Dinosaurs

Why are dinosaurs important to us?

1st Grade
Thematic Unit Planning Matrix
Content or
Subject
Area

Mathemati
cs

Thematic
Question
s

Why are
there
different
sizes of
dinosaurs
?
Which is
the tallest
dinosaur?
How do
the
different
sizes of
dinosaurs
help us in
math?

Centers
(Activities
)

Students
will
compare
the
lengths of
different
dinosaurs,
three
dinosaurs
at a time.
Students
will
answer
different
questions
on which
dinosaur
is the
tallest and
shortest.

Technolog
y
Integratio
n
(Referenc
es,
Software
and/or
Resource
s)

Assessment
and/or Rubric
Scale

Teacher
will show
a video on
YouTube
of
different
dinosaurs
and
explain
why the
dinosaurs
have
different
heights.
Students
will also
use the
following
link
http://pbs

Students will
compare dinosaur
lengths with real
world objects to
determine if they
understand the
concept of
comparing
lengths of two
objects indirectly
by using a third
object.

Student Products
or Portfolio

NM Standards:
Common Core State Standards for English
Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics
NM Content Standards with Benchmarks (other
than ELA and Math)
The ISTE NETS and Performance Indicators for
Teachers and Students
(Link to respective website is posted in the
Course Materials NM Standards (Inc. NMCCSS
& ISTE/NETS)
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.A.1

Students will
hypothesize and Order three objects by length; compare the
lengths of two objects indirectly by using a
write 3 reasons of
why they think
third object.
dinosaurs are
different sizes.
After watching the
video lesson they
will write 5 reasons
they have just
learned to why
dinosaurs have
different heights.
Students will
compare their
answers with each
other.

History

How did
we fInd
out about
dinosaurs
?
How can
you tell
what
dinosaurs
size, or
type they
are?

Students
will also
speak in
groups on
how the
different
sizes of
dinosaurs
help us
with our
measuring
and
compariso
n skills.

kids.org/d
inosaurtra
in/games/f
ieldguide.
html to
learn
about
different
dinosaurs
and their
size
compared
to us.

Students
will
research
what type
of
dinosaurs
and how
long they
live.
Students
will use
pine cones
and seeds
to create
their own
fossils and
say where
they
found it
and how
old the
dinosaur
is.

Teacher
will use
videos
that shows
different
type of
dinosaurs
and how
fossils use
to figure
out the
dinosaurs.

Students will
compare the
difference
between
omnivores,
herbivores and
carnivores and
how study the
fossil on how
long the dinosaur
live on earth.

Students will write

a summary on how
old the dinosaur is
and what type the
dinosaur is. Then
they will stand up
to the class to
explain the
dinosaur history on
what type of
dinosaur it is, was
it a meat or plant
eater and how long
is it?

Strand History-Content Standard 1

K-4 Benchmark I-D skills: understand time and
passage and chronology
1. Understand the concept of past and present
2. Demonstrate use of timelines
3. Describe and explain how history and
archaeologists provide information about
dinosaurs in different time period.

Science

How are
dinosaurs
the same
as human
beings?
Why do
some
dinosaurs
have
spikes on
their
backs?
How are
dinosaurs
different
from
humans?

Reading

Why
couldnt
Danny
keep the
dinosaur?
Why
would he
want a
dinosaur
in the
first
place?

Students
will get
into
groups of
at least 4,
and
discuss
and share
their ideas
on the
questions.
Students
will share
with
entire
class one
thing they
came up
with and
will lead
into a
class
discussion
.
Students
will read
the book
Danny
and the
Dinosaur
as a class
and
discuss
the plot
and
characters
of the
book.

Teacher
will use
smart
board to
draw a
Venn
diagram
and have
students
share
similaritie
s and
difference
s.
Students
will also
come up
to the
board and
draw a
living
cycle of a
dinosaur.

Teacher will
assign one
dinosaur to 5
different groups.
Students in each
group will
research on their
dinosaur online,
through books,
encyclopedias,
etc. Students will
present their
dinosaur in front
of class.

Students will write

a short paragraph
(3 sentences) on
their favorite
dinosaur and draw
a picture of one.
Students will also
draw themselves
and write down the
similarities
between them and
dinosaurs.

Strand II: Content of Science

Standard II (Life Science): Understand the
properties, structures, and processes of living
things and the interdependence of living
things and their environments.
K-4 Benchmark I: Know that living things
have diverse forms, structures, functions, and
habitats.
1. Know that living organisms (e.g., plants,
animals) have needs (e.g., water, air, food,
sunlight).
2. Know that living organisms (e.g., plants,
animals) inhabit various environments and have
various external features to help them
satisfy their needs (e.g., leaves, legs, claws).
3. Describe the differences and similarities
among living organisms (e.g., plants, animals).
4. Observe that living organisms (e.g., plants,
animals) have predictable but varied life cycles.

Students
will use
iPads to
read the
story as
an ebook
and
follow
along with
it, while
highlighti
ng words
they may
not

Students will take

an exam that will
test their
recollection of
events that
occurred in the
story including
character names
and where certain
events occurred.

Students will be
tasked with
recalling their
favorite part of the
story and write
about why that part
was their favorite.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1
Ask and answer questions about key details in a
text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and
demonstrate understanding of their central
message or lesson.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3
Describe characters, settings, and major events
in a story, using key details.

Writing

How did
some
dinosaurs
get their
names?
What do
these
names
mean?

Students
will pick
one
dinosaur
of their
choosing
and
conduct
research
on the
origin of
the
dinosaurs
name.

understan
d.
Students
will use
computers
and online
databases
in order to
find the
informatio
n they are
looking
for.

Students will visit

various sites from
a list of approved
sites to scour for
the information
that is most
relevant to what
they need.

Students will write

a few sentences to
a paragraph on
what the dinosaurs
name means, why
it was named that
way, and who
named it.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.7
Participate in shared research and writing
projects (e.g., explore a number of "how-to"
books on a given topic and use them to write a
sequence of instructions).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.8
With guidance and support from adults, recall
information from experiences or gather
information from provided sources to answer a
question.