Curriculum Materials

Elementary School Lessons
Introduction to Paleontology
It's a Matter of Time; Geology In Petrified Forest

Introduction to Archeology
It's a Matter of Time; Archeology in Petrified Forest
Measuring and Mapping for Archeology

Middle School Lessons
Ozone Bio-monitoring Citizen Science Project - This unit was adapted from a Hands on the Land citizen science program in The Great Smoky Mountains. Students will learn how ground level ozone is harmful to humans and plants as well as learning how to recognize symptoms of ozone damage on certain plants.

Language Arts Packet
This language arts packet contains fun and educational writing activities for grades 6-9 including nature journaling, poetry, and debates.

High School Lessons
Archeology Unit - Lessons include scientific dating methods, site mapping, and analysis, inference, and interpretation of artifacts.

Prehistoric Sustenance (Archeology Lesson) Students learn about human survival and nutritional needs by examining food sources of past cultures.

 

Suggested Reading List

The resources at Petrified Forest National Park offer a wide range of subjects for educators to share with students. The following are some suggested books that can help your class prepare for your field trip to the park.

General background:

"Petrified Forest: A Story in Stone" by Sidney R. Ash and T. Scott Williams

"The Painted Desert: Land of Light and Shadow" by Rose Houk and George H. H. Huey

"Discover National Monuments: National Parks" (Discover Your World) by Cynthia Light Brown

"A Day in the Life of a Park Ranger" (The Kids' Career Library) by Liza N. Burby

"Ranger Trails: Jobs of Adventure in America's Parks" by Lori Yanuchi

Paleontology and Fossils:

"Fossils Tell of Long Ago" by Aliki

"It Could Still Be a Rock" (Rookie Read About Science) by Allan Fowler

"Dawn of the Dinosaurs: The Triassic in Petrified Forest" by Robert A. Long, Rose Houk, & Doug Henderson

"Prehistoric Past Revealed: The Four Billion Year History of Life on Earth" by Douglas Palmer

"A Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals" (Peterson Field Guides) by Frederick H. Pough

"A Golden Guide to Fossils" (Golden Field Guide Series) by Frank H. T. Rhodes, Paul R. Shaffer, & Herbert S. Zim.

"Ancient Forests: A Closer Look at Fossil Wood" by Frank J. Daniels, & Richard D. Dayvault

Geology:

"The Southwest Inside Out" by Thomas Wiewandt & Maureen Wilks

"Guide to Geologic Features at Petrified Forest National Park" by John V. Bezy and Arthur S. Trevena

"The Colorado Plateau: A Geologic History" by Donald L. Baars

Biology and Environment:

"Shrubs & Trees of the Southwest Deserts" by Janice Bowers

"Weather in the Southwest" by Jim Woodmencey

"50 Common Mammals of the Southwest" (Western National Parks Association) by George Olin

"50 common Birds of the Southwest" (Western National Parks Association) by Richard L. Cunningham

"50 Common Reptiles & Amphibians of the Southwest" by Jonathan Hanson, & Roseann Beggy Hanson

"National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southwestern States: Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah" by National Audubon Society

History, Culture, and Archeology:

"It Happened in Arizona, Remarkable Events That Shaped History" by James A. Crutchfield

"Stalking the Past: Prehistory at Petrified Forest" by Anne Trinkle Jones

"Life in the Pueblo: Understanding the Past Through Archaeology" by Kathryn A. Kamp, & Amy Henderson

"Tapamveni: Rock art Galleries of Petrified Forest and Beyond" by Patricia McCreer & Ekkehart Malotki

"A Guide to Pueblo Pottery" by Susan Lamb

"Navajo Weaving Way" by Noel Bennett

"Songs from the Loom: A Navajo Girl Learns to Weave" by Monty Roessel

"If You Lived With The Hopi" by Anne Kamma

"Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest" by Gerald McDermott

"Route 66: Spirit of the Mother Road" by Bob Moore