Author: Sharon Freeman, Union Elementary, OR
Date: May 1994
Grade Level(s): 1, 2
Subject(s):
Science/Paleontology
OVERVIEW:
Many students are interested in dinosaurs at this age level so it is easy to motivate them. However, in order for them to understand the time frame and how we know this information, they need to understand the importance of fossils and how they tell us about our past.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this activity is to teach the children how fossils help us learn about the Earth's past.
OBJECTIVES: As a result of this activity the students will be able to:
tell a friend or parent who a paleontologist is and what he does.
explain what a fossil is.
explain how we use fossils to learn about the past.
draw a picture of a paleontologist finding a fossil.
make his own fossil using clay, plaster of paris, and some sort of molding object such as a shell, leaf, bone,etc.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
Any of the numerous Science or Dinosaur books which give information about fossils.
Pictures of Paleontologists at work.
A ball of clay and a piece of 6"x2" tag board per student.
Objects to imprint in the clay [shells, rocks, leaves, etc.]
A 5 pound box of plaster of paris.
A container and wooden spoon to mix the plaster. ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
The word paleontologist will be written on the board and a sign "paleontologists at work" will be placed on the activity table. Pictures will be shown of a Paleontologist at work. Students will be asked who they think a Paleontologist is and what he does. A definition will be written based on this input.
Samples of fossils will be passed out for students to examine. Students will be asked to discuss, within their work groups, how they think the fossils were made and why Paleontologists use them as keys to our past. The information will be shared with the class and posted on a chart.
Each student will be given a ball of clay and a strip of tag paper 6"x2" [stapled into a circle]. The students will roll the clay out to a thickness of not less than 1 inch. Next the student will insert the paper ring so that it forms a seal. The student will select an object he wishes to make into a fossil and press it into the clay. When the student carefully removes the object an imprint is left. At this time the students can review how this might have happened in nature. Since primary students in Oregon are not allowed to work with plaster of paris, when the children go home the molds will be filled. The next morning, after reviewing their chart on fossils, the children may become Paleontologists and "discover" their fossils by removing the circle of paper and clay. They may have the next 5 minutes to share them with their classmates. They will be placed on the activity table until dismissal so the students can examine them during their spare time.
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:
The students can read books which discuss fossils and Paleontologists and understand the content much better.
The students can write stories about how they "discovered" their fossils.
The students could make a time line showing when their fossils were created.
Children could do leaf print art by rubbing a crayon over a piece of paper which has leaves underneath it.
The children could have an archaeological "dig" by burying some chicken bones in a shoe box of unset plaster of paris. When the mold sets the children can use dull instruments and wooden toy hammers to dig for the fossilized bones.
A list of fossil beds and or museums that have fossil and dinosaur exhibits can be sent home to parents for further family exploration - such as: John Day Fossil Beds - Oregon; Dinosaur Monument and State Park - Wyoming and Utah; L.A. Museum of Natural History - California.
May 1994
These lesson plans are the result of the work of the teachers who have attended the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshop. CEC is a consortium of teacher from 14 western states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural, western, United States, and particularly the quality of math and science Education. CEC uses Big Sky Telegraph as the hub of their telecommunications network that allows the participating teachers to stay in contact with their trainers and peers that they have met at the Workshops.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Dinosaur Facts for lesson plan
Dinosaur Facts Part I
When did the dinosaurs first appear on Earth?
The oldest dinosaur types are known from rocks in Argentina and Brazil and are about 230 million years old. The most primitive of these types, Eoraptor, was a small meat-eating dinosaur. Because Eoraptor's skeleton shows some advanced skeletal features, older dinosaurs may yet be found.
Are all fossil animals dinosaurs?
No. Dinosaurs are a group of ancient reptiles that had a set of particular skeletal features. The hips, hind legs, and ankles were specialized and allowed the legs to move directly under the body, rather than extending out from the side of the body as in modern lizards. This arrangement enabled dinosaurs to bring their knees and ankles directly below their hips and provided the necessary attachments for very strong leg muscles. Dinosaur skeletons were well designed for supporting a large body, for standing erect (upright), and for running. The front legs were adapted for grasping prey, for supporting weight, or for walking and running. The skulls of dinosaurs were designed for maximum strength, for minimum weight, and (in some cases) for grasping, holding, or tearing at prey.
These skeletal features separated dinosaurs from other ancient reptiles such as Dimetrodon, the plesiosaurs, and pterosaurs. Fossil mammals, like mammoths and "saber-toothed tigers" (e.g., Smilodon), are also often incorrectly called dinosaurs.
Did people and dinosaurs live at the same time?
No! After the dinosaurs died out, nearly 65 million years passed before people appeared on Earth. However, small mammals (including shrew-sized primates) were alive at the time of the dinosaurs. Many scientists who study dinosaurs (vertebrate paleontologists) now think that birds are direct descendants of one line of carnivorous dinosaurs, and some consider that they in fact represent modern living dinosaurs. This theory remains under discussion and shows that there is still much we don't know about dinosaurs.
Where did dinosaurs live?
Paleontologists now have evidence that dinosaurs lived on all of the continents. At the beginning of the age of dinosaurs (during the Triassic Period, about 230 million years ago) the continents we now know were arranged together as a single supercontinent called Pangea. During the 165 million years of dinosaur existence this supercontinent slowly broke apart. Its pieces then spread across the globe into a nearly modern arrangement by a process called plate tectonics. Volcanoes, earthquakes, mountain building, and sea-floor spreading are all part of plate tectonics, and this process is still changing our modern Earth.
Did all the dinosaurs live together, and at the same time?
Dinosaur communities were separated by both time and geography. The "age of dinosaurs" (the Mesozoic Era) included three consecutive geologic time periods (the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods). Different dinosaur species lived during each of these three periods. For example, the Jurassic dinosaur Stegosaurus already had been extinct for approximately 80 million years before the appearance of the Cretaceous dinosaur Tyrannosaurus. In fact, the time separating Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus is greater than the time separating Tyrannosaurus and you. At the beginning of dinosaur history (the Triassic Period), there was one supercontinent on Earth (Pangea). Many dinosaur types were widespread across it. However, as Pangea broke apart, dinosaurs became scattered across the globe on separate continents, and new types of dinosaurs evolved separately in each geographic area.
When did the dinosaurs first appear on Earth?
The oldest dinosaur types are known from rocks in Argentina and Brazil and are about 230 million years old. The most primitive of these types, Eoraptor, was a small meat-eating dinosaur. Because Eoraptor's skeleton shows some advanced skeletal features, older dinosaurs may yet be found.
Are all fossil animals dinosaurs?
No. Dinosaurs are a group of ancient reptiles that had a set of particular skeletal features. The hips, hind legs, and ankles were specialized and allowed the legs to move directly under the body, rather than extending out from the side of the body as in modern lizards. This arrangement enabled dinosaurs to bring their knees and ankles directly below their hips and provided the necessary attachments for very strong leg muscles. Dinosaur skeletons were well designed for supporting a large body, for standing erect (upright), and for running. The front legs were adapted for grasping prey, for supporting weight, or for walking and running. The skulls of dinosaurs were designed for maximum strength, for minimum weight, and (in some cases) for grasping, holding, or tearing at prey.
These skeletal features separated dinosaurs from other ancient reptiles such as Dimetrodon, the plesiosaurs, and pterosaurs. Fossil mammals, like mammoths and "saber-toothed tigers" (e.g., Smilodon), are also often incorrectly called dinosaurs.
Did people and dinosaurs live at the same time?
No! After the dinosaurs died out, nearly 65 million years passed before people appeared on Earth. However, small mammals (including shrew-sized primates) were alive at the time of the dinosaurs. Many scientists who study dinosaurs (vertebrate paleontologists) now think that birds are direct descendants of one line of carnivorous dinosaurs, and some consider that they in fact represent modern living dinosaurs. This theory remains under discussion and shows that there is still much we don't know about dinosaurs.
Where did dinosaurs live?
Paleontologists now have evidence that dinosaurs lived on all of the continents. At the beginning of the age of dinosaurs (during the Triassic Period, about 230 million years ago) the continents we now know were arranged together as a single supercontinent called Pangea. During the 165 million years of dinosaur existence this supercontinent slowly broke apart. Its pieces then spread across the globe into a nearly modern arrangement by a process called plate tectonics. Volcanoes, earthquakes, mountain building, and sea-floor spreading are all part of plate tectonics, and this process is still changing our modern Earth.
Did all the dinosaurs live together, and at the same time?
Dinosaur communities were separated by both time and geography. The "age of dinosaurs" (the Mesozoic Era) included three consecutive geologic time periods (the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods). Different dinosaur species lived during each of these three periods. For example, the Jurassic dinosaur Stegosaurus already had been extinct for approximately 80 million years before the appearance of the Cretaceous dinosaur Tyrannosaurus. In fact, the time separating Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus is greater than the time separating Tyrannosaurus and you. At the beginning of dinosaur history (the Triassic Period), there was one supercontinent on Earth (Pangea). Many dinosaur types were widespread across it. However, as Pangea broke apart, dinosaurs became scattered across the globe on separate continents, and new types of dinosaurs evolved separately in each geographic area.
Dinosaur Links
WALKING WITH DINOSAURS: The official BBC website dedicated to their TV series, Walking With Dinosaurs.
THE PREHISTORIC TIMES MAGAZINE: A bi-monthly publication for the dinosaur collector and enthusiast. It features interviews, articles and reviews of dinosaur art and other dinosaur related products.
PALEOCRAFT: A company dedicated to creating quality hard to find reproductions of extinct animals in the form of resin model kits for the hobbyist, model kit builder and general paleontology enthusiast.
DINO-LAND: Where you can find interviews with famous paleontologists, travel virtually to famous paleontology sites and museums around the world, focusing on the Millennium in dinosaur research, paleontology news and much more.
PREHISTORIC PLANET: The portal for fossil and dinosaur enthusiasts on the web. Featuring news, events, links, articles, and interviews with paleontologists.
DINO DATA: Dinosaur news features "pdf" magazine and an "html dbase" with more than 40,000 internal links, all the names, paleontologist, fossil sites and more.
PALEOARTISANS: Featuring paleontological T-shirts, sweatshirts and art work.
DINOSAUR INTERPLANETARY GAZETTE: Featuring up-to-date dinosaur news and information, articles and book reviews. Home of "THE DINOSAUR TIMES."
THE DINOSAURIA: See dinosaur skeletons as you navigate through the hallways of the ante-chamber at the University of California at Berkeley-Museum of Paleontology.
FOSSIL NEWS: A monthly magazine published specifically with the fossil enthusiast or amateur paleontologist in mind. Whether you are an armchair paleontologist or an experienced field collector, they have something for you.
STORE4KNOWLEDGE.COM: Dinosaur toys, posters, books, fossil castings and Carnegie Dinosaurs.
GALLERY OF JOSEF MORAVEC: Paintings showing finely detailed reconstructions of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals.
DINOSAURIA ON-LINE: Home of the Dinostore, Jeff's Journal of Dinosaur Paleontology, Dinosaur Picture Gallery and dinosaur reference material.
LOOK WHAT WE FOUND: A list of dinosaur related links.
THE DINOSAURICON: Featuring a dinosaur art gallery, index of Clades, anatomy of dinosaur skeletons, a list of places where dinosaurs have been found and much more.
THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES: (Home of DinoFest "98") Visit the all new Dinosaur Hall and take the tour of dinosaur discovery from beginning to end. Kids section features paleontological facts and questions and scavenger hunt gallery.
THE DINOSAUR SOCIETY: Dedicated to the education of the general public in the scientific aspects of dinosaurs, paleontology and earth science.
ROYAL TYRRELL MUSEUM: This site features four museum tours, visitor information and educational programs.
DINOSAUR ART AND MODELING: Reviews of dinosaur art, models and collectibles.
R&R MODEL AIRCRAFT: Importers of Pterotec R/C flying Pterosaurs.
DINOPRESS: A premier dinosaur magazine from Japan. "Dino Press" is a new periodical based on up-to-date information about dinosaurs, pterosaurs, marine
THE PREHISTORIC TIMES MAGAZINE: A bi-monthly publication for the dinosaur collector and enthusiast. It features interviews, articles and reviews of dinosaur art and other dinosaur related products.
PALEOCRAFT: A company dedicated to creating quality hard to find reproductions of extinct animals in the form of resin model kits for the hobbyist, model kit builder and general paleontology enthusiast.
DINO-LAND: Where you can find interviews with famous paleontologists, travel virtually to famous paleontology sites and museums around the world, focusing on the Millennium in dinosaur research, paleontology news and much more.
PREHISTORIC PLANET: The portal for fossil and dinosaur enthusiasts on the web. Featuring news, events, links, articles, and interviews with paleontologists.
DINO DATA: Dinosaur news features "pdf" magazine and an "html dbase" with more than 40,000 internal links, all the names, paleontologist, fossil sites and more.
PALEOARTISANS: Featuring paleontological T-shirts, sweatshirts and art work.
DINOSAUR INTERPLANETARY GAZETTE: Featuring up-to-date dinosaur news and information, articles and book reviews. Home of "THE DINOSAUR TIMES."
THE DINOSAURIA: See dinosaur skeletons as you navigate through the hallways of the ante-chamber at the University of California at Berkeley-Museum of Paleontology.
FOSSIL NEWS: A monthly magazine published specifically with the fossil enthusiast or amateur paleontologist in mind. Whether you are an armchair paleontologist or an experienced field collector, they have something for you.
STORE4KNOWLEDGE.COM: Dinosaur toys, posters, books, fossil castings and Carnegie Dinosaurs.
GALLERY OF JOSEF MORAVEC: Paintings showing finely detailed reconstructions of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals.
DINOSAURIA ON-LINE: Home of the Dinostore, Jeff's Journal of Dinosaur Paleontology, Dinosaur Picture Gallery and dinosaur reference material.
LOOK WHAT WE FOUND: A list of dinosaur related links.
THE DINOSAURICON: Featuring a dinosaur art gallery, index of Clades, anatomy of dinosaur skeletons, a list of places where dinosaurs have been found and much more.
THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES: (Home of DinoFest "98") Visit the all new Dinosaur Hall and take the tour of dinosaur discovery from beginning to end. Kids section features paleontological facts and questions and scavenger hunt gallery.
THE DINOSAUR SOCIETY: Dedicated to the education of the general public in the scientific aspects of dinosaurs, paleontology and earth science.
ROYAL TYRRELL MUSEUM: This site features four museum tours, visitor information and educational programs.
DINOSAUR ART AND MODELING: Reviews of dinosaur art, models and collectibles.
R&R MODEL AIRCRAFT: Importers of Pterotec R/C flying Pterosaurs.
DINOPRESS: A premier dinosaur magazine from Japan. "Dino Press" is a new periodical based on up-to-date information about dinosaurs, pterosaurs, marine
2nd Grade Lang Arts lesson
Phonics, Fluency, Comp: The student will engage in a series of instructional assessment activities that enhance reading, writing, and comprehension.
Long vowels with silent e; Story Elements-The student will demonstrate knowledge in the following areas: long vowels ending with silent e; high frequency words; fluency with modeled reading; vocabulary; reading a leveled text; story elements identifying main characters; and writing.
Have students read a poem from Byrd Baylors "Desert Poems" and identify the story elements then go back through the story and identify words with the silent e. Have students make a list of the words to turn in for a grade.
Long vowels with silent e; Story Elements-The student will demonstrate knowledge in the following areas: long vowels ending with silent e; high frequency words; fluency with modeled reading; vocabulary; reading a leveled text; story elements identifying main characters; and writing.
Have students read a poem from Byrd Baylors "Desert Poems" and identify the story elements then go back through the story and identify words with the silent e. Have students make a list of the words to turn in for a grade.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Spelling Games
I found a great site for spelling at http://www.spellingcity.com where students can play games with spelling words. One I found that was interesting is Hangmouse, which is kind of like the old "Hangman" game and you can choose which grade level of spelling words to use. Here is the direct link to 2nd grade spelling for Hangmouse http://www.spellingcity.com/index.php?option=com_spellcity&Itemid=&task=hangMouse&listId=10697. Have fun!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Elementary Math Numbers Lesson
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 2-3
This activity is a math review.
OVERVIEW: This activity can be used as a review of material
covered in any subject. The number of items can be
increased or decreased as needed.
PURPOSE: To review material covered in a fun way. The
students pay close attention because they're never sure when
their answer will be called.
OBJECTIVE(s): Students will review concepts, facts, or
other skills.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS: Unlined cards. Series of problems or
questions.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
Prepare a set of cards. To make a set of cards, plan a
series of problems, making sure not to duplicate any of the
answers. Starting with the first card, write a problem on
the lower half of the card. The answer is on the top of the
next card along with the next problem. Continue generating
problems until you have at least one card for each student.
A card or cards are dealt to each player. Choose one
student to start the activity by reading the problem on the
bottom of this card to the class. All other students listen
carefully to see if their card contains the answer. The
student who has the answer reads the answer aloud and then
reads the rest of his card to the class. Again, all
students listen to see if
their card has the answer. Play continues until all cards
have been answered and the person who started the review
would have the answer to the last problem read.
Sample questions.
2 (at top of card)
I have two. Who has nine times this number?
18(at top of card)
I have eighteen. Subtract three from this. What is the
answer?
15
I have five. Multiply this number by four. What is the
answer?
20
I have twenty. Subtract seventeen from this. Who has the
answer?
3
I have three. Multiply this number by seven. What's the
answer?
21
I have twenty-one. Who has ten more than this number?
31
I have thirty-one. Subtract twenty from this. What is your
answer?
11
I have eleven. Multiply this number by six. If you add
four to that, what is our answer?
70
I have seventy. What is half of that?
35
I have thirty-five. Add one to this number. Now divide by
nine. Who has that number?
4
I have four. Triple this number. Multiply that answer by
two. What do you have?
24
I have seventy-two. Subtract twelve. What is your answer?
60
I have fifty-four. What is fourteen less than this number?
40
I have thirty-six. What is ten less than this number?
26
I have twenty-six. Subtract two dozen from this. What
is the answer?
This activity is a math review.
OVERVIEW: This activity can be used as a review of material
covered in any subject. The number of items can be
increased or decreased as needed.
PURPOSE: To review material covered in a fun way. The
students pay close attention because they're never sure when
their answer will be called.
OBJECTIVE(s): Students will review concepts, facts, or
other skills.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS: Unlined cards. Series of problems or
questions.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
Prepare a set of cards. To make a set of cards, plan a
series of problems, making sure not to duplicate any of the
answers. Starting with the first card, write a problem on
the lower half of the card. The answer is on the top of the
next card along with the next problem. Continue generating
problems until you have at least one card for each student.
A card or cards are dealt to each player. Choose one
student to start the activity by reading the problem on the
bottom of this card to the class. All other students listen
carefully to see if their card contains the answer. The
student who has the answer reads the answer aloud and then
reads the rest of his card to the class. Again, all
students listen to see if
their card has the answer. Play continues until all cards
have been answered and the person who started the review
would have the answer to the last problem read.
Sample questions.
2 (at top of card)
I have two. Who has nine times this number?
18(at top of card)
I have eighteen. Subtract three from this. What is the
answer?
15
I have five. Multiply this number by four. What is the
answer?
20
I have twenty. Subtract seventeen from this. Who has the
answer?
3
I have three. Multiply this number by seven. What's the
answer?
21
I have twenty-one. Who has ten more than this number?
31
I have thirty-one. Subtract twenty from this. What is your
answer?
11
I have eleven. Multiply this number by six. If you add
four to that, what is our answer?
70
I have seventy. What is half of that?
35
I have thirty-five. Add one to this number. Now divide by
nine. Who has that number?
4
I have four. Triple this number. Multiply that answer by
two. What do you have?
24
I have seventy-two. Subtract twelve. What is your answer?
60
I have fifty-four. What is fourteen less than this number?
40
I have thirty-six. What is ten less than this number?
26
I have twenty-six. Subtract two dozen from this. What
is the answer?
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