dino pre visit

8/7/2019 Dino Pre Visit

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TEACHER PRE-VISIT

DINOSAURSA J O U R N E Y T H R O U G H T I M E

EXHIBIT HIGHLIGHTS

Your students journey through time begins right here in Pacic Science Centers robotic dinosaur

exhibit. Eight hal-size and ull-size model dinosaurs rom the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods

ll a room with the distant roar o prehistory. Visitors can get an up close look at the anatomy o their

avorite dinosaur, read about dinosaurs and current dinosaur theory, enjoy the miniature diorama collection, and touch a real

dinosaur bone ossil. Warning: Look out or that T. Rex studying you rom above!

DINOSAUR INFORMATION

Fossil evidence indicates that dinosaurs lived during an era o time called the Mesozoic (248 - 65 million years ago) which is divide

into periods known as Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous. There are eight robotic dinosaurs in the Dinosaurs: A Journey Through Time

exhibit. The period o their existence is listed along with an approximation o the time labeled as MYA (million years ago).

Tyrannosaurus Rex tyrant lizard king

Late Cretaceous-70 MYA 50 t long Carnivore

At 50 eet long, T. Rex was one o the largest meat eaters

ever to walk the earth. Its large tail was held upright to

counterbalance its heavy neck and jaws. T. Rex had bird-like

hind eet and hollow bones. Robot is hal-size.

Stegosaurus plated lizard

Late Jurassic-145 MYA 25 t long Herbivore

While it is likely that the spikes on its tail were used as a

deensive weapon, ideas about the unctions o the plates on its

back vary. They could have been solar heat collecting devices,

mating displays, or spine and fank protection. Robot is hal-size.

Apatosaurus deceptive lizard

Late Jurassic-150 MYA 75 t long Herbivore

Because a ossil specimen o an Apatosaurus was once

misidentied as a new species, this dinosaur was mistakenly

called Brontosaurus. At 30-35 tons this animals bulk

was ormidable protection against predators such as 4 ton

Allosaurus. Robot is hal-size.

Triceratops three-horned ace

Late Cretaceous-70 MYA 30 t long HerbivoreThis animals rilled neck and horns may have served as

protection rom carnivores such as T. Rex. It apparently traveled

in herds and parents may have cared or their young. Robot is

hal-size.

Pachycephalosaurus thick-headed lizard

Late Cretaceous-70 MYA 20 t long Herbivore

Its knobby, domed head was 8 to 10 inches thick making it less

prone to decay and thereore more easily ossilized. While it is

easy to speculate that this animal may have used its head as

a butting weapon, no evidence yet exists o ractures or healed

wounds on any o the specimens collected. Robot is ull-size.

Deinonychus terrible claw

Early Cretaceous-105 MYA 9 t long Carnivore

This predator likely hunted in organized packs. Its tail aided in

balance and may have been used as a lever enabling it to

change direction quickly. The middle toe o each hind oot had

a sharp 5-inch claw used to slash at the bellies o prey. It is

closely related to Velociraptor. Robot is ull-size.

Allosaurus strange (or other) lizard

Late Jurassic-150 MYA 35 t long Carnivore

This large animal had a three-oot long head and hinged jaws that

could open up unusually wide. Its eyes were twice as large as T. Rex.

While most dinosaurs are known rom just a ew ossils, paleontologists

have ound ossils o 60 Allosauruses. Robot is hal-size.

Parasaurolophus similar to crested lizardLate Cretaceous-70 MYA 33 t long Herbivore

This duck-billed animal had a long, hollow bony crest at the top

o its head. Its nostrils went up through the crest and back down

again, orming our tubes that may have been used to produce

oghorn sounds. Fossilized stomach contents showed this animal

ate pine needles, twigs and other land plants. Robot is hal-size.


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PRE-VISIT DISCUSSION

Make a list of the eight dinosaurs in the exhibit and have

students list what they know about each one. Let them

know that ater the visit they will have an opportunity to

add to this list.

Some characteristics of living organisms are that they eat,

grow and reproduce. Ask students what they know about

how dinosaurs lived. What did they eat? How did they

reproduce? How do we know?

Many theories have been developed about the

disappearance and evolution o dinosaurs, especially

concerning the strong evidence that some dinosaurs

are the ancestors o modern birds. Make a list o what

students know and think about these issues and a list

o questions they have as well.

POST-VISIT DISCUSSION

Review and amend the lists you may have made of

students prior knowledge o each dinosaur in the exhibit,

dinosaur extinction and dinosaur evolution. Write the

answers they ound to any o the questions they had.

Let students draw their favorite dinosaur rom the exhibit

along with a description o why they like it.

What questions about dinosaurs do students think have

been answered adequately by scientists? Ask the students:

I you were to become a paleontologist, what questions

would you like to answer? How might you nd the answer?

Ask students to describe the environment and climate

during the age o the dinosaurs. Discuss their ideas and

then discuss what thoughts they have about the eects

a large meteorite impact might have on the environment,

climate and living organisms.

Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements in Science Addressed:

Essential Learning 1: The student understands and uses scientifc concepts and principles.

1.1.6 Characteristics o living Things: Distinguish living organisms rom non-living objects, and use characteristics

to sort common organisms into plant and animal groups.

1.3.5 History and Evolution o Earth: Recognize that ossils provide evidence o plants, animals, and environment,

that existed long ago.

1.3.10 Interdependence o Lie: Describe how an organisms behavior and ability to survive is infuenced by

environment, other lie orms, and the availability o ood and/or other resources.

Essential Learning 2: The student knows and applies the skills, processes, and nature o scientifc inquiry.

2.1.1 Questioning: The student asks questions about interesting objects, organisms, and events in the environment.

Reading Essential Learning 3: The student reads dierent materials or a variety o purposes.

3.1 Read to learn new inormation.

3.2 Read to perorm a task.

Please feel free to use the Student Activity Sheet,

in part or whole, as an on-site activity for your class.


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DINOSAURSA J O U R N E Y T H R O U G H T I M E

STUDENT ACTIVITY SHEET

DINOSAUR BRIEFINGDINOSAUR INFORMATION

In this exhibit there are eight robotic dinosaurs. These robots represent animals that lived

rom 195 million years ago to 64 millions years ago during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Fossil records show that dinosaurs both great and small dominated the earth or 180 million years. Also shown in the ossil record is

that 65 million years ago dinosaurs, as we recognize them, vanished. There are many ideas about what caused this apparent extinction.

The most dramatic theory is that an extremely large meteorite struck the earth causing global climate change leading to dinosaur

extinction. This theory is well supported by evidence in the rock layers. The ossil evidence shows that some dinosaurs are more

closely related to birds, rather than lizards. Some paleontologists (ossil scientists) now believe that some dinosaur species managed

to avoid extinction 65 million years ago and may have evolved into our modern birds, which means that dinosaurs may not havebecome extinct at all. Think about that the next time you see a pigeon!

While modern dinosaur theory is supported by strong evidence, there are still many questions unanswered. Perhaps you can become

a paleontologist and explore these interesting questions. Start today!

NAME GAME

Most dinosaurs get their names rom Greek or Latin.

Work with another student to see i you can guess

what some o the dinosaur names are that matchthese meanings. Then read the exhibit signs to see

how close you got.

Tyrant Lizard King: _____________________________

Plated Lizard: _________________________________

Deceptive Lizard: ______________________________

Three-Horned Face:____________________________

Thick-Headed Lizard:___________________________

Terrible Claw: _________________________________

Strange (Other) Lizard: _________________________

Similar to Crested Lizard:_______________________

Bonus: Which part o these names means lizard?

Why might lizard be a mistake to use or

some dinosaurs?

Choose a dinosaur and draw a part o it here.

You might choose the head, an eye, a claw, or

something else.

How does this part o the dinosaur help it survive?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________


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THINGS TO LOOK FOR AND THINK ABOUT:

Ask three other students to name which of the exhibit

dinosaurs they like best and why.

Record the students names and their answers here.

1. __________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Look at the paintings, dioramas, and settings around the

dinosaurs. Read the signs.

Write a description o how the earth looked, and what the

climate was like at the time o the dinosaurs.

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

TAKE IT AWAY:

Write one new act you learned, or something that surprised you today about dinosaurs. Share this with someone you

live with.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT AND DO

Paleontologists once believed that dinosaurs were lizards.

Now scientists more commonly agree that some dinosaurs

are closely related to birds. Look around at the robots and

read the exhibit signs.

What eatures o the dinosaurs are like lizards?

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

What eatures o the dinosaurs are like birds?

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Write the names o the dinosaurs you think are most like birds.

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Look at your favorite meat-eating (carnivore) dinosaur and

avorite plant-eating (herbivore) dinosaur. List eatures o

each that you think made them well-adapted to the oods

they ate.

CARNIVORE HERBIVORE

_______________________ _______________________

_______________________ _______________________

_______________________ _______________________

2008 Pacic Science Center | Educators may copy reely.

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