Pre-1500 Suggested Activities: "A Sense of Geologic Time"
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Pre 8th grade level: (Each link below will open a new window. Simply close it to come back here.)

Terms. After students have reviewed this section of Nebraska Studies, have students define the following terms:

  • paleontology
  • archeology
  • anthropology
  • mammoth
  • ice age
  • glacier
  • fossil
  • artifact
  • geology
  • Paleoindians
  • prehistory
  • migration.
NRWS 4.1.2. NSS 4.4.3. Standard 8.4.1. NSS 4.8.1

Scientists. Ask students to discuss which of the following scientific occupations interest them the most? Why? Is history a science?

  • anthropologist
  • paleontologist
  • geologist
  • archaeologist
  • historian
NRWS 4.1.2. Standard 8.4.1. NSS 4.8.1

Prehistoric Animals. Use the National Archives and Records Administration "Photograph Analysis Worksheet" to analyze one of the images from this section of a prehistoric animal that lived in Nebraska. You'll find pop-up pages for various animals on the Sense of Time story page, the Ashfall story, and the Ice Age story.
Standard 4.12. Standard 8.1.9. NSS 4.4.3. NSS 8.2. NRWS 4.1.3. NRWS 4.1.4. NRWS 4.2.4. NRWS 4.2.5. NRWS 8.1.2. NRWS 8.1.1. NRWS 8.2.4.

Cloning. Review the images of animals that lived in Nebraska prior to the arrival of human beings. If scientists could bring one of the animals back to life, which would you most like to see recreated? How has the geography and climate changed since your animal was last alive? Why did prehistoric animals disappear? Would your animal have to be placed in a zoo? If so, what problems would there be?
NSS 4.4.3. NSS 4.6.2. Standard 4.5. NSS 8.7.2. NRWS 4.1.3. NRWS 4.1.4. NRWS 4.2.4. NRWS 4.2.5 NRWS 8.1.2. NRWS 8.1.1. NRWS 8.2.4. NRWS 8.2.5

8th grade and older:

Scientists. Compare and contrast the roles of a paleontologist, archeologist, and anthropologist? Which of the preceding would be most likely to study the remains of prehistoric animals? Why?
Standard 12.3.17. NRWS 12.1.6. NSS 12.4.5. NSS 12.4.6

Evolution. What factors contributed to the extinction of prehistoric animals living in Nebraska?
Standard 12.2.3. Standard 12.2.2. NRWS 12.2.4. NSS 12.5.3.

Jurassic Park? Should attempts be made to recreate prehistoric animals through the use of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) research and cloning? Is our society ready for a "real" Jurassic Park? Debate the pros and cons.
Standard 12.3.17. NRWS 12.1.1. NRWS 12.3.2. NSS 12.2. NSS 12.2.1. NSS 12.8.3. NSS 12.4.1

Another Source. The University of Nebraska-Omaha has a suggested lesson plan concerning the sabertooth cat fossil that inspired Loren Eiseley's poem, "The Innocent Assassins."