Jerry Mohar, Lyle High School, Lyle, WA
DINOSAURS
Appropriate for grades 3-12.
OVERVIEW: Dinosaurs have been intriguing to all age groups from
elementary children to adults. Controversy over this interesting
group of animals continues today as well as when the first fossil
bones were discovered. This time period in the earth's history
holds many questions not yet answered as to what these animals
looked like, how the groups hunted and lived together, and the
mysterious questions as to what caused their disappearance.
Searching world wide for these animals gives mystery and delight
to all age groups. Dinosaurs can serve as a mechanism for us
today to look at our history and possibly discover answers to our
future. By studying these animals, we can appreciate that our own
existence may be only temporary. Perhaps with a greater
understanding of the past, the future can be better understood.
PURPOSE: To give a classroom experience of how difficult it is to
interpret an archeological discovery while being in a classroom
environment. We will use wooden models of selected dinosaurs to
demonstrate a procedure a field archeologist may use.
OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of model building.
2. Demonstrate use of the problem solving process of putting
unknown entities together in a sequential manner.
3. Demonstrate how to answer questions related to an organism's
structural and/or anatomical design.
4. Demonstrate how to answer questions as to the animal's
possible habitat.
5. Demonstrate how to answer questions as to the animal's way of
securing food.
ACTIVITIES: This activity is designed to simulate an
archeological dig.
Pieces of the models will be placed in to the boxes. A hole large
enough for a hand to be placed into and pieces removed should be
cut into the box. Place the pieces into the covered boxes before
class so the students are not familiar with the structure. Groups
of two or more should work together. Teacher begins the by having
the students remove five pieces from their "dig" one at a time.
They are to view the pieces with the group and analyze the
discovery with the following questions:
1. Can you tell how the pieces go together?
2. What does the animal look like?
3. Did the animal live on land or water?
4. Was the animal a carnivore or herbivore?
5. Explain what information you based you answers on.
Repeat steps 1-5 every five minutes until the animal is completely
assembled and all the questions can be answered with the
information available. Teachers may assign further work at this
part of the activity. (Stories of dinosaurs, library research,
or models.) This can be an excellent lead-in activity to a
paleontology section, a reptile unit or a section on dinosaurs.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS NEEDED:
Time Needed: Usually takes me one or two 45 minute periods.
Materials Needed: Fossil skeletons, kits from a scientific supply
house, boxes with covers for each model.
Nature Scope (Dinosaurs)
Fossil Kits from Carolina Biology Supply Co.
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER: Developing this part of a unit to give the
students a cleaner understanding of the earth's development as
well as the organisms on it. By piecing together the models and
trying to interpret the results the students can develop problem
solving skills in a simulated field study. Students can realize
that life and the earth are under constant change in the past as
well as the present.
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John Kurilecjmk@ofcn.org