Resurrect the past and a love of STEM with Palaeontology Teaching Kits!

Series 1: The Pleistocene Extinction

Once upon a time, giants walked the Earth. From beavers the size of bears to sloths the size of giraffes, to mammoths and mastodons and saber-toothed cats, Canada was home to creatures far larger — and stranger — than any living here today. To the people who lived alongside them, the Pleistocene megafauna represented danger and survival all in one hairy package. But then something happened: the Ice Age ended, and 38 different types of mega-mammals went extinct. What happened is clear—why has been hotly debated by scientists and the media alike!

Through the Pleistocene Teaching Kits, your students will discover fascinating extinct creatures, explore the latest thinking on why they disappeared, and apply these lessons to urgent conservation issues facing the natural world today. The Kits are available free to teachers across Canada and include:

Fossil casts of mammals that lived in Canada during the Pleistocene
Supporting materials such as magnifying glasses, graphs, and charts
Teacher’s Guide containing
- ALL the information needed to teach core concepts
- Suggestions for hands-on learning and independent inquiry
- Glossary, further reading lists, and bibliography of sources
Content vetted by experts in palaeontology, education, science communication, and Indigenous issues

Junior Edition

Best for Grades 4-7

Habitat
Evolution and adaptations
Biodiversity and classification systems
Food chains and energy pyramids
Competition and predator/prey interactions
Climate change
Extinction

Senior Edition

Best for Grades 8-12

Habitat and geographic range
Evolution and adaptations
Competition and predator/prey interactions
Trophic cascades
Heredity and ancient DNA
Climate change
Extinction
De-extinction: biotechnology & bioethics
Correlation vs. causation

Series 2: Vertebrate Evolution

Evolution is out of this world. Literally! During their history, vertebrates (animals with backbones) evolved new types of limbs that let them leave familiar habitats to colonize new ones:

Fish fins became feet, and the first amphibians walked on land
Feet grew feathers, and dinosaurs took to the skies
Mammals made flippers, returning to the seas once more

Now, human beings are using r-evolution-ary technology to make one final leap—from the safety of Earth into the vast reaches of outer space.

The Evolution Teaching Kits take a voyage of discovery through these key turning points in the history of life on Earth. Your students will study fascinating fossils, be transported to extinct ecosystems, and use their own bodies to model the movements of creatures from black lagoons… all while deepening their understanding of the processes that connect and transform all life on Earth. Palaeontology Teaching Kits are available free to teachers across Canada!