Teacher Training: Environmental History of Maryland Through Fossils

The earth is over 4 billion years old.  It is a history of change, whose stories are important in understanding the earth today and the earth of tomorrow. Being able to teach about the environment within the context of the earth’s history gives students a wider, more complete lens of understanding what is in front, underneath, and above them today. Fossils give teachers and students the opportunity to hold earth’s history in their hands. Each teacher attending the training will leave with a school set of fossils. The Natural History Society of MD (NHSM) has provided a set of fossils containing 39 different fossils, approximately 200 specimens, all labeled, identified, and packaged. These fossils represent a range of phyla and classes, geological eras, and geographical locations and are suitable for educational use in a variety of school programs.

The training will provide educators the knowledge to effectively utilize the fossil kits to complement the curriculum across disciplines.

• Teachers will understand the geologic history of Maryland.
• Teachers will understand geologic time referenced by the appearance of various plants and animals and extinction events.
• Teachers will understand the process of fossilization and types of fossils.
• Teachers will be introduced to ancient life of Maryland as told through the fossil record.

NOTE: Spaces are limited. If you sign up to attend, you are agreeing to attend. Your absence from the class means that another school loses out on this opportunity.

COVID protocols will be enforced. These are consistently updated based on infection levels.

Funding for this training was made possible through a grant from the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (https://www.maeoe.org/)