Can Dinosaurs Fly?
What is the connection between dinosaurs and birds?
Description:You are standing outside and the sky begins to darken. Is it an approaching storm, the beginning of nightfall? No, it’s a flock of dinosaur flying overhead! Run for cover – they might decide to stop and graze for a while. What if they land on the telephone wires or trees outside your house or school? Imagine the destruction, the necessary clean up after they fly home for the evening.
How is this possible? Dinosaurs are reptiles that lived during the Mesozoic Era as early as 245 million years ago. These “terrible lizards” began as small as chickens and grew into species that were as large as 50 feet tall and 85 feet long. The modern-day blue whale, today’s largest animal, is up to 100 feet long.
Task:Interview paleontologists, walk in the footsteps of these ancient reptiles, and examine the environment of the dinosaurs. This adventure will allow you to gain basic knowledge of dinosaurs – sizes, timelines, descriptions, habits, etc. After you become an “expert” on dinosaurs, you will use the data to complete a three-part project that will be presented to the class. The evaluation criteria will show you how your project will be assessed.
Process:Complete the worksheet. Using the general information sites listed write questions and answer them completely.
Choose one assignment from Category A and one from Category B:
Category A
- Create a timeline of the Era.
Timelines must include dates of the three periods, two main dinosaurs of the period, and environmental features (plants, climate, etc.)
- Create a map of the United States and indicate three (3) locations where dinosaur fossils have been discovered. List the name (species) of the dinosaur found in each location.
- Choosing 5 dinosaurs and your own height, create a scaled drawing comparing the heights.
- Create a bar graph comparing the weight of 5 dinosaurs to your own weight.
Category B
- Pretend that you are a newspaper reporter and you are going to interview a paleontologist who has discovered a link between dinosaurs and birds. Develop 5 questions to ask him about the connection and using the information from your worksheet, answer the questions.
- Write a fact-based fiction story about a dinosaur “family.” Create characters and story based on information from your worksheet. Include description of settings and dialogue. Do not forget to tie in the connection between dinosaurs and birds.
- Create a flipbook of four (4) dinosaurs from each period –Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous. The book must include a drawing, size (height and weight), and one other important fact.
- Make a scaled model of one dinosaur from each period – Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous.
Resources:General Information
Bird Connection
LearningNo matter which assignment you choose from category A and B, be sure to reference the website you used to gather
Advice:your data. By doing this, you can quickly go back and check your work. Double clicking on colored links will take you directly to the site.
Conclusion:Once you have completed the exercises from category A and B, you will have gathered enough information to form a reasonable hypothesis about the existence of dinosaurs and the nature of their lives.