Big Give Away for fifth Grade Science Teachers
As August sprints by with coffee in one hand and school supply lists in the other, I’ve been tucked away in my little corner of the internet, finishing up some very exciting projects. Sure, I’ve been polishing French language lessons and narrations, but my main brainchild this month? A free, NGSS-aligned 5th-grade science lesson that is—brace yourself—about a dinosaur-ending tsunami.
Yes, you read that right.
Introducing: The Chicxulub Tsunami & Atmosphere Lesson, now live on my website Anthropologist in Heels. It’s one of the most detailed, engaging lessons I’ve ever created… and it’s completely free for all 5th-grade science teachers. 🥳
📥 Download it here
Two Years in the Making
I’ve been quietly crafting this beast of a project for two whole years—a 70-slide narrated Google Slides lesson that ticks all the NGSS boxes (5-ESS1-1, 5-ESS2-1) while also sneaking in a little something special: teaching kids to use AI responsibly.
We all know the AI conversation often stops at “don’t cheat.” Important? Absolutely. But what about showing students how to harness AI as a scientific tool? That’s where this lesson shines.
What’s Inside (a.k.a. How to Surf a 200-Meter Dinosaur-Killer Wave)
Picture this: students use AI to bring to life a colossal Chicxulub tsunami—towering at 200 meters high—crashing into what’s now the Texas coastline. Then they compare it to something familiar: their school, their house, or maybe the tallest building in town.
It’s not just cool—it’s an instant spark for critical thinking about scale, proportion, and real-world impact, all while taking a thrilling detour through Earth’s deep history.
Here’s what you get in the lesson:
Narrated Slides – 9 audio clips walk students through radiometric dating, extinction patterns, and other bite-sized science wonders.
5-Page AI Booklet – A kid-friendly crash course on AI basics, prompt-writing, internet safety, and a glossary of key terms.
Printable PDFs – Leveled texts, a coloring page (because even dinosaurs deserve to be colored in), a 4-page CER note sheet, and a “Tools Scientists Use” guide.
AI Visualization Activity – On Slide 45, students create their own tsunami images to compare and analyze.
10-Question Quiz – Multiple-choice, true/false, and “Would You Rather” questions to keep the mood lively while checking understanding.
Why Kids Need AI Skills Now
Artificial intelligence is evolving at lightning speed, and if we want our students to be the future’s problem-solvers, innovators, and creators, they can’t just hear about AI—they need to use it.
But teaching AI to K–12 students is more than tossing a robot into the classroom. The real trick?
Connect AI to what students already know.
Make the lessons relevant and engaging.
Equip teachers with the confidence to lead the learning.
In fact, recent AI Elementary School research with 4th and 5th graders (ages 9–11) found that students already have ideas—sometimes accurate, sometimes hilarious—about how AI works, where they see it in real life, and what’s “right” or “wrong” for AI to do. Teachers see these same ideas as potential “entry points” for building a curriculum that clicks with kids and works in the real classroom.
NGSS in Action
This lesson taps right into NGSS practices like Developing and Using Scientific Tools, turning AI into a hands-on modeling lab where students investigate real-world phenomena like tsunamis.
And because it’s 100% no-prep—with all links, scaffolds, and word banks ready to go—it’s accessible for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners alike.
Why It’s Free
This project doesn’t quite fit my Teachers Pay Teachers niche, so instead of letting it sit on my hard drive, I’m handing it out like prehistoric candy.
If you love it, join my email list for more free science resources from 5th grade, Washington State History Science, through high school. And if you do shop TPT, follow me there for other ready-to-use lessons.
