Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears is an online professional development magazine–or rather cyberzine–that serves as a great resource with lots of ideas for teaching. You can find tips on teaching a unit on fossils (a student favorite). In the Science and Literacy Department of the April 2008 issue, author Jessica Fries-Gaither provides tips on teaching fossils with the help of online teaching materials:

“An effective unit on fossils involves developing concepts in a logical and sequential manner. Students should first understand what a fossil is, the differences between fossils and other natural objects, and that not all plants and animals become fossilized. Next, students learn about the various types of fossils and model the process of fossilization. Finally, students can model the excavation process and use fossils to make inferences about past environments.”

Go directly to this article to find out more.