Dinosphere — Now You’re in Their World! K-2 Unit of Study PDF

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis  Acknowledgments The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the following people in the preparation of this unit of study: Rick Crosslin, teacher, writ...

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis  Acknowledgments The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the following people in the preparation of this unit of study: Rick Crosslin, teacher, writer Mary Fortney, educator Dinosphere Exhibit Development Team The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution dedicated to providing extraordinary learning experiences for children and families. It is one of the largest children’s museums in the world and serves people across Indiana as well as visitors from other states and countries. In addition to special exhibits and programs, the museum provides the infoZone, a partnership between The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library. The infoZone combines the resources of a museum with the services of a library where students can read, search for information and find the answers to their questions. Other museum services include the Teacher Resource Link that lends books, learning kits, artifacts and other materials to Indiana educators. Items may be checked out for minimal fees. For a complete catalog, call (317) 334-4001 or fax (317) 921- 4019. Field trips to the museum can be arranged by calling (317) 334-4000 or (800) 820-6214. Visit Just for Teachers at The Children’s Museum Web site: www.ChildrensMuseum.org 2 Dinosphere — Now You’re in Their World! A K – 2 Unit of Study  © 2004 Michael Skrepnick, “T. rex Attack,” acrylic, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis T. rex Attack Thump, shake, crash, Through the tall trees by the waterhole, Something big scares the Triceratops. She stops, sniffs and checks. Watch out — it’’s Tyrannosaurus rex! — Caroline Crosslin, age 6 The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis © 2004 3  Dinosphere Table of Contents Introduction............ 5 A K–2 Lesson 1: Dinosaurs Were Different Types and Sizes........... 8 Experience 1 — Dinosaurs Names................................ 9 Unit of Study Kindergarten — Join the Dinosaur Age............................. 9 Grade 1 — Common and Science Names.......................... 10 Grade 2 — Create a Dinosaur Name............................... 11 Enduring Idea: Experience 2 — Dinosaur Size................................... 17 Kindergarten — Supersize That Dinosaur........................... 18 Fossils are clues Grade 1 — Make a Dinosaur.................................... 19 that help us learn Grade 2 — Compare Dinosaur Body Parts.......................... 20 about dinosaurs. Lesson 2: Some Dinosaurs Lived Together.................. 23 Experience — Why Do Animals Live in Groups?.................. 24 Kindergarten — What Is an Animal Group?......................... 24 Grade 1 — Animal Groups..................................... 25 Grade 2 — Dinosaur Interaction.................................. 26 Lesson 3: Fossil Clues Help Us Learn About Dinosaurs......... 28 Experience 1 — How a Dinosaur Fossil Forms.................... 29 Kindergarten — What Is a Fossil?................................ 29 Grade 1 — Layered Fossil Parfait: Deeper Is Older.................... 30 Grade 2 — Make a Cast of a Tyrannosaurus rex Fossil................. 31 Grade 2 Bonus — Kelsey: Clues of the Dig Site Map..................33 Experience 2 — Fossil Skeletons: Observing, Making and Learning... 36 Kindergarten —Dinosaur Flesh and Bones.......................... 37 Grade 1 — X-ray Dinosaurs..................................... 38 Grade 2 — Make a Dinosaur Model.............................. 39 Bonus — T. rex Cretaceous Treat................................. 41 Lesson 4: What Happened to the Dinosaurs?................ 42 Experience 1 — Questions and Clues................................ 43 Kindergarten — Dinosaur Questions.............................. 43 Grade 1 — What Happened to the Dinosaurs?....................... 44 Grade 2 — Dinosaur Theories................................... 45 Experience 2 — Paleontologists.................................... 48 Kindergarten — Paleontologists: Can You Dig It?..................... 49 Grade 1 — Paleontologists: Scientists Are People Just Like You........... 50 Grade 2 — Paleontologists: Make Discoveries!....................... 51 Culminating Experience: Dinosphere — Now You’re in Their World! Grades K – 2 — Waterhouse Hawkins and the Nano Dinosphere Museum... 53 Resource Materials Dinosphere Dinosaurs........................................ 55 4 Dinosphere — Now You’re in Their World! A K – 2 Unit of Study  Enduring Idea What’s Ahead Fossils are clues that help us learn about dinosaurs. Lesson One Dinosaurs Were Different Why study fossils? Fossils are clues to the past. They are nature’s records written in rock. Types and Sizes A fossil is the remains, imprint or trace of an organism preserved in the earth’s crust. To Students learn how dinosaurs are some people fossils are just curious natural oddities of little value. To scientists, fossils classified and compare dino shapes are a window into past geologic ages — the physical evidence and data used to test and sizes. hypotheses and build theories that lead to better understanding of ancient life. When children hold fossils their imagination instantly transports them to a world where Lesson Two dinosaurs walked the earth. Fossils are powerful learning tools that motivate children to Some Dinosaurs Lived “read” the clues they offer about prehistoric plants and animals. Together Students analyze how animals live in groups and the ways dinosaurs may have interacted. Lesson Three Fossil Clues Help Us Learn About Dinosaurs Students learn what a fossil is, and observe and examine fossils to make their own drawings, casts and models. Lesson Four What Happened to the Dinosaurs? Students explore dinosaur theories and The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis learn how paleontologists and other scientists make dinosaur discoveries. Culminating Experience Dinosphere — Now You’re in Their World! Students use their knowledge to create A fossil is a window into the past that offers students unparalleled learning opportunities. a model Dinosphere for the classroom. A Unit of Study What will students for Grades K – 2 learn? Indiana’s Academic This unit of study is designed for teachers of In this unit students will learn much about Standards Kindergarten and Grades 1 and 2. A life in the Cretaceous Period. Each lesson This unit of study helps students companion unit of study with different has specific objectives designed to increase achieve academic standards in: lessons and activities is available for Grades understanding of dinosaurs through the science language arts 3, 4 and 5. Each experience is intended for a study of fossils. The unit of study is divided math social studies specific grade level. However, the lessons into five parts. Each lesson is a separate set Specific Academic Standards are are designed to build upon each other. The of activities that build upon the enduring listed with each experience. A lessons and activities can be completed with idea that fossils are clues that help us learn complete list of the Indiana Science classroom resources and library books and about dinosaurs. The culminating experi- Standards and indicators are included by visiting The Children’s Museum ence builds upon the topics explored in the along with the National Science Dinosphere Web site. The best way to lessons. Standards in the resources section at promote science learning in your class is to the end of this unit. take a field trip to Dinosphere and complete the unit of study. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis © 2004 5  Introduction Getting started Children love dinosaurs because they are evidence that strange, fantastic worlds can exist. Imagination and reality come face to © Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, photograph by Neal L. Larson face when a child looks into the eyes and jaws of Tyrannosaurus rex. What did it eat? How did it move? Was it real? What does its name mean? How long ago did it live? It is these questions that make children and scientists alike want to find out more. The best reason for studying dinosaur fossils is to provide students, teachers and parents a unique opportunity to use science to answer questions and solve problems. Science can be used to make observations, collect data, test ideas and draw conclusions about the dinosaurs’ Scientists use many different tools to help unlock the mysteries of a dinosaur fossil. world. Indiana dinosaurs? named? Why did they live in groups? What did they eat? What happened to Why aren’t dinosaurs found in Indiana? them? Who discovered them? What is still Students often ask this question. Dinosaurs not known? Who studies dinosaurs? How probably lived in Indiana long ago, but can a person share what he or she learns? © Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, photograph by Peter L. Larson several major changes in climate have Where can someone learn more? Students occurred in this state since the end of the embark on an expedition of discovery by Cretaceous. Large glaciers scoured, using fossil clues and indirect evidence. scraped and eroded the surface and bedrock of Indiana, where dinosaur bones may have been deposited. When the Science class climate changed the melted glaciers environment produced tremendous quantities of water In Dinosphere students explore dinosaurs that moved sediments, soil, rocks and and fossils from a scientific perspective. fossils out of the state. Fragile fossils cannot Instead of just learning words, ideas and survive the strong natural forces that have facts, they use science to build under- shaped the Hoosier state. The youngest standing. In this unit students are encour- bedrock in Indiana, from the Carboniferous aged not just to learn about what someone A dig site is carefully excavated in layers to avoid damaging the fossils. Period, 360 – 286 million years ago (mya), else has discovered but also to try that is much older than the Mesozoic Era fossil discovery on their own — to explore the Dinosphere beds of the dinosaurs, 248 – 65 mya. Thus world using tools with their own hands. Visitors to Dinosphere will be transported to fossilized dinosaur bones have not been Reading, writing and math are essential the Cretaceous Period via the plants, found in Indiana. elements of this scientific method. Students animals, sights, sounds and smells of 65 ask questions, make hypotheses, construct million years ago, when the earth belonged to the dinosaurs. Students will meet the Focus questions plans, make observations, collect data, Science is driven by questions. This unit of analyze results and draw conclusions. A stars of the era — T. rex, Triceratops, study asks questions that encourage inves- good science program provides experiences Hypa-crosaurus, Gorgosaurus, Maiasaura tigation and challenge students to learn that offer an opportunity to learn in a unique and many more unique creatures. The fossil more: What are dinosaurs? Are dinosaurs manner. This unit of study combines the clues left in the Cretaceous Period help to real? What were they like? How did they scientific method with hands-on experience. reconstruct the world of dinosaurs. Now become fossils? How does someone learn you’re in their world! about dinosaurs? How are dinosaurs 6 Dinosphere — Now You’re in Their World! A K – 2 Unit of Study  Introduction Dinosaur classroom Dinosphere © Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, photograph by Neal L. Larson You can enhance the study of dinosaurs by museum link creating a “Cretaceous Classroom.” The Plan a field trip or get more information via Children’s Museum Store is a great place the Web site, www.childrensmuseum.org. to find dinosaur books, puzzles, posters, A museum visit provides extraordinary puppets and models to outfit your learning learning opportunities for students to space. Bookmark the listed Web sites on explore the world of dinosaurs. Museums classroom computers. Create different areas serve as field trip sites where fossils and in the room for exploration. Use plastic table- immersive environments help motivate visi- cloths for clay or play dough work areas. tors to learn more about the world. The Locate a sand table or a plastic wading pool Children’s Museum Dinosphere provides filled with sand in an area where student a doorway into the Cretaceous Period, paleontologists can dig up dinosaur models. Bucky Derflinger is the young cowboy who where visitors come face to face with found the first bone of Bucky, the T. rex. Provide students with vests, pith helmets dinosaurs. Visitors will see real dinosaur and goggles to role-play dinosaur hunters. fossils in lifelike exhibits, discover how fossils component in the science journal. Two Ask students to create artwork to show tell stories about the past and learn the styles of templates are provided in the where dinosaurs lived. Create a space latest findings from the world’s top paleon- resource section of this unit. where students can add to a dinosaur mural tologists. More information, including as they learn more about these fascinating creatures. Post in your room a Family connection Webquests, can be found at The Children’s Museum Web site. In addition, many of the This unit is intended for classrooms, families Vocabulosaurus section for new words to print selections listed in the unit are avail- and individual learners. Let families know learn. Provide families with a list of dinosaur able through infoZone, a branch of the that your class will be studying dinosaurs. videos that students can check out Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Some families may have visited museums overnight. Other great sources for turning located at The Children’s Museum. For or dig sites featuring dinosaurs or may be your classroom into a prehistoric adventure teaching kits and other hands-on classroom interested in planning such a trip in the area can be found at The Dinosaur Farm resources, see the Teacher Resource Link future. They can learn a lot by working (http://www.dinosaurfarm.com /) and at www.childrensmuseum.org. together to explore the Web sites and books The Dinosaur Nest (http://www.the recommended in this unit of study. Share dinosaurnest.com/). the Dinosphere Web site with your students’ families and encourage them to Literature connection visit Dinosphere at The Children’s Many outstanding dinosaur big books, Museum. The activities are set up for group magazines, paperback books, videos and discussion appropriate for working and models are listed in the resources at the end learning in a family setting, so that families of this unit. Two separate book lists are can explore the world of dinosaurs very included: those specifically about plants much like the Linster family did. The Linsters and animals of the Cretaceous Period, and spent each summer vacation on a family titles appropriate for a classroom library. In quest to find dinosaurs. They found and addition, annotated books are listed with helped excavate the Gorgosaurus, each lesson. Maiasaura and Bambiraptor specimens featured in Dinosphere. The Zerbst family Dino Diary found and excavated Kelsey, the Triceratops Students use a Dino Diary to write words and one of the museum’s star attractions. and sentences, take notes, make drawings Kelsey was named after the Zerbsts’ grand- and record the data they collect during the daughter. A family that uses this unit of lessons. At the end of each activity students study to start their own expedition of are asked to respond to the following Dino discovery might find a treasure that ends up Diary writing prompt, “Today I discovered in Dinosphere! …” Each experience ends with a writing The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis © 2004 7  Lesson 1 Grades K – 2 Lesson 1 Dinosaurs Were Different Types and Sizes Get ready to dig The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis Students learn that dinosaurs are diverse in size, type and shape. Students take meas- urements, make drawings and construct models to learn about dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are a special group of animals with interesting names, many of which are long and hard to pronounce. Students are Hypacrosaurus stebingeri, a small duckbill dinosaur. The shaded bones are real fossils. empowered when they can pronounce these multisyllabic names and know what they mean. Dinosaurs are named based dinosaur names reflect their unique body parts or behaviors. Each experience is Science names on the location they were found or after a person. Students learn how a dinosaur is intended for a specific grade level. The Englishman Richard Owen first used named using Greek and Latin words and However, the lessons are designed to build the word dinosauria in 1842. It is made how each part of a name has a meaning. upon each other. Teachers may want to from dino, which means terrible, and Students create new dinosaur names and include more than one of the following sauria, which means lizard. Put together, decode real names using Greek and Latin experiences. the words mean “terrible lizard.” The name words. This lesson focuses on the way of the three-horned dinosaur Triceratops comes from tri, meaning “three,” and cerat, meaning “horn.” A dinosaur that appears to be fast (veloci) and able to steal (raptor) eggs or other food is named Velociraptor. These dinosaurs are named after body parts or behaviors. Students will learn that there are also nicknames for plants, animals and dinosaurs. For example, in Dinosphere the Triceratops is nicknamed Kelsey, while Bucky is the nickname of one T. rex. A plant or animal might have a nickname, a common name and a scien- tific name. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis Unlike its larger cousin Triceratops, Leptoceratops is rare in the fossil record. 8 Dinosphere — Now You’re in Their World! A K – 2 Unit of Study Experience 1 Kindergarten Lesson 1 EXPERIENCE 1 — DINOSAUR NAMES DIG IN... Join the Dinosaur Age 1. Set up several learning and play stations within the classroom. 2. Read Dinosaur Bones by Bob Barner to the class in a reading Indiana Academic Standards — Kindergarten circle. Science — 1.1, 2.2, 4.3, 6.1 3. Sand table — use sand and Language Arts — 1.3, 1.12, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 5.1, 5.2, 7.2, 7.3 dinosaur bone replicas to create a Math — 3.1, 5.1 dig site. Students bury and Social Studies — 4.2 uncover dinosaurs. Use handheld magnifying lens, centimeter ruler, goggles, brushes and Dino Diaries to make and record obser- Focus What are dinosaurs? How do people know about dinosaurs? vations. Students draw and color Questions What are bones and skeletons? their discoveries. 4. Reading circle — provide several dinosaur books and puzzles for Objectives Students will: students to explore. Role-play activities associated with dinosaurs and paleontologists. 5. Computer stations — bookmark Interact at different classroom stations to learn about dinosaurs. dinosaur Web sites for the class to explore. Provide students with vests, pith helmets and goggles to role-play dinosaur hunters as they use the computer. 6. Dinosaur romp — create an area with a plastic tablecloth or large butcher paper and markers for dinosaur play. Students can design and color landscapes. Place models of dinosaurs and trees for students to use to role- The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis play and re-create stories read aloud in the reading circle. 7. Dinosaur songs — play CDs of dinosaur songs available from Web sites. 8. Clay dinosaurs — use clay or Dinosaur toy models help us understand size and interaction. This trio is represented in play dough to make dinosaurs or Dinosphere at the T. rex Attack. dinosaur tracks. Provide rollers and tools. Vocabulosaurus Dinosaur models, puzzles, selected 9. Bring the group back together and Dig tools books and songs (including Dinosaur read the book aloud again in the dinosaur paleontologist Bones by Bob Barner); sand table or reading circle. scientist bone plastic wading pool filled with sand; clay and play dough; handheld magni- 10. Repeat these steps using a dig skeleton fying lens; centimeter ruler, paper, different book each day until the pencil and scissors; drawings of class has completed all stations. dinosaurs; Dino Diaries. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis © 2004 9  Lesson 1 Grade 1 Experience 1 EXPERIENCE 1 — DINOSAUR NAMES DIG IN... Common and 1. Read The Littlest Dinosaurs by Bernard Most to the class in a Science Names 2. reading circle. Ask students to name any dinosaurs they can think of. Make Indiana Academic Standards — Grade 1 a list on the board of several they mention. Ask them to use their Science — 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.6, 2.7, 5.2, 5.3 Dino Diaries to draw a picture Language Arts — 1.2, 1.14, 1.17, 5.4, 7.1, 7.5, 7.10 and write the name of their Math — 2.5, 6.2 favorite dinosaur. If they cannot think of a dinosaur use one of the children’s books listed in this unit to show them examples. Several Focus How are dinosaurs named? students may know that Questions What does a dinosaur’s name mean? How do you write dinosaur names? Triceratops is a three-horned dinosaur. Write the name and the Can words be broken into parts that have word parts on the board and ask meaning? students to copy it in their diary (Greek kerat or cerat = horned). Objectives Students will: Tell students that one way scien- tists name a dinosaur is based on List dinosaurs and the body parts they are named after. how it looks or behaves. Name the word parts and meanings of Triceratops. List new dinosaur names by a body part. 3. List on the board the following words and their meanings: uni = Create drawings of dinosaurs and their body parts. one, di = two, tri = three, quad = four, cerat = horn, rhino = nose. Ask students how many horns a “Quadceratops” will have. Since Vocabulosaurus quad means four, the answer is Scientists use many Greek and Latin four horns. Ask students to make words and word parts to describe different combinations of the plants, animals and the world. Many words on the board. Have them science word parts are included in this draw a picture of the head of their lesson. The focus is on the following: new dinosaur that shows the uni – one ped – foot correct number of horns for its bi – two ops – face name. Students can write or tri – three cephale – head dictate sentences to describe their rex – king cerat – horn dinosaur. Example: “My © Black Hills Institute of Geological Research odon – tooth rhino – nose Quadceratops has four horns.” mega – big tyrant – terrible 4. Use books and models to show micro – small vore – eats different dinosaurs. Ask the saurus – lizard students to try to name the different dinosaurs they see. Sort the dinosaurs by their names. For example, sort all that end in Dig tools Drawings of dinosaurs; Dino “saurus” or have horns. Diaries; The Littlest Dinosaurs Once the mold is made, copies can be 5. Bring the group back together and by Bernard Most. produced and studied. The real fossilized read the book aloud again in the bones are on display in Dinosphere. reading circle. 10 Dinosphere — Now You’re in Their World! A K – 2 Unit of Study Experience 1 Grade 2 Lesson 1 EXPERIENCE 1 — DINOSAUR NAMES DIG IN... Create a Dinosaur Name 1. Read Where to Look for a Dinosaur by Bernard Most to the class in a reading circle. Indiana Academic Standards — Grade 2 2. Have students create a dinosaur name using the What’s in a Science — 1.3, 1.6, 2.4, 2.5, 4.1, 4.4, 5.4, 5.6 Dinosaur Name? worksheet. Language Arts — 1.3, 1.8, 2.4, 2.7, 5.5, 7.1, 7.11 3. Make copies of the What’s in a Math — 6.2 Dinosaur Name? worksheet and T. rex skull drawing. Students can cut the three word strips apart. Each strip contains a list of Latin Focus What does a dinosaur name mean? and Greek words they will use to Questions How do you write dinosaur names? create a genus name for a Can words be broken into parts that dinosaur they create. Then cut have meaning? apart the three sections of the skull drawing. Slip the three strips into the three openings in the Objectives Students will: skull. List dinosaurs and the body parts they are named after. 4. Have students move each strip up List new dinosaur names by a body part. and down to make new names, Create drawings of dinosaurs and their body parts. then write the names they create in their Dino Diaries. They can Use a chart (see pp. 12 – 13, What’s in a Dinosaur Name?) start by using two strips and add to decode real and created dinosaur names. the third strip as their skills improve. Make sure they leave a blank space for the species name Vocabulosaurus of their dinosaur. Use the What’s in a Dinosaur Name? worksheet Scientists use many Greek and Latin to help decode real dinosaur words and word parts to describe names. plants, animals and the world. Many 5. Bring the group back together science word parts are included in this and read the book aloud again. lesson. The focus is on the following: uni – one ped – foot bi – two ops – face tri – three cephale – head rex – king cerat – horn © Black Hills Institute of Geological Research odon – tooth rhino – nose mega – big tyrant – terrible micro – small vore – eats saurus – lizard Paper, pencils and scissors; Dig tools drawings of dinosaurs; Dino Diaries; dinosaur word strips Bucky Derflinger discovered Bucky, the and What’s in a Dinosaur teenage T. rex. Name? chart; and Where to Look for a Dinosaur by Bernard Most. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis © 2004 11  Lesson 1 Grades K – 2 Experience 1 What’s in a Dinosaur Name? Name: __________________________________________________ Cut apart the dinosaur name strips on this page. Slide the name strips into the Tyrannosaurus rex What’s in a Dinosaur Name? skull worksheet. Move the strips up and down to create dinosaur names. You can make names of dinosaurs that are in The Children’s Museum Dinosphere. For example, try Triceratops, which means three-horned face. Find the three name strips for tri, cerat and ops. Word Parts Word Parts Word Parts uni cerat vore one horn eat tri rhino odon three nose tooth tyrant cephale ops terrible head face bi ped saurus two foot lizard mega micro rex big small king 12 Dinosphere — Now You’re in Their World! A K – 2 Unit of Study Experience 1 Grades K – 2 Lesson 1 What’s in a Dinosaur Name? Name: __________________________________________________ Cut along each dotted line. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis © 2004 13  Lesson 1 Grades K – 2 Experience 1 Make it Dino fossilize Web sites Dinosaur Songs by Bergman Broom Kindergarten — Students http://www.dinosongs.com/music.htm should be able to identify dinosaurs Dinosphere link on The Children’s and know they have bones and Museum Web site skeletons. http://www.childrensmuseum.org Grades 1 and 2 — Students Museum of Paleontology © 2002 Dan Counter, Black Hills Institute of Geological Research should be able to list examples of http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/index.html dinosaur names and to use 10 or Songs for Teaching — Dinosaur Songs more Latin and Greek words or word http://www.songsforteaching.com/Dinosaur parts to describe a dinosaur. Songs.html Grade 2 — With practice students Enchanted Learning — Comprehensive should be able to use the What’s in e-book about dinosaurs a Dinosaur Name? chart to decode http://www.zoomdinosaurs.com actual dinosaur names found in Dinosphere. They should be able The Dinosauricon, by Mike Keesey — to re-create Triceratops and Complete taxonomy of dinosaurs Young Kelsey visits the excavation site of the Tyrannosaurus rex using word http://dinosauricon.com/main/index.html Triceratops that shares her name. parts from the worksheet. Dino books Paleo-points Barner, Bob. Dinosaur Bones. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2001. A colorful look at for the teacher dinosaur bones and skeletons with rhyming text and fun information. Like all animals, dinosaurs are named and classified using the binomial system created Most, Bernard. The Littlest Dinosaurs. San by Swedish naturalist and physician Carl von Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1989. Linné (best known by his Latin name, Carolus Simple descriptions of dinosaurs that are less Linnaeus.) All living organisms fit into this than 14 feet long. system that includes kingdom, phylum, class, Most, Bernard. Where to Look for a Dinosaur. order, family, genus and species. Each division San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1993. can be further divided into smaller subgroups. How scientists look for and find dinosaur fossils. One way to better understand this system is to apply it to Kelsey, the Dinosphere Triceratops. Follow the classification of Kelsey, Dino Diary Taylor, Paul D. Eyewitness: Fossil. New York: DK Publishing, 2000. A beautifully illustrated At the end of each class period students photo essay about different types of fossils starting with the animal kingdom and ending write or draw pictures under the heading and how they formed. at the genus and species. Today I discovered … in their diaries. The Willis, Paul. Dinosaurs. Pleasantville, N.Y.: diary may include drawings, notes and Reader’s Digest Children’s Books, 1999. An lists of dinosaur names from the lessons, introduction to dinosaurs — how they and drawings of real and created looked, behaved and ate, and what is known dinosaurs. Ask for volunteers to share or about them through the study of fossils. read aloud any part of their journal to the class. 14 Dinosphere — Now You’re in Their World! A K – 2 Unit of Study Experience 1 Grades K – 2 Lesson 1 Classifying Kelsey — A Dinosphere Dinosaur All Organisms Plant Kingdom Fungi Kingdom Animal Kingdom Protists Kingdom Bacteria Kingdom Animal Kingdom Invertebrates (95% of all animals do not have backbones), Porifera, Nematoda, Arthropoda, Arachnida, Mollusca, Cnidaria, Chordata (5% of all animals have back- bones), and other phyla. Chordata Phylum Mammalia (mammals), Archosauria (“ruling reptiles”), Chondricthyes Subphylum (cartilaginous fish), Osteichthyes (bony fish), Amphibia (frogs, toads, Vertebrata salamanders, etc.), Aves (birds), Reptilia and other classes. Archosauria Class Living reptiles — Testudines/Chelonia (turtle/tortoise), Squamata (lizards/snakes), Crocodylia (crocodiles, alligators/caymans). Nonliving extinct reptiles — Pterosauria (winged reptiles), Plesiosauria and Ichthyosauria (marine reptiles), and other orders. Dinosauria subclass (“terrible” lizards from the Mesozoic Era) Dinosauria Subclass Saurischia (lizard-hipped), Ornithischia (bird-hipped), and others Ornithschia Ornithopoda Suborder (bird-foot), Thyroophora Suborder (roofed/plated, armored), Marginocephalia Suborder (fringed head) and others Marginocephalia Pachycephalosauria Family (thick-headed reptiles), Ceratopsidae Family Suborder (horn-faced) and others Ceratopsidae Family Psittacosaurus, Protoceratops, Pachyrhinosaurus, Styracosarus, Chasmosaurus, Triceratops and others Genus Triceratops albertensis, alticornis, eurycephalus, galeus, horridus, maximus, prorsus, sulcatus species and others Species horridus Triceratops horridus This makes Kelsey an organism in the Animal kingdom, in the Chordata phylum, subphylum Vertebrata, in the class Archosauria, subclass Dinosauria, in the order Ornithischia, suborder Marginocephalia, in the family Ceratopsidae, of the genus Triceratops and the species horridus. This classification system can be used with each dinosaur in Dinosphere. An easy way to remember the different groups, Kingdom — Phylum — Class — Order — Family — Genus — species, is with the phrase, Kids Please Come Over For Great Science! The chart on the next page shows how each classification fits within a larger group. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis © 2004 15  Lesson 1 Grades K – 2 Experience 1 How Plants and Animals Are Classified Kingdom Kelsey – Animalia The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis Phylum Kelsey – Chordata Subclass Kelsey – Dinosauria Order Kelsey – Ornithischia Family Kelsey – Ceratopsidae Unique circumstances are needed for an insect like this dragonfly to fossilize. Genus Kelsey – Triceratops Triceratops Species Kelsey – horridus Three horns on my face, I lived in the Cretaceous with many strange beasts, If you invite me to dinner, More information on how dinosaurs are classified can be found at the following taxonomy Web site. It is not intended for elementary students, but may be helpful for teacher research. Make it a plant-eaters feast! The Dinosauricon, by Mike Keesey: http://dinosauricon.com/main/index.html — Caroline Crosslin The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis Fish and other fossilized animals help scien- Dinosphere visitors can help prepare fossilized bones from an Edmontosaurus that were tists understand the diversity of life during the collected during the 2003 teacher dig. Cretaceous Period. Bonus: Digging deeper! In this lesson students explored ways that In Dinosphere there are examples of all scientists name dinosaurs according to three types of dinosaur names. body parts or behaviors. Scientists name Kelsey, a Triceratops horridus, is named The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis all plants and animals by following certain after body parts. systematic rules. Dinosaurs are named The Edmontosaurus annectens is three ways: named for Edmonton, Canada, where it 1. by body part or behavior, was found. 2. according to where the dinosaur was The Bambiraptor fenbergi is named after found, and/or a person. This fossilized shrimp is similar to crayfish and 3. after a person who found the dinosaur shrimp living today. or who was important to the discovery. 16 Dinosphere — Now You’re in Their World! A K – 2 Unit of Study Experience 2 Grades K – 2 Lesson 1 EXPERIENCE 2 — DINOSAUR SIZE Get ready to dig One of the strangest things about dinosaurs is their size. Some were real giants, while others were the size of small birds. Students will take measurements and create charts to learn about the size of dinosaurs. For every The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis hour spent in the field digging up a fossilized dinosaur, paleontologists and technicians need 20 hours to clean, repair, mount and erect the skeleton. Students will learn how fossilized bones fit together when they make their own dinosaur skeleton. Leptoceratops is a small, dog-sized, primitive member of the Ceratopsidae family. © Black Hills Institute of Geological Research What might have caused the death of this maiasaur? The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis © 2004 17  Lesson 1 Grades K – 2 Experience 2 EXPERIENCE 2 — DINOSAUR SIZE DIG IN... Supersize That Dinosaur 1. Read The Littlest Dinosaurs by Bernard Most to the class to intro- duce students to the different sizes of dinosaurs. Indiana Academic Standards — Kindergarten 2. Duplicate and pass out pictures of Science — 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 6.1 the skeletons of Kelsey, a Triceratops, Language Arts — 1.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 and Stan, a Tyrannosaurus rex, to the Math — 1.9, 3.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.2, class. Explain the scale of the draw- Social Studies — 1.1 ings, and then ask the students to estimate how long or tall each dinosaur is. Ask them to compare the dinosaurs to known objects. For example, ask if they are larger or smaller than a dog, cow, car, school Taking careful measurements with rulers helps in understanding size and scale. bus, house and your school. They should be able to make statements that determine that the dinosaurs Focus How big were dinosaurs? mentioned are larger than a ___ but Questions Are dinosaurs big and small? How can dinosaurs be measured? 3. smaller than a ___. Use a meter stick to determine how tall several students are. Round off to the nearest meter or use half-meter measurements. Remember to round Objectives Students will: up anything larger than half a meter to the next meter. Record the height Estimate the size of dinosaurs. of the students and find the average Measure using metric, U.S. and other units of measurement height. Measure and compare dinosaurs to known objects. 4. Ask the class to predict how many students would have to lie across the floor head to foot to match the size of the two dinosaurs. Use the hallway Vocabulosaurus or go outdoors and create a full-size drawing of a dinosaur. Have students units tail make drawings in their Dino Diaries meter backbone and record the measurements. bar graph skeleton 5. Have students make comparisons of head dinosaurs to animals they know. Find the length of each of the Dinosphere dinosaurs or other favorites from Meter stick and centimeter dinosaur books. Dig tools © Black Hills Institute of Geological Research rulers; chalk, construction paper 6. Help students cut out the Kelsey and and glue; skeletal dr