Exploring Ancient Ohio

Dive into an inquiry-driven exploration of the Devonian Period and Pleistocene Epoch—two of Ohio's largest chunks of fossil and geologic records.

Learners will gain scientific literacy by engaging with key topics such as ancient ecosystems, food webs, climate cycles, mass extinction events, and the impacts of geologic processes on Ohio's fossil record.

Teacher Guide

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Ohio’s Learning Standards 

Grade 7

Life Science – Cycles of Matter and Flow of Energy 

• Energy flows and matter is transferred continuously from one organism to another and between organisms and their physical environments.
• In any particular biome, the number, growth, and survival of organisms and populations depend on biotic and abiotic factors. 

Grade 8

Earth and Space Science – Physical Earth 

• A combination of constructive and destructive geologic processes formed Earth’s surface.
• Evidence of the dynamic changes of Earth’s surface through time is found in the geologic record.
  • Explain how fossils indicate Earth’s history and environment changes.
  • Identify that humans can study Earth’s past by looking at layers of rocks and fossils. 

Life Science – Species and Reproduction 

• Diversity of species, a result of variation of traits, occurs through the process of evolution and extinction over many generations. The fossil records provide evidence that changes have occurred in number and types of species.