Learners will play fossil guessing games to identify specimens, conduct simple science experiments, make clay fossils, and watch educational slideshows, depending on the week(s) joined. This is an ongoing class and each class will be an independent lesson. A learner may join in at any week without any previous knowledge required. 

Discover how fossils are formed and what the five main types of fossils are. Investigate examples of trace, cast, mold, and true-form fossils while the teacher shares her fossil collection. Find out what megalodon teeth, ancient sea creatures, fossilized scat, and dinosaur bone fragments look like. Learners will be introduced to the geologic time scale and a variety of at home science and art activities will be provided. The teacher will share her experiences volunteering with paleontologists in Madagascar to excavate dinosaur bones and searching for sharks teeth in Florida. 

Students may enjoy having a magnifying glass, fossils, and fossil books on hand during class, At the beginning of each class, there will be an opportunity for introductions, sharing, and guided discussion. Learners may bring items to class to share related to fossils such as fossils, rocks, books, pictures, dinosaur toys, fossil dig kits, etc. Please limit sharing to one to three items per person, per class. 

Each week will be independent of each other, and learners may join at any time. No prerequisite classes are required. 

Classes are held on Wednesdays and Thursdays and the weekly themes are below for 2023/24.

WEDNESDAYS
January 3: The Geologic Time Line
January 10: Fossil Formation
January 17: On a Dig Site
January 24: The Fossil Lab
January 31: Flying Reptiles (Pterosaurs)
February 7: Giants of the Past (titanoboa, archelon, super salamanders)
February 14: Monster Fish (dunkleosteus, leedsichthys, helicoprion)
February 21: Ancient Whales
February 28: Early Mammals
March 6: The First Primates
March 13: Prehistoric Humans
March 20: Archeology

PLEASE NOTE: Ms. Amalia will be on maternity leave for the month of April. Class will resume in May. Pre-recorded videos and activity suggestions will occasionally be shared during the month off and learners will not be charged during that time. 

May 8: Mold, Trace, and Cast Fossils (Dinosaur Skin & Footprints, Ammonites & Trilobites)
May 15: Preserved Fossils (Amber & Mammoths in Ice)
May 22: Dinosaurs- Herbivores
May 29: Dinosaurs- Carnivores
June 5: Prehistoric Sea Creatures
June 12: How to Find Fossils

The following Nature Explorers classroom program animals may make an appearance in class:
Cluck-Cluck: the Chicken
Scaly: the Corn Snake
Slimy: the Tiger Salamander
Lizzie: The Leopard Gecko

Classes may run up to five minutes over the scheduled time depending on learner discussion and questions.