Educational Resources

The NDGS is happy to offer the start of a new series called the Paleo Primer. The first publication is a general introduction to paleontology. It includes explanations of common concepts and terminology, as well as experiments that can be done at home or school. The second publication focuses on the oldest rocks at the surface of North Dakota, and explores our prehistoric underwater world. These publications are being licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial 4.0 International License. You are free to share (to copy, distribute, and transmit this work) for non-commercial purposes, as long as credit is given to NDGS.

On a more lighthearted, kid-friendly, but still educational note, please read or download our newest PrehiStories series. Each book is filled with colorful illustrations, and rhyming couplets following a specific prehistoric creature. The first in the series features a marine reptile called a mosasaur (ES #36). The second book features an Edmontosaurus (ES #37) - specifically Dakota the dinomummy! The books are formatted to look great on an iPad or tablet, for portability and accessibility in the classroom.

Dinosaurs, Sharks, and Woolly Mammoth (NDGS Education Series 31): This special paleontology issue of North Dakota History is a joint effort of the State Historical Society of North Dakota and the North Dakota Geological Survey (NDGS). Written by NDGS paleontologist Dr. John Hoganson, this issue encapsulates a century of paleontological research done in North Dakota and is the first single-source publication to give an overview of life in our state during the past five hundred-plus million years. It also serves as a companion piece to the Adaptation Gallery: Geologic Time at the North Dakota Heritage Center, where many of the fossils described herein can be viewed.

Below we have Educational Series #32, our Prehistoric Life of ND Coloring and Activity book, written by Dr. John Hoganson, and illustrated by Becky (Gould) Barnes.  There is also a compilation of coloring pages from our "12 Days of Cretaceous" holiday series.  For more fun coloring and activity pages done for specific Public Outreach events, click here!