Early Themes - Me, Space, The Sea and Dinosaurs: Dinosaurs by Teacher Superstore

Published by R.I.C. Publications速 www.ricgroup.com.au

RIC-6288 3.6/492

Additional titles available in this series:

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Me (Ages 4–6) Space (Ages 4–6 The sea (Ages 4–6)

This master may only be reproduced by the original purchaser for use with their class(es). The publisher prohibits the loaning or onselling of this master for the purposes of reproduction.

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Internet websites

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School Order# (if applicable):

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In some cases, websites or speciﬁc URLs may be recommended. While these are checked and rechecked at the time of publication, the publisher has no control over any subsequent changes which may be made to webpages. It is strongly recommended that the class teacher checks all URLs before allowing students to access them.

View all pages online http://www.ricgroup.com.au

Foreword Dinosaurs is one of a series of books based around popular themes written for students in the early years of schooling. The wide variety of activities in this book extend across many learning areas, particularly science and society and environment. The book covers predominantly factual information about dinosaurs, compiled in such a way as to develop simple understandings and motivate early learners to extend their learning beyond its contents.

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Me — Ages 4–6

The sea — Ages 4–6

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Titles in this series are:

Space — Ages 4–6

Dinosaurs — Ages 4–6

Teachers notes ........................................ ii – iii Curriculum links ............................................ iv

Prehistoric reptiles .....................................4–5

Ornithomimus........................................38–39

Dinosaur eggs ...........................................6–7

Velociraptor ........................................... 40–41

Meat eaters and plant eaters ....................8–9

Apatosaurus...........................................42–43

Lizard-hipped and bird-hipped .............10–11

Iguanodon’s hands and feet ..................44–45

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Dinosaurs’ defensive weapons ..............12–13

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Compsognathus ....................................36–37

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Very old creatures .....................................2–3

Pachycephalosaurus puppet .................46–47

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Dinosaur detective ................................14–15

Gallimimus .............................................48–49

The time of the dinosaurs......................16–17

Big Al .....................................................50–51

Naming dinosaurs .................................18–19

Grandaddy Albertosaurus .....................52–53

Supersaurus ...........................................20–21

Megalosaurus ........................................54–55

Ultrasauros .............................................22–23

Living with dinosaurs .............................56–57

L-o-n-g Diplodocus ...............................24–25

Dino-birds? ............................................58–59

Find-a-Brachiosaurus .............................26–27

What killed the dinosaurs? ....................60–61

Tyrannosaurus mask............................... 28–29

Fossil ﬁnds .............................................62–63

Armoured Ankylosaurus .......................30–31

A palaeontologist at work ..................... 64–65

Triceratops and other ceratopsians .......32–33 Stegosaurus ...........................................34–35

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

Teachers notes Dinosaurs aims to provide a basis for further investigations or creative activities about dinosaurs. The book aims to develop the following concepts about dinosaurs: Dinosaurs lived a very long time ago, before people.

Dinosaurs were prehistoric reptiles—’terrible lizards’.

Most dinosaurs hatched from eggs.

There are two main groups of dinosaurs—meat eaters (carnivores) and plant eaters (herbivores).

Dinosaurs were divided into two groups—lizard-hipped and bird-hipped.

Some dinosaurs had physical features for built-in protection from predators.

Dinosaurs preyed on each other.

Dinosaurs lived in the three different periods of the Mesozoic era.

Dinosaurs have been named after physical features and characteristics, behaviour, discovering palaeontologists and place of discovery.

Supersaurus was a large sauropod of the Jurassic period.

Ultrasauros was a very large plant eater.

Diplodocus was one of the longest plant-eating dinosaur.

Brachiosaurus was a tall dinosaur with a long neck.

Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the biggest meat-eating dinosaurs.

Ankylosaurus was a plant eater with heavy armour.

Ceratopsians were herbivores with four legs who belonged to the ornithischian (birdhipped) group of dinosaurs of the Cretaceous period.

Stegosaurus was a plant-eating ornithischian (bird-hipped) dinosaur of the Jurassic period.

Compsognathus was a small, carnivorous theropod (two-footed dinosaur) of the Jurassic period.

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Ornithomimus was an omnivorous lizard-hipped dinosaur of the Cretaceous period.

Velociraptor was a carnivorous bipedal (two-footed) dinosaur of the Cretaceous period.

Apatosaurus (formerly Brontosaurus) was a large sauropod of the Jurassic period.

Iguanodon had a beak and spiked thumbs.

Pachycephalosaurus had a thick, rounded head.

Gallimimus was a small dinosaur which looked like an ostrich.

Allosaurus was a large meat-eating dinosaur.

Albertosaurus was related to Tyrannosaurus rex.

Megalosaurus was the ﬁrst dinosaur fossil discovered.

Many prehistoric animals were not dinosaurs.

Birds may be related to dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs are extinct but we don’t know exactly why.

Fossils tell us information about dinosaurs.

Palaeontologists study fossils.

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

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Teachers notes The format of the book Each student activity page is accompanied by a corresponding teachers notes page.

Teachers notes pages

The title of the corresponding student page is given.

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Additional activities to support or extend the concept are supplied. These extend across other learning areas.

The concept relevant is stated.

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Relevant background information is given concerning any necessary preparation, how to introduce the activity or how to use the worksheet with students. Also included is some background information which teachers may require to answer students’ questions.

Answers are supplied where necessary.

Resources to support the concept are supplied; including songs, poems, stories, relevant websites or references to pages in other books.

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Clear, concise instructions for completing the student activity are supplied.

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The title of the student page is given.

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Teachers are encouraged to enlarge worksheets to A3 size, where necessary, to allow enough space for beginning writers to complete their responses.

Some students may need assistance to write, copy or spell words. Others may need an adult to scribe words for them.

*** As much as possible, students should be encouraged to use the appropriate language (such as ‘carnivore’, ‘predator’ etc.) when completing this theme. **** Teachers are free to introduce the factual information provided on the teachers pages in any way which suits them (pictures, factual texts etc.), with many student activities forming a concluding activity.

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

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Teachers notes Science NSW LTES1.3 DMES1.8

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I F.1

1.1 1.5

Society and environment

NSW

SSES1

Vic. —

WA ICP F.2

SA 1.2

Science and Society 1.1, 1.2 Life and Living 1.1

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1.6

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Qld

Place and Space

ICP F.3 © R. I . C.P ubl i cat i ons1.2 ICP F.4 Systems, TCC F.2 •f orr evi ew p u r posesonl y• Resources and Power

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

Very old creatures Concept: Dinosaurs lived a very long time ago, before people. Indicators: X

Reads information about dinosaurs.

Identiﬁes life forms which do not belong in a picture.

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Background information:

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Dinosaurs lived during the Mesozoic era about 230 million years ago. The Mesozoic era had three periods—Triassic (about 245–208 million years ago), Jurassic ( 208–146 million years ago) and Cretaceous (146–65 million years ago). Dinosaurs existed for about 165 million years, mysteriously disappearing about 65 million years ago.

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Not all dinosaurs lived at the same time. Below is a list of some dinosaurs who lived during the three periods of the Mesozoic era: Triassic – Coelophysis, Desmatosuchus, Eoraptor, Plateosaurus, Proganochelys

Jurassic – Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Archaeopteryx (the ﬁrst bird), Brachiosaurus, Compsognathus, Diplodocus, Mamenchisaurus, Stegosaurus Cretaceous – Ankylosaurus, Giganotosaurus, Hadrosaurus, Megaraptor, Muttaburrasaurus, Ornithomimus, Triceratops, Troodon, Tyrannosaurus rex

The main purpose of this activity is to ensure students understand that people did not live at the same time as dinosaurs.

After students have identiﬁed the people hiding among the foliage, they may colour the picture.

Additional activities: X X

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Collect, view and discuss models or pictures of different kinds of dinosaurs.

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During the Triassic period, the continents formed a single supercontinent called Pangea. This supercontinent slowly broke apart over millions of years. The sections spread across the globe due to a theory called plate tectonics. The theory suggests that the Earth’s crust is divided into plates. Forces within the earth cause movements at the edges of the plates where they meet. These include volcanic activity and earthquakes.

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Create dinosaur habitats in a sandpit or on a table, displaying models of different types of dinosaurs. Students move in a variety of ways to represent different types of dinosaurs.

Resources: X

Song – ‘Long ago/Dinosaurs’ by Henrietta Clark from The new useful book (ABC)

Book – Dinosaur roar by Paul and Henrietta Stickland – The magic school bus in the time of the dinosaurs by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen

Early themes — Dinosaurs

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Very old creatures Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago before there were any people. There were many kinds of dinosaurs who lived all over the world.

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Put a cross on all the people hiding in the picture who shouldn’t be there.

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

Prehistoric reptiles Concept: Dinosaurs were prehistoric reptiles—’terrible lizards’. Indicators: X

Reads or listens to information about dinosaurs.

Compares the sizes of different dinosaurs.

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Background information:

In 1842, Sir Richard Owen gave the name ‘dinosaurs’ to the group of extinct reptiles which lived during the Mesozoic era. The name ‘dinosaur’ comes from two Greek words—‘deino’ and ‘sauros’— meaning ‘terrible lizard’ or ‘fearfully great reptile’.

Dinosaurs lived on the land. No dinosaurs ﬂew or lived in the water. Animals which did this are simply termed prehistoric animals.

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Very little information is known about the colours, patterns, sounds, behaviour or mating habits of dinosaurs. However, a lot of information is known about the great variations in method of walking, speed of movement, size, feeding habits, coverings and method of protecting themselves.

This activity intends to show the variation in size of dinosaurs.

Students are asked to count ANY square in which the drawings fall, even if it is only a small section of the drawing. Students should select one colour to complete all the squares for Ultrasauros and one colour for the square in which Compsognathus is shown.

Answers:

1. – 2. Teacher check 3. (a) 20

(b) 1

Additional activities:

Read numbers relating to the size of various dinosaurs.

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Study models of dinosaurs and use comparative language to describe them. For example, Brachiosaurus is taller than Tyrannosaurus rex.

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For example:

T-rex was about 12 metres long.

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Ankylosaurus was about 8 metres long.

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Triceratops was about 8 metres long.

Stegasaurus was about 9 metres long. X

Construct block or box towers to show relative heights of dinosaurs.

Resources: X

Fingerplay – Dinosaurs were ... <http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/fingerplays-for-kids.cfm> – Five dinosaurs <http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/fingerplays-for-kids.cfm> – Dinosaurs <http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/fingerplays-for-kids.cfm>

Song

– ‘I’m a mean old dinosaur’ (Tune: I’m a little teapot) <http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/dinosaur.htm>

Early themes — Dinosaurs

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Prehistoric reptiles 1. Read the words with your teacher. Dinosaurs lived during a time called the ‘Age of reptiles’. There were lots of other prehistoric reptiles who lived at the same time, but they weren’t all dinosaurs.

r o e t s Bo r e pall shapes and sizes andohad Dinosaurs were tough skin u k S covered by scales.

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Some dinosaurs were as tall as a building and some were as small as a chicken.

Dinosaur means ‘terrible lizard’.

2. Colour and count all the squares each dinosaur is drawn in.

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3. Write numbers to complete the sentences.

(a) The big dinosaur uses

(b) The little dinosaur uses R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

squares.

squares. Early themes — Dinosaurs

Dinosaur eggs Concept: Most dinosaurs hatched from eggs. Indicators: X

Reads or follows information about dinosaur eggs.

Creates a baby dinosaur in an egg using colouring, cutting and joining techniques.

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Background information:

The eggs of dinosaurs were similar to those of other reptiles. They had a membrane to keep the embryo moist.

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The ﬁrst fossilised dinosaur egg (a Hypselosaurus egg) was found in France in 1869. It was about the size of a football—30 cm long and 25 cm wide and weighed about 7 kg. This was the biggest yet to be found. The smallest was that of a Mussaurus, which was about 3 cm.

Many dinosaur nests have been found. Some have been simple pits and others have been more complicated versions constructed with mud rims.

Some scientists believed that larger dinosaurs, such as Apatosaurus, may have had a long tube which extended from the body of the female to enable the eggs to be laid without breaking them (after falling from a height).

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© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons Additional •activities: f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Very few fossilised dinosaur eggs have been found which contain parts of embryos in them. This makes it is difﬁcult to match eggs to particular dinosaurs.

Create a dinosaur egg using a balloon, papier-mâchè and paint.

Create a playdough model of a baby dinosaur emerging from an egg.

Create a realistic dinosaur egg by soaking a boiled egg in vinegar for a few weeks until it becomes soft and looks like leather.

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Resources: X

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Fingerplay – Dinosaur hunt <http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/ﬁngerplays-for-kids.cfm>

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– Dinosaur, dinosaur <http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/ﬁngerplays-for-kids.cfm>

Story

– Dinosaur egg mystery by M Christina Butler

– The last dinosaur egg by Andrew Hegeman

Early themes — Dinosaurs

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Dinosaur eggs 1. Read the sentences with your teacher.

Sauropod egg

Dinosaurs were reptiles. Most of them hatched from eggs laid by female dinosaurs. Dinosaur eggs were round or ovalshaped and had hard, brittle shells.

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r o e t s B r e Some dinosaurs looked after their o eggs, but p o u k others left their eggs once they had laid them. S

Chicken eggs

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Dinosaur eggs were much larger than chicken eggs.

2. Colour, cut out and join the pieces at the crosses.

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

Meat eaters and plant eaters Concept: There are two main groups of dinosaurs—herbivores (plant eaters) and carnivores (meat eaters).

Indicators: X

Reads or follows information about dinosaurs.

Matches pictures of dinosaurs to the correct teeth.

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Background information:

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Herbivores had to eat lots of plants to ﬁll themselves up, so they had big digestive systems. Some even swallowed rocks to help grind food inside their stomachs. Others had fermentation chambers where plant ﬁbres could be dissolved. Some herbivorous dinosaurs included Ankylosaurus, Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, Iguanodon, Stegosaurus, Supersaurus, Triceratops and Ultrasauros.

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Carnivores usually had very strong legs to pursue their prey. Some such as Deinonychus, Coelophysis and Velociraptor may have hunted in packs. As well as sharp teeth, carnivores had deadly claws to kill and tear apart their prey. They also needed good eyesight, a good sense of smell and a large brain to plan hunting strategies. Some carnivorous dinosaurs included Albertosaurus, Allosaurus, Compsognathus, Megalosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor. Some carnivores such as Baryonyx and Suchomimus ate ﬁsh. Some may have even eaten their own species.

A few dinosaurs, such as Ornithomimus and Oviraptor were omnivores (ate both plants and animals). Their diet included plants, eggs, insects etc. Most herbivores were ‘accidental omnivores’ because while they were eating plants, they also ingested a lot of insects and small animals.

Teeth are harder than bone and therefore fossilise easier. Many fossilised dinosaur teeth have been found and are used to identify dinosaurs. Dinosaur teeth were replaceable. This means that when a tooth was lost or broken, another one grew to take its place.

Discuss the pictures of the dinosaurs and the teeth, particularly in relation to shape and purpose.

Read the sentence clues with the students and allow them to draw lines from each tooth to the dinosaur it matches.

Discuss which category humans belong in.

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Sort pictures or models of well-known dinosaurs into two groups—herbivores and carnivores.

Create a meal for a carnivore and a herbivore using paper plates and pictures cut from magazines.

Investigate the teeth of other reptiles and mammals.

Resources:

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Book

– How do dinosaurs eat their food? by Jane Yolen

Song

– ‘Five little dinosaurs’ <http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/dinosaurs/songs.htm>

Rhyme – ‘The dinosaur song’ <http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/dinosaurs/songs.htm>

Early themes — Dinosaurs

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Meat eaters and plant eaters 1. Read the sentences with your teacher. Some dinosaurs were carnivores (meat eaters). They ate lizards, turtles, eggs and other dinosaurs or mammals. Carnivores had strong, sharp teeth to kill and tear their prey apart.

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r o e t s B r e oopine trees, ferns, Most dinosaurs ate plants such as leaves, p u kwith fruit. cycads, moss and ﬂowering plants or plants S These dinosaurs were herbivores (plant eaters). Herbivores had blunt teeth for tearing leaves from trees or ﬂat teeth for grinding plants.

2. Draw a line from the dinosaur to the correct tooth.

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I am the tooth of a large, ﬁerce, meat-eating dinosaur with two, strong legs and two small arms.

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o c . che e r o t r s super I am the tooth of a dinosaur with a beak and a long tail.

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

Lizard-hipped and bird-hipped Concept: Dinosaurs were divided into two groups—lizard-hipped and bird-hipped. Indicators: X

Reads information about dinosaurs.

Cuts and glues pictures in correct groups.

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Background information:

The group Dinosauria is divided into orders based on their hip structure—lizard-hipped (Saurischia) and bird-hipped (Ornithischia). These groupings were named by a British scientist, Harry Seeley, in 1887.

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Saurischian dinosaurs were the most dominant dinosaurs during the Triassic and Jurassic periods, while Ornithischia were the most dominant during the latter Cretaceous period. Saurischian dinosaurs were both meat eaters and plant eaters. Ornithischian dinosaurs were plant eaters.

An interesting fact is that lizard-hipped dinosaurs (Saurischia) are believed to be the ancestors of birds.

As a group, dinosaurs varied greatly in their movements. Some walked on two legs, some walked on four, while others ran on two legs but walked and grazed on four legs. Dinosaurs walked differently from other prehistoric animals because their legs extended from underneath their bodies instead of coming from the sides of their bodies.

Ask the students to ﬁnd and feel their hips and hip bones. If possible, show diagrams of human skeletons and dinosaurs before completing the worksheet.

Answers:

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Investigate skeletons of a variety of animals, ﬁnding the most important bones such as spine, ribs etc.

Complete movements while hands are placed on hip bones to feel how the bones move.

Sing the song ‘Dry bones’ (See <http://www.kidscookiemix.com/storytime/songs/song3.htm> for a version to listen to.)

Resources: X

Song – ‘The dino stomp’ by Simpson and Lambert from The new useful book (ABC) – ‘The prehistoric animal brigade’ by M L Reeve

Dance – ‘Dino–Pokey’ <http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/dinosaurs/songs.htm>

Early themes — Dinosaurs

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Lizard-hipped and bird-hipped Dinosaurs can be sorted into two groups; those with hip bones like lizards – ‘lizard-hipped’ and those with hip bones like birds – ‘bird-hipped’. Cut and glue the pictures in each group to match the names. Lizard-hipped

Bird-hipped

Triceratops r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Diplodocus

Stegosaurus

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Brachiosaurus

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs’ defensive weapons Concept: Some dinosaurs had physical features for built-in protection from predators. Indicator: X

Follows a procedure to make a dinosaur model.

Background information:

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Dinosaurs had tough skin covered with scales. Many of them had built-in armour for protection against carnivorous species looking for the next meal. This armour would have served as protection in competition with others for food, a mate or position within a herd.

Some examples are listed below. Pictures of these dinosaurs can be found by typing the name into a search engine such as Google™ and clicking on ‘image’.

plates and spikes

armour and spikes

Triceratops, Pentaceratops, Chasmosaurus, Centrosaurus, Torosaurus Stegosaurus, Kentrosaurus

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horns and frills

Ankylosaurus, Panoplosaurus, Polacanthus, Sauropelta, Nodosaurus

Dinosaurs with horns and frills were four-legged herbivores, pulling low-lying plants with their toothless beaks. They had teeth in their cheeks, allowing them to chew food well before swallowing. The horns of these creatures would have been used to fend off predators. The frill was probably more important for display than for protection.

Dinosaurs with plates and spikes were four-legged herbivores, pulling low-lying plants with their toothless beaks. It is thought the plates were important in regulating body temperature rather than for defence. The spikes were most probably used to defend themselves from attack.

The bulky bodies of dinosaurs with armour and spikes were covered from the top of the head to the tip of the tail with armoured plates. The number and position of spikes varied between species, but generally there were spikes along the neck, shoulders and sides. Ankylosaurus also had a tail club as an extra weapon.

Follow this procedure for making the Triceratops model:

2. Cut along dotted lines between legs.

6. Cut slots in shield.

3. Fold legs inwards at fold lines.

7. Place shield on neck.

4. Fold sides together along tail and back.

8. Glue small shield ﬂaps to side of neck.

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5. Glue sides of face together.

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1. Cut out dinosaur and shield.

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Make a display of dinosaurs from each of the three groups (horns, plates, armour). Add a general description of the features and diet of each group.

Use junk material to make models of the three types of dinosaur.

Use readily available resources to make simple costumes of the three types of dinosaur.

Resources: X

Hidden facts dinosaur puzzle by Kingﬁsher publishing

Fandex guide to dinosaurs by Kingﬁsher publishing

Dinosaur life activity book by Donald Silver

Early themes — Dinosaurs

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Dinosaurs’ defensive weapons Many dinosaurs had built in defensive weapons such as Triceratops’s horns and Steosaurus’s spikes.

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Fold here

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Fold here

Your teacher will give you the instructions for making this model Triceratops. Fold here

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

Dinosaur detective Concept: Dinosaurs preyed on each other. Indicator: X

Completes a food chain choosing dinosaurs from the same period.

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Background information:

The larger carnivores would have eaten herbivores and smaller carnivores. Smaller carnivores would not have directly preyed on large carnivores but may have scavenged them. Smaller carnivores were generally fast movers, having the chance to outrun their larger predators.

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Discuss food chains and how balance and stability between levels is achieved. There is always a greater number of individuals in the lower levels than in the higher levels.

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Many herbivores were very large or well protected, having the chance to defend themselves against smaller predators.

Work through the activity sheet with the students, using well-known dinosaurs from this book as examples to draw.

Additional activities: X

Using labelled pictures of dinosaurs, create a large, simple display of a food chain, showing the possible predator/prey relationships between dinosaurs. Use only large carnivore, small carnivore and herbivore categories.

Group carnivore dinosaurs, according to size—large, medium and small. Determine a food chain within the carnivore category.

Group herbivores according to size—large, medium and small—to determine the most likely prey for carnivorous dinosaurs, grouped in the same categories.

Dinosaurs before dark by Mary Pope Osborne

Big book of dinosaurs by DK Publishling

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Detective dinosaur by James Skoﬁeld

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Resources:

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

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Dinosaur detective Draw and name a dinosaur in each part of the food chain. A smaller carnivore

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A large carnivore

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plants R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Early themes — Dinosaurs

The time of the dinosaurs Concept: Dinosaurs lived in the three different periods of the Mesozoic era. Indicator: X

Demonstrates understanding of the Mesozoic era.

Background information:

During the Triassic period, the continents were joined together as one land mass called Pangaea and there was no polar ice. Most of the land was like desert and plants and animals had to adapt to the conditions.

herbivores – Ankylosaurus, Centrosaurus, Iguanadon, Muttaburrasaurus

In the ﬁrst half of the Cretaceous period, the temperatures were warm and the climate subtropical, with little variation in the seasons. Sea levels around the planet were high as there were no polar ice caps.

By the end of the period, radical change had occurred globally. There was much volcanic and tectonic activity and the formation of continental land masses close to those we know today. Mountain ranges were formed and the sea levels dropped as polar ice caps were forming. The land was covered with lush forests, supporting the diverse species of herbivorous dinosaurs. Variations in seasons increased and extremes between polar and equatorial temperatures were greater.

Some dinosaurs from the Triassic period were: carnivores – Coelophysis, Eoraptor, Procompsognathus, Saltopus

herbivores – Fabrosaurus, Riojasaurus, Thecodontosaurus X

Some dinosaurs from the Cretaceous period were: carnivores – Albertosaurus, Giganotosaurus, Spinosaurus

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This extinction was followed by an explosion of new life, plants and animals. This was the Triassic period, during which time dinosaurs and mammals evolved.

The Triassic period ended with massive volcanic eruptions which caused mass extinction. The period that followed was the Jurassic period.

During the Jurassic period, Pangaea began to separate.

The enormous, long-necked dinosaurs evolved during the Jurassic period.

Some dinosaurs from the Jurassic period were:

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carnivores – Allosaurus, Compsognathus, Dilophosaurus, Megalosaurus, Segisaurus, Syntarsus

At the end of the Cretaceous period, the second greatest mass extinction occurred and the dinosaurs were no more.

Answers: 1. 1. dinosaurs 4. Mesozoic 2. Teacher check

2. years 5. different

Additional activities:

3. middle

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herbivores – Anchisaurus, Apatosaurus (Brontosaurus), Barosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus X

At the end of the Jurassic period, many life forms became extinct, including most of the stegosaurid and sauropod dinosaurs.

The Cretaceous period was the ﬁnal part of the Mesozoic era. During this time, many new species of dinosaur evolved and mammals continued to develop. Most of the dinosaurs we know about came from this period. The emergence of ﬂowering plants created great change in the landscape.

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At the beginning of the Mesozoic era, the global ecosystem had been depleted by the Permian extinction, the greatest extinction the world has ever experienced. Fifty percent of animal families, ninety-ﬁve percent of marine species and many tree species were lost.

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

Create a display-size time line of the Mesozoic era. Label and decorate with dinosaurs from each period.

Make dioramas for each period, from the dry deserts of the Triassic period to the lush green vegetation of the Cretaceous. Include card dinosaur models from each period.

Resources: X

The best book of dinosaurs by Christopher Maynard

Dinosaurs by Paul Barrett, National Geographic

Revealed: Dinosaur by Dorling Kindersley Publishing

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

The time of the dinosaurs 1. Use these words to complete the sentences. middle

years

dinosaurs

Mesozoic

different (1)

The Mesozoic era was the time of the

. The r o e t s B r e o p ok and end names for the beginning, u of this eraS are Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous. During

(2)

It lasted for many millions of

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(3)

(4) the era, the environments of Earth changed a lot. Dinosaurs from one time of the

Mesozoic era lived in a environment from dinosaurs in another time.

(5)

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2. On the chart, draw a dinosaur from each period. Mesozoic era ~ the time of the dinosaurs

Triassic period

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Jurassic period

Cretaceous period

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

Naming dinosaurs Concept: Dinosaurs have been named after physical features and characteristics, behaviour, discovering palaeontologists and places of discovery.

Indicators: X

Writes the meaning of a dinosaur name.

Matches a picture of a dinosaur to its name.

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Background information:

There are a number of ways to name a newly discovered dinosaur. It may be based on physical characteristics, the place of discovery or the person credited with discovering it. In all cases, the name must be approved by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.

The names are given using Latin or Greek roots; for example, the name Corythosaurus, the ‘helmet lizard’, comes from the Greek words, ‘koryth’ meaning helmet and ‘saurus’ meaning lizard.

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A table of some dinosaur name roots:

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brachio – arm

dactyl – ﬁnger

gnathus – jaw

raptor – thief

bronto – thunder

diplo – double/pairs

micro – tiny

stego – cover

campylo – bent

echino – spiny

odon – tooth

tetra – four

caudia – tail

eury – wide

pachy – thick

veloci – fast

A table of some dinosaur names and their meanings Brachyceratops – short-horned faced

Lambeosarus – named after palaeontologist, Lawrence Lambe

Ceratosaurus – horned lizard

Chassternbergia – named after palaeontologist, Charles Sternberg

Panoplasaurus – fully-armed lizard

Andesaurus – found in the Andes mountains

Astrodon – star tooth

Lesothosaurus – found in Lesotho, South Africa

Heterodontosaurus – different-tooth lizard

Maiasaura – good mother lizard

Brachypodosaurus – short-footed lizard

Velociraptor – fast thief

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Work through a number of examples of dinosaur names. Break them down into their component parts and discuss the meaning of each part.

Discuss the physical features of some less well known dinosaurs. Find a the website to ﬁnd the root words which apply to those features. Ask students to name the dinosaurs. How accurate are their answers?

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Additional activities: X

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Make a dinosaur calendar, using a different dinosaur for each month. Explain the name of each one. Draw a picture of a new dinosaur you have just discovered. Give it a name based on its physical features. Explain what the name means.

Resources: X

T is for terrible by Henry Holt

How do dinosaurs say good night? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

When dinosaurus go to school by Linda Martin

Early themes — Dinosaurs

Answers:

1. Triceratops

–

three-horn face

Deinonychus –

terrible clawed lizard

Spinosaurus

–

backbone lizard

Saurolophus

–

lizard crested

2. (a) Spinosaurus (c) Triceratops

(b) Saurolophus (d) Deinonychus

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Naming dinosaurs These dinosaurs were named by how they looked. The names are made from the words in the box. The meaning of each word is also given. lophus – crest

deino – terrible

nychus – clawed

r o e tris –t three saurus – lizard B r esauro – lizard oo p tops – face cera – horn u k S

1. Write the meaning of each dinosaur name. 2. Match each dinosaur to its name. Triceratops

(a)

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spino – backbone

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(b)

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Deinonychus

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Saurolophus

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(c)

(d)

Early themes — Dinosaurs

Supersaurus Concept: Supersaurus was a large sauropod of the Jurassic period. Indicators: X

Labels major features of a Supersaurus.

Describes Supersaurus.

Background information:

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Supersaurus (pronounced sue-per-sore-us) is one of the longest dinosaurs to have been discovered. The ﬁrst Supersaurus fossil was found in Colorado in the United States, in 1972.

Supersaurus was a sauropod, which means ‘lizard-footed’.

It had a small head, enclosing a small brain. At the front of the jaw it had peg-like teeth, but it had no back teeth. Its nostrils were situated at the top of the head.

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Supersaurus had a very long neck which it held parallel to the ground. It may have helped the dinosaur to reach plants in inaccessible areas. It is believed that there was limited mobility in the neck, similar to a giraffe.

The body of Supersaurus was very big. Like all sauropods, it was a herbivore. A vast amount of plant material would have had to be consumed and digested to sustain such a large beast. It possibly had gastroliths (stomach stones) in its stomach to aid the digestion of plant material.

The exact diet of Supersaurus is not known, but it is believed to have been primarily conifers. Among other possible food sources were gingkos, seed ferns and cycads.

The tail of this great beast was long and whip-like. It may have been used for balance and for defending itself.

The four legs of Supersaurus were thick and pillar-like, with ﬁve-toed feet similar to those of an elephant. One toe on each foot had a claw, possibly for protection. Using fossilised tracks for evidence, palaeontologists believe that Supersaurus moved slowly on its strong legs.

It is likely that Supersaurus lived in herds, in dense forest areas. They remained in an area until they had stripped the plants of their foliage before moving on.

Eggs of sauropods have been found, but in a linear pattern rather than in nest bundles. This gives rise to the theory that eggs were laid while the creatures were walking and once laid, they were abandoned, with hatchlings left to take care of themselves.

It is believed that some sauropods had a life span of up to 100 years.

Supersaurus lived in the late Jurassic period, from 155–145 million years ago. At that time, there were many other enormous Sauropods such as Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus. Also present at that time were Stegosaurus and Diplodocus.

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Additional activities:

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Make a diorama with lots of plants in the background. Use modelling clay to make a herd of Supersaurus to place in the scene.

Make a papier mâché Supersaurus using a large clay model as the base.

On a time line of the Mesozoic era, place labelled black outlines of Supersaurus.

Resources: X

Dinosaurs by Angela Royston (Eye Openers)

Dinosaur! by Peter Sis

Encyclopaedia prehistorica: dinosaurs by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Supersaurus 1. (a) Use words from the box to label the Supersaurus. whip-like tail tiny head

sturdy legs

long neck

large body

(b) Use your imagination to colour the Supersaurus.

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Name:

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2. Imagine you have lost your pet Supersaurus.

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How would you describe it to a police ofﬁcer?

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

Ultrasauros Concept: Ultrasauros was a very large plant eater. Indicators: X

Reads or follows information about dinosaurs.

Constructs a dinosaur from pieces of two different dinosaurs.

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Background information:

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Ultrasauros (pronounced ul-tra-sore-us) (‘ultra lizard – beyond lizard’) is thought to be one of the largest dinosaurs that lived, although very little is known about it. It was thought to be related to Brachiosaurus or may have been a large Brachiosaurus. Another theory suggests the fossil could be composed of Brachiosaurus and Supersarus reamins, and that Ultrasauros is just a type of Brachiosaurus.

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Ultrasauros was estimated to be between 25–30 metres long, 15 metres high and weighed between 55 000–64 000 kg.

The front legs of Ultrasauros were longer than the back legs.

Ultrasauros lived during the late Jurassic period and possibly travelled in migratory herds. They hatched from eggs possibly laid in a line as the animal walked, but did not care for them after laying.

They are thought to have lived for about one hundred years and were not believed to be very intelligent.

Ultrasauros used its long neck to eat plants from the tops of trees using chisel-shaped teeth. He then swallowed his food whole and digested it in his gut.

Due to his bulky body, Ultrasauros walked very slowly.

Show pictures of Brachiosaurus and Supersaurus and compare similarities and differences.

Enlarge the worksheet to A3 size and ask the students to paint or colour the pieces before cutting out. (Note: Students will need to glue the body angled with the narrower section pointed down to enable the longer front legs to go in.) Glue onto card if desired for durability and join with split pins to enable the body parts to move. Display on a background of trees, with the necks of the Ultrasauros reaching the tree tops for food, if desired.

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Additional activities:

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Mime moving slowly like an Ultrasauros, reaching up with a long neck to eat foliage from tree tops etc.

Photocopy extra copies of the worksheet for students to create herds of Ultrasauros.

Compare pictures of Ultrasauros to that of a giraffe to discuss similarities and differences.

Resources: X

Story – Dinorella by Pamela Edwards – Missing dinosaur bone by Jan and Stan Berenstain

Song – ‘Dinosaurs’ (Sung to ‘Row, row, row your boat’) <http://www.preschooleducation.com/sdinosaur.shtml>

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Ultrasauros 1. Read the information. Ultrasauros is said to be one of the tallest and largest dinosaurs ever found. Some scientists think it may really be a mixture of two dinosaurs— Brachiosaurus and Supersaurus.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S 2. Join pieces of Brachiosaurus and Supersaurus together to make an Ultrasauros. body of a Supersaurus

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Ultrasauros had four legs, ate plants, had a long neck like a giraffe and a long tail.

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Brachiosaurus

front legs of a . tail of a teSupersaurus o Brachiosaurus c . che e r o r st super

back legs of a Supersaurus R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Early themes — Dinosaurs

L - o - n - g Diplodocus Concept: Diplodocus was one of the longest plant-eating dinosaurs. Indicators: X

Reads information about dinosaurs.

Creates a Diplodocus using colouring, cutting, folding and joining techniques.

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Background information:

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Diplodocus (pronounced di-ploh-de-kus) (‘double-beamed’) was a plant eater who walked on four legs. It had a small head, a very long neck and peg-like teeth. Diplodocus had a heavy body, weighing around 22 600 kg, and a small head with nostrils at the top. It was one of the longest dinosaurs, measuring about 27 metres. The long tail helped to balance the long neck. Some scientists believe that Diplodocus used its tail as a whip for protection. The front legs of a Diplodocus were shorter than the back legs and possibly, like those of an elephant, with ﬁve toes.

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Diplodocus was a herbivore who would have had to eat almost constantly each day to maintain their big body. It did not chew the leaves that were swallowed. Instead, it probably swallowed stones which helped to grind the food. Diplodocus ate cycads, seed ferns, ferns and club mosses. It kept its neck very close to the ground to gather foliage to eat.

Diplodocus may have travelled in migratory herds and hatched from eggs similar to Ultrasaurus. It is thought that Diplodocus laid their eggs in a line while the female dinosaur was walking but did not care for them.

Diplodocus was not thought to be very intelligent. It is also believed that due to his large body, it had to move slowly.

Enlarge the worksheet and photocopy onto light card.

Additional activities:

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Encourage students to stretch their legs, arms and necks so that they are as long as possible.

Investigate how Diplodocus ground its food, by allowing students to grind leaves using large stones. Discuss.

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Compare the teeth and legs of different dinosaurs or ‘modern-day’ animals.

Resources: X

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Story – Curious George and the dinosaur by Margret Rey – How do dinosaurs say goodnight? by Jane Yolen

Song – ‘The dinosaur song’ (Sung to ‘The wheels of the bus’) <http://www.preschool.com/sdinosaur.shtml>

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

L - o - n - g Diplodocus 1. Read the information. Diplodocus was one of the longest, plant-eating dinosaurs. It had a long neck and a long tail.

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2. Colour, cut and glue the pieces to make a long, stretchy Diplodocus.

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

Find - a - Brachiosaurus Concept: Brachiosaurus was a tall dinosaur with a long neck. Indicator: X

Colours squares using a key to ﬁnd a dinosaur in a picture.

Background information:

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Brachiosaurus (pronounced brak-ee-oh-sore-us) (‘arm lizard’ or sometimes ‘high-chested arm lizard’) was one of the tallest and largest known plant-eaters. It was 12–16 metres in height and weighed between 45 000–55 000 kg (or about twelve elephants). It was about 30 metres long, with a small head and a short thick tail. Brachiosaurus walked on four legs with the front legs being longer than the back. Both back and front feet had claws—one on each of the front feet and three on the back feet. Brachiosaurus used its size as a means of defence as well as its tail. It had leathery skin.

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Brachiosaurus had blunt, skinny teeth and nostrils on its forehead.

Brachiosaurus ate foliage from tree tops, which it swallowed whole then digested in its gut using stones that had been swallowed. They would have needed to eat large amounts of food to satisfy the requirements of their huge bodies.

Brachiosaurus lived during the Jurassic Period and was thought to not be very intelligent. Brachiosaurus may have had a life span of about 100 years.

Few dinosaurs hunted Brachiosaurus as it was so large.

Due to its size, it is believed that Brachiosaurus needed large, strong hearts and very high blood pressure in order to pump the blood from its heart up the neck to the head and the brain.

Brachiosaurus was similar to Diplodocus in that they travelled in migratory herds, laid eggs in lines as they walked along and did not care for them after laying.

Relate some information about Brachiosaurus to the students using texts or pictures.

Explain the key to the students. Ask students to select one colour and complete the squares relevant to that colour before progressing to the next. Encourage the students to colour neatly. Students can cut around the outside of their picture and mount onto coloured paper or card for display. Students can highlight the parts of their picture by tracing the shapes of Brachiosaurus, the trees and grass with a thicker felt-tipped pen.

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Students role-play being a Brachiosaurus; stretching up to get food from tall trees, swallowing food etc.

Students compose Brachiosaurus sentences using lots of words beginning with ‘b’ and copy (or have them scribed) onto paper for illustrating. These may be nonsense sentences.

Students compile pages for a little book using the following sentence beginnings: ‘My Brachiosaurus looks like ...’, ‘My Brachiosaurus eats ...’, ‘My Brachiosaurus likes to ...’ etc.

Resources:

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Story/Play – Dinosaur’s new clothes by Diane Goode

Story

– Oh my oh my oh dinosaurs! by Sandra Boynton

Book

– My Visit to the Dinosaurs by Aliki

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Find - a - Brachiosaurus Use the key to colour the squares to ﬁnd the Brachiosaurus. Key: 1 = blue 3

2 = brown 1

3 = green 1

4 = orange 3

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1 1 1 3 2 r o e t s Bo r e 3 3 p4 4 1 1 3 2o 3 u k S 3 1 4 4 1 1 3 3 2 4

4 1b 1i 1t 1n 1 1 1 ©1R. I . C4.Pu l ca i o s • o v4i ew r p s s n y1 •1 1 f 1 rr 1e 4 p 1u 1o 1e 1o 1l

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

Tyrannosaurus mask Concept: Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the biggest meat-eating dinosaurs. Indicator: X

Constructs a dinosaur mask using colouring and cutting.

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Background information:

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Tyrannosaurus rex (pronounced tie-ran-oh-sore-us rex rex) (‘tyrant lizard’) was one of the ﬁercest, and most well-known, carnivores. It was about 5 metres tall, 12 metres long, weighed about 63 00 kg and had a powerful head with very big teeth and powerful jaws. They walked on two strong legs. Their teeth were very sharp and pointy, but also very thick and strong and capable of crushing bones. ‘T-rex’ has often been called the perfect killing machine. They had big feet to pursue and catch his prey. It is believed to have travelled up to speeds of about 24 kph. Even its short arms were strong. Each arm of a Tyrannosaurus had two ﬁngers and each foot had three large toes—each with claws plus a smaller claw on the fourth toe. The only danger to a T-rex was another T-rex!

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T-rex lived during the late Cretaceous period in humid, tropical environments.

Fossils of Tyrannosaurus rex have shown that they had rough, scaly skin.

Only Giganotosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus were bigger than T-rex.

An almost complete fossil of a Tyrannosaurus rex was discovered in South Dakota and is now displayed in a museum in Chicago. This specimen has been named ‘Sue’. Sue is nearly 13 metres long, with its largest tooth being almost 30 centimetres long!

Photocopy the worksheet onto card for durability and encourage the students to colour or paint the mask carefully before cutting out. Poke holes at the places marked by the crosses and attach string, wool or elastic to secure the mask to the student’s head.

Additional activities:

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Provide pictures of other dinosaurs and ask students to sketch full front-on faces to create other dinosaur masks of their own. Use basic shapes to create a Tyrannosaurus rex picture. Glue onto a painted background and add 3-D features such as trees, ferns etc.

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Play running games with one student being Tyrannosaurus rex chasing other students being smaller dinosaurs. Students caught become new Tyrannosauruses, and help catch more prey.

Resources: X

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Story – Dinosaurumpus! by Tony Mitton

– Tyrone the terrible by Hans Wilhelm X

Song – ‘Tyrannosaurus rex’ (Sung to ‘Mary had a little lamb’) <http://www.preschooleducation.com/sdinosaur.shtml> – ‘Dino-Pokey’ (Performed to ‘Hokey-pokey’) <http://www.preschooleducation.com/sdinosaur.shtml>

Early themes — Dinosaurs

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Tyrannosaurus mask Tyrannosaurus was a ﬁerce meat-eating dinosaur.

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Colour and cut out your Tyrannosaurus rex mask.

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R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Early themes — Dinosaurs

Armoured Ankylosaurus Concept: Ankylosaurus was a plant eater with heavy armour. Indicator: X

Creates an Ankylosaurus using basic shapes.

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Background information:

Ankylosaurus (pronounced an-kie-low-saw-rus) (‘stiff-joint lizard/fused, stiff or bent lizard’) was a plant eater who had thick, bony armour on its body. It used this armour as a means of protection. Ankylosaurus also had a large ‘club’ on the end of its tail which it could swing and attack other dinosaurs with.

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Ankylosaurus was probably more than 7 metres long, about 1.5 metres wide, 1.5 metres tall and weighed about 2700–3600 kg.

The plates of an Ankylosaurus were thick and oval-shaped and wereembedded in its tough skin. It had two rows of spikes along its body, large horns which came from the back of the head and bony plates to protect its eyes. The only vulnerable part of an Ankylosaurus was its soft underbelly.

Ankylosaurus had two short front legs and longer legs at the back. It had a short neck and a small brain inside a wide skull.

Ankylosaurus ate huge amounts of low-growing plant material to ﬁll its huge gut. It is thought that it may have had a fermentation compartment (which produced lots of gas!) to aid the digestion of plant ﬁbres.

Ankylosaurus is thought to have had low intelligence, since its brain to body ratio was low. It is also thought to move reasonably fast—similar to that of a jog!

Ankylosaurus lived during the late Cretaceous period.

Ankylosaurus was probably the last and largest of the armoured dinosaurs. Very little fossil evidence exists about it.

Students should cut out and glue the oval body ﬁrst. Enlarge the worksheet to A3 size.

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Additional activities: X

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View pictures of dinosaurs and identify basic shapes. As a class, create shape dinosaurs.

Investigate or create unusual dinosaurs using basic shapes.

Categorise dinosaurs by head shapes, body shapes, leg shapes, unusual shapes on their bodies etc.

Resources:

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Song – ‘Five dinosaurs’ (Sung to the tune ‘Five elephants went out to play’) <http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems67.html>

Chant – ‘Going on a dinosaur hunt’ <http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems67.html>

Story – Amanda’s dinosaur by Wendy Orr

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Armoured Ankylosaurus Ankylosaurus was a plant eater who had thick, bony armour on its body.

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Colour, cut and glue the shapes to make an Anklyosaurus.

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R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Early themes — Dinosaurs

Triceratops and other ceratopsians Concept: Ceratopsians were four-legged herbivores who belonged to the

ornithischian (bird-hipped) group of dinosaurs of the Cretaceous period.

Indicator: X

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Studies and records the similarities and differences between six ceratopsians.

Background information: X

The most distinguishing features of the ceratopsian dinosaurs were the horns and frills. It is most probable that the horns were used for charging predators and other attackers, just as the rhinoceros does today.

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Ceratopsians belonged to the ornithischian (bird-hipped) group of dinosaurs.

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The frills were large bony plates which projected from the back of the skull. The skulls of ceratopsians were very large, up to 35% of the body length. The frills would have added a lot of extra weight to the heads of these dinosaurs.

Frills between the species varied. That of Styracosaurus looked the most striking, with six large horns projecting from it, as well as a number of smaller ones. Chasmosaurus had hollow bones through its large frill, reducing the weight signiﬁcantly.

The snout horns varied in size between the species, as did the brow horns which were situated above the eyes.

Many ceratopsians had protruding cheekbones. Those of Pentaceratops were very large, having the appearance of horns.

The toothless beak was like that of a parrot. It would have been used to pull at low-lying plants such as cycads. Ceratopsians were unlike many other dinosaurs in that they used teeth located in their cheeks to chew food before swallowing.

It is believed that Ceratopsians moved relatively slowly. Their short, sturdy legs supported a rotund body with short tail which was built more for power than for speed.

Ceratopsians would have been preyed upon by large carnivorous dinosaurs of the same period, such as Tyrannosaurus rex.

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Fossils of many ceratopsians have been found in bone beds, indicating that they lived as family groups and herds.

Additional activities:

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Create a ‘Build-a-dinosaur’ game for ceratopsians. Choose one species initially then increase the level of difﬁculty by introducing frills and horns speciﬁc to individual species.

Make and decorate ceratopsian face masks.

Make mobiles with ceratopsian and Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaurs.

Resources:

Whatever happened to the dinosaurs? by Bernard Most

Dinosaur bones by Aliki

Dinosaur cousins? by Bernard Most

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Triceratops and other ceratopsians 1. Look at the pictures of the six different ceratopsians. Styracosaurus

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Pentaceratops

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Triceratops

Centrosaurus

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Torosaurus

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Chasmosaurus

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2. On a separate sheet of paper, write: (a) a list of things that are the same for all six ceratopsians. (b) a list of things that are different for each ceratopsian. R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Early themes — Dinosaurs

Stegosaurus Concept: Stegosaurus was a plant-eating ornithischian (bird-hipped) dinosaur of the Jurassic period.

Indicators: X

Arranges jigsaw pieces correctly.

Colours jigsaw pieces.

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Background information:

The name Stegosaurus (pronounced steg-oh-sore-us) meant ‘covered lizard’ or ‘roof lizard’. Stegosaurus was a plant-eating ornithischian dinosaur of the Jurassic period.

The hip structure of ornithischian dinosaurs was similar to that of birds, but they are not the ancestors of birds.

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Stegosaurus was almost 10 metres long and just under 3 metres tall. Along its back and neck it had a row of 17 bony plates, which are believed to have contained blood vessels. The plates may have been used as temperature regulators.

At the end of the tail, there were a number of spikes called thagomisers, which were over a metre in length. These would have been used to ward off predators and other attackers.

For such a large animal, the brain of Stegosaurus was tiny, about the size of a walnut. It is believed that an enlargement of the spinal cord in the hip region was a nerve centre which controlled the back legs and tail.

The hind legs of Stegosaurus were twice as long as its front legs. It is thought that they may have balanced on their hind legs to reach vegetation at higher levels. If they did not, they would have been restricted to the low lying plants, such as ferns, mosses and cycads.

Stegosaurus had a toothless beak, which it would have used for pulling at plants. Its small cheek teeth would have been used for chewing.

The main predators of Stegosaurus were probably the large carnivores of the same period, such as Allosaurus and Megalosaurus.

The climate of the planet during the Jurassic period was warm and humid with temperate and subtropical forests. As there was no polar ice, the sea levels were high.

At the end of the Jurassic period there was a minor mass extinction, during which most of the stegosaurid dinosaurs disappeared. The cause of this extinction is still unknown.

Fossils of Stegosaurus have been found throughout the world. The most complete one found was in 1992, in Colorado, USA. It has been named ‘Spike’.

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Use junk materials to make and add features to models of Stegosaurus.

Make smaller words from the letters of Stegosaurus.

Resources: X

Can I have a Stegosaurus, Mom? Can I? Please? by Lois G Grambling

Thingnapped by Robin Klein

How big were the dinosaurs? by Bernard Most

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Stegosaurus 1. Cut out and glue the squares and arrange to make a picture of Stegosaurus.

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2. Colour the squares.

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R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Early themes — Dinosaurs

Compsognathus Concept: Compsognathus was a small, carnivorous theropod (two-footed dinosaur) of the Jurassic period.

Indicators: X

Reads description of major features of Compsognathus.

Assembles Compsognathus body parts correctly.

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Background information:

Compsognathus (pronounced komp-soh-nay-thus/comp-sog-nay-thus) was one of the smallest dinosaurs, its body being about the size of a chicken. Its name means ‘pretty jaw’. From its head to the tip of its tail, it measured on average, one metre. Its legs were about 15cm long. As it had hollow bones, it was also very light, weighing about ﬁve kilograms.

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Compsognathus was a theropod, which means two footed. Its legs were long and very thin with sharp, clawed feet. Its short arms were also clawed which, together with the feet, would have been used to catch prey and tear it apart before eating.

A lot of information can be determined about how dinosaurs moved by studying their fossilised footprints. For example, how many feet they had, the structure of the feet, differences between front and back feet and how fast they could move. Speed can be determined by applying a formula which uses the length of the leg and the distance between prints.

Compsognathus had a small head but a large brain, making it one of the more intelligent dinosaurs. Compsognathus had small but very sharp teeth. It would have been a ferocious predator. Its large eyes indicate that it probably had good eyesight, which it would have required for spying and catching its swift, small prey.

Compsognathus would have been a very quick and agile dinosaur. Its neck was ﬂexible and relatively long, its legs were slender and relatively powerful and its long tail would have been used for balance and for stability during speedy manoeuvres.

Being such a small carnivore, Compsognathus’s diet would have consisted of small mammals and other animals such as lizards and insects. In southern Germany, the fossilised stomach remains of Compsognathus were found to contain the bones of Bavarisaurus, a fast running lizard.

Compsognathus was a saurischian dinosaur, meaning its hip structure was similar to that of a lizard. Saurischian dinosaurs are believed to be the ancestors of birds.

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Draw and paint a life-size picture of Compsognathus.

Write a report about Compsognathus. Consider its physical features, how it moved and how it caught its prey.

Select a number of theropod dinosaurs ranging in size from the smallest to the largest. Compare their lengths and heights. Draw outlines of each on black paper. Label and mount on white paper and display.

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Resources: X

The littlest dinosaur by Bernard Most

Fossils tell of long, long ago by Aliki

What happened to the dinosaurs? by Franklyn M Branley

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Compsognathus Paleontologists have found the broken remains of a Compsognathus. They have identiﬁed the parts and now want to put it back together. Can you help? 1. Read the information about each part.

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2. Cut out each part.

small head with small, sharp teeth and large eyes

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3. Glue in place on a sheet of black paper.

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long tail

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short arms with two ﬁngers and sharp claws on each hand

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

long, slender legs with three toes and sharp claws on each foot Early themes — Dinosaurs

Ornithomimus Concept: Ornithomimus was an omnivorous lizard-hipped dinosaur of the Cretaceous period.

Indicators: X

Assembles paper model of Ornithomimus.

Background information: X

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Ornithomimus (pronounced or-ni-thoh-mee-mus) comes from the Ornithomimosaur species of dinosaurs known as ‘bird mimics’ because their bones are very similar those of birds, being hollow and of similar conﬁguration. They have also been referred to as ostrich dinosaurs as their skeletons bear a particular resemblance to those of the ostrich. They are characterised by three-toed feet, long, slender legs; short arms; long neck and ostrich-like head, with a horny beak covering a toothless jaw.

There has been much debate about the diet of Ornithomimus. It is generally accepted that it was an omnivore, eating insects, plants, fruit, seeds and small animals. It had no teeth but did use gastroliths in its stomach to help grind food and aid digestion. This is another similarity with birds, as chickens do this today, using grit.

It has been estimated that Ornithomimus was able to run extremely fast, maybe preferring to outrun its predators rather than stay and ﬁght. Predators of Ornithomimus could have been Tyrannosaurus rex, Albertosaurus and Acrocanthosaurus.

Fossils of Ornithomimus have been found in North America and Mongolia. It was the ﬁrst discovery of Ornithomimus that originally sparked discussion that birds might be descended from dinosaurs.

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From head to tail, Ornithomimus was between 4–6metres long and stood between 2–2 1/2metres tall. It had short arms and long legs. Its long tail would have been a counterbalance for its long neck and a stabiliser for its rapid movements. It has been suggested that the long slender hands and claws were used to hold on to branches during feeding, just like a sloth.

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Constructing the model:

Cut around the outline of Ornithomimus, ensuring the two images remain attached.

Fold the base stand pieces towards each other and glue together.

The model may be:

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- hung as a mobile by punching a hole at the top. - left free-standing.

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Compare pictures of Ornithomimus and ostriches. Discuss similarities and differences.

Mould modelling clay into Ornithomimus’s three-toed feet with claws and cast footprints in plaster of Paris.

Make a running Ornithomimus booklet, using sketches of the dinosaur at slightly different stages of running. As you quickly ﬂick through the pages, Ornithomimus appears to be running.

Resources: X

Dinosaurs are different by Aliki

How big were dinosaurs? by Bernard Most

Encyclopaedia prehistorica: dinosaurs by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Ornithomimus

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Fold here

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R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Early themes — Dinosaurs

Velociraptor Concept: Velociraptor was a carnivorous bipedal (two-footed) dinosaur of the Cretaceous period.

Indicator: X

Labels picture of Velociraptor.

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Background information:

It belonged to the family dromaeosauridae, which were believed to be the smartest dinosaurs. The size of the brain relative to the size of the body, was large. It is believed by some scientists that Velociraptor was capable of applying skills to solve problems. This theory is supported by evidence which suggests they hunted in packs.

Velociraptor’s long flat head had a large jaw filled with many sharp curved teeth. They would have been used to tear the flesh from its prey. The other dangerous feature of Velociraptor was its claws. On the second toe of each foot was a lethal, retractable sickleshaped claw which it would have used to split open the body of its prey before diving in and tearing it apart with its sharp finger claws and teeth.

In 1971, the fossilised remains of a Velociraptor and a Protoceratops were found. After studying the remains, palaeontologists reached the conclusion that they had been in combat with one another and both were killed. Velociraptor had been pierced in the chest by Protoceratops’s snout horn. Protoceratops had been clawed repeatedly by Velociraptor. Velociraptor fossils have been found in Russia, China and Mongolia in what would have been a hot, dry desert environment.

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Create a diorama showing a combat between Velociraptor and Protoceratops.

Make a life-size picture of Velociraptor, showing the details of its jaws and claws.

(Teacher) Research the heights of a number of dinosaur that lived at the time of Velociraptor. Include its possible predators and prey. Compare the differences in size.

Resources:

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Velociraptor, whose name means ‘speedy thief’, was a small, lightweight dinosaur, standing about one metre tall and two metres long, from its head to the tip of its tail. What it lacked in stature, it made up for in strength and ferocity. Its powerful leg muscles allowed it to move so fast that prey would be unable to escape. It has been estimated that in short bursts, Velociraptor could run up to 60km/hour. It could even jump up to ten times its own height, making it possible to attack dinosaurs of a much greater size. It arms were jointed at the elbow, giving it a greater range of movement and more ﬂexibility. There was a deﬁnite bend in its neck, possibly giving the head greater mobility. It had a long, stiff tail, providing stability for rapid movements.

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Dinosaurs! the biggest, baddest, strangest, fastest by Howard Zimmerman

Dinosaur encyclopaedia by Jayne Parsons

Extreme dinosaurs by Luis Rey

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Velociraptor

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Label the picture of Velociraptor.

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long, ﬂat head

sickle-shaped claw

sharp, curved teeth

three-ﬁngered hand

long, sharp claws

toed foot

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Early themes — Dinosaurs

Apatosaurus Concept: Apatosaurus (formerly Brontosaurus) was a large, herbivorous sauropod of the Jurassic period.

Indicators: X

Describes Apatosaurus.

Draws a picture of Apatosaurus.

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Background information:

Apatosaurus was one of the largest land animals to have ever existed. It was over 20 metres long and just under ﬁve metres tall.

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The Apatosaurus (pronounced ah-pat-oh-soreus) is known as the ‘deceptive lizard’, ‘thunder lizard’ or ‘harmless giant’. It was a plant-eating sauropod of the Jurassic period.

The sheer size of Apatosaurus helped to protect it from predators. Smaller carnivores would not have been able to reach its head and would have been seriously hurt by its large feet or whip-like tail.

At the end of the Jurassic period there was a minor mass extinction during which most of the sauropod dinosaurs disappeared. The cause of this extinction is still unknown.

For such a large dinosaur, Apatosaurus had a very small head, a little over half a metre in length. Its brain was also very small. It is believed that an enlargement of the spinal cord in the hip region was a nerve centre which controlled the back legs and tail. The size of this nerve centre was greater than the size of Apatosaurus’s brain.

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Like all sauropods, Apatosaurus had a very long neck which was balanced by a long, whip-like tail (about 15 metres). Research has indicated that the neck mobility of some sauropods, including Apatosaurus, was limited in the vertical plane, suggesting that it would not have been able to reach up to graze on high level vegetation. It most probably held its neck horizontally, grazing on lower level plants.

Apatosaurus hatched from huge eggs, up to 30 cm wide. There is evidence to suggest that eggs were laid while the animal was walking rather than in a nest of some kind. Hatchlings would have been left to fend for themselves.

The hind legs of Apatosaurus were larger than its front legs, but all four legs were huge and column-like. Fossilised footprints of Apatosaurus have been found, measuring about one metre across.

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Fossils of Apatosaurus have been found in many parts of the world.

Take students outside and measure out the height and length of Apatosaurus. Line students up to make the shape of the beast, with some being the head, the legs, the tail and the body. Students from one or more other classes may be needed for this exercise!

Present a dinosaur parade with students wearing simple costumes made from junk materials, with a running commentary giving a description of each dinosaur.

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Research suggests that Apatosaurus may have had deer-like lips that would have aided plant gathering. It had teeth, but these were probably used for stripping foliage rather than chewing as it is believed that food was swallowed whole.

The body of Apatosaurus was very large. It swallowed stones (gastroliths) to help grind up and digest the vast quantity of food it would have had to ingest in order to sustain itself.

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

Cut strips of paper to the size of different dinosaurs. Decorate strips with outlines of the dinosaurs. Label and display.

Resources: X

If the dinosaurs came back by Bernard Most

The dinosaur who lived in my backyard by B G Hennessy

Digging up dinosaurs by Aliki

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Apatosaurus In a museum, each item on display has a description to help visitors learn more about it. 1. Complete the information chart for Apatosaurus. Name:

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Food:

Predators: Time of living:

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Description:

2. Draw a picture of Apatosaurus.

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Other interesting information:

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R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Early themes — Dinosaurs

Iguanodon’s hands and feet Concept: Iguanodon had a beak and spiked thumbs. Indicator: X

Compares a dinosaur hand and foot with his/her own hand and foot.

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Background information:

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Iguanodon (pronounced ig-wha-noh-don) lived in the Cretaceous period. It was named in 1825 by Dr Gideon Mantell, making it the second dinosaur ever to be named (after Megalosaurus). Its name means ‘iguana tooth’. It was a plant-eating dinosaur that grew to about 10 metres in length and could weigh up to 4500 kg. It could walk on all fours or just on its three-toed hind feet. Iguanodon’s large spiked thumbs grew perpendicular to its three middle ﬁngers and are thought to have been used for defence. Early reconstructions of Iguanodon actually had the thumb spike located on its nose! Iguanodon had a horny, toothless beak similar to that of a turtle, which could crop vegetation. Its sharp teeth were located at the back of its jaws. Iguanodon remains have been found in Europe, northern Africa and North America.

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After reading the information at the top of the page to the students, make sure they understand that the pictures of Iguanodon’s hand and foot have been drawn to a very small scale as life size pictures would not ﬁt on the sheet of paper! They can then draw a picture of their left hand and foot and complete the sentences. Discuss what the students have learnt from the page before they attempt to complete Question 3.

Answers:

1. Teacher check 2. 3,1;

4,1;

3,5

Additional activities:

Make cut-outs of life size dinosaur footprints. Compare them to the students’ footprints or see how many students can ﬁt on one dinosaur footprint.

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3. A spiked thumb and claws.

View a large picture of an Iguanodon and compare its blunt beak and teeth with the students’ mouths and teeth.

Resources:

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Poem – Iguanodon by Jack Prelutsky

Books – Iguanodon by Janet Riehecky

– Looking at … Iguanodon: a dinosaur from the Cretaceous period by Jenny Vaughan and Tony Gibbons

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Iguanodon’s hands and feet Iguanodon was a plant-eating dinosaur. It had ﬁngers and a spiked thumb on each hand. Its feet had toes and claws like a cow’s hoofs. 1. Draw a picture of your left hand and foot next to the pictures of Iguanodon’s left hand and foot.

r o e t s Bo r e ok Iguanodon’s p left hand My left hand u S

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2. Count the ﬁngers, thumbs and toes to ﬁnish the sentences.

I have

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Iguanodon’s left foot

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My left foot

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I have

toes.

3. Write two things Iguanodon has that you do not. and R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

. Early themes — Dinosaurs

Pachycephalosaurus puppet Concept: Pachycephalosaurus had a thick, rounded head. Indicator: X

Uses ﬁne motor skills to make a paper bag puppet.

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Background information:

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Pachycephalosaurus (pronounced pak-ee-sef-a-loh-sore-us) (‘thick-headed lizard’) was a bipedal herbivore which lived during the Cretaceous period. It grew to around four metres in length and probably weighed around 900–1800 kilograms. Its skull was topped by a bony dome that was around 25 centimetres thick. The skull also had bony knobs or spikes at the back and around the nose. Scientists once believed that this dinosaur used its thick skull for headbutting other dinosaurs in ﬁghts. But more recent studies demonstrate that the skull would not have withstood such immense pressure and, in addition, there is no evidence of scarring on fossilised Pachycephalosaurus skulls. It is more likely that Pachycephalosaurus butted other animals’ ﬂanks, rather than their heads, which would have sustained considerable damage to its victim. Pachycephalosaurus remains have been found in North America.

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To make the paper bag puppets, each student will need a large paper bag, a cardboard tube (such as those used for plastic wrap or paper towels), pencils, crayons or paint, glue, masking tape and sheets of newspaper. It is suggested that teachers make an example to show the students before they begin the activity.

The students should ﬁrst draw or paint a Pachycephalosaurus face on their paper bag, making sure the closed end of the bag is at the top of the puppet’s head. Ensure the students draw their faces high up on the bag so that when the open end is attached to the tube it doesn’t hide any part of the face. When the face is ﬁnished, the students can be helped to stuff their bag with scrunched up newspaper. Encourage them to tightly pack the front of the puppet’s head to try to simulate the dome-shaped head of the Pachycephalosaurus. The bag can then be attached to the cardboard tube with masking tape. Finally, the students should colour and cut out the spikes and glue each tab to the paper bag so the spikes stick out. The spikes could be counted together as a class.

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The ﬁnished puppets can be held by their tubes and used for simple puppet plays. Paper bag puppets of different dinosaur species could also be made by the class and their features compared.

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Use the spikes on the puppets for various counting and adding activities.

Use this activity as an opportunity for talking about words that begin with ‘p’; e.g. paper, puppet, play, paint, Pachycephalosaurus, pencils, pack.

Resources: X

Poem – Pachycephalosaurus by Richard Armour

Books – 10 little dinosaurs by Pattie Schnetzler and Jim Harris (contains information on Pachycephalosaurus) – Pachycephalosaurus by Frances Swann and Pam Mara

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Pachycephalosaurus puppet Pachycephalosaurus had a strange skull. It was very thick and could be used to butt other dinosaurs in ﬁghts. The skull also had spikes at the front and back. Make a paper bag Pachycephalosaurus puppet.

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2. Stuff the paper bag with newspaper. 3. Use masking tape to attach the bottom of the bag to a cardboard tube.

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r o e t s Bo r e ok 1. Draw dinosaurp eyes, nostrils and a u mouth onS a paper bag.

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4. Colour the spikes below. Cut them out and glue the ﬁve big spikes to the back of your Pachycephalosaurus’s head. Glue the ﬁve small spikes around its nostrils. tab

tab

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tab

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

tab

tab Early themes — Dinosaurs

tab 47

Gallimimus Concept: Gallimimus was a small dinosaur which looked like an ostrich. Indicators: X

Reads information about a speciﬁc dinosaur.

Completes a puzzle about a speciﬁc dinosaur.

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Background information:

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Gallimimus (pronounced gal-ih-my-mus) or ‘rooster or chicken mimic’ was a fast-running, toothless omnivore, about 3.5 metres tall, about 6 metres long and weighing as much as 450 kilograms. Gallimimus is thought to have moved like modern-day ﬂightless birds, such as the ostrich. It is believed to have travelled of speeds of up to 70 kph or more. The bottom part of the beak was shaped like a shovel.

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The diet of Gallimimus probably consisted mostly of insects, small animals, eggs and even some plants.

Gallimimus had a small head, large eyes, long tail, long neck, short arms and long ﬁngers and arms, which probably helped them to dig for or hold eggs. He had long legs which, like the ostrich, he used to kick as a means of protection. Gallimimus had three clawed ﬁngers on each hand and three clawed toes on each foot.

Gallimimus had hollow bones like most modern birds and was thought to be relatively intelligent.

Gallimimus lived during the late Cretaceous period.

Read the information with the students and identify the boxes where the words ﬁt. Students should copy one word before proceeding to the next one. This activity may be completed as a class.

Answers:

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(6) mimic

(2) beak

(3) toothless

(4) claws

(5) bird

(7) kick

(8) omnivore

(9) runner

(10) insects

Additional activities: X X X

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Find pictures of ﬂightless birds and ﬁnd similarities and differences to Gallimimus.

Ask the students to mimic familiar animals. Identify the best rooster or hen student mimic. The students compete in Gallimimus running races to see which student from a group is the fastest Gallimimus.

Resources:

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(1) eggs

Rhyme – ‘Dinosaurs, dinosaurs’ (Sung to ‘Teddy bear, Teddy bear’) see <http://www.preschooleducation.com/sdinosaur.shtml>

Song

– ‘I’d like to be a dinosaur’ see <http://www.preschooleducation.com/sdinosaur.shtml>

Story

– Harold and the purple crayon: Dinosaur days by Crockett Johnson

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Gallimimus 1. Read the information. (5)

Gallimimus looked like a bird . It was toothless(3). It had a ﬂat beak(2).

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u It was an S omnivore because it liked to eat eggs , insects and plants. (8)

(1)

(10)

It had three claws(4) on its hands and feet. Its name means ‘rooster mimic’(6).

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It was a fast runner(9) and liked to kick(7).

2. Write the missing letters in the correct boxes.

2 3

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R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

S Early themes — Dinosaurs

Big Al Concept: Allosaurus was a large meat-eating dinosaur. Indicator: X

Creates a moving model of the head of an Allosaurus.

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Background information:

This carnivore lived during the late Jurassic period.

Allosaurus was very large, standing about four or ﬁve metres tall, 12 metres long and weighing between one to 2000–5000 kilograms, depending on the species.

Allosaurus is thought to have hunted in packs, enabling it to eat larger dinosaurs, Stegasaurus and Apatosaurus. Allosaurus probably laid eggs and cared for its young in nests.

Allosaurus is thought to rank highly in terms of intelligence compared to other dinosaurs.

In 1991, a juvenile specimen of Allosaurus was found in Wyoming, USA, which was eight metres tall and almost 100% intact. The excavation team named this fossil ‘Big Al’. A second specimen was discovered later which was called ‘Big Al Two’. This latter specimen is the best preserved example of Allosaurus discovered so far.

Before students complete the worksheet, relate details about Allosaurus using the information above, pictures or factual texts.

Enlarge the worksheet and photocopy onto card, if possible. Students can use oil pastels, crayons, paint or a combination to add colour to their worksheet. After drying and cutting, the two sections should be joined using a split pin to allow the mouth to move.

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Additional activities:

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Write a menu for an Allosaurus meal using information from the text.

Write a description of Allosaurus using information from a text (and lots of adjectives!)

Students use their own hands as a template to create hands for an Allosaurus, adjusting the number of digits and adding claws made from craftsticks, straws etc.

Resources:

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Allosaurus (pronounced al-o-saw-rus) or ‘different lizard’ was one of the most common carnivorous dinosaurs. It walked upright on two strong legs, had a powerful S-shaped neck and vertebrae which were different from other dinosaurs (which is where its name is derived!). Allosaurus had a large tail, sharp teeth, a big body and short, strong arms with three ﬁngers ending in long, sharp claws, which it used as its main form of defence. Allosaurus was easily recognised by a pair of blunt horns on top of its head and near the eyes.

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Song

– ‘Allosaurus’ (Sung to ‘Allouette’) see <http://www.preschooleducation.com/sdinisaur.shtml>

Story

– Thing and Thingnapped by Robin Klein

Rhyme – ‘Five enormous dinosaurs’ <http://www.preschooleducation.com/sdinoaurs.shtml>

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Big Al Allosaurus was a large meat-eating dinosaur.

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Colour, cut and join the two head pieces to make a jaw which opens and closes.

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R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Early themes — Dinosaurs

Grandaddy Albertosaurus Concept: Albertosaurus was related to Tyrannosaurus rex. Indicators: X

Reads information about a dinosaur.

Draws a dinosaur from a description.

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Background information:

Albertosaurus (pronounced al-bert-oh-sore-us) (‘lizard from Alberta’) was a distant relative of Tyrannosaurus rex, although it was smaller. It lived during the Cretaceous period, millions of years before Tyrannosaurus rex.

Albertosaurus is named after a Canadian province, Alberta, where the ﬁrst remains were found.

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Albertosaurus walked on two strong legs; had a large head; strong jaws with very sharp, long, saw-like teeth; short arms with two ﬁngers on each hand; a long tail and three toes on each foot with a claw on each one. It also had hollow bones like birds.

Albertosaurus was about 8 or 9 metres long, about 3 metres high and weighed about 2700 kilograms.

Albertosaurus had between 14 and 16 teeth in the lower jaw and between 17 and 19 teeth in the upper jaw. Each tooth had at least one replacement tooth growing underneath it.

Albertosaurus ate plant-eating dinosaurs and was probably the most prominent predator of its time.

Fossils of many almost-complete Albertosaurus dinosaurs have been found, which gives more information than is known about Tyrannosaurus rex.

It is probable that Albertosaurus travelled in packs and looked after its young.

Read the information at the top of the student page with the class and discuss the picture of Tyrannosaurus rex, noting features such as hands, claws, legs, teeth etc.

Read the description of Albertosaurus and ensure that students include all sections to complete their drawing. Students may wish to tick the features as they include them.

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View pictures or models of various dinosaurs and sort into groups to show which ones may belong in the same family. Students create dinosaur names for themselves based on where they live, lived or were born. For example; country name + saurus, street name + saurus, hospital name + saurus, town or city + saurus – Edgeworthosaurus.

Resources:

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Create a family of Albertosauruses using cardboard rolls of various sizes.

Saturday night at the dinosaur stomp by Carol Diggory Shields

Ten terrible dinosaurs by Paul Stickland

Dinosaur roar by Paul and Henrietta Stickland

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Grandaddy Albertosaurus Albertosaurus was a meat-eating dinosaur. Some people even think he may have been the grandfather of Tyrannosaurus rex!

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Albertosaurus had: • two, strong, long legs; • a large head; •

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1. Read the description below, look at the picture of Tyrannosaurus rex and draw what you think Albertosaurus looked like.

• •

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• short arms with two ﬁngers on each hand;

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long teeth;

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Albertosaurus 2. Draw grey whiskers or glasses on your Albertosaurus to make him look like a grandad. R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Early themes — Dinosaurs

Megalosaurus Concept: Megalosaurus was the ﬁrst dinosaur fossil discovered. Indicators: X

Reads information about a dinosaur.

Writes possible dialogue for a situation.

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Background information: X

Megalosaurus (pronounced meg-ah-loh-sore-us) (‘great lizard’) was a large, meat-eating dinosaur who lived during the Jurassic period. He was a ﬁerce predator and scavenger.

Megalosaurus was the very ﬁrst dinosaur fossil to be discovered. Part of a femur was discovered in 1676, then a tooth in 1699 and more discoveries were made in 1815. William Buckland, an English geologist, acquired the pieces and named the species in 1822 . Later, in 1842, Richard Owen used the name ‘dinosaur’. The femur found was thought to belong to a large animal or possibly the thigh bone of a giant. The femur has been lost over the years, but illustrations of it are still available to identify it as that of a Megalosaurus.

Megalosaurus was a very common dinosaur during the time it lived and was considered to be a very intelligent dinosaur.

Megalosaurus is believed to have been a fast runner.

Relate some basic information about the discovery of the ﬁrst dinosaur bone (the femur) (see above).

Ask the students to role-play ﬁnding the bone of an unknown creature and imagine what they would say or think.

Assist any students who may need help to write words in the speech bubbles.

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Megalosaurus was about 9 metres long, 3 metres tall and weighed about 900–1300 kilograms. He walked on two strong legs; had a large head and sharp, serrated teeth; a large tail which supported the body and head; a large body; sharp claws on its toes and short arms with three ﬁngers—each with sharp claws.

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Provide students with paper, glue, pasta pieces and felt-tipped pens to make their own individual outlines of dinosaur skeletons.

Provide students with an outline of a skeleton of a Megalosaurus and ask them to draw the body to cover it and colour it in.

Resources: X

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‘Bury’ pieces of cut fruit (dinosaur bones) in jelly or chocolate pudding and allow to set. Students ‘dig’ for bones.

Book – Dinosaurs are different by Aliki – Dinosaur bones by Aliki

Song – ‘Oh, I want to be a great big dinosaur’ see <http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems67.html>

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Megalosaurus Megalosaurus was the ﬁrst dinosaur fossil to be found and named. It was a large meat-eater.

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1. Look at the picture of people discovering parts of the ﬁrst dinosaur. Write sentences to tell what they may have said or thought.

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2. Colour the picture. R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Early themes — Dinosaurs

Living with dinosaurs Concept: Many prehistoric animals were not dinosaurs. Indicators: X

Understands that other animals lived during prehistoric times.

Matches sentence clues to pictures.

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Background information: X

Early mammals lived throughout the age of dinosaurs. These were small creatures about the size of mice. Megazostrodon was one of the earliest mammals. It was a shrew-like, endothermic (warm-blooded) animal which suckled its young and, like monotremes, laid leathery eggs. It probably ate small insects and reptiles, which it may have hunted and scavenged at night to avoid dinosaur predators.

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The clues could be read to the students and then matched to the pictures as a class.

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Although it looks like a dinosaur, Dimetrodon (pronounced die-met-roh-don) was actually a mammal-like reptile, an ancestor of mammals. It belonged to the family ‘pelycosaurs’. It was a large carnivore, growing to about 3.5 metres in length, and dominated life on land during the Permian period. The Dimetrodon’s ‘sail’ was supported by bony spines. The sail is thought to have been used to absorb and release heat, providing the animal with efﬁcient thermoregulation. It may have also been used to make the animal appear much larger to predators.

Ichthyosaurs (pronounced ikh-thee-oh-sore-s) were dolphin-like reptiles that could grow up to about nine metres in length. They lived at sea and gave birth to live young. They had a triangular dorsal ﬁn, like a shark or dolphin, two sets of ﬂippers and a streamlined body. The Ichthyosaur’s sharp teeth indicate that it was a carnivore.

Archaeopteryx, (pronounced ark-ee-op-ter-iks) one of the first known birds, appeared during the age of dinosaurs. It may have evolved from a raptor dinosaur like Velociraptor. Its size varied between that of a chicken and a turkey. It had long feathers covering its wings and body—although it probably couldn’t fly well because it lacked the large breastbone of modern birds where the flight muscles are attached. Archaeopteryx had other un-bird like features, such as teeth, a bony tail and clawed fingers on its wings.

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Students may suggest that Ichthyosaur resembles a dolphin, Archaeopteryx an eagle, Megazostrodon a rat and Dimetrodon a dinosaur or a lizard.

Additional activities: X

Compare pictures of some of the animals, noticing differences and similarities.

Ask the students to think up creative reasons why the Dimetrodon had a sail. They could then write or dictate simple stories along with a picture.

Resources: X

Books – Children’s guide to dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals by Philip Whitﬁeld – Prehistoric animals by Gail Gibbons

Song – ‘Prehistoric animal brigade’ by M L Reeve

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Living with dinosaurs Other prehistoric animals lived around the same time as dinosaurs. 1. Read about each extinct prehistoric animal. Draw a line to match the clues to the correct picture. 2. Name another animal each animal reminds you of.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok I swim in the sea. u S I have ﬁns. I look a bit like a .

I am a bird. I have feathers.

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I am a reptile.

Megazostrodon

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I am a mammal. I have fur.

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o c . I look a bit like a ch e r er Ichthyosaur o t .u s s per I lay eggs.

I am a reptile. I eat meat. I have a sail on my back. I look a bit like a . R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Archaeopteryx Early themes — Dinosaurs

Dino-birds? Concept: Birds may be related to dinosaurs. Indicators: X

Understands that some dinosaurs had physical features similar to that of birds.

Chooses words to complete sentences.

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Background information:

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Some relatively recent discoveries of dinosaur fossils, such as those in China in the 1990s, have indicated that theropod dinosaurs may have been the ancestors of birds. Some of the similarities include feathers as body covering (for insulation, not ﬂight), bone structure (e.g. hollow bones, a wishbone, swivelling wrists, three forward-pointing toes) and the laying and brooding of eggs in nests. It is interesting to note that one of the most well-known dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex, was a theropod and therefore may well have had feathers. Fossils suggest, at the very least, that Tyrannosaurus rex hatchlings were covered in downy feathers for warmth.

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The Sinornithosaurus millenii was one of the feathered dinosaurs discovered in China in the mid 1990s. It had wing-like upper arms, hollow bones and a long tail. The Oviraptor was discovered in Mongolia in 1924. Its name means ‘egg thief’ because its fossil was lying on eggs thought to belong to another dinosaur. However, later examinations showed that the Oviraptor was actually lying on its own eggs.

Additional activities:

Draw feathered Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaurs with their ﬂuffy hatchlings.

Look at pictures of large birds, such as emus, cassowaries and ostriches, and compare them with pictures of theropod dinosaurs.

View pictures of some of the feathered Chinese dinosaurs found in the 1990s. Photographs can be found on the internet.

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Boy, were we wrong about dinosaurs! by Kathleen Kudlinski

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Did dinosaurs have feathers? by Kathleen Weidner Zoefeld

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Feathered dinosaurs by Don Lessem

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Dino-birds? Birds may be related to some dinosaurs. Some parts of their bodies look the same. Look at the two dinosaurs below. Copy the correct word to complete each sentence. wings

feathers

legs

teeth toes r o e t s B r e oo p Itk has no u Its arms look like It has a S .

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beak

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Each foot has three . Sinornithosaurus millenii R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

It stands on two . Oviraptor Early themes — Dinosaurs

What killed the dinosaurs? Concept: Dinosaurs are extinct, but we don’t know exactly why. Indicators: X

Understands that dinosaurs are extinct.

Draws and writes creatively about how the dinosaurs became extinct.

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Background information:

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About 65 million years ago, a mass extinction occurred on Earth. Many plants and animals, including the dinosaurs, disappeared. No dinosaur fossils are found after the Cretaceous period. There are a number of different theories for the extinction of dinosaurs. These include volcanic eruptions (causing poisonous gases, a decrease in oxygen and dramatic changes in temperature), a massive meteorite crashing into Earth, events in space (such as solar flares), diseases, the appearance of the first flowering plants (causing plant eaters to be poisoned) or early mammals eating dinosaur eggs.

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Encourage creative ideas for the students’ drawings and stories. Students who are able to may like to write longer stories on a separate sheet of paper.

Answers:

Teacher check

Additional activities: X

Create posters advertising movies about dinosaur extinction.

Make a class mural entitled ‘What killed the dinosaurs?’ with labelled pictures showing possibilities; e.g. ‘a volcano’, ‘a meteorite’ etc.

Resources:

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Songs – ‘Dinosaurs of long ago’ see <http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/dinosaurs/songs.htm>

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– ‘Dinosaurs lived long ago’ see <http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/dinosaurs/songs.htm>

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Book – What happened to the dinosaurs? by Franklyn M Branley

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

What killed the dinosaurs?

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All dinosaurs are extinct. What killed them? No-one is really sure. Here are some ideas.

A big lump of A terrible dinosaur A volcanic eruption rock from space disease. ﬁlled the air with crashed into Earth. smoke and ash.

1. Use one of these ideas or think up one of your own. Imagine a story about it. Draw a picture to show your story. Write a sentence about it.

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How the dinosaurs might have died

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Early themes — Dinosaurs

Fossil ﬁnds Concept: Fossils tell us information about dinosaurs. Indicators: X

Understands what a fossil is.

Understands that fossils can give us information about how dinosaurs lived.

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Background information:

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A fossil is any evidence of life from the past. Most of the knowledge we have about dinosaurs comes from fossils. Most fossils are from hard body parts, such as bones, teeth and claws. Trace fossils are the remains of a body part, such as droppings, nests, footprints, eggs etc.

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The information at the top of the page can be read to the students. The pictures can then be discussed and the students can be helped to write their ideas.

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Parts of the picture might indicate: – a dinosaur that ate leaves from the treetops, – a crocodile-like dinosaur that lived near the sea and ate ﬁsh and shellﬁsh,

Make ‘fossils’ by pouring plaster of Paris onto imprints made in modelling clay. Imprints can be made with shells, plastic dinosaur footprints, bones etc.

View real examples of fossilised plant or animal material.

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Resources:

Fossil by Claire Ewart Fossils tell of long ago by Aliki

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Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Fossil ﬁnds We know a lot about dinosaurs because of their fossils. Fossils are parts of animals or plants that are left after they die. Over time, they have turned to stone. Dinosaur fossils can tell us how a dinosaur lived, what it ate and what other animals or plants lived at the same time.

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What might these fossils tell us?

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R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

Early themes — Dinosaurs

A palaeontologist at work Concept: Palaeontologists study fossils. Indicators: X

Understands what a palaeontologist is.

Places pictures in sequence to tell a story.

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Background information:

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Palaeontologists study the history of life on Earth based on fossil records. There are several subdisciplines of palaeontology, including micropaleontology (microscopic fossils), vertebrate palaeontology, taphonomy (fossil formation) and ichnology (fossil tracks and imprints).

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After the students have coloured the pictures, the activity could be completed as a class, with the teacher reading the sentences and encouraging the students to look carefully at the pictures to decide which one comes next in the sequence.

Answers:

Teacher check

Additional activities:

Prepare a shallow sand box in which clay ‘dinosaur eggs’, small plastic dinosaur toys or other objects are buried. Use a stick to draw lines in the sand to divide it into squares. Create a ‘dinosaur dig’ grid on paper that matches the grid in the sand. The students can try digging in each square of the grid and record what they found. The objects can be cleaned of sand with a pastry or paint brush, just as a palaeontologist would do.

Prepare a worksheet with pictures of a range of different dinosaur bones. The students can try to create a skeleton with the bones and give their creation a name.

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Resources:

Digging up dinosaurs by Aliki

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Dinosaur bones by Aliki

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Dinosaur discoveries by Gail Gibbons

Early themes — Dinosaurs

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

A palaeontologist at work Palaeontologists are scientists who work with fossils. 1. Colour the pictures and cut them out. 2. Place them in the order that shows the work of a palaeontologist.

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3. Glue them onto a separate sheet of paper in that order.

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palaeontologist is called.

studies, cleans and repairs the bones.

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puts the bones together to make a skeleton.

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The sand and mud is worn away by wind and water.

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricgroup.com.au

The palaeontologist uses tools to remove the bones.

A dinosaur dies. Its bones are buried under sand and mud.

Early themes — Dinosaurs