Notes On Dinosaurs For Homeschooling Parents Of Curious Kids

J. Robertson, April 2012

Nuts and Bolts of Dinosaurs Time Periods and Major Species found in Each Period

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_dinosaurs

a. Book recommendations on general Dinosaur topics i. A good dinosaur encyclopedia. There are many. The one that gets pulled out most here is Childrens Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs by Michael Brett-Surman ii. DK Eyewitness Dinosaur (sometimes you can find an edition with workbook/activity pages in the back) iii. For the youngest, Magic School Bus in the Time of Dinosaurs b. Online resources Discovery Channels Dino Viewer http://dsc.discovery.com/dinosaurs/dinosaur-games/dinosaurviewer/dinosaur-viewer.html Scholastic Dinosaur Times activity: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/dinosaurs/dinotimes/ Animal Planet Dinosaur Encyclopedia http://animals.howstuffworks.com/dinosaurs/dinosaurs.htm
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Supercontinents and climates

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Major Themes and Hooks to consider 1. Deep Time a. Dinosaurs were on this planet for 200 million years, but even though that was much, much longer than modern humans have been around, that was only a short time in the history of the earth. i. Imagine the history of the earth compressed to a calendar year. Dinosaurs appear a week or so into December. Humans appear on December 31. All of recorded human history occurs after 11 pm. ii. Or pictured as a football field, the Dinosaurs were between about the 5 and 3 yard lines. First modern man appears 0.08 inches from the end zone. iii. "Perhaps an even more effective way of grasping our extreme recentness as a part of this 4.5-billion-year-old picture is to stretch your arms to their fullest extent and imagine that width as the entire history of the Earth. On this scale the distance from the fingertips of one hand to the wrist of the other is Precambrian. All of complex life is in one hand and in a single stroke with a medium grained nail file you could eradicate all of human history." -- Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything b. Activity idea: Make a timeline to show how long ago dinosaurs lived, in comparison to modern humans and the history of earth. Put important events on the timeline in the proper place (dates copied on attached sheet). Possibilities: i. A strip of adding machine tape 4.5 meters long ii. Roll of toilet paper (500 sheets) iii. Personal timeline like the one in the NPS lesson plan here: http://www.nps.gov/pefo/forteachers/upload/paleo_lesson3.pdf c. Explore interactive timelines online, like this one at National Geographic: http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/prehistoric-world/prehistoric-time-line/ d. An easy but expensive option is to buy a timeline ready to go from somewhere like Charlies Playhouse

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Geologic Clock

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_history

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Geologic Time as a Football Field

http://www.spice.centers.ufl.edu/A%20History%20of%20Life%20on%20Earth/History%20of%20Life%20 on%20Earth.pdf

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2. Paleontology and fossil hunting a. Learn about how the work of finding and reconstructing dinosaur bones is done. b. Book ideas: i. Alikis books on dinosaurs and fossils for the youngest. ii. Digging Up Dinosaurs by Jack Horner for elementary. iii. Bones Rock: Everything you Need to Know to be a Paleontologist by Larson and Donnan for upper elementary and higher c. Activity idea. Cast your own dinosaur bones or footprints using plaster of paris. Instructions in Digging Up Dinosaurs above and similar instructions online: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/Activitys/fossilcast.html http://www.zoosociety.org/pdf/FunStuff/Dino/Cast_a_Footprint.pdf d. Activity idea. Bury some chicken bones, plaster dino bones (we made some using sand molds), or plastic toy dinosaur skeletons in a sandbox or in plaster. Kids can then dig them up or out. Bone molds: http://www.amazon.com/Dinosaur-Bones-Sand-MoldPcs/dp/B000O5LLOU/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1333318596&sr=8-6 Dino skeletons: http://www.amazon.com/Assorted-Dinosaur-Fossil-SkeletonFigures/dp/B001M2FNH0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333318704&sr=8-1 e. Interactive dino digs online like this one from Smithsonian http://paleobiology.si.edu/dinosaurs/interactives/dig/dinodig.html

3. How scientific ideas change over time a. When dinosaurs were identified in the 19th century, scientists had very different ideas about them than we do now. The thumb spike of the iguanadon was originally identified as a nose horn like a rhinocerous. Science works by continually re-evaluating ideas as knew information is identified and refining theories. b. Book ideas. i. Boy, Were We Wrong about Dinosaurs! By Kathleen Kudlinski ii. Dinosaur by Stephanie Stansbie c. Activity idea. After learning a little about the differences between older ideas and newer ideas, go to a used bookstore or the library and find some old books on dinosaurs. Flip through them and see how many examples you can find of old science in the books. Old Golden Books on dinosaurs from the 1950s-1970s are great for this! Older movies about dinosaurs work great too. 4. Bone study tells us about lifestyle a. Scientists use clues from bones to help tell what a dinosaur looked like and how it lived. Often, they compare details from fossil bones to modern animal bones to look at how ligaments and muscles attach. From muscle information, you can extrapolate how an animal might move and travel.
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b. Book ideas. i. Dinosaur Skeletons and Other Prehistoric Animals by Jinny Johnson ii. Uncover a T-Rex by Dennis Schatz c. Activity idea. Next time you have a roast chicken, save the bones (at least the back, leg and wing, and wishbone). Compare them to pictures of dinosaur skeletons in books or online. 5. Where did the dinosaurs go and the connection to birds a. Most paleontologists now think that birds are descended from some dinosaurs. Chickens are especially dinosaur-y. b. Book ideas i. How Dinosaurs Took Flight by Christopher Sloan ii. Feathered Dinosaurs: The Origin of Birds by John Long (gorgeous paintings, written for adults) c. Activity idea. Go find some live chickens and observe their anatomy and behavior. Scaly legs, talons, hard beaks, the way they turn their heads to look for food, and quick movements. Compare the chicken to pictures or movies of velociraptors and archaeopteryx. What do you think? 6. Stories of specific dinosaur finds and paleontologists a. Mary Anning was a 19th-century woman who discovered the ichthyosaur. Fascinating! i. Rare Treasure by Don Brown (for younger kids) ii. The Dragon in the Cliff by Sheila Cole (novelization for older elementary/middle grades) iii. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (novelization for adults, very good!) b. T-Rex named Sue was the largest, most complete dinosaur ever found. And also became one of the most expensive and legally contentious. i. A Dinosaur Named Sue by Fay Robinson (Scholastic Reader Level 3, pretty good summary of the find and reconstruction) ii. Hunt for the Past: My Life as an Explorer by Sue Hendrickson (autobiography of the discoverer of Sue, written for elementary, talks about her life and the finding of the fossil. Bonus, she homeschooled herself in high school!) iii. Tyrannosaurus Sue by Steve Fiffer (full story of discovery and legal battles, for adults) iv. A T.Rex Named Sue CD, various artists. This is great music on heavy rotation at our house. c. The discovery of Dakota, a duck-billed dinosaur is described well in a beautiful book, Dinomummy by Dr. Phillip Lars Manning. Realistic artwork and also an interpretation of the dinosaurs life.

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7. Geography, climate, and where dinosaurs lived a. Interesting dinosaur fossils have been found all over the world. In many cases, the area where the fossils are found is an arid desert, but when the dinosaur lived there, it was a very different climate. We can tell what type of climate was in the area based on what is found along with the dinosaur fossil, including the type of rock formation and any fossil plant remains. i. The Kingfisher First Dinosaur Picture Atlas by David Burnie (for youngers) ii. Dinosaur Atlas: An Amazing Journey Through A Lost World by John Malam (for olders) b. Activity ideas. i. Looking at one of the maps of North America, discuss if you have traveled anywhere where dinosaurs have been found. (No dinosaurs have ever been found in Washington State) If not, consider planning a trip to a dinosaur dig site or paleontology museum (nearest ones are in Montana). ii. Get a wall map or blank line map. Can you remember where any of your favorite dinosaurs were discovered? iii. We have enjoyed the Dinosaur Jigsaw Atlas, but the puzzles inside are simple and for the youngers. 8. Art and imagination a. Study of dinosaurs is a wonderful way to show the connections between art and science. Specialized wildlife artists work closely with paleontologists to make dinosaur illustrations lifelike, but remain very creative and artistic. i. The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Kerley & Selznick. Beautiful picture book about an early sculptor of dinosaurs. Also good for illustrating how ideas about dinosaurs have changed. ii. Uneversaurus by Professor Potts. Wonderful for the imagination, goes into many different theories and ideas about dinosaur coloration and camouflage. iii. The Artist and the Scientists by Trusler and Rich. For adults, a detailed description of the collaboration and long-term relationship between an artist and two paleontologists. b. Dinosaurs have sparked a thousand fiction stories. Hands-down favorites around here have been the lushly illustrated Dinotopia books by James Gurney. c. Like your art and science combined with poetry? i. If You Are A Hunter of Fossils by Byrd Baylor ii. The Tree That Time Built poems selected by Mary Ann Hoberman (includes several poems inspired by dinosaurs) d. Activity ideas. This is a rich area. i. Get one of the wonderful Dover coloring books on dinosaurs (our favorite is Dinosaurs! By Jan Sovak) and use ideas from Uneversaurus to color them. ii. Use clay or other molding medium to make dinosaur sculptures like Waterhouse Hawkins. Model skulls can be used again with other activities.
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iii. Draw dinosaur scenes. Try to make them consistent with the science youve learned (examples: herbivores eating plants, T-rex scavenging, Maiasaura with babies in a nest) Some kids get intimidated by a blank page and a drawing instruction book can be helpful. Ralph Masiellos Dinosaur Drawing Book is a good one. Dinosaur Doodles is a good choice for a child that wants a drawing prompt. iv. Freewriting stories about dinosaurs. Imagine a day in the life of a triceratops, or imagine youve traveled back in time to the Cretaceous. What do you see, smell, feel? 9. Myths and legends --Dragon stories and Dinosaurs in Hollywood a. Were monsters of legend and myth based on ancient findings of dinosaur fossils? Some think that the Greek legends of the Griffin were based on ancient finds of beaked protoceratops skulls. Other monsters such as Cyclops could have been based on mammoth or mastodon skulls. Similar monster myths from other cultures may also have roots in fossil findsthe Chinese have been collecting dragons teeth for over 2,000 years (fossil dinosaur teeth). These teeth have been used as talismans and ground-up into powders thought to have healing properties. i. History channel documentary Ancient Monster Hunters is a great summary of the evidence and connections between fossils and classical Greek myths. Available on Amazon or can watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6VLojsbAIQ ii. London Natural History Museum Fossil Folklore Exhibit: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/earth/fossils/fossil-folklore/ iii. The First Fossil Hunters: Dinosaurs, Mammoths, and Myth in Greek and Roman Times and Fossil Legends of the First Americans by Adrienne Mayor (scholarly books for adults) b. How have dinosaurs been used in Hollywood movies? A rich topic for an older student. An interesting place to start is watching Discovery Channels show T-Rex: A Dinosaur in Hollywood discussing how T-Rexs image has changed over time as culture changes. c. Activity idea. Buy or make a model dinosaur skull or large realistic picture, take it into a dark room with a flashlight and tell exciting monster stories. Read monster myths and dragon stories and compare drawings to pictures of fossil skulls. Imagine how ancient people would have explained these amazing bones. How does our modern world influence what we think about dinosaurs and affect our monster stories? Additional Information and Online Exhibits: University of California Museum of Paleontology. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/index.php Enchanted Learning: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/ http://dinosaurs.about.com/
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