ZION NATIONAL PARK INTERPRETIVE PROGRAM PLAN

Program: Dinosaur Discovery

Date: July 2014
Interpreter/Educator: Preston Wood
INTERPRETIVE AID !e"g"# $%&n$# $%u''$# roc% $amp'e$# etc"(: Picture of Zion
National Park 200ish million years ago, ossil making su!!lies "#!oons, cu!s,
!o$der, $ater% & 'ne scoo! !o$der, t$o scoo!s $ater% ( Pictures of the dinosaurs
found in Zion ")elo!hisis, *ega!nosaurus, , Dilo!hosaurus%, Photo sho!!ed !hotos of
$hat Zion today looks like $ith Dinosaurs, *oon sand+
T)EME AND/OR *ENTRAL IDEA: Dinosaur foot!rints at Zion !rovide a $indo$ to
the !ast and hel! us a!!reciate the diversity of !ast s!ecies, as $ell as the changing
landsca!e, and the need to !reserve evidence of !ast life and res!ect current life+
INTROD+*TION: ,i everyone, my name is -anger Preston and this is my .rst
season here in Zion National Park+ /efore $e get started, kids 0 $ant to ask you all if
you have heard a1out our Junior -anger 1ooklet2 3his 1ook is availa1le at the visitor
center, the museum, or right here at the nature center+ or those of you age 4 and
u!, all you have to do is com!lete the e4ercises s!eci.c for your age and go to a
-anger(led Program+ 3hen you can earn a Zion National Park Junior -anger /adge+
or kids that are older than 10 and $ant more of a challenge $e also o5er a
Wilderness 64!lorer /ook $here you can earn an a$esome !atch+ "7lso introduce
!aleontology 1ook if availa1le% 0f you have any 8uestions a1out any of the !rograms
feel free to ask me after the !rogram+ No$ !arents, 0 $ant to make sure that you all
have a summer ma! and guide+ 3his $ill 1e your 1est friend $hile here at Zion
National Park as it has the descri!tion of the !rograms, trails, and all sorts of other
neat stu5 related to the !ark+ "7lso notify a1out any restrictions or im!ortant info
such as .re restrictions+% 7gain if you have any 8uestions feel free to ask me at the
conclusion of the !rogram+
MAIN POINT !,od-(:
7lright no$ let9s get started+ 3oday9s !rogram is called D0N'#7:- D0#)';6-<=
0 $ant to .rst let you kno$ that it $ill 1e totally a$esome if everyone is e4cited as 0
am, 1ut $e must remem1er to res!ect each other+ 3o do this, remem1er to stay 8uiet
so you can hear me and raise your hands to ans$er a 8uestion+ 0 $ill let you kno$
$hen you can shout things out+ No$, 0 $ant everyone to look outside the $indo$
here+ Does anyone see any dinosaurs running around outside "encourage kids to
1ecome e4cited% Well, $hy not2 3hat9s right &they are e4tinct+
Dang= 0 hate it $hen that ha!!ens= Well no $orries 1ecause $e are sitting in
s!ecially designed 3ime *achine /ean /ags and today, $e are going to go on a small
dinosaur adventure and see >ust $hat it $as like $hen dinosaurs $ere running
amuck in Zion National Park+ We are also going to s!eci.cally look at foot!rints+ What
do you think the study of these footste!s hel! us understand2 "$hat !ast animals
$ere like, ho$ they lived, $hat they ate, $here they lived, and the ancient
ecosystems%+ Why might the study and the information that $e learn 1e hel!ful
today2 ",el! us !rotect current ecosystems, kno$ more a1out ho$ to !rotect current
s!ecies and kee! them from going e4tinct% #o, $ho can tell me $ho studies these old
foot!rints2 "Paleontologists% Well, during today9s discovery, $e are going to 1e a
grou! of !aleontologists $orking together to gain a 1etter understanding of the
dinosaurs in the area+ ?ids $hen 0 hold u! this Paleontologists sign 0 $ant to yell as
loud as your can "Paleontologists%+ Wo$, great= No$ $hen 0 hold u! the sign >ust say
it out loud $ithout yelling+
#o, today $e are going to ho! right in our time machine and travel 1ack over
220 million years ago+ 3his is much older than you !arents, grand!arents, and even
you great great great great great great grand!arents+ 0n fact, this $as $ay 1efore
humans $ere even on the !lanet+ #o 0 need a volunteer to hel! us all travel 1ack in
time+ 7lright, so everyone take your steering $heels close your eyes and count to 10+
6veryone ready2 ,ere $e go=
LO*ATION O. TOP !/a'%$( or TALKING POINT !ta'%$(: Zion 1@0 *illion
<ears 7go
Re$ource/Tang&,'e
*oncept$ and Ot0er
Intang&,'e Mean&ng$
Interpret&1e Met0od$
+$ed
Poster of Aake Di4ie $ith
the dinosaurs leaving
1ehind foot!rints, time
machines
3he environment of Zion
National Park $as much
di5erent than today+
Buestioning
;isual 7id
#torytelling
TRANITION !connect&on ,et/een $top$/ta'%&ng po&nt$(: 7s dinosaurs ran
around in this $et ha1itat, they left 1ehind several foot!rints+ We are going to take a
1rief moment to ste! out of our time machines and make our o$n fossils to take
home $ith us+
LO*ATION O. TOP !/a'%$( or TALKING POINT !ta'%$(: ossil *aking
Re$ource/Tang&,'e
*oncept$ and Ot0er
Intang&,'e Mean&ng$
Interpret&1e Met0od$
+$ed
ossils of Crallator and
/atracho!us tracks
Di5erent dinosaurs left
1ehind di5erent tracks
$hile in Zion National
Park+ 3hese are called
trace fossils+
#torytelling
7ctivity
Demonstration
TRANITION !connect&on ,et/een $top$/ta'%&ng po&nt$(: No$ that $e have
made our very o$n fossils, lets head 1ack to our time machines and see ho$ these
fossils actually made it here in Zion National Park+ 3alk a1out shallo$ oceans, and
sediments .lling in the fossils+ "#ho$ !ictures of ossils and #ediments%+
LO*ATION O. TOP !/a'%$( or TALKING POINT !ta'%$(: ossil ormation
Re$ource/Tang&,'e
*oncept$ and Ot0er
Intang&,'e Mean&ng$
Interpret&1e Met0od$
+$ed
Pictures of ho$ fossils
form
Aife and Death, ossil
ormations
#torytelling
;isual aids
TRANITION !connect&on ,et/een $top$/ta'%&ng po&nt$(: Well no$ that $e
kno$ ho$ the fossils arrived here in Zion National Park, and ho$ all of these
foot!rints 1ecame fossils, let9s go 1ack >ust a little 1it more in time and actually see
$hat kind of animals made all of these foot!rints+
LO*ATION O. TOP !/a'%$( or TALKING POINT !ta'%$(: 3he 7nimals and
their siDes=
Re$ource/Tang&,'e
*oncept$ and Ot0er
Intang&,'e Mean&ng$
Interpret&1e Met0od$
+$ed
Pictures of
*ega!nosaurus,
Dilo!hosaurus, and
Protosuchus
7dult volunteers
#iDe of the dinosaurs, a
look at the animals that
used to 1e in the area,
com!arisons to the
nocturnal animals of
today, 6ating ha1its
"dilo!hosaurus and the
)alifornia )ondor%
Demonstration
#torytelling
Buestioning
)om!arison
TRANITION !connect&on ,et/een $top$/ta'%&ng po&nt$(: 7ll of these
dinosaurs s!ent many years $alking through the mud here at Zion, and they left
1ehind $hat !aleontologists call track $ays+ Aet9s take a closer look at the di5erent
tracks left 1ehind here at Zion National Park+
LO*ATION O. TOP !/a'%$( or TALKING POINT !ta'%$(: D&no$aur Trac%$ and
Trac%/a-
Re$ource/Tang&,'e
*oncept$ and Ot0er
Intang&,'e Mean&ng$
Interpret&1e Met0od$
+$ed
Picture of #u1$ay
track$ay
Crallator 3rack
6u1rontes 3rack
*oon sand
,o$ a track$ay $as
made and ho$
!aleontologists had a
diEcult distinguishing
$hich ty!e of dinosaurs
actually made the track+
3alk a1out the reason
$hy scientists gave the
#torytelling
Buestioning
;isual aid
Demonstration
tracks a di5erent name
rather than the dinosaur
"Crallator vs+
*ega!nosaurus and
6u1rontes vs+
Dilo!hosaurus and 3+
-e4
TRANITION !connect&on ,et/een $top$/ta'%&ng po&nt$(: 3he time machine is
running lo$ on fuel+ Aet9s 8uickly make a $ay 1ack to our seats and start our >ourney
1ack to the !resent(time+
:!on arrival & No$, 0 $ant you to all think a1out $hat Zion National Park $ould 1e
like $ith dinosaurs+ What do you guys think2

"#ho$ !hotosho!!ed !ictures%
:h(oh, 0 think some dinosaurs may have hitched a ride $ith one of you+ )heck
this out+ Zion National Park has installed Dinosaur crossing signs and even Dino(rides
at the lodge+ What did $e do2=== We are in trou1le no$+ 6s!ecially for those of you
cam!ing+ Do you think you can outrun a Dilo!hosaurus2 0 don9t think so, the fastest
human can only run u! to 12 *P, and according to track distances, the
Dilo!hosaurus can run u! to 4F *P,+ 0 think you may 1ecome a dino(snack+
*ON*L+ION: Well, unfortunately "or fortunately for those of you staying at the
cam!ground this evening%, 0 $elcome you all 1ack to dinosaur(free Zion National Park
2014+ 0t has 1een a $onderful >ourney through time+ We $ere a1le to learn a little
a1out ho$ the fossils arrived in Zion National Park as $ell as $hat kind of fossils are
found+ We also learned a1out the environment of Zion millions of years ago and of
course $e learned a1out the residents of these environments+
3he dinosaur fossils that $e .nd today can tell us a lot a1out the !ast+ ,o$ever,
most im!ortantly they can give us clues a1out $hat may ha!!en in the future+
?no$ing a1out the ancient ecosystems can allo$ us to !rotect current ecosystems
as $ell as current s!ecies on the 6arth+
7s Junior -angers, it is im!ortant for us to study the !ast, !rotect the !resent, and
think a1out our future+
0f you ha!!en to .nd fossils here in Zion, take a !icture and leave them for
others to see+ Nevertheless, the fossils that are in front of us ",e $tand&ng at t0e
cra2t ta,'e% are your very o$n and can 1e taken home $ith you+ ,o$ever, the most
im!ortant thing for you to remem1er is to en>oy your time s!ent in Zion and go on
your o$n discovery & even though it might not 1e a D0N'#7:- D0#)';6-< & $hile
you are here+ 3hank you for coming on my >ourney into the !ast+ 0t has 1een fun=