It sometimes takes years and many mistakes to piece together an entire animal. Collins uses Anomalocaris as an example of the long complicated process. Several fossil pieces of Anomalocaris were originally identified as entirely different animals. Finally Collins finds a complete fossil and solves the mystery. We see both a model and animation of the animal. [4:09]

A single location, the Burgess Shale, in the Canadian Rockies has revealed thousands of fossils that tell a story of an ancient explosion of animal life, called the Cambrian Explosion. [5:05]

This colorful, interactive site demonstrates how fossils can be used to discover a range of information about the past. Topics include Past Lives, Paleoecology, Geologic History, and Biodiversity.

Characteristics given about tundras. The two types of tundras, arctic and alpine, are both discussed.

This site from the University of California provides basic information on T. rex with links to related material great for a quick introduction.

This site from University of California has a biography and picture of Antony van Leeuwenhoek, a scientist in the 18th century.

This Berkeley site offers a great overview of when the class appears in the fossil record.

A brief overview of viruses from the University of California. Discusses the difference between the lysogenic phase and the lytic phase, gives examples of viral diseases, and provides information on the relationship between viruses and mass extinction. Diagrams are also provided.

Berkley offers an introduction to archaebacteria--ancient bacteria--including the history of the topic, scientific findings, and where to find archaeans. Includes images and links.

Detailed site, lots of pictures, and easy to understand descriptions of the phylum known as Porifera. This one is a winner!

A site from the University of California-Berkeley that details the process by which scorpions have evolved. Includes identifying characteristics of modern-day scorpions.

Evidence from the fossil record is used to support bird evolution from small carnivorous dinosaurs. In the student module, feathers, behavior, and skeletal structure are examined in an interactive lesson designed to impart a complete understanding of fossil bird evolution. In the teacher module, lesson plans, rubrics, assessments and references are clearly outlined.

A brief overview and links to more detailed information about the Miocene Era, as well as an interactive table of the subdivisions of this Epoch.

A slideshow for teachers and students exploring Earth's geologic timeline and history. Click the buttons at left to select the teacher or student version.

In this tutorial students can learn the definition of species, how new species evolve, and the processes that can cause new species to arise. At the end of the tutorial students can take a quiz to evaluate what they learned about speciation.

Learn about what a fossil is, the different types that scientists use for study, and processes that form them. [2:57]

This UC Berkeley site extensively covers the death of the dinosaurs. It includes history, theories, invalid hypotheses, and current arguments.

A very good explanation of the scientific process and the differences between science and non-science. This is a concise and clearly written description.

This article provides links to interactive web sites and lesson plans for teaching about paleontology, dinosaurs, and archaeology in the elementary classroom.