This activity is used in an undergraduate required course in paleontology (300-level) for geology majors. This activity can be modified for any geology class.

This activity is used to review invertebrate fossils in preparation for a practical.

This activity is a stand-alone exercise during a lab or lecture prior to the practical.

The goal of the activity is to provide an opportunity for students to practice their identification skills of fossil invertebrates.

Students assess their knowledge on fossil invertebrates.

Students work together to answer questions.

Students divide into teams and use their notes to answer questions on fossil invertebrates in a Jeopardy format. The Jeopardy game is setup in Powerpoint. There is a double daily and final Jeopardy question.
Fossil Jeopardy (PowerPoint 13.2MB Jun3 14)

Once the Jeopardy game is setup, it is fairly easy to tailor it. The hardest part is finding pictures that have a scale or high resolution. I don't usually time questions unless I see that teams are taken too long. Because it is a review, I try to give all teams a chance to play. The students really enjoy the game and appreciate the opportunity to test their knowledge before the practical. They keep score and are quite competitive with each other. I have not given out a prize to the winning team, but there is the option to do so. There is usually one team that wins the game.

There are no grades given for the activity because it is a review.