Dinosaurs

< Museum Kits

Teacher's Guide

Summary of Contents

ACTIVITY ONE - DINOSAUR DIVERSITY

Learning Objective:
Students investigate the diversity among dinosaurs by developing different strategies for grouping them together. This activity introduces students to scientific terms and dinosaurs that are used throughout the kit.

Contents:
16 Dinosaur Models:
      Allosaurus
      Apatosaurus
      Cetiosauriscus
      Corythosaurus
      Deinonychus
      Dilophosaurus
      Diplodocus
      Euoplocephalus
      Iguanodon
      Maiasaura
      Parasaurolophus
      Plateosaurus
      Spinosaurus
      Stegosaurus
      Triceratops
      Tyrannosaurus
4 Dinosaurs poster series:
      Dinosaurs of the British Isles 115 million years ago
      Dinosaurs of North America 140 million years ago
      The End of the Dinosaurs 65 million years ago
      Early Dinosaurs 200 million years ago
Dinosaur Groups Activity Sheet
16 Dinosaur Information Cards
Dinosaurs Golden Guide

ACTIVITY TWO - DINOSAURS ON THE MOVE

Learning Objective:
Students explore how scientists use the distribution of dinosaur fossils to understand the movements of the continents.

Contents:
6 Small dinosaur models:
     Brachiosaurus
     Brontosaurus
     Parasaurolophus
     Stegosaurus
     Triceratops
     Tyrannosaurus
Map Puzzle Activity Sheet (template)
Moving Continents Model
North America in the Age of Dinosaurs poster
National Geographic Vol. 183; January, 1993

ACTIVITY THREE - BIG TIME TOUR 

Learning Objective:
Students explore the vast span of geologic time. First they consider big numbers, then take some guesses about important past events and locate them on an arm's length map of time.

Contents:
Million Appreciation Lesson (template)
The Tower of Time poster

ACTIVITY FOUR - DIGGING DINOSAURS 

Learning Objective:
Students will practice excavation skills and train their eyes to distinguish dinosaur bone from rock.

Contents:
5 Specimen sets each containing:
     1 chicken bone
     1 mammal bone fragment
     1 piece of petrified wood
     1 horn coral fossil
     1 crinoid fossil
     1 dinosaur fossil cast
     1 dinosaur fossil bone fragment
     2 small rocks
5 Tool kits each containing:
     1 Small screwdriver
     2 Hand lenses
Grid Map Activity Card (template)
Geological Bedrock Map of Nebraska
10 Dinosaur bone fragments
15 Small rocks
Fossils Tell of Long Ago

ACTIVITY FIVE - TRACKS AND TRACES 

Learning Objective:
Students explore dinosaur behavior by creating dinosaur track records.

Contents:
Dinosaur Track Challenge Activity Card (template)
5 Dinosaur Footprints Activity Card (templates)
A Glimpse of the Past poster
On the Tracks of DinosaursTrace fossils included in the kit:
     Lambeosaurus skin impression cast (2)
     Small carnivorous dinosaur footprint cast (2)
     Carnivorous dinosaur footprint cast (2)
     Oviraptor egg cast (2)
     Coprolites (2)