Great American Biotic Interchange Research Experiences for Teachers Project (GABI RET)

For five years (2012 to 2016) more than 30 scientists and 44 K-12 teachers worked together collecting fossils along the Panama Canal to better understand past life in the ancient Neotropics. This project coincided with the major “once-in-a-century” expansion of the Canal.

After these authentic field experiences, the teachers developed the lesson-plans compiled here based on what they learned during these experiences. Most of these lesson plans are aligned to learning standards (e.g., NGSS) and have been vetted in the classrooms.

This project was funded by NSF 0966884 (Panama Canal Project), including two supplements (1237203, 1321453) and NSF 1358918 (GABI RET).

Lesson Plans

• Archaeological Dig!
• Analyzing the interchange among major faunal families of the Great American Biotic Interchange
• Fossil Discoveries of the Gatun Formation
• Inferring Geomorphic Processes
• Nature of Science

PCPPIRETEACH Lesson plans

• Scientific Observations (Middle school)
• Scientific Observations (High school)
• Scientific Illustrations
• Field & Classroom activities

Not currently available

• Dissecting “Battle of the Americas” (coming soon)
• Engage & Explore Science Practices Through Fossils (coming soon)
• Explain & Elaborate Science Practices Through Fossils (coming soon)
• Explaining Snail Shell Designs (coming soon)
• Exploring Great American Biotic Interchange Biodiversity (coming soon)
• How big was Megalodon (coming soon)
• Pre-Columbian Americas (coming soon)

Additional resources

• Davey BT. Panama GABI RET 5-Year Summative Evaluation Report. 2017.
• Kays, J. 2014. Digging Panama. UF Explore research magazine.
• MacFadden, B. J., C Vargas Vergara, and B. Davey. Scientists benefit greatly from K-12 partnerships: The Panama Research Experiences for Teachers project, Evolution:Education and Outreach, in production (12.4.2022).
• PCP (Panama Canal Project); 2022.