project exploration experience

Project ExplorationA Journey Through Time

Week 1: The

University of Chicago

We spent a week working on paleontology, geology, and

astronomy at the University of Chicago.

Classroom Activities

Fossil Lab

• We got to visit famous paleontologist Paul Sereno’s lab and he gave a presentation.

We saw dinosaur bones, human skeletons, plaster jackets, and students preparing fossils.

We also saw the lab where artists make models of the bones and recreate what they

think the dinosaurs looked like.

We learned from Astronomer Mark Hefferman at the Adler Planetarium. I am holding

meteorites and a moon rock.

Finally, we were ready to go to Wibaux, MT. We left from Midway at 4 a.m.!

Montana is beautiful!This is a view from the Lost in Time Ranch.

The GroupTeachers and Scientists in

Montana!

We had a three hour drive to the ranch, but we stopped to search for trace fossil leaf

imprints at the Clinker Site.

After a long day, we arrived at the Lost in Time Ranch. It was so luxurious. We were

immediately intrigued by the decor.

The Hell Creek

FormationThis stratigraphic layer is 67-65 mya and was

formed in the Cretaceous period. It holds many dinosaur bones! We also found evidence of turtles, crocodiles, and fish.

We worked with Dr. Jason Moore to collect fossils from a microsite. After, we went to a triceratops site and then went prospecting.

After prospecting, or visiting any site, we would sit down and write field notes. In our

field notes, we include GPS location, observations, and our findings.

That night we used books to help us identify our finds. We found so many things, including dinosaur bones, turtle and crocodile bones,

teeth, and even fish scales.

I got to help clean a dinosaur bone that I found out in the field. We also found out that

dinosaur bones stick to your tongue! Rocks do not. Mm chocolate!

We also went to the Pierre Shale Formation. This is also part of the Cretaceous Period.

Around 72 mya it used to be a marine environment. We found many fossils of marine

animals.

The next couple of days, we prospected in the Hell Creek Formation. We excavated a

triceratops bone and we put a plaster jacket on it.

It was an amazing trip and I learned so much! I already miss Montana!

A special thanks to Project Exploration and all of the teachers and scientists that made this

an amazing experience.