All About the Dinosaurs

65 million years ago…

dinosaurs roamed the earth!

Let’s learn about the dinosaurs!

• Dinosaurs lived a long time ago, before cave men (65 million years ago).

• Some dinosaurs were big and some were small.

• There are two main groups of dinosaurs: herbivores and carnivores.

Herbivores• Herbivores are dinosaurs that eat plants.

• They ate leaves and grasses, but weren’t

interested in eating other dinosaurs.

Brachiosaurus• Brachiosaurus had a long neck and it was big. • It used its neck to reach leaves and for

protection.• It ate and ate and ate to fill up its big body. • Brachiosaurus was about 50 feet tall and 85 feet

long. • It is possible that the ground trembled and shook when it walked.

Stegosaurus• Stegosaurus had a spiked tail that it used to

protect itself. • It used its plates for protection.• It ate plants.• This dinosaur walked on four legs, but its back

legs were twice as long as its front legs.

• It was about 30 feet long.

Triceratops• Triceratops means "three horned face." • It had three sharp horns for protection.• It was 25-30 feet long and 9 1/2 feet tall. • They ate grass, bushes, leaves and berries.

Carnivores• Carnivores didn’t eat plants. • They ate animals, including smaller dinosaurs.• If people were around, these fierce animals might

have eaten them!

Tyrannosaurus Rex• Tyrannosaurus Rex means "tyrant reptile." • It had really big jaws that were razor-sharp.• Its teeth were six inches long. • It stood on its hind legs, and it had two tiny feet in the

front. It dragged its tail behind.

• It was the biggest meat-eating animal that ever lived

and the last dinosaur to walk the earth.

Saltopus • Saltopus means "leaping foot." • It is even smaller then a crocodile's mouth

opening. • The saltopus was about 2 feet long and it

weighed about 2 pounds. • Saltopus walked on its two legs and was a very

fast runner.

• It was very quick and scientists think it was a

jumping dinosaur.

What happened to the dinosaurs?

• Scientists are trying to figure out why dinosaurs are extinct.

• Extinct means that they no longer exist.• Some scientists think that a large meteorite hit

the Earth and caused a fire which killed some of the dinosaurs.

• The ash from the fire covered the sunlight, causing the plants and herbivores to die.

• When the herbivores died, the carnivores had nothing to eat and died as well.

Who studies dinosaurs? • Paleontologists are scientists who study

dinosaurs.• They dig for dinosaur bones that were left where

the animal dies. These are called fossils. • Dinosaur fossils have been found in the following

states: California, Montana, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma and Wyoming.

• You can find dinosaur fossils in a museum.

Work with your team to discuss the following vocabulary words…

• Extinct• Herbivore• Carnivore• Paleontologist• Fossils• Museum• Meteorite• Tyrannosaurus Rex• Stegosaurus• Brachiosaurus• Triceratops• Saltopus

Tell your neighbor three things you’ve

learned about dinosaurs today.