MPM houses an impressive collection of tens of thousands of fossils from around the world.
This includes Wisconsin’s Silurian Reef formation where, more than 400 million years ago, our State and much of North America was on the equator and covered by a warm, shallow sea. Many of these specimens can be found in The Third Planet and Exploring Life on Earth galleries. Our virtual programming provides educators and students with unique insight into the fossil record to understand how and when prehistoric plants and animals lived, and how our planet has changed over time.
Live Programs and Outreach
Book our MPM on the Move live-streamed or remote Dinosaur Hunt program for your class!
Video Resources
Paleontologist Toolkits
In this video, we take an up-close and personal look at some of the tools used by paleontologists here at MPM and around the world to learn more about the fascinating process of discovering, excavating, and preserving fossils, which teach us all more about past life on Earth.
Digital Resources
Meat-Eaters vs. Plant-Eaters
After cutting apart the cards listing different dinosaur characteristics, have your students work alone or in pairs to sort each card by whether it describes a meat-eater or plant-eater. Use the final page to check their work and learn more about paleontology and dinosaurs.
How Do Dinosaurs Get Their Names?
Dinosaur names are sort of like a puzzle. In this activity, your students will use puzzle pieces to create a dinosaur name, understand what the name tells us about their dinosaur’s characteristics, and then draw a picture of their dinosaur.
Visit The Third Planet Virtually
Using our 360 Tours, visit the exhibit on MPM's First Floor.
Geology Collection
Learn more about our rock, minerals, and fossils collection.
Questions or comments? Please email us at curriculum@mpm.edu.