Dinosaur Hall Second Grade Dinosaur Lesson Teacher Pages Pre Visit Earth Sciences 3d. Students know that fossils provide evidence about the plants and animals that lived long ago and that scientists learn about the past history of Earth by studying fossils. The following activities align with the 4 essential questions that guide the Dinosaur Hall at the Natural History Museum, Los Angeles. These activities also align with second grade content standards and allow the teacher to use the fieldtrip experience as a means to preview, learn, or reinforce some content for the standard. The on site visit activities can be used together to help create a post visit activity or used singularly as a way to aid understanding of the science content. These are some helpful prerequisite skills for the following activities: Vocabulary Knowledge: Science Related Carnivore, Omnivore, Herbivore, Marine, Reptile, Skeletal Features/Body Parts, Predator, Prey, Graze, Adaptation; Descriptive Adjectives Sharp, Pointy, Dull, Flat, Small, Medium, Large. Reading Skills: The ability to read and understand directions on a worksheet. Writing Skills: The ability to copy names and write short responses. Math Skills: The ability to count, add, and compare numbers. Science Skills: The ability to observe and make hypotheses about observations. On site Visit
1. What are Dinosaurs? Objective: Students will examine characteristics of dinosaurs with 2 or 4 legs and dinosaurs of different sizes (large, medium, small) with the use of a chart. Setting: Entire Hall 2. What was the world of Dinosaurs like? Objective: Students will use a T chart to categorize, sketch, and label characteristics of land dwelling dinosaurs and Marine reptiles. Setting: Entire Hall and the area containing the Marine Reptiles (the Morenosaurus and Plotosaur) 3. What were Dinosaurs like as living animals? Objective: Students will categorize dinosaurs as herbivore, omnivore, and carnivore, using the dinosaurs teeth as evidence, in a chart. Setting: Entire Hall 4. What happened to Dinosaurs? Objective: Students will use an image of a bird skeleton to identify similar skeletal features between existing birds and extinct dinosaurs. Setting: Entire Hall, or specifically, the area that contains the T Rex, Struthiomimus, and Allosaurus specimens, and the Mezzanine to examine the Ostrich skeleton. Post Visit Objective: Students will synthesize their information/data from their Dinosaur Hall fieldtrip to create a dinosaur of their own.
What are Dinosaurs? Thinking about Dinosaurs with 2 Legs and 4 Legs Directions: Go to different dinosaur specimens. Record the dinosaur s name and the number of legs the dinosaur walks on. Also record the size of the dinosaur in the box with the number of legs the dinosaur walks on. Then record the texture of the dinosaur s teeth in the box labeled Teeth. Last, count the total number of 2 legged dinosaurs and 4 legged dinosaurs you recorded in the Total boxes. Dinosaur Name 2 legs? If 2 legged, put a check in the box and describe it as either small, medium, or large 4 legs? If 4 legged, put a check in the box and describe it as either small, medium, or large Teeth Pointy/sharp, flat/dull, or mixture TOTAL
Analysis *Optional: This can also be done as an extension at school* 1. Answer: Did you record a greater number of 2 legged or 4 legged Dinosaurs? 2. Answer: What was the texture of most of the 2 legged Dinosaur s teeth? 3. Answer: What was the texture of most of the 4 legged Dinosaur s teeth? 4. Answer: What size were most of the 2 legged Dinosaurs? 5. Answer: What size were most of the 4 legged Dinosaurs? 6. Make a Connection: What hypothesis (prediction) can you make about the connection between the number of legs a dinosaur walks on and the texture of its teeth? Why do you think this connection exists? Example: I hypothesize that dinosaurs that walk on 4 legs have flat/dull teeth because they eat plants and need to be close to the ground to eat those plants. 7. Make a Connection: What hypothesis (prediction) can you make about the connection between the size of a dinosaur and the number of legs a dinosaur walks on? Example: I hypothesize that dinosaurs that walk on 2 legs are either small, to run fast and catch other small animals to eat, or large, to run fast and catch other large animals to eat.
What was the world of Dinosaurs like? Similarities and differences between land dwelling dinosaurs and marine reptiles Directions: Find a land dwelling dinosaur and a marine (ocean) living reptile. Sketch the dinosaur and the marine reptile. Label 2 body parts that are SIMILAR for both the dinosaur and the marine reptile. Label 2 body parts that are DIFFERENT between the dinosaur and the marine reptile. Example Body Parts: Head, Arms, Legs, Fins, Tail, Backbone, Neck, Fingers/Toes Dinosaur name: DINOSAUR MARINE REPTILE Marine Reptile name: Body Parts Special to the Dinosaur Similar Body Parts Body Parts Special to the Marine Reptile
What were Dinosaurs like as living animals? Dinosaur Teeth and Diet: Carnivores and Herbivores Directions: Go to different dinosaur specimens. Record the dinosaur s name and the texture of the dinosaur s teeth. Categorize the dinosaur as carnivore, and herbivore based on the texture of the teeth. Then, count the total number of carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores you recorded in the Total boxes. Reminder: Animals with all sharp teeth are Carnivores who use their teeth to tear and eat meat. Animals with all flat teeth are Herbivores who use their teeth to grind, chew, and eat plants. Dinosaur Name Describe the texture of the Dinosaur s teeth Pointy/Sharp, Flat/Dull, Mixture/Both Those type of teeth make this Dinosaur a Carnivore Those type of teeth make this Dinosaur an Herbivore TOTAL
What happened to Dinosaurs? Thinking about the similarities between Dinosaurs of long ago and birds of today Directions: Find the Tyrannosaurus, Allosaurus, or Struthiomimus specimens near the end of the hall. Examine the skeletal features of these dinosaurs. Then, examine the skeletal features of the bird image below. Circle the skeletal features of the bird that are similar to the skeletal features you see on the dinosaurs. Draw a line from the circled skeletal feature to its correct label in the word bank on the right. Skeletal Features Word Bank Beak Head Neck Backbone Ribs Arms Fingers Pelvis Legs Toes Make a Connection: Hypothesize (predict) the connection between dinosaurs of long ago and birds of today. Claws