Collaborative Activities by Gail Alaimo, Miriam Kaplan, Stacey Falls, Michael Lynch and Daniel Johnston.

Mystery Boxes

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The goal of this activity is to model some of the thinking of real scientists engaged in investigating big questions about the nature of atoms. Your goal is to describe what you think is inside your mystery box. You will never see the inside of your box. In fact, your teachers have not seen the inside of the box. Though you might draw reasonable conclusions, you will never be able to answer with complete certainty the question “What is in the box?”

The Process of Science

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Science is a process of creating ever better models to explain and predict the world around us. The world around us, indeed the whole universe, is extremely complex and abstract, so, in a sense, we never really “know” about the way the world works; we just get better and better insight. Part of what makes science so important (and so much fun!) is that we have a chance to investigate some of the most complicated and challenging questions of our time.

Sorting and Classifying Mollusks at San Judas Formation

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Which Way do the Fossils Point? Compass Practice

Learn how to use a compass
You already know that fossils are the remains of ancient living things. But did you know that we can find out about the past from looking at where they are today? Today you will be observing fossils at the Gatun Formation.

The following activities have been designed by PCP PIRE members

Fossil Field Execrcise

Fossils of the Gatun Formation
Field Exercise
Fossils of the Gatun Formation – chart 1