale, black shale.

PROGRAM LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:

• examine direct evidence of changes on the earth over time
• anaylze evidence to communicate the Great Plains changing land formations
• use geologic processes to interpret ancient geological time