Title: The Missing Dinosaur

Lesson Rationale: Over two separate class days preschool students will be split into small groups on day one and will
then rotate small group activities on day two. During small group on one of the two days preschoolers will participate in a
What Dinosaur is Missing game that they will practice waiting their turn to hide a dinosaur as well as a turn to describe
the visual discrimination of the missing dinosaur by saying its size and color. During the other small group students will
participate in a matching and memory dinosaur game where they practice taking turns in search of a match. When a
student finds a match, they are responsible for identifying the color of their matching dinosaurs by saying it out loud when
they find a match.

Minnesota’s Early Learning Standards:

ST4.7 Describes all parts of an outcome by comparing, sorting classifying and/or organizing
S8.10 Takes turns

Learning Objectives:
I. During small group activity preschooler is able to identify and verbally express which dinosaur is missing by
describing the dinosaur’s attributes related to size and color
II. Preschooler is able to sort out the dinosaurs by color independently when asked

Prior Knowledge: Preschoolers are familiar with the classifying words of big/large, medium, small/little as well as
familiar to the colors of purple, green and blue.

Time Allotment: 10 – 12 minutes

Materials:

The Missing Dinosaur Game Matching Dinosaur Game

1. Big, Medium, Small - purple, green and blue 1. 20 Dinosaur matching cards (10 pairs)
dinosaurs
2. Chant card
3. Something to hide the missing dinosaur

Key Vocabulary:
1. Sort / Sorting
2. Size
3. Large / Big
4. Medium
5. Little / Small
6. Color – blue, purple, green

Anticipatory Set:
1. After students gather at their sit spots split up the class into small groups. Half the class will stay in the classroom to
play the missing dinosaur game (Ms. Dana) and the other half will be in the hallway playing a matching and memory
dinosaur game (Ms. Lindsay).
2. Make sure students are spread out appropriately so they can see the materials laid out onto the ground and ready to play
the game.
3. Introduce the Missing Dinosaur game – “Today we are going to play a game that involves us using our words to
describe some different dinosaurs based on their size and color.”
4. Introduce materials – as you layout the materials for the students to see also describe the visual discrimination of each
dinosaur based on its size and color (e.g., small purple dinosaur; large green dinosaur).
5. Introduce chant for game and practice with students (choral reading) – “All of the dinosaurs want to play. Which one
went to the park today?”
6. Introduce game instruction – “During our game today we each will get a chance to hide a dinosaur, as well as an
opportunity to guess what dinosaur is missing and/or hidden. Which means we will be taking turns. When it is someone
else’s turn we need to be respectful to our friends. So, when someone else is doing the talking what should you be doing?”
The thinking

Instructional Strategies and Procedure:

The Missing Dinosaur Game
1. Have your first helper stand up and walk over to come beside you, facing in the same direction as you are, towards their
classmates
2. Have all the students close their eyes – so the helper can hide a dinosaur out of sight
3. Once all of the student’s eyes are shut and no one is peaking have your helper hide one of the dinosaurs (silently)
4. Once the dinosaur is out of sight, tell the students open their eyes
5. Say chant together – “All of the dinosaurs want to play. Which one went to the park today?”
6. Choose one student (who can remain seated) to use their words to describe the visual. discrimination of the missing
dinosaur’s size and color by asking the chosen student by name to tell you what dinosaur is missing. Prompt additionally
and/or provide appropriate guidance if needed
7. Once, the chosen student has described the correct size and color of the missing dinosaur (e.g., “the medium blue
dinosaur is missing”) have the helper reveal the missing dinosaur to the group to verify the student’s answer. Repeat the
student’s answer back to them as well.
8. Have student helper sit back down, pick next student to come up and help hide a dinosaur – also choose a new student
to say what dinosaur is missing after group chant.
9. Repeat steps 1 – 8 until every student has had the opportunity to both hide a dinosaur as well as have a turn to describe
what dinosaur they think is missing.

Closure:
1. Once every student has had the opportunity to hide a dinosaur as well as guess what dinosaur is missing, sort out the
dinosaurs by color and ask preschoolers to identify how you had sorted the dinosaurs – by color
2. Once you have sorted out the dinosaurs by color then ask preschoolers, “what is another way I could sort out the
dinosaurs?”
3. Sort out the dinosaurs by size, with a pile of large dinosaurs, another of medium dinosaurs, and another of small
dinosaurs. Ask the preschoolers how you sorted out the dinosaurs. By size – big/large, medium, small/little.
2. Gather and collect all of the small group activity materials
3. Gather all students back at their sit spots to transition to their next activity in the schedule(AM – lockers / PM – Story
time).

Matching Dinosaur Game

1. Introduce materials and game instructions – have students identify the colors as a group as you lay the cards facedown
2. Mix up cards – have students close their eyes when you mix up the cards
3. Choose which student will start and mention the rotation students will take turns – they pick two cards by flipping them
over in their spot so the two cards are face side up and everyone can see the cards. If the two cards are not a match, they
can flip them back to face down
- Say the color of the two different dinosaur cards when they are not a match out loud so the other small group
students can hear and also see what cards have been flipped over to meet the learning styles and needs of all
students
4. Once a student gets a match, they can say the color of the dinosaur and collect the two cards near them in a pile
- They do not get to go again if they get a match. Everyone gets one turn before moving onto the next friend.
5. Once all the dinosaur matches have been collected have the students count how many matches, they have
6. Gather back materials from students and mix up the cards and play again
7. Choose another student to go first – play until the small group in the classroom has completed their activity and invited
this group back to gather back into whole-group.

Informal Assessment:
1. During small group activity preschooler is able to compare at least one attribute of the dinosaurs such as color or size
independently
2. During small group preschooler is able to describe the visual discrimination of the missing dinosaur card by saying the
missing dinosaur’s size and/or color independently

Formal Assessment:
During centers time call over each student individually, one at a time to independently show you their understanding to all
parts of an outcome by comparing, sorting classifying and/or organizing the dinosaurs given.

Preschooler is able Preschooler is able to Preschooler is able to Additional Comments and/or

to describe one separate all 9 sort out all 9 Information
attribute when dinosaurs when asked dinosaurs when asked
comparing two to sort by color to sort by size Any additional prompts
visually different needed to support students?
dinosaurs Are they able to Are they able to
identify the 3 identify the 3 Any support given? Or did the
different dinosaur different dinosaur student complete the task
colors? Purple, blue, sizes? Big/large, completely independently?
green medium, small/little
Caleb –
Student 1
Colten –
Student 2
Athena –
Student 3
Finley –
Student 4
Averie –
Student 5
Fisher –
Student 6
Julia –
Student 7
Decker –
Student 8
Ehi –
Student 9
Isabelle –
Student 10
Waylon –
Student 11
Reid –
Student 12
Henry D –
Student 13
Everly –
Student 14
Isaac M. –
Student 15
Kinley –
Student 16

Modifications/Adaptations:
1. Provide verbal prompts for students if needed by describing both the size and color of the dinosaur
2. If student guesses incorrectly by describing a dinosaur that is visually present draw attention to that dinosaur by
repeating their answer back to them, then allow them to guess again. Provide additional prompts and support if needed.
3. Visual representation to the chant on a standard letter-size paper which the font is enlarged as well as laminated for
durability – also can use to hide the “missing” dinosaur underneath.
4. Materials were modified to meet the multimodal needs of all students
- Colored paperback included to emphasize the visual discrimination of color as a tool when describing the
dinosaur
- Laminated and Paperback - to thicken cards for an easier grasp when picking up and to ensure durability of
materials
- Written descriptive words on back of each dinosaur to show what you see in written form; as well as provide
guidance to other adults so they are able to provide appropriate adult support to students as needed
5. Include an enlarged, digital version of the game’s chant, “All of the dinosaurs want to play. Which one went to the park
today?” Use a pointer and follow along while saying the chant.

Extensions:
1. Sort out the dinosaurs from the missing dinosaur game by color and then ask preschoolers what you sorted the
dinosaurs by. Color – blue dinosaurs, green dinosaurs, purple dinosaurs.
2. Sort out the dinosaurs from the missing dinosaur game by size and then ask preschoolers what you sorted the dinosaurs
by. Size – small dinosaurs, medium sized dinosaurs, large/big dinosaurs
3. In Dinosaur Matching game preschoolers can use additional language to describe the card that they flip face up. Such
as it’s dinosaur name, and color for both non-match cards and matched cards.

Resources:
1. MN Early Childhood Indicators of Progress/MN Academic Standards
2. “Preschool Circle Time Dinosaur Activities – Visual Discrimination.” Mrs. A's Room, 19 May 2020, mrsasroom.org/.
- https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Mrs-As-Room
3. “Dinosaur Matching Game.” Artsy Craftsy Mom, 29 April 2020,
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Artsycraftsymom