Meeting Pattern
- July 14 [8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.] ND Heritage Center and State Museum
- July 15 [7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.] Field trip to fossil site in Morton County to discover and collect fossils from the Age of Dinosaurs
Description
Gain a deeper understanding of how fossils are formed, how paleontologists discover and interpret the fossil record, and what the fossil record teaches us about the world around us.The fossil record provides valuable information about past environments and life in North Dakota that is key to understanding our modern ecosystem and how it will respond to ongoing and future changes.
Join paleontologists in the field on the second day of this course and gain first-hand experience discovering and collecting fossils from the Age of Dinosaurs.
Syllabus, Objectives, and Outcomes
Objectives:
You will:
- Understand the basic surface geology of the state of North Dakota.
- Become familiar with the process of fossil formation.
- Become familiar with the variety of animal fossils present in the south-central portion of North Dakota.
- Understand the process of determining the age of fossils.
- Become familiar with the patterns of paleontological history, the paleoenvironment, and paleo animal life of the south-central portion of North Dakota.
- Understand and employ the methods and use appropriate tools to recover, prepare, and preserve fossils.
Materials:
Required Student Resources
Appropriate field clothes for spending a hot summer day in the sun during the field trip.
Testimonials:
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"CONTENT WAS GREAT! INSTRUCTOR WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE. LOVED THE FIELD TRIP!" "GREAT WORKSHOP! WOULD RECOMMEND TO OTHERS. SO MUCH TO LEARN AND INSTRUCTOR PROVIDED ACCESS TO LAB AND FOSSIL STORAGE WHICH WAS SUCH A GREAT OPPORTUNITY." "VERY INFORMATIVE, INSTRUCTOR WAS PASSIONATE AND HELPFUL! THE DINOSAUR DIG WAS AMAZING!!" "CLINT BOYD DID A FABULOUS JOB! I l LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THIS COURSE. I LOVED THE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE." "EVERYTHING WAS GREAT – PLEASE OFFER MORE COURSES LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE!" "I FELT THERE WAS MUCH INFORMATION AND I REALLY ENJOYED LEARNING THE WAY MR. BOYD TAUGHT. I LOVED DOING THE 'TAXONOMY' EXERCISE. IT WAS GOOD BONDING WITH OTHER STUDENTS." "I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS CLASS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES IT OFFERED. I WOULD ABSOLUTELY TAKE THIS CLASS AGAIN!" "THIS REINFORCED WHAT I AM DOING IN THE CLASSROOM BUT ALSO SHOWED HOW TO HELP STUDENTS CONNECT WHAT THEY ARE LEARNING TO REAL WORLD. GREAT CONNECTIONS." "GREAT COURSE AND I WAS ABLE TO LEARN SO MUCH THAT I CAN PASS ON TO STUDENTS. I LOVED THE 'DIG' AND IT WAS EXPLAINED SO WELL HOW TO DO THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME." "I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS COURSE TO ANYONE." |
Registration Instructions
You will receive a $50 stipend for the professional development credit amount after course completion from the North Dakota Geological Survey.
Online registration URL closes @ 5:00 p.m. on July 18, 2025. Enrollment is limited to 12. You will receive an electronic email when you have successfully registered.