Image by Becca Mussetter | De Laveaga Elementary School
Image by Becca Mussetter | De Laveaga Elementary School

As part of their goal to "expand and extend our understanding of integrated STEM learning," the National Science Foundation, University of Florida, and Florida Museum of Natural History invented an ingenious model for K-12 STEM education that combine the study of prehistoric life with the practice of cutting edge technologies.

Their project has been dubbed iDigFossils. It's a free online library of open source lessons that incorporate the subjects of paleontology - the science of fossilized animals and plants - and the modern technologies of 3D scanning and 3D printing for a uniquely rounded curriculum. These lessons tap into students' own interests (nobody is surprised to learn kids love dinosaurs) while integrating interdisciplinary STEM subjects and engaging students in active learning methods that meet NGSS standards. In short, the project allows for equitable access to highly curated, integrated STEM content that will nurture students understanding of multiple core concepts and scientific practices. 

We've handpicked our favorite lessons from each grade level (elementary, middle, and high school, but many of these lessons can be easily adapted to a different level) and compiled them into a list for you below.

You can view the entire collection of resources for FREE at the iDigFossils website HERE. 

Recommended Materials

Get started on these exciting 3D printing projects with the right materials. Here are five filament recommendations to bring your paleontology prints to life:

  • Tan / Natural / White MH Build Series PLA Filament - affordable, easy to print, and with a huge variety of colors, the MH Build Series PLA filaments are a great first choice to jump trouble-free into project based learning. Also consider MH Build Series PETG as a higher-strength alternative if your printed parts will need to survive being handled by several students.
  • Fillamentum Extrafill Concrete Grey / Light Ivory PLA Filament - these off-white shades will allow your students to better see details on the 3D printed models compared to brighter white colors, while the Extrafill finish of this filament makes layer lines less visible and increase immersion.
  • Glow in the Dark MH Build Series PLA Filament - obviously not the most accurate in terms of paleobiology, but the natural color of this filament when seen in the light is perfectly suitable for your 3D printed dinosaur skulls, while the glow-in-the-dark feature is where this filament really "shines", adding a fun surprise for students.
  • Natural PRO Series Breakaway Support Material - a surprisingly versatile alternative for a filament normally used only as a support for other materials, it bears a surprisingly close resemblance in color to real fossils when printed on its own.
  • Proto-Pasta White Matte Fiber HTPLA Filament - the course, matte finish of this HTPLA finish is an excellent option if you're looking for a grittier, aged look to your 3D printed paleontology pieces, 

Need more material or machine recommendations to get started on these 3D printing projects? Contact us at education@matterhackers.com for the latest in 3D printing for the classroom and education discounts!

K-5 Grade Level

Lesson 1 - How Big Was the Megalodon?

(Lesson originally authored by Megan Hendrickson and Victor Perez.)

View the complete lesson compiled by Becca Mussetter at this link

Supplementary resources: "Educators Guide for MEGALODON: Largest Shark That Ever Lived" (Click the link here to view or download the file available below) 

  • GRADE LEVEL
    • 4th grade
  • TIME FRAME
    • 4-5 class periods of 45 minutes each
  • DRIVING QUESTION
    • If the megalodon is extinct and it did not leave skeletons behind, how do we really know how big it
      was or why it went extinct?
  • LEARNING GOALS
    • Learning goals for students are two-fold. First, by using 3D models of actual fossilized megalodon
      teeth students will mathematically figure out the length of “their shark”. Second, after understanding
      the immense size of these animals and observing the massive teeth, students will investigate how
      such a predator could go extinct
  • 3D PRINT FILE
Download "Educators Guide: Megalodon" - PDF

Lesson 2 - Herbivores, Omnivores, and Carnivores

(Lesson authored by Walter Bowman)

Drawing by Dmitry Bogdanov
Drawing by Dmitry Bogdanov

View the complete lesson compiled by Walter Bowman/Caring and Sharing Learning School at this link

Supplementary resources: "Learning About Herbivores, Carnivores, and Omnivores" (Click the link here to view or watch the video available above) 

  • GRADE LEVEL
    • 2nd grade
  • TIME FRAME
    • Two days: 45-minute class period
  • DRIVING QUESTIONS
    • How do living things get energy?
    • What information can you gather from fossils that can help you determine if an animal was a
      carnivore, omnivore, or herbivore. ?
  • LEARNING GOALS
    • Students learning goals will consists of analyzing and interpreting data while looking at 3D printed tooth fossils. Students will understand what habitats and types of diets each animal attained. By analyzing the tooth fossil students will also be able to identify if the animal was a carnivore herbivore or omnivore.
  • 3D PRINT FILES

Lesson 3 - Mammal Skull Versus Reptile: What are the differences?

(Lesson authored by Becca Mussetter)

Image by Becca Mussetter | De Laveaga Elementary School

View the complete lesson compiled by Becca Mussetter at this link

Supplementary resources: "Skull Detectives: Understanding Mammal Skulls!" (Click the link here to view or watch the video available above) 

  • GRADE LEVEL
    • 3rd grade
  • TIME FRAME
    • Minimum three days with flexibility on amount of time per day
  • DRIVING QUESTION
    • If you find a fossilized skull, what clues tell you if it is a mammal or reptile?
  • LEARNING GOALS
    • Learning goals are for students to collect, analyze and interpret data found in 3D printed fossil skulls. Students will be able to understand what type of information fossils can provide, including the environment where animals lived and the type of food they ate. In addition, they will have a better understanding of how much information can be found from past events regardless of size and or/time periods.
  • 3D PRINT FILES

Lesson 4 - Supersized Life: Comparing Across Scales

(Lesson authored by Natasha Vitek and Chris Baker)

View the complete lesson compiled by Natasha Vitek and Chris Baker at this link

Supplementary resources: "BrainPOP: Estimating" and "BrainPOP: Rounding" offer students a helpful review of these mathematical concepts that will be used for the lesson.

  • GRADE LEVEL
    • Adaptable between 4th and 8th grade
  • TIME FRAME
    • Two 45-60-minute class periods
  • DRIVING QUESTION
    • How wide is the scale of living beings that we encounter, even if we can’t see them?
  • LEARNING GOALS
    • To prepare and empower students to undertake a more formal study of exponents and logarithms by
      creating and solving math problems involving changes on a logarithmic base-ten scale. To give
      students an intuitive sense and appreciation of how large changes by orders of magnitude are.
  • 3D PRINT FILE

6-8 Grade Level

Lesson 5 - Oklahoma Underwater

(Lesson authored by Rachel Brown.)

Image by M. Shanley / Copyright AMNH
Image by M. Shanley / Copyright AMNH

View the complete lesson compiled by Rachel Brown at this link

Supplementary resources: "Ancient Earth Globe: What Did Earth Look like X Years Ago?" (Click the link here to interact with the web-toy and see our planet Earth over the past 750 million years.) 

  • GRADE LEVEL
    • 8th grade
  • TIME FRAME
    • 4-7 50 minute periods
    • 1 day class trip
  • DRIVING QUESTION
    • How has the landscape and living things in Oklahoma changed over time? 
  • LEARNING GOALS
    • Geomorphology is the study of the physical features of the surface of the earth and their relation to its geological
      structures. Students will learn about the landscape of Oklahoma from millions of years ago. Students will
      explore types of fossils from millions of years ago and will realize that most fossils are
      invertebrates that lived in the sea. Why? How?
  • 3D PRINT FILES

Lesson 6 - A Comparison of Hominins Using 3D Printed Fossil Jaws

(Lesson authored by Molly Selba, Michael Ziegler, and Claudia Grant | University of Florida.)

View the complete lesson compiled by Claudia Grant, Michael Ziegler and Molly Selba at this link

Supplementary resources: "Human Evolution: Crash Course Big History #6" (Click the link here to view or watch the video available above) and "A Comparison of Hominins" (View the slide deck here or Download the PDF below.)

  • GRADE LEVEL
    • Adaptable to different Middle School levels 
  • TIME FRAME
    • One 50-minute class period 
  • DRIVING QUESTION
    • How did different hominins adapt to a variety of environments?
  • LEARNING GOALS
    • Collecting data in order to compare and contrast tooth size and learn about tooth morphology.
    • Relating shape and size of teeth with available diet.
  • 3D PRINT FILES
Download "A Comparison of Hominins" - PowerPoint

Lesson 7 - Why is that fossil THERE? Tree Fossils in Antarctica

(Lesson authored by Brenda Paul)

Photo copyright - Paul Ward | coolantarctica.com
Photo copyright - Paul Ward | coolantarctica.com

View the complete lesson compiled by Brenda Paul at this link

Supplementary resources: "Cool Antarctica - Antarctica Photo Gallery" (Click the link here to view the photo library and massive list of informational resources relating to the continent of Antarctica.)

  • GRADE LEVEL
    • Adaptable from 6th to 8th grade 
  • TIME FRAME
    • One to Two 45-minute class periods
  • DRIVING QUESTION
    • How can fossils be found in environments different than where the organism lived?
  • LEARNING GOALS
    • Make connections between fossil characteristics and environmental needs of the organism
    • Make connections between geologic process and changes in an environment over time
  • 3D PRINT FILE

9-12 Grade Level

Lesson 8 - Apes Through the Ages: Comparing Hominid Relatives through 3D-Printed Skull Models

(Lesson authored by Maggie Paxson, adapted from “Primate-Human Skull Differences" by Sukanya Subramanian.)

View the complete lesson compiled by Maggie Paxson at this link

Supplementary resources: “What Does It Mean To Be Human? - Human Evolution Interactive Timeline,” Smithsonian Institute (Click the link here to use the interactive webtool and trace the milestones in human evolution) 

  • GRADE LEVEL
    • 9th-10th Grade Introductory Biology
  • TIME FRAME
    • One to two days, 50-minute class periods
  • DRIVING QUESTIONS
    • How has skull morphology and size in hominids changed over time, and how do these changes relate to human evolution?
  • LEARNING GOALS
    • By the end of this lesson, students will be able to...
      • compare and contrast key aspects of hominid and Hominin skull morphology.
      • measure using digital calipers.
      • describe how various skull features contribute to ecological niche.
      • analyze a phylogeny of human evolutionary ancestors.
  • 3D PRINT FILES

Lesson 9 - Great American Biotic Interchange Project

(Lesson authored by Sabrina Sahlstrom and Sean Moran.)

View the complete lesson compiled by Sabrina Sahlstrom and Sean Moran at this link

Supplementary resources: "National Geographic Explorer - Clash of the Americas" (Click the link here to purchase the DVD or watch the video for a portion of the content available above) and "Land Mammals and the Great American Exchange" by Larry G. Marshall (View the article here or Download the PDF below.)

  • GRADE LEVEL
    • 10th to 12th grade
  • TIME FRAME
    • Students worked on their projects over a 4-week time period during and outside of class
  • DRIVING QUESTION
    • Which animals migrated across the Isthmus of Panama in the Great American Biotic Interchange?
  • LEARNING GOALS
    • Students will construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations.
    • Students will evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in:
      • increases in the number of individuals of some species
      • the emergence of new species over time 
      • the extinction of other species.
  • 3D PRINT FILES
Download "Land Mammals and the Great American Interchange" - PDF

Lesson 10 - What is in an arm? How does forelimb anatomy of carnivorans affect ecological niche and evolutionary advantages?

(Lesson authored by Sharon Holte in collaboration with Victor Perez.)

View the complete lesson compiled by Becca Mussetter at this link

Supplementary resources: "Skull Detectives: Understanding Mammal Skulls!" (Click the link here to view or watch the video available above) 

  • GRADE LEVEL
    • 9th-10th Grade Biology, Adaptable to Advanced Middle School Life Science
  • TIME FRAME
    • 10 minutes of one class period before a weekend, then three full 50 minute class periods for lesson implementation
  • DRIVING QUESTION
    •  How does forelimb anatomy impact the predation strategies of cat and dog relatives?
  • LEARNING GOALS
    • This lesson will guide students through the various ecological and anatomical characteristics of modern, charismatic cats and dogs. They will then use extrapolation to make interpretations about the characteristics that lead to success in different ecosystems. Students will use 3D-printed forelimb bones of modern dogs and cats as well as fossil dogs to examine physical evidence of bone rotation, and will then link these functions to relative likelihood of survival in ecosystems with different prey animals. Students will end with a discussion of fossil dogs and two “strange” modern animals that do not fit into the cat or dog osteological models, and the students will draw conclusions about what this anatomy suggests about these animals’ niches and evolutionary relationships relative to other examined species.
  • 3D PRINT FILES