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The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Dinosphere — Now You’re in Their World! • A 6 – 8 Unit of Study2

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution dedicated to providing extraordinarylearning experiences for children and families. It is one of the largest children’s museums in the worldand serves people across Indiana as well as visitors from other states and countries. In addition tospecial exhibits and programs, the museum provides the infoZone, a partnership between TheChildren’s Museum of Indianapolis and The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library. The infoZonecombines the resources of a museum with the services of a library where students can read, searchfor information and find the answers to their questions. Other museum services include theDinosphere Web site that contains games, Webquests and other digital resources. Field trips to themuseum can be arranged by calling (317) 334-4000 or (800) 820-6214. Visit the Teacher’ssection at The Children’s Museum Web site: www.ChildrensMuseum.org

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis wishes to acknowledge

the assistance of the following people in the preparation of this unit of study:

Rick Crosslin, teacher and writerMary Fortney, educator

Dinosphere Exhibit Development Team

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgments

DinosphereDinosphereDinosaursDinosaurs

Dinosphere

A 6 – 8Unit of Study

Enduring Idea:Fossils are clues

that help us learnabout dinosaurs.

Paleo-pointsPaleo-pointsfor the teacherfor the teacher

Bonus:Bonus:Digging deeper!Digging deeper!

IntroductionIntroduction

environmentenvironment

Dinosaur classroomDinosaur classroom

Literature connectionLiterature connection

Indiana academicIndiana academicstandardsstandards

Fam ily connec tionFamily connection

Science namesScience namesTab le of Cont entsTable of Contents

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis © 2005 3

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Lesson 1: Dinosaurs 101 — Fascinating Animals From the Past . . . 7

Experience 1 — How a Dinosaur Fossil Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Experience 2 — What’s in a Dinosaur Name? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Experience 3 — What Happened to the Dinosaurs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Lesson 2: Dinosaurs — Rulers of the Cretaceous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Experience 1 — Why Do Animals Live in Groups? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Experience 2 — Dinosaur Interaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Experience 3 — Webquest: Who Should Own the Bones? . . . . . . . . 30

Lesson 3: Scientific methodosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Culminating Experience — Using scientific methods to learn about dinosaurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Resource Materials: Dinosphere Dinosaurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

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IntroductionIntroductionIndiana academicIndiana academicstandardsstandards

Family connectionFamily connection

Science namesScience namesTable of ContentsTable of Contents

A Unit of Studyfor Grades 6 – 8This unit of study is designed for teachersof Grades 6 – 8. A companion unit ofstudy with different lessons and activitiesis available for Kindergarten and Grades1– 2 and another unit of study specificallyfor Grades 3 – 5. Lessons are designed tobuild upon each other. The lessons andactivities can be completed with class-room resources and library books and byvisiting The Children’s MuseumDinosphere Web site. The best way topromote science learning in your class isto take a field trip to Dinosphere andcomplete the unit of study.

What willstudents learn?In this unit students will learn about life inthe Cretaceous Period. Each lesson hasspecific objectives designed to increaseunderstanding of dinosaurs through thestudy of fossils. The unit of study isdivided into three parts. Each lesson is aseparate set of activities that build uponthe enduring idea that fossils are cluesthat help us learn about dinosaurs. Theculminating experience builds upon thetopics explored in the previous lessons.

Why study fossils? Fossils are clues to the past. They are nature’s records written inrock. A fossil is the remains, imprint or trace of an organism preserved in the earth’scrust. To some people fossils are just curious natural oddities of little value. To scien-tists, fossils are a window into past geologic ages — the physical evidence anddata used to test hypotheses and build theories that lead to better understanding ofancient life. When children hold fossils their imagination instantly transports them toa world where dinosaurs walked the earth. Fossils are powerful learning tools thatmotivate children to “read” the clues they offer about prehistoric plants and animals.

Enduring IdeaFossils are clues that help us learn about dinosaurs.

What’s AheadLesson OneDinosaurs 101 — FascinatingAnimals From the Past Students learn what fossils are and thespecial conditions needed to formthem. They also make a fossil cast.Students learn how the many differenttypes of dinosaurs are named andclassified.

Lesson TwoDinosaurs — Rulers of theCretaceousStudents analyze how animals live ingroups and the ways dinosaurs mayhave interacted. Students exploredinosaur theories and learn how pale-ontologists and other scientists makedinosaur discoveries. Students use TheChildren’s Museum Webquests toinvestigate dinosaur topics.

Lesson ThreeCulminating Experience —Scientific methodosaurus Students use scientific methods tolearn about dinosaurs. Students selectdinosaur questions to use in a presen-tation following a scientific method.Students use digital resources to createreports and audiovisual presentations.

A fossil is a window into the past that offers students unparalleled learning opportunities.

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Indiana’s AcademicStandardsThis unit of study helps studentsachieve academic standards in:l science l language artsl math l social studies

Specific Academic Standards arelisted with each experience. Acomplete list of the Indiana Sciencestandards and indicators are includedalong with the National ScienceStandards in the resources section atthe end of this unit.

Dinosphere — Now You’re in Their World! • A 6 – 8 Unit of Study


Getting startedChildren love dinosaurs because they areevidence that strange, fantastic worlds canexist. Imagination and reality come face toface when a child looks into the eyes andjaws of Tyrannosaurus rex. What did it eat?How did it move? Was it real? What doesits name mean? How long ago did it live?These questions make children and scien-tists alike want to find out more. The bestreason for studying dinosaur fossils is toprovide students, teachers and parents aunique opportunity to use science toanswer questions and solve problems.Science can be used to make observa-tions, collect data, test ideas and drawconclusions about the dinosaurs’ world.

DinosphereVisitors to Dinosphere will be transportedto the Cretaceous Period via the plants,animals, sights, sounds and smells of 65million years ago, when the earthbelonged to the dinosaurs. Students willmeet the stars of the era — T. rex,Triceratops, Hypacrosaurus, Gorgosaurus,Maiasaura and many more unique crea-tures. The fossil clues left in the CretaceousPeriod help to reconstruct the world ofdinosaurs. Now you’re in their world!

Indiana dinosaurs?Why aren’t dinosaurs found in Indiana?Students often ask this question. Dinosaursprobably lived in Indiana long ago, butseveral major changes in climate haveoccurred in this state since the end of theCretaceous. Large glaciers scoured,scraped and eroded the surface andbedrock of Indiana, where dinosaur bonesmay have been deposited. When theclimate changed the melted glaciersproduced tremendous quantities of waterthat moved sediments, soil, rocks andfossils out of the state. Fragile fossils cannotsurvive the strong natural forces that haveshaped the Hoosier state. The youngestbedrock in Indiana, from the CarboniferousPeriod, 360 – 286 million years ago (mya),is much older than the Mesozoic Era fossilbeds of the dinosaurs, 248 – 65 mya. Thusfossilized dinosaur bones have not beenfound in Indiana.

Focus questionsScience is driven by questions. This unit ofstudy asks questions that encourage inves-tigation and challenge students to learnmore: What are dinosaurs? Are dinosaursreal? What were they like? How did theybecome fossils? How does someone learnabout dinosaurs? How are dinosaurs

named? Why did they live in groups?What did they eat? What happened tothem? Who discovered them? What is stillnot known? Who studies dinosaurs? Howcan a person share what he or she learns?Where can someone learn more? Studentsembark on an expedition of discovery byusing fossil clues and indirect evidence.

Science classenvironmentIn Dinosphere students explore dinosaursand fossils from a scientific perspective.Instead of just learning words, ideas andfacts, they use science to build under-standing. In this unit students are encour-aged not just to learn about what someoneelse has discovered but also to try thatdiscovery on their own — to explore theworld using tools with their own hands.Reading, writing and math are essentialelements of this scientific method.Students ask questions, make hypotheses,construct plans, make observations, collectdata, analyze results and draw conclu-sions. A good science program providesexperiences that offer an opportunity tolearn in a unique manner. This unit ofstudy combines the scientific method withhands-on experience.

Scientists use many different tools to help unlock the mysteries of a dinosaur fossil.

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A dig site is carefully excavated in layers toavoid damaging the fossils.

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Table of ContentsTable of Contents


Dinosaur classroomYou can enhance the study of dinosaurs bycreating a “Cretaceous Classroom.” TheChildren’s Museum Store is a great placeto find dinosaur books, puzzles, postersand models to outfit your learning space.Bookmark the listed Web sites on class-room computers. Create different areas inthe room for exploration. Ask students tocreate artwork to show where dinosaurslived. Create a space where students canadd to a dinosaur mural as they learn moreabout these fascinating creatures. Post inyour room a Vocabulasaurus section fornew words to learn. Other great sources forturning your classroom into a prehistoricadventure area can be found at TheDinosaur Farm (http://www.dinosaurfarm.com/) and The Dinosaur Nest(http://www.the dinosaurnest.com/).

Literature connectionMany outstanding dinosaur books, maga-zines, paperback books, videos andmodels are listed in the resources at theend of this unit. Two separate book lists areincluded: those specifically about plantsand animals of the Cretaceous Period, andtitles appropriate for a classroom library. Inaddition, annotated books are listed witheach lesson.

Dino DiaryStudents use a Dino Diary to write wordsand sentences, take notes, make drawingsand record the data they collect during thelessons. At the end of each activitystudents are asked to respond to thefollowing Dino Diary writing prompt,“Today I discovered …” Each experienceends with a writing component in thescience journal. Two styles of templates areprovided in the resource section of this unit.

Family connectionThis unit is intended for classrooms, fami-lies and individual learners. Let familiesknow that your class will be studyingdinosaurs. Some families may have visitedmuseums or dig sites featuring dinosaurs ormay be interested in planning such a tripin the future. They can learn a lot byworking together to explore the Web sitesand books recommended in this unit ofstudy. Share the Dinosphere Web sitewith your students’ families and encouragethem to visit Dinosphere at TheChildren’s Museum. The activities are setup for group discussion appropriate forworking and learning in a family setting,so that families can explore the world ofdinosaurs very much like the Linster familydid. The Linsters spent each summer vaca-tion on a family quest to find dinosaurs.They found and helped excavate theGorgosaurus, Maiasaura and Bambiraptorfossils featured in Dinosphere. The Zerbstfamily found and excavated Kelsey theTriceratops, one of the museum’s starattractions. Kelsey was named after theZerbsts’ granddaughter. A family that usesthis unit of study to start their own expedi-tion of discovery might find a treasure thatends up in Dinosphere!

Dinospheremuseum linkPlan a field trip or get more information viathe Web site, www.childrensmuseum.org.A museum visit provides extraordinarylearning opportunities for students toexplore the world of dinosaurs. Museumsserve as field trip sites where fossils andimmersive environments help motivatevisitors to learn more about the world. TheChildren’s Museum Dinosphere providesa doorway into the Cretaceous Period,where visitors come face to face withdinosaurs. Visitors will see real dinosaurfossils in lifelike exhibits, discover howfossils tell stories about the past and learnthe latest findings from the world’stop paleontologists. More information,including Webquests, can be found at TheChildren’s Museum Web site. In addition,many of the print selections listed in theunit are available through infoZone, abranch of the Indianapolis-Marion CountyPublic Library located at The Children’sMuseum. For teaching kits and otherhands-on classroom resources, see theWeb site for the Teacher Resource Centerat I.U.P.U.I. For more information to to www.cln.iupui.edu. Then go to“Community and Business Outreach.”On the side menu, click on “TeacherResource Center.”

Bucky Derflinger is the young cowboy whofound the first toe bone of Bucky, the T. rex.

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IntroductionIntroductionIndiana academicIndiana academicstandardsstandards



In this lesson students learn what fossils areand how they form. They explore howfossilized bones are assembled to form skele-tons. They also learn that by studying fossilsthey can learn clues about the lives ofdinosaurs. Students will learn the uniqueconditions that must occur in order for a fossilto form. It is amazing to realize that thefossilized neck bone of the Maiasaura wasonce part of a living, breathing dinosaurmillions of years ago. By understanding howfossils form, students learn about theCretaceous Period and how a living dinosaurbecame a fossil. Students learn that adinosaur is named by three criteria and thateach part of a name has a meaning.Students create new dinosaur names anddecode real names using Greek and Latinwords. The lesson focuses on the way wename dinosaurs after unique body parts orbehaviors.

How do fossils form?Only a small number of living plants andanimals become fossils. Other animals eatmost dead plants and animals. Some,however, are shrouded in mud or sand.Those covered over many millions of yearshardened and turned to stone. More recently,wind, water and sun have slowly eroded therock, exposing the hidden fossilized remains.Specific conditions are required for fossils toform. Plants and animals in areas of mud,sand, ash or other sediments are most likelyto become fossilized. Once the plant oranimal is buried and the sediment has hard-ened, other factors play important roles infossil formation — oxygen, sunlight, microor-ganisms, permineralization and othergeologic forces. Even with millions of years to

form, a fossil is still the result of a rare andunique process.

ExtinctionWhat happened to the dinosaurs? Studentslearn reasons why dinosaurs are not alivetoday. They learn that paleontologists usefossil clues and observations to understanddinosaurs. Students will also learn why somescientists believe that dinosaurs may berelated to today’s birds. Students role-play tolearn about the life discoveries of famouspaleontologists.

PaleontologistsSir Richard Owen, Robert Bakker andBarnum Brown are dinosaur hunters whosediscoveries rocked the world of paleontology.In this unit of study students learn about thepeople who have discovered and nameddinosaurs. Students learn that paleontologydraws upon a diverse group of scientists.Through research and reports students learnabout the skills and educational backgroundneeded to be an official fossil hunter, a pale-ontologist.

Where do peoplefind fossils?Fossils can be found the world over, but someof the best dinosaur fossils are found in dryclimates where the land has eroded toexpose sedimentary rock. Western NorthAmerica is a great place to look. Manydinosaur fossils (including Tyrannosaurus rex)have been found there.

Who digs fossils?Paleontologists are scientists who studyfossils and ancient life. They need help fromvolunteers and students to excavate or dig upfossils. In fact, one of the best-known fossilsites is the Ruth Mason Dinosaur Quarry inSouth Dakota. Ruth Mason picked up fossilson her ranch when she was a girl, yet it tookyears to convince others of her amazingdiscovery — a bone bed filled with thousandsof fossilized dinosaur bones! Many of thebones prepared in the Dinosphere PaleoPrep Lab came from the Ruth Mason Quarry.


Grades 6 – 8 LessonLessonLessonLessonLessonLesson 11

LessonLesson 22

LessonLesson 33

LessonLesson 44Get readyGet readyto dig

ExperiencesExperiences

Make itMake itfossilize

Dino DiaryDino Diary

DinoDinoWeb sitesWeb sites

Dino booksDino books




DinosphereDinosphere

Unit of StudyUnit of Study

Enduring idea:Enduring idea:

Indiana dinosaursIndiana dinosaurs

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What's aheadWhat's ahead

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Lesson 1: Dinosaurs 101 —Fascinating AnimalsFrom the Past

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Fossils must be found and preserved quickly before natural forces of erosion — wind, waterand sun — destroy them.

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Science namesScience namesTable of ContentsTable of Contents Visit The Children’s Museum Web site tolearn how specific dinosaur fossils became partof Dinosphere. Look at the Dino InstituteTeacher Dig to see Indiana teachers explore,dig and discover real dinosaur fossils.

Grades 6 – 8 Experience 1LessonLesson LessonLesson LessonLesson 11

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ExperienceExperience 11





Dinosaurs 101 — Fascinating Animals From the Past

EXPERIENCE 1

How a DinosaurFossil Forms

DIG IN ...

FocusQuestions

Objectives Students will:

l How does a fossil form?l Can fossils be made today?l What are bones and skeletons?l Are the most deeply buried fossils the oldest

or the youngest?l What can be learned by comparing fossils?l What can be learned about a dinosaur fossil?

l List some conditions that are needed for fossils to form.l List, observe and examine different types of fossils.l Compare and contrast, make drawings and write about fossils.l Write about and draw the necessary steps for a fossil to form.

Vocabulosaurus

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s Paper, pencils, art supplies,construction paper; a cast of adinosaur tooth; seashells, leaves,pennies; pictures of fossils; fossiland dinosaur reference books.

Indiana Academic Standards

Science — 6.2.5, 6.2.7, 7.3.8, 7.7.2, 8.2.6Language Arts — 6.4.1, 6.4.5, 6.4.9, 6.5.2, 7.4.1, 7.4.4, 7.4.5, 7.4.9, 7.5.5, 8.4.1,

8.4.4, 8.4.5, 8.4.9Social Studies — 7.3.7, 8.3.4

l fossil — Latin for “dug up,”evidence of past life, the remains ortraces of plants and animals thathave turned to stone or rock.

l adaptation — a body part orbehavior that produces an advan-tage for the animal. This could befeathers, fur, scales, teeth or beaks,or migration and hibernation.

l model — a representation that isboth like and different from the realthing.

l erosionl exposel sedimentsl lifel deathl extinctl moldl imprintl castl plasterl resinl magnifying lens

l centimeter rulerl positivel negativel toothl preyl carnivorel dinosaurl Tyrannosaurus rexl Triceratops horridusl Hypacrosaurusl Gorgosaurusl Maiasaura

How a dinosaurfossil formsl Set up all materials on a supply table.l Show and describe a fossil and pass

it around the room.l Ask the following questions: What is

this? Have you seen anything like itbefore? What? Describe the fossil.How long is it? How heavy is it?Where did the animal live? How did itlive? How did it die? Are fossils foundin Indiana?

l Use the Internet or books to learnmore about how a fossil is formed.Describe each step and write keywords or draw a picture on chartpaper. Emphasize that several condi-tions must occur for a fossil to form.Fossils are rare. Most plants andanimals in the world end up insideother animals as food. Make theconnections among fossils and sedi-ments and sedimentary rocks —fossils form when sediments cover theoriginal organism.

l Give construction paper to eachstudent. Have them fold the paperinto six parts — one fold down themiddle and two across — andnumber each section of the paper.

l Using the flow chart How a FossilForms as a guide, create captions foreach square. Write declarativesentences on the board for students tocopy in their charts. Ask students toselect one of the dinosaurs found inDinosphere as the subject of theproject.

l Have students draw a picture for eachof the six boxes, and then write adescription. Students then share theircompleted projects with each other.


EXPERIENCE 1

How a DinosaurFossil Forms


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How a Dinosaur Fossil FormsStep 1:

Life The dinosaur is alive and growing.

Step 2:Death The dinosaur dies.

Step 3:Sediment Sediments quickly cover the dinosaur.

Step 4:Time Over a long time more sediments settle on the dinosaur.

Step 5:Fossilization Water, sand and minerals fossilize the dinosaur.

Step 6:Exposure The fossil remains are revealed and found after wind

and water remove layers of sediment.

The Children’s Museum — DinoInstitute Teacher Dig 2003http://www.childrensmuseum.org/dinodig/overview.htm

Museum of Paleontology, University ofCalifornia, Berkeleyhttp://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/index.html

Enchanted Learning — Comprehensivee-book about dinosaurshttp://www.zoomdinosaurs.com

Students draw pictures and write wordsand sentences to describe how a dinosaurbecomes a fossil. Other questions theymay answer in their diaries include: Wherewould fossils form today? Are there fossilsin Indiana? What part of an animal or plantrarely becomes a fossil? What parts turninto fossils? Can anyone find a fossil? Endthe class period with writings and drawingsunder “Today I discovered …” in theirdiaries.

Dino booksl Norman, David and Angela Milner.

Eyewitness: Dinosaur. New York: DKPublishing, 2000. An exploration in textand photos of the world of dinosaurs,with emphasis on teeth, claws, eggsand fossils.

l Taylor, Paul D. Eyewitness: Fossil. NewYork: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990. A beautifullyillustrated photo essay about differenttypes of fossils and how they formed.

l Willis, Paul. Dinosaurs. New York:Reader’s Digest Children’s Books, 1999.An introduction to how dinosaurslooked, behaved and ate, and what isknown about them through the study offossils.

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Experiences Make itMake itfossilize







Dinosphere

Unit of Study

Enduring idea:

Indiana dinosaurs

Focus questions

What's ahead

Dinospheremuseum link

Science classenvironment

Dinosaur classroom

Literature connection

Indiana academicstandards

Family connection

Science namesTable of ContentsTable of Contents

When a dinosaur dies the remains change several times before the fossils are formed.

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Make itMake itfossilizefossilizeStudents describe one or more condi-tions for a fossil to form, and completethe chart on how a dinosaur fossilforms. They can write words andsentences or create drawings for eachstep in the formation of a fossil andcan put the steps in order. Theyunderstand that other fossils form inthe same way. They know that notall animals become fossils and that afossil does not have all of the parts ofthe living animal or plant. They canlist examples of when an animaldoes not become a fossil. Theyunderstand that fossils are rare andcan give an example of one that canbe used to learn about the past. Theycan make drawings to show howobjects become buried in sediments,and can explain why the object onthe bottom is the oldest. Challengestudents to answer the followingquestion: Why have no dinosaurfossils been found in Indiana?


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Use the following steps to aid in understandinghow a fossil forms. Use a fleshed-out (one thatshows skin and muscles) dinosaur model anda model of a dinosaur skeleton. Go througheach step to demonstrate how the dinosaurcould become fossilized if all of the requiredconditions are met. The conditions necessaryto form fossils can change at any time, whichis why fossils are rare.

What happens whenThe Children’s Museumfinds a fossil?It’s fun but not easy to get a fossil out of theground and into the lab for preparation. Thefirst thing scientists do when they finddinosaur fossils is to make a map of the site inorder to keep track of where every fossilizedbone was found. Then they start digging.Fossilized bones are wrapped in plaster fieldjackets to keep them snug for shipment to thelab. Scientists also like to study the matrix ofrock around the fossilized bones for clues.When all of the fossilized bones have beencleaned and reassembled, scientists mustdetermine a way to display the skeleton.Often they make a special frame that holds allthe fossilized bones in place. If there aremissing bones, scientists make plastic andrubber casts of fossilized bones from otherdinosaur skeletons. Then they decide how theskeleton will be posed — running or standingstill, eating or fighting? The result is anamazing display!

Get readyto dig

Experiences Make itfossilize

Dino Diary

DinoWeb sites





Dinosphere

Unit of Study

Enduring idea:

Indiana dinosaurs

Focus questions

What's ahead

Dinospheremuseum linkmuseum link







For 65 million years this bone was preservedunderground. Now foil and plaster protect ituntil it can be prepared.

Bonus: Digging deeper!Dinosaur skeletonsVisit the Dinosphere Web site to see amazing skeletons of fossilized dinosaur bones. TheChildren’s Museum dinosaur skeletons are unique because real fossilized bones are ondisplay. Fossilized bone is much heavier than the cast replicas used in some exhibits. Thereal fossils are displayed so that visiting scientists can remove individual specimens forstudy. The museum replaces a borrowed fossil with a cast replica, allowing visitors toenjoy and learn from the exhibit while scientists examine the real fossil. Fourteendinosaur skeletons are on display in Dinosphere. All but Stan the T. rex, one babyHypacrosaurus, one Prenoceratops and the two Bambiraptor specimens contain realfossilized bones. Bucky, made from real fossilized bones, is a unique skeleton of ateenage T. rex. In this experience students explore how casts of fossilized bones arecreated and used to learn about dinosaurs. Students make observations, draw diagramsand share their findings. They make a clay mold to create a plaster copy of a real fossil.

How a dinosaur fossil forms — step by step

Dinosphere — Now You’re in Their World! • A 6 – 8 Unit of Study

l Natural forces of erosion — water,wind and ice — carry thedinosaur fossil away. A fossilformed but was destroyed.

l Human forces such as construc-tion and water dams break apartand/or move the dinosaur fossil.A fossil formed but wasdestroyed.

l Dinosaur is not located whereconditions can cause fossiliza-tion. No fossil is made.

Exposure: Erosion exposesthe fossil.l Erosion or human activity

exposes the fossil and it isdiscovered.

Fossilization: Conditions existfor fossilization, recrystallizationand/or permineralization tooccur: temperature, pressure,acidity, chemicals, moistureand sediments. Water seepsinto the organism and over timeit decays and is replaced byother minerals.l Dinosaur is located where

correct conditions exist. A fossilmay form.

l Dinosaur is disturbed anduncovered. No fossil is made.

Time: After much time moresediment covers the organism.l Dinosaur is completely covered

and left undisturbed. A fossilmay form.

l Dinosaur is covered slowly orincompletely. No fossil ismade.

Sediment: Dinosaur is coveredby sand, mud, ice, ash orother sediments.l Dinosaur is quickly buried. A

fossil may form.

l Dinosaur is eaten or rots.No fossil is made.

Death: Dinosaur dies.l Dinosaur is not eaten or

disturbed. A fossil may form.

Life: Dinosaur is alive.

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LessonLesson 22

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It is easy to see why this dinosaur is calleda duckbill.

Some scientists believe that several smallcarnivore teeth found with Stan could indicatethat T. rex infants ate alongside their parents.

What did dinosaurs eat?Were they meat-eating carnivores or plant-eating herbivores? It is not easy to deter-mine what dinosaurs ate. In some casesscientists have actually found the fossilizedbones of the last animal a dinosaurconsumed before its death. Some meat-eating dinosaurs were found with thefossilized bones of other dinosaurs locatedwhere their stomachs would have been.Other dinosaurs have been found withfossilized bones of their own species wheretheir stomachs would have been. Thismeans some dinosaurs may have eatentheir own kind. On the other hand, a duck-bill dinosaur called Edmontosaurus wasfound with bark, pine needles and conifercones inside its ribcage.

Dinosaur dungThis is a perfect opportunity to usescience vocabulary to set the mood forclass discussion on unpleasant topics.Using the word “dung” or “feces” letsstudents know that it is acceptable totalk about bodily functions in a matureand scientific way. Coprolites are thefossilized feces or digestive wastes ofdinosaurs. Only on rare occasions havethe coprolites been found “inside” adinosaur skeleton. Coprolites havebeen found around the world andcome in different sizes and shapes.Fossilized dinosaur bones, lizard bonesand plant materials have been found inthe coprolites. Much of the informationabout the diet of dinosaurs comes byindirect methods. Scientists can studythe shape of fossilized dinosaur teethand rib cages to compare them withthose of modern animals. For example,the beak of a Triceratops like Kelseysuggests that it was a plant eater. Thebeak would be perfect for snipping offvegetation. The flat teeth of the duck-bill dinosaurs were made to grindplants. A plant eater would also need alarge rib cage to support a stomachlarge enough to digest the plant mate-rials. Living reptile carnivores, meateaters, have flat, knife-shaped teethwith serrations. This helps them holdon to and cut and saw into the flesh ofother animals. A large lizard has teeththat make it easy to cut throughanimals with thick or tough skins.Some modern reptiles, such as thecrocodile, have spear-like teeth withoutserrations. These are used to grasp slip-pery fish or larger land animals. Thesetwo types of teeth are similar to thoseof Tyrannosaurus and other meat-eating dinosaurs. Modern birds of preyhave sharp claws or talons much likeTyrannosaurus but on a much smallerscale.


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FocusQuestions


l How is a dinosaur named?l What does the name mean?l Can new dinosaur names be created?l Can words be broken into parts that have

meaning?

l Name three different ways dinosaurs are named.l List dinosaurs and the body parts they are named after.l List one or more new dinosaur names by a body part.l Use an apparatus to decode real and created dinosaur names.

Dinosaurs are a special group of animalswith interesting names that often are longand hard to pronounce. Students areempowered when they can pronouncethese multisyllabic names and know whatthey mean. Dinosaurs are named for uniquebody parts or behaviors, for the locationwhere they were found or after a person.This makes for some fun and confusion! TheEdmontosaurus was originally found in andnamed after a layer of rocks near Edmonton,Canada. So an Edmontosaurus is thedinosaur from Edmonton. Ask students ifthey can guess where you might travel todig up an Argentinosaurus. They should beable to tell you Argentina. Other dinosaursare named after famous people or for thelucky person who found them. Who do youthink the dinosaur Jenghizkhanosaurus wasnamed after? The answer is Genghis Khan.


EXPERIENCE 2

What’s in aDinosaur Name?






















Vocabulosaurus

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Paper, pencils, scissors; drawingsof dinosaurs; Dino Diaries; dinoword strips; What’s in aDinosaur Name? chart, pages14 – 15. Additional Greek andLatin words are located in thereference section, pages 87 – 88.

l Greek and Latin words — Scientistsuse many of these words and wordparts to describe plants, animals andthe world. Many word parts areincluded in this lesson. The focus ison the following:

l unil bil tril rexl odonl megal microl saurus

l pedl opsl cephalel ceratl rhinol tyrantl vore

Discovery of an imprint of Edmontosaurus skin is a significant and rare find from TheChildren’s Museum’s Dino Institute Teacher Dig 2003 in South Dakota.

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Science — 6.4.3, 7.4.1, 8.1.1, 8.1.8Language Arts — 7.1.2



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DIG IN ...

Part 1 — Science namesl Ask students to name any dinosaurs

they can think of. Make a list of theirresponses. Use the reference sectionof this unit of study to list theDinosphere dinosaurs. Ask studentsto use their Dino Diaries to draw apicture and write the name of theirfavorite Dinosphere dinosaur. If theycannot name a dinosaur use Kelseythe Triceratops for the lesson. Askthem if they know what the dinosaurname means. Several students willknow that Triceratops means “three-horned” dinosaur. Write the name andthe word parts on the board and askstudents to copy it in their diaries.(Greek kerat or cerat = horned)

l Tell students that scientists and otherstudents name dinosaurs in threedifferent ways. Write the following onthe board:Dinosaur Name(1) body part or behavior(2) where found(3) person — finder or famous.

In Dinosphere there are examples ofall three types of dinosaur names.Kelsey the Triceratops horridus isnamed after body parts. TheLambeosaurus, a duckbilled creta-ceous dinosaur, is named after aperson. It is named in honor ofLawrence Lambe, an early Canadianfossil hunter. The Edmontosaurusannectens is named for Edmonton,Canada, where it was found.

l List on the board the following wordsand their meanings: uni – one, bi –two, tri – three, quad – four, cera –horn, rhino – nose.Ask students how many horns a“Quadceratops” will have. Since quadmeans four, the answer is four horns.Ask students to make as manydifferent types of combinations of thewords on the board as they can. Havethem draw a picture of the head oftheir new dinosaur that shows thecorrect number of body parts for thename. Ask them to write sentences todescribe their dinosaur. For example,“My Quadceratops has four horns.”

A Gorgosaurus ready for display.

What’s in a Dinosaur Name

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Part 2 –Create a Dinosaur NameStudents will create a genus nameusing the What’s in a DinosaurName? worksheet.l Make copies of the What’s in a

Dinosaur Name? worksheet. Studentscan cut the three word strips apart. Eachstrip contains a list of Latin and Greekwords they will use to create a genusname for a dinosaur. Then cut along thedotted lines of the skull drawing. Slipeach of the three strips into the slots inthe skull.

l Have students move each strip up anddown to make new names, then writethe names they create in their DinoDiaries. They can start by using twostrips and add the third strip as their skillsimprove. Make sure they leave a blankspace for the species name of theirdinosaur.

l Ask them to follow the same rules thatscientists use when they name adinosaur species. The species is namedafter a place or a famous person. Forexample, the four-horned dinosaur thatmight be found in Indianapolis becomesQuadceratops indianapoliensis.

l Students create new names and listthem in their Dino Diaries. Use theWhat’s in a Dinosaur Name? chart tohelp decode real dinosaur names.

l A larger list of Greek and Latin wordparts used in science can be found in thereference section of this unit of study onpages 87 – 88. Use these words to makemore dinosaur names. Have studentsshare their new names with the class.Make three blank strips where studentsadd the new words. Ask students toinclude at least one real dinosaur namein their list. As each student shares his orher list, the class should try to determinewhich dinosaur names are real andwhich are made up.Read aloud to the class Dr. RobertBakker’s When to Capitalize andItalicize Dino Names - T. REX — No!T. rex — Yes! on page 19. Ask studentsto research and identify by the scientificname several common plant and animalfossils found in Indiana.


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Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Cut apart the dinosaur name strips on this page. Slide the name strips into the Tyrannosaurus rex What’s in a Dinosaur Name?skull worksheet. Move the strips up and down to create dinosaur names. You can make names of dinosaurs that are in TheChildren’s Museum Dinosphere. For example, try Triceratops, which means three-horned face. Find the three name strips for tri,cerat and ops.

What’s in a Dinosaur Name?

uni cerat voreone horn eat

tri rhino odonthree nose tooth

tyrant cephale opsterrible head face

bi ped saurustwo foot lizard

mega micro rex big small king

Word Parts Word PartsWord Parts



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Experience 2

Experience 3

Experience 4

Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

What’s in a Dinosaur Name?Cut along each dotted line.


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Classifying Plants and Animals Scientists classify all plants and animals including dinosaurs using the binomial systemcreated by Swedish naturalist and physician Carolus Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) in the1750s. The binomial, or two-word, system uses one Latin or Greek word to represent thegenus and another word for the species. The system uses the following major divisions toclassify plants and animals:

Kingdom – Phylum – Class – Order – Family – Genus – SpeciesAn easy way to remember the divisions is with this phrase: Kids Please Come Over ForGreat Science! Dinosphere dinosaurs are classified with this system. The complete listingcan be found in the reference section of this unit of study.






















Get readyto dig


Dino Diary

DinoWeb sitesWeb sites





Dinosphere

Unit of Study

Enduring idea:

Indiana dinosaurs

Focus questions

What's ahead







Science namesScience namesTable of ContentsTable of ContentsScience namesThe Englishman Richard Owen first used the word dinosauria in 1842. It is made from dino, whichmeans terrible, and sauria, which means lizard. Put together, the words mean “terrible lizard.” Adinosaur that appears to be fast (veloci) and able to steal (raptor) eggs or other food is namedVelociraptor. These dinosaurs are named after body parts or behaviors. By learning a few Latinor Greek words students are able to understand how dinosaurs are named. Students will learnthat there are also nicknames for plants, animals and dinosaurs. For example, in Dinosphere theTriceratops horridus is nicknamed Kelsey, while Bucky is the nickname of one T. rex. A plant oranimal may have a nickname and a common name as well as a scientific name.

Dinosphere link on The Children’sMuseum Web sitehttp://www.childrensmuseum.org

Museum of Paleontologyhttp://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/index.html


Dino booksl Taylor, Paul D. Eyewitness: Fossil. New

York: DK Publishing, 2000. A beautifullyillustrated photo essay about differenttypes of fossils and how they formed.

At the end of each class period students writeor draw pictures under the heading “Today Idiscovered …” in their diaries. The diaries willinclude notes and lists of dinosaur names fromthe lessons as well as pictures and drawings ofreal and created dinosaurs. Students shouldhave written several new words and sentencesthat use the dinosaur names. Ask students tocreate a classification chart similar to the onesused to classify Kelsey (Triceratops horridus) toclassify a dinosaur of their choice.

Kingdom Animalia (animals)Phylum Chordata (animals with spinal nerve cords)

Subphylum Vertebrata (chordates with backbones)Class Archosauria (“ruling reptiles”)

Subclass Dinosauria (extinct reptiles, “terrible lizards”)Order Saurischia (lizard-hipped)

Suborder Theropoda (beast-footed)Family Tyrannosauridae (tyrant lizard)Genus Tyrannosaurus (tyrant)Species rex (king)

Bucky and Stan – Tyrannosaurus rex



Subclass Dinosauria (extinct reptiles, “terrible lizards”)Order Ornithischia (beaked, bird-hipped plant-eaters)

Suborder Marginocephalia (fringed heads)Family Ceratopsidae (frilled dinosaurs, including horned dinosaurs)Genus Triceratops (three-horned face)Species horridus (horrible refers to the horn)

Kelsey – Triceratops horridus







Bonus:Digging deeper!

Introduction












Family connection

Science namesTable of Contents

Make itMake itfossilizefossilizeStudents can list the three waysdinosaur names are created and canuse 10 or more Latin and Greekwords to describe a dinosaur. Withpractice students will be able to usethe What’s in a Dinosaur Name?chart to decode actual dinosaurnames found in Dinosphere. Theyshould be able to recreate Triceratopshorridus and T. rex using word partsfrom the worksheet.


Experience 2 Grades 6 – 8

Classifying Kelsey — A Dinosphere Dinosaur

All Organisms Plant KingdomFungi KingdomAnimal KingdomProtists KingdomBacteria Kingdom

Animal Kingdom Invertebrates (95% of all animals do nothave backbones), Porifera, Nematoda,Arthropoda, Arachnida, Mollusca, Cnidaria,Chordata (5% of all animals have back-bones), and other phyla.

Chordata Phylum Mammalia (mammals), Archosauria (“ruling reptiles”), ChondricthyesVertebrata (cartilaginous fish), Osteichthyes (bony fish), Amphibia (frogs, toads,Subphylum salamanders, etc.), Aves (birds), Reptilia and other classes.

Archosauria Class Living reptiles — Testudines/Chelonia (turtle/tortoise), Squamata (lizards/snakes), Crocodylia (crocodiles, alligators/caymans).Nonliving extinct reptiles — Pterosauria (winged reptiles), Plesiosauria and Ichthyosauria (marine reptiles) and other orders.Dinosauria subclass (“terrible” lizards from the Mesozoic Era)

Dinosauria Subclass Saurischia (lizard-hipped), Ornithischia (bird-hipped) and others

Ornithschia Ornithopoda Suborder (bird-foot), Thyroophora Suborder (roofed/plated, armored),Marginocephalia Suborder (fringed head) and others

Marginocephalia Pachycephalosauria Family (thick-headed reptiles), Ceratopsidae FamilySuborder (horn-faced) and others

Ceratopsidae Family Psittacosaurus, Protoceratops, Pachyrhinosaurus, Styracosarus, Chasmosaurus,Triceratops and others

Genus Triceratops albertensis, alticornis, eurycephalus, galeus, horridus, maximus, prorsus, sulcatusspecies and others

Species horridus Triceratops horridus

This makes Kelsey an organism in the Animal kingdom, in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, in theclass Archosauria, subclass Dinosauria, in the order Ornithischia, suborder Marginocephalia, in the familyCeratopsidae, of the genus Triceratops and the species horridus. This classification system can be used with each dinosaur in Dinosphere. An easy way to remember the differentgroups, Kingdom — Phylum — Class — Order — Family — Genus — Species, is with the phrase, Kids Please ComeOver For Great Science! The chart on the next page shows how each classification fits within a larger group.

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Crabs are invertebrates (animals withoutbackbones) that lived in the Dinosaur Ageand still exist today.

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How Plants and Animals Are Classified

Kingdom Kelsey – Animalia

Phylum Kelsey – Chordata

Subclass Kelsey – Dinosauria

Order Kelsey – Ornithischia

Family Kelsey – Ceratopsidae

Genus Kelsey – Triceratops

Species Kelsey – horridus

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More information on how dinosaurs are classified can be found at the following taxonomyWeb site. It is not intended for elementary students, but may be helpful for teacher research.The Dinosauricon, by Mike Keesey: http://dinosauricon.com/main/index.html

This fossilized cricket lived millions of years ago.

In this lesson students explored ways thatscientists name dinosaurs according tobody parts or behaviors. Scientists name allplants and animals by following certainsystematic rules. Dinosaurs are namedthree ways: by body part or behavior,according to where the dinosaur wasfound, and/or after a person who found thedinosaur or who was important to thediscovery. In Dinosphere there are exam-ples of all three types of dinosaur names:

l Kelsey, a Triceratops horridus, is namedafter body parts.

l A Lambeosaur is named to honor aperson.

l The Edmontosaurus annectens is namedfor Edmonton, Canada, where it wasfound.

Use reference materials from the Internetand from books to find interesting names ofdinosaurs. Help your class decode these

names. Each morning a new name can beadded to the chalkboard or word list.Students will enjoy seeing how the bino-mial system also works for plants and otheranimals. Research the names of somecommon plants and animals that are foundat home and in the classroom. Make a listin your room or label the ones you find.The information in paleontologist RobertBakker’s article provides a clear under-standing of how dinosaurs are named.

TriceratopsThree horns on my face,

I lived in the Cretaceous withmany strange beasts,

If you invite me to dinner,Make it a plant-eaters feast!

— Caroline Crosslin

Bonus: Digging deeper!

Dinosphere museum link: When you visitWhen students visit Dinosphere they see life-size fossilized dinosaurs in a variety ofsizes. They can use the Greek and Latin word parts they have learned in class tounderstand the names of dinosaurs in the exhibits. In Dinosphere many othermammals and plants are on display to immerse visitors in the sights, sounds andsmells of the Cretaceous Period. With a little extra effort students and teachers canname the plants and animals as accurately as any scientist. A complete listing of thescientific names of the plants and animals on display in Dinosphere is found in thereference section of this unit of study.



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by Robert Bakker

What’s a species?Tyrannosaurus rex has two names, and so doesevery species of beetle, bott fly, pronghorn ante-lope and bacteria. And so do you. Every singlespecies of plant and animal has two names! Asin many Asian human cultures, the family namecomes first: Tyrannosaurus is not the name ofone single species but of a cluster of closelyrelated species. In Mongolia we findTyrannosaurus baatar, a little earlier than ourAmerican T. rex. You can tell T. baatar from T.rex because T. baatar has more teeth and thetooth crowns are sharper. Here’s an example fromdog species: Canis lupus is the wolf. Canislatrans is the coyote. Two species in the speciescluster we call Canis (the technical name for acluster is a genus). The definition of “species” issimple: it’s a group of closely related individualswho keep their genes to themselves in the wild.Wolves and coyotes are two separate speciesbecause they coexist in Canada and Montanaand they don’t interbreed, even though they arevery similar genetically (in zoos, if you forcethem, wolves and coyotes might interbreed).

How do you tell species apartfrom fossil bones?When we say T. rex was a different species fromT. baatar, we mean the differences in teeth andbones are so great that we think these two popu-lations would not interbreed if they ever met. Canwe tell all species apart from their fossil bones?No, not all of them can be identified. There aresome species groups alive today who do not mixtheir genes but whose bones are so similar that ifthey were fossils we wouldn’t know the speciesare separate. A classic example: Some species ofthe High Plains Pocket Gophers are virtually iden-tical in their skeletons but do have such strongdifferences in genes that they cannot interbreed.Fortunately, most of these “hidden species” aresmall critters such as rodents. Nearly all livingspecies of really big animals today can be toldapart from their bones — you can tell an Africanelephant from an Indian elephant, and you cantell apart all five rhino species from bones, and allthe 27 species of gator and croc. If we havecomplete specimens, we probably could tell apart

nearly all the dinosaur species. But when all wehave is some bone fragments from dinos, it’susually really hard to be sure that a box of bonescomes from one species or two or three.

How do we write species names?The species-group (genus) is always capitalizedand always in italics. Always write:Tyrannosaurus. Never: tyrannosaurus. Never:Tyrannosaurus. The rules apply to us humans too.We are Homo sapiens and it’s wrong to writeHomo sapiens. We are the only species of Homoalive now. But over the last million years therewere others, such as the famous Neanderthalman Homo neanderthalensis. The species nameis never capitalized, but always italicized. Alwayswrite: Tyrannosaurus rex. Never: TyrannosaurusRex. Never: T. rex. Most of the time, when we’retalking about dinosaurs, we don’t use bothnames, just the species-group name. Most dinobooks talk about Stegosaurus without beingspecific, without naming the separate speciescalled Stegosaurus ungulatus, S. stenops or S.laticeps. That’s OK, because all the “steggies” lookpretty much alike to the untrained eye. If youwent to a zoo and saw coyotes and wolves inpens next to each other, and you wanted to talkabout all the doggie-species together, it would befine to say, “Look at the Canis!” Why do we sayT. rex all the time? It is because this one speciesis so big and famous, and because the twonames sound so cool when said together.

Practice speaking species-talk Do this to practice. Make yourself a nametag thatsays, “Hi — I’m a Homo sapiens! My favorite dinois Tyrannosaurus rex.” Make each of your friendswear a nametag, with their own favorite dinosaurspecies — they’ll have to look up the speciesname. For instance, the common Mongolianraptor is Velociraptor mongoliensis. Thecommon T’tops is Triceratops prorsus. It’s OK toabbreviate the species-group name if there’s norisk of confusion. That’s why folks say T. rex.

What’s a dinosaur “family”?Species groups who are closely related arebrought together into what are called families.The dog family, home to wolves, coyotes, foxesand jackals, is Family Canidae. Always capitalizeLatin family names. T. rex and its cousinsAlbertosaurus and Gorgosaurus are in the FamilyTyrannosauridae. We can use an informal lower-case way to talk about families. We use the “id”(that doesn’t mean we’re psychoanalyzing dinos).If I say “the canid family,” that’s informal-speak forFamily Canidae. If I say “the tyrannosaurids,” thatmeans the same thing as “tyrannosaur family” orFamily Tyrannosauridae. You don’t have to capi-talize tyrannosaurids. But you do have to capi-talize words with the Latin ending -idae. Thatmeans you are speaking formally, so you mustcapitalize: Tyrannosauridae.

Don’t get overwrought on this one — you’llconfuse the second-graders and bore the adults.Stick to “id” and lower case unless you’re talkingto grad students. “Everybody loves the tyran-nosaurids at The Children’s Museum!”

Extra credit for dino-geeks: Here’s a paragraphthat has all the Family usages: “The Family Tyrannosauridae includes all the bigdino meat-eaters with two-finger hands, such asTyrannosaurus and Gorgosaurus, and the tyran-nosaur family is the most famous family of alldinosaurs, since the world-favorite species, T. rex,is a tyrannosaurid.”

Dinosphere has the following dinosaurs.Family Tyrannosauridae: Gorgosaurus; T. rex.Family Ceratopsidae: Triceratops horridusFamily Protoceratopsidae: Prenoceratopspieganensis.Family Hadrosauridae: Maiasaura peeblesorum.Some of us tyrannosaurid-aficionados think thedifferences in teeth are so great that theMongolian species baatar belongs to its owngenus. That would mean we couldn’t call itTyrannosaurus baatar. Instead, we’d sayTarbosaurus baatar. This is a tough call. Headsand bodies are alike in the two species but theteeth are very different.

When to Capitalize and Italicize Dino NamesT. REX — No! T. rex — Yes


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FocusQuestions


l What happened to the dinosaurs that made themgo away?

l Do dinosaurs have descendants living today?l Who discovers information about dinosaurs?l What do scientists use as evidence for a dinosaur

idea or theory?

l List three or more reasons why dinosaurs are not alive today.l Understand that anyone can study dinosaurs.l Demonstrate how a fossil clue can support an idea or theory.l Give examples of how anyone can study dinosaurs.l Find out how can someone learn more about dinosaurs.

Vocabulosaurus


Science — 6.1.1, 6.1.2, 6.2.7, 6.4.8, 6.4.9, 7.1.4, 7.2.8, 8.1.1, 8.2.7, 8.2.9Language Arts — 6.2.7, 7.2.6Social Studies — 7.3.7, 8.3.4

l paleontologist — a scientist whostudies ancient life from fossils,including plants, invertebrates(animals without backbones) andvertebrates (animals with back-bones).

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Dinosaur reference books;computer access; chalkboard;Dino Diaries.

l volcanol extinctl uniquel common

l ideal climatel meteorite


EXPERIENCE 3

What Happened tothe Dinosaurs?

Volcanic eruptions change the land and the atmosphere.

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Stan is Dinosphere’s full-size skeleton replicaof an adult T. rex.

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Paleontologist Peter Larson examinesdinosaur bones at the Bucky dig site. Fossilbones on the surface hint at the treasurebelow.



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Dinosphere

Unit of Study

Enduring idea:

Indiana dinosaurs

Focus questions

What's ahead

Dinospheremuseum link

Science classenvironment

Dinosaur classroom



Family connection

Science namesTable of ContentsTable of Contents

Students use their diaries to play the WhatHappened to the Dinosaurs? game andto complete the What Happened to theDinosaurs? chart. Students should be ableto generate two or more dinosaur questionsthat they would like to investigate. Endeach class period with time to write underthe heading “Today I discovered …” intheir diaries.

DIG IN ...

l Introduce this lesson by asking students,

“What happened to dinosaurs?” Be

prepared for many varied and unusual

answers to this question. List one or two

responses on the board without judgment.

This would be an excellent time to

emphasize the importance of asking ques-

tions in science. Often scientists start by

speculating ideas and solutions. Their

method becomes science when they

formulate a plan to investigate the idea

based upon observations and tests.

l Provide reference books about dinosaurs

to the class. Each group should have one

or more books to use. Bookmark dino

Web sites for students to use.

l Divide the students into groups of four or

five. Ask students to write the numbers 1

through 10 down the side of one page in

their Dino Diaries. Then ask the class a

simple question: Where have all of the

dinosaurs gone?

l Set a time limit of five minutes. Ask each

student to write reasons or words to

answer the question next to the numbers

in their Dino Diaries. Remind the class to

write as fast as possible. Spelling does not

count in this exercise. At the end of the set

time students tally up their responses. You

may want to add extra time. The focus is

on encouraging students to brainstorm

and record ideas. Each student receives

one point or tally mark for each reason.

l Set an additional time limit of 10 minutes.

Ask each group to share their ideas within

the group. Tell them not to let the other

groups hear their conversation. They can

add any new ideas in their Dino Diaries.

At the end of the 10-minute time, ask

each group to tally all of their answers and

points for the group, and select a represen-

tative to report this in the class discussion.

l Ask each group to select one reason

dinosaurs are not alive today that most

people agree on. This is the common or

popular answer that other students in the

class have on their lists. Ask one person in

each group to put a check mark next to

that common reason on their list.

l Have one member of each group stand

and give another common reason.

Each time another group has the same

reason on its list, the group reporting gets

10 points. For example, if the first group

names volcanoes as a common reason

and three other groups also have that

somewhere on their lists, the first group

receives 30 points. Tally all the group

points at the end of this round.

l Hand out dinosaur reference materials and

allow computer access. Tell the class they

have only 10 minutes to search for more

information. They may continue to write

reasons why dinosaurs are not alive

today. Each new reason earns an addi-

tional point. Students will be motivated to

read new materials in search of dinosaur

information.

l Ask each group to select one reason

dinosaurs are not alive today that is

unique. This reason should be one they

think no other group has selected. Ask

one person in each group to draw a star

next to their unique answer. Allow time for

each group to select one idea.

l Have students repeat the reporting process

as above. Remind students to name a

unique reason they think no other student

has listed. Award extra points for any new

ideas.

l Ask each group to add up their points. All

of the students are winners because they

have searched, discussed, evaluated and

learned reasons why dinosaurs are not

alive today. Have students summarize

what they have learned in their DinoDiaries. Ask them to include one or more

questions that they still would like

answered about dinosaurs.

What happened to the dinosaurs? Make itMake itfossilizefossilizeReview the reasons that studentslisted. Explain to the class that ideasin science have evidence or data tosupport them. Scientists do not say,“Because I said so.” Instead, scientistsshow evidence and data to supporttheir ideas. The class can start toexamine the ideas about whathappened to dinosaurs, focusing onthe evidence. Scientists use facts tochallenge speculations and buildtheories. Students will choose aresponse that they feel can bestrongly supported with scienceevidence in Lesson 3.

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Eva Koppelhus and Philip Currie are paleon-tologists whose work helps others study andprepare fossils.


LessonLesson 22

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LessonLesson 44







Jurassic Park Institute http://www.jpinstitute.com

Museum of Paleontologyhttp://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/index.html


Dino booksl Barrett, Paul. National Geographic

Dinosaurs. Washington, D.C.: NationalGeographic Book, 2001. A comprehen-sive look at dinosaurs in an easy-to-usemanner organized by age and type.

l Branley, Franklyn M. What Happened tothe Dinosaurs? New York: Thomas Y.Crowell, 1989. Easy-to-understandreasons for dinosaur extinction theories.

l Currie, Philip J. and Eva B. Koppelhus.101 Questions About Dinosaurs.Mineola, N.Y: Dover Publications, 1996.Answers to children’s frequently askedquestions about dinosaurs.

l Paul, Gregory S., ed. The ScientificAmerican Book of Dinosaurs. New York:St. Martin’s Press, 2000. A survey ofcurrent topics, knowledge and answersabout the prehistoric era from the bestminds in paleontology.

Younger students may not be able to under-stand extinction. Science explains thatextinction is a normal process and everyyear some species become extinct. At theend of the Mesozoic Era a large extinctionevent occurred. However, it was not the first.Evidence suggests that much larger extinc-tions occurred prior to the Dinosaur Age.Students may agree with, disagree with ornot understand evolution and its importanceto adaptation. You can approach bothextinction and evolution in a manner thatallows students to ask questions. Sciencesupports asking questions. Studyingdinosaurs excites children and encouragesthem to learn. Put the following chart on theboard. The three reasons listed are some ofthe strongest. Information about these threeideas is presented in Dinosphere. Studentswill be able to find many more. Encouragethem to look at the evidence or data for eachtheory and to ask more questions.

Bonus:Digging deeper!Students may enjoy researching and listingtheir Top Dinosaur Extinction Theories toshare with the class. After reasons areselected the class can put them in order ofleast likely to most likely. They will enjoymaking up their own reasons, howeverfanciful, to add to the list. Encouragestudents to use their imaginations.

Dinosphere museumlink: When you visitDinosphere contains the latest informationfrom today’s leading paleontologists aboutwhat may have happened to thedinosaurs. Visitors can learn more informa-tion at the many computer-learningstations. There are labels and activities thatexplore extinction theories and the mostrecent trends in learning about dinosaurs.Visit Dinosphere or The Children’sMuseum Web site to learn more.

Get readyto dig


Dino Diary






Dinosphere

Unit of Study

Enduring idea:

Indiana dinosaurs

Focus questions

What's ahead








Theory or idea Evidence that supports theory

Dinosaurs were killed when:

A meteorite hit Earth Layer of chemicals in soil, large impact crater

Great volcanoes erupted Large lava fields around world

Geological changes Climate changes, seasonal changes, new plantsoccurred and animals

Dinosaurs are not extinct:

Some dinosaurs evolved More than 60 similarities between birds and into modern birds dinosaurs

What Happened to the Dinosaurs?

Get readyto dig








Dinosphere

Unit of Study

Enduring idea:

Indiana dinosaurs











Grades 6 – 8

Lesson Lesson Lesson 1

LessonLesson 22

LessonLesson 33

LessonLesson 44

Experience 1

Experience 2

Experience 3

Experience 4

Students study Dinosphere’s dinosaurs totry to determine how they lived together.All animals have basic needs that includefood, water, air, habitat and others of theirown kind in order to reproduce. Studentslook for clues to see how dinosaurs mettheir basic needs by living in groups. They

compare how modern animals live in orderto find indirect clues about dinosaurbehavior. Students will look for clues tohow dinosaurs lived together and hunted inthe main scenes at Dinosphere. Eachscene explores a different aspect of animalinteraction.

Lesson 2Dinosaurs — Rulersof the Cretaceous






















Direct and IndirectEvidenceModern iguanas have leaf-like teeth withrounded serrations for cutting plants. Cows,sheep and goats have flat teeth and spendmuch time chewing and grinding plants.Many dinosaurs had the same types ofteeth, evidence that they were most likelyplant eaters. Also, some had large ribcages, indicating large stomachs fordigesting large amounts of plant material.Some dinosaurs have been found with apile of well-rounded smooth stones wherethe rib cage was located. These stones arecalled gastroliths, or stomach stones,which modern herbivores use to help grindfood in their stomachs. These are exam-ples of direct evidence from studying afossil clue to learn about dinosaurs. This isnot the only way to learn about dinosaurs.We also use indirect evidence to learnabout dinosaur behavior. For example, wecannot observe how a family of dinosaursmay have interacted 65 million years ago.We can observe modern animals to under-stand how they interact. From this knowl-edge we may be able to postulate ideasabout how dinosaur families interacted. Itis important to know the differencebetween direct and indirect evidence.

Paleo-artist Michael Skrepnick based this “Watering Hole” scene on the most current researchabout dinosaur habits and interactions.Paleo-artist Michael Skrepnick based this “Watering Hole” scene on the most current researchabout dinosaur habits and interactions.

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Grades 6 – 8 Experience 1


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Evidence of dinosaurs living together is rarefor most species. Most fossils are incompleteand disarticulated (bones no longer joinedtogether) when found. On rare occasionsdinosaurs have been found with fossilizedeggs and babies, with evidence of teeth andclaw marks from other dinosaurs and withdifferent-sized animals of the same species.These fossils help to explain how dinosaurslived together. In the Mongolian desert aProtoceratops and a Velociraptor were foundpreserved in a death embrace, with theteeth and beak of the Protoceratopsclenched around the leg of the Velociraptor.One claw of the Velociraptor was stuck intothe ribs of the Protoceratops. This is directevidence of how these two dinosaurs inter-acted. Another way to learn aboutdinosaurs is to study living animals. Theirbehavior can provide clues about howdinosaurs behaved and interacted. Thisprovides indirect evidence.

FocusQuestions


l What was a dinosaur group?l What types of activities do animals do

together?l How did dinosaurs interact with each other?l How did they feed each other?

l Give examples of how families cooperate and work together.l List basic needs of animals.l List benefits and problems for animals living in groups.l Identify, compare and contrast dinosaur interactions.

Vocabulosaurus


Science — 6.1.1, 6.1.2, 6.2.7, 6.4.8, 6.4.9, 7.1.4, 7.2.8, 8.1.1, 8.1.2, 8.2.7, 8.2.9Language Arts — 6.4.1, 7.4.1, 8.4.1

Dinosaurs — Rulers of the Cretaceous

EXPERIENCE 1

Why Do AnimalsLive in Groups?

l predator — an animal that livesby hunting and eating otheranimals, or prey. A lion is a pred-ator. It hunts antelope, its prey.

l prey — an animal hunted bypredators as food. Some prey arealso predators. For example, ahawk is a predator that eatssnakes. Snakes are also predatorsthat eat frogs. Snakes are bothpredators and prey.

l herd l group l family






















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Artist paintings and skeletaldiagrams of the four main scenesof Dinosphere: T. rex Attack,Watering Hole, Predator orScavenger, and Eggs and Nest;pictures of animals in groups,families and alone; Maia: ADinosaur Grows Up by John R.Horner.

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Paleo-artist Michael Skrepnick used direct and indirect evidence to create this scene.




LessonLesson 22

LessonLesson 33

LessonLesson 44

Experience 1

Experience 2

Experience 3

Experience 4






















DIG IN ...

Students should select one of the scenesfrom the book Maia to study and draw.Encourage them to label parts of thedinosaur and make notes about how itmight help the animal live in groups. Theyshould also make several lists on how andwhy modern animals live together. Endeach class period with time to write under“Today I Discovered …” in their diaries.


Dinosaur illustrationshttp://www.search4dinosaurs.com/pictures.html#about

Jurassic Park Institute http://www.jpinstitute.com

Bonus:Digging deeper!Students can use what they have learnedabout animals and dinosaurs and constructsimple food chains. Start by putting a foodchain chart (see page 26) on the board.Have students complete the chart in theirDino Diaries. Add more food chains to thechart.

Why Do Animals Live in Groups?l Ask the class to name animals that

live in groups and animals that livealone. The group list could includeherds, such as cows, sheep, ante-lope, and horses, and schools offish, animal families, such as bears,dogs, wild cats, monkeys andothers. Animals that are often aloneinclude some sharks, lions, croco-diles, alligators and other large pred-ators. Use books and Internetresources to find examples ofanimals in groups.

l Discuss with the class reasons whyanimals may need to be in a group.They should list the following:friendship, protection, families, repro-duction, food, water, learning,homes and fun.

l Write the different reasons on theboard or chart paper. Ask studentsto give one example for eachgrouping reason. Ask the class whysome animals do not form groupsand list the examples. This couldinclude large adult males such aslions, moose and elephants.

l Ask the class to list what is goodabout living in a family group.Answers should include protection,food, home, learning, fun and love.All of these are good reasons to livein a family. Direct the discussion tothe benefits animals have by livingin family groups.

l Read Maia: A Dinosaur Grows Upby John R. Horner to your class. Thisbook follows in detail the life cycleof a baby duckbill dinosaur from theCretaceous Period. It is filled withfacts and illustrations about thedinosaur as it grows from an egg toan adult.

l Discuss with the class ways thatthe dinosaurs in the book met theirbasic needs and have students listthose ways in their Dino Diaries.Describe how living in a grouphelped the animals in the book findfood, shelter and water.






















Dinosphere museumlink: When you visitThe Dinosphere story line, complete withdrawings and maps of the scenes, isincluded in the resources section of thisunit. Students can observe photographs ofliving animals to learn how and when theycome together in groups. From this informa-tion students will better understand thereason why Dinosphere fossils arearranged the way they are. At each of themain scenes and through exhibit activitiesand labels, visitors explore the science ofhow dinosaurs lived together and inter-acted.

Make itMake itfossilizefossilizeStudents should be able to givereasons for their ideas about whydinosaurs lived in groups. The mainfocus is to be able to make a compar-ison with a modern animal to under-stand how a dinosaur may havebehaved. Students should list reasonsfor their choices. Students can list thebasic needs of the dinosaurs in astory about a family of maiasaurs.The assessment of this lesson ismeasured by the way studentscommunicate what they believeorally and in writing.

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LessonLesson 22

LessonLesson 33

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Students may not understand that animalgroups form and re-form for differentreasons. Many antelope form large herdsand migrate during certain parts of theseason. Other times they are in smallerfamily groups that may not include adominant male. African lions form prides inwhich the females and young live togetherwithout the older males. There are manyother types of animal groups students canlearn about. Students can find out moreabout how animals live by looking at howartists and scientists have depicted theirbehavior. Science and art have workedtogether to make the world of dinosaurscome alive. New information sometimesmakes older artwork incorrect. When newscience discoveries occur, new paintings,drawings and ideas emerge. For example,the Iguanodon was once thought to havea horn on its nose. It was depicted thatway in art until complete skeletons wereuncovered in Belgium with the horn on thehands. As we learn more our drawings ofdinosaurs will continue to change andreflect new thinking. Ask students to viewold movies, television shows and artworkto look at how dinosaurs have beendepicted. Have them see if they can findways science has changed what we thinkabout how dinosaurs should be shown.

Get readyto dig


Dino Diary






Dinosphere

Unit of Study

Enduring idea:

Indiana dinosaurs

Focus questions

What's ahead








Dino booksl Currie, Philip J. and Eva B. Koppelhus.

101 Questions About Dinosaurs.Mineola, N.Y.: Dover Publications, 1996.Answers to children’s frequently askedquestions about dinosaurs.

l Horner, John R. and James Gorman.Maia: A Dinosaur Grows Up.Philadelphia: Running Press, 1989. Adetailed story of the life cycle of a babyduckbill dinosaur from the CretaceousPeriod filled with facts and illustrations.

l Norman, David and Angela Milner.Eyewitness: Dinosaur. New York: DKPublishing, 2000. An exploration in textand photos of the world of dinosaurs,with emphasis on teeth, claws, eggsand fossils.


l Zoehfeld, Kathleen Weidner. DinosaurBabies. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.Good examples of how a mothermaiasaur takes care of her babies.

Dino videoWalking With Dinosaurs, BBC andDiscovery Channel, 1999.

Cretaceous Food Chain ⇒⇒ Energy FlowSun Energy Plants Animals Animals

Sun Energy Sequoia Cones Triceratops Tyrannosaurus

Sun Energy Cycads Maiasaura Gorgosaurus

Sun Energy Modern Grass Modern Mouse Modern Hawk

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Gorgosaurs are theropods — dinosaurs withthree toes on their feet.




LessonLesson 22

LessonLesson 33

LessonLesson 44

Experience 1

Experience 2

Experience 3

Experience 4

FocusQuestions


l What types of activities did dinosaurs do together?l How did they interact with each other?l How did they feed each other?l How did their body parts help them?

l List basic needs of a dinosaur.l Identify and compare interactions in photographs of modern animals living in groups.l List benefits and problems for animals living in groups.l Identify three main areas in Dinosphere where dinosaurs may have interacted.l Give example of dinosaurs living in groups.


Science — 6.1.1, 6.1.2, 6.2.7, 6.4.8, 6.4.9, 7.1.4, 7.2.8, 8.1.1, 8.1.2, 8.2.7, 8.2.9Language Arts — 6.2.7, 7.2.6, 8.4.2


EXPERIENCE 2

Dinosaur Interaction






















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Artist paintings and skeletal diagrams of the four main scenes of Dinosphere:T. rex Attack, Watering Hole, Predator or Scavenger, and Eggs and Nest; picturesof animals in groups, families and alone.

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A pencil sketch by artist Michael Skrepnick depicts the question posed in Dinosphere: Did thegorgosaur kill the duckbill, or is it just a scavenger with an opportune find?


EXPERIENCE 2

Dinosaur InteractionDinosaurs, like all animals, interacted with theirenvironment and other animals in diverse ways.Today we can study dinosaur interaction in threeways. The first way we can learn about dinosaursis to study modern animals. All animals competefor basic needs, including food, water, habitat andrelationships with others in their species. We canlearn about dinosaurs by comparing andcontrasting how modern animals interact to meettheir basic needs. This indirect evidence can leadto speculation about dinosaur interaction. Oftenthis speculation is the starting point for a scientificinvestigation.Second, we can look for direct evidence in thefossil record. There are rare examples of dinosaurfossils that show how they lived and competedwith each other. Dinosaurs have been found withfossilized eggs and babies. This suggests thatsome dinosaurs may have taken care of theiryoung. Small dinosaur fossil remains have beenfound inside rib cages of large meat-eatingdinosaurs. Recently an early mammal fossil wasfound with the bones of a small dinosaur inside itsrib area! This direct evidence helps to tell a storyabout the predator and prey interaction ofdinosaurs.Finally, we can learn about dinosaurs from otherfossils that are preserved from the same timeperiod. Paleontologists look for clues in the plants,animals, sediments and climate features to under-stand the habitat. This helps us know what theenvironment was like at that time. TheDinosphere exhibit is filled with plant and animalfossil remains from the Cretaceous. A list of manyof the fossils found in Dinosphere is located onpage 79 of this unit. Studying these fossils helpstell the complete story of dinosaur interaction.

Vocabulosaurusl predator — an animal that lives by

hunting and eating other animals, orprey. A lion is a predator. It hunts ante-lope, its prey.

l prey — an animal hunted by predatorsas food. Some prey are also predators.For example, a hawk is a predator thateats snakes. Snakes are also predatorsthat eat frogs. Snakes are both predatorsand prey.

l scavenger — an animal that eatsanother animal it did not help to kill. Acrow is a scavenger when it eats theremains of a dead animal.

l herd l group l family



LessonLesson 22

LessonLesson 33

LessonLesson 44






DIG IN ...

Tyrannosaurus rex Attack Scene:What will be the outcome? Stan is an adult Tyrannosaurus rex andBucky is a teenager. They are about toattack Kelsey, a large, full-grown Triceratopshorridus. Stan looks like it is dodging Kelseywhile Bucky makes its move to attack. Allthree animals have body parts that willprotect them and help them fight. Stan has ahuge mouth filled with teeth. Kelsey haslong, sharp, strong horns that can stab deepinto any animal. What will happen? Whichdinosaur will win? How will the animalsinteract? Use reference materials to learnabout the body parts on these terrific crea-tures. What animals living today mightinteract the same way? The noise and move-ment have terrorized two opossum-sizedmammals, Didelphodon, hiding inside anearby burrow. They are nocturnal animalsand this afternoon skirmish has interruptedtheir nap. They could be trampled, so theystay hidden, hoping the predators will bechased away.

The Watering Hole Scene:Hypacrosaurus, Leptoceratops— is this a family?Is this a safe place to be? A family ofhypacrosaurs is visiting the watering hole todrink. They must drink, but is it safe?Research other modern watering holes thatanimals use. In Africa many different animalscome to drink at the local watering hole. Atdifferent times of the day, different animalsuse the same watering hole. How does theantelope get water without being attackedby lions? What would be the best time forthese hypacrosaurs to visit this dinosaurwatering hole?

Predator or Scavenger Scene:Was it an attack or a scavengeropportunity?Did the Gorgosaurus kill the duckbill? Or didit just find it dead and ready to eat? Is this apicture of a predator that has killed its prey?Gorgosaurus has all the tools needed to huntand kill Maiasaura, but this gorgosaur hasseveral broken bones. Could a human with abroken leg or arm find food easily?Sometimes on the side of the road a crow orother bird is seen eating a dead raccoon or adeer. A crow cannot kill a deer or a raccoon,but it would eat the free meal it finds. Askstudents if they think the gorgosaur wouldeat a dead and rotting dinosaur.

Dinosaur Eggs, Nests and BabiesArea — OviraptorMany living snakes and other reptiles just layeggs and leave the babies to take care ofthemselves. Did the dinosaurs take care oftheir eggs and babies? If they did, whatbenefit or good things did the babies receivefrom the care? Ask students how their liveswould be different if their parents had nottaken care of them when they were babies.What reasons can they give for whydinosaurs would take care of their eggs andyoung? Each group can make a drawing or alist and give examples of what they think isthe real story in each Dinosphere scene.Have the groups report their findings to theentire class. There is not a correct answer buteach group should be able to defend theirfindings.

A scavenger such as this crow willnot pass up a free meal on the sideof the road. Scientists speculate thatthe gorgosaur in the Dinosphereattack scene may not have killed themaiasaur but is just scavenging thecarcass.

Dinosaur Interactionl Pass out the four Dinosphere

scenes. Some students can look atthe scenes on the computer at theDinosphere Web site.

l Read the story line for eachDinosphere scene, located in thereference section of this unit ofstudy.

l Ask the class to match eachdrawing with the story line. Theyshould be able to tell from thedescriptions read aloud.

l Pass out the skeletal diagrams ofthe four scenes that visitors see inDinosphere. Read the story lineagain. Students should be able tomatch each story with both thedrawings and the skeletal diagrams.

l Ask the class to sort the scenes byhow the animals are living ingroups. Are they together for food?Protection? To learn? What modernanimals can be seen in similargroups? Give examples of modernanimals for each of the scenesshown. Ask the students to provideevidence for their choices andobservations.

l Look at each Dinosphere sceneand try to answer the main ques-tion. Ask students to use what theyhave learned by studying livinganimals to decide if theDinosphere scenes are correct.Have them give reasons for theiranswers. Have each student selectone scene to draw a picture of andwrite a story to tell what they thinkit is about. Make sure they giveexamples of living animals. Forexample, a student might say thatStan and Bucky are workingtogether to attack Kelsey just likeAfrican lions work together to hunt.Divide the class into groups. Meetwith each group and share thefollowing questions for their report.




LessonLesson 22

LessonLesson 33

LessonLesson 44

Experience 1

Experience 2

Experience 3

Experience 4

Dino booksl Currie, Philip J. and Eva B. Koppelhus.

101 Questions About Dinosaurs.Mineola, N.Y.: Dover Publications, 1996.Answers to children’s frequently askedquestions about dinosaurs.

l Horner, John R. and James Gorman.Maia A Dinosaur Grows Up.Philadelphia: Running Press, 1989. Adetailed story of the life cycle of a babyduckbill dinosaur from the CretaceousPeriod filled with facts and illustrations.

l Norman, David and Angela Milner.Eyewitness: Dinosaur. New York: DKPublishing, 2000. An exploration in textand photos of the world of dinosaurs,with emphasis on teeth, claws, eggs andfossils.


l Willis, Paul. Dinosaurs. Pleasantville,N.Y.: Reader’s Digest Children’s Books,1999. A beautifully illustrated photoessay about different types of fossils andhow they formed.

l Zoehfeld, Kathleen Weidner. DinosaurBabies. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.Good examples of how a mothermaiasaur takes care of her babies.

Dino videoWalking With Dinosaurs, BBC and DiscoveryChannel, 1999.

Scientists have indirect evidence thatdinosaurs lived in groups. Eggs, nests andnursery areas have been found. In theseareas fossilized dinosaur bones of differentages have been found, which providesevidence that individuals of various ageslived together. Also, fossilized dinosaur trackways have been found that show animals ofvarious ages traveling together. This providesstrong evidence that some dinosaurs lived ingroups.

Dinosphere museumlink: When you visitThe Dinosphere story line, complete withdrawings and maps of the scenes, isincluded in the resources section of this unit.Students can observe photographs of livinganimals to learn how and when they cometogether in groups. From this informationstudents will better understand the reasonwhy Dinosphere fossils are arranged theway they are. At each of the main scenesand through exhibit activities and labels,visitors explore the science of how dinosaurslived together and interacted.






















Get readyto dig








Dinosphere

Unit of Study

Enduring idea:

Indiana dinosaurs

Focus questions








Science namesScience namesTable of ContentsTable of ContentsStudents should select one of the scenes inDinosphere to draw and study. Encouragethem to label parts of the dinosaur and makenotes about how each part might help theanimal live in groups. They should also makeseveral lists on how and why modern animalslive together. End each class period with timeto write under the heading “Today IDiscovered …” in their diaries.



Jurassic Park Institutehttp://www.jpinstitute.com






















Bonus: Digging deeper!View a dinosaur video with your class. There are several excellent educational videosavailable. View the movie with a focus on dinosaur interactions and basic needs.Afterward, have students make a list of all the ways dinosaurs in the movie met theirbasic needs, interacted and lived in groups.

Make itMake itfossilizefossilizeStudents should be able to givereasons for their ideas about whydinosaurs lived in groups. The mainfocus is to be able to make a compar-ison with a modern animal to under-stand how a dinosaur may havebehaved. Students should list reasonsfor their choices. They may agree ordisagree with each other and withthe way the scene is shown inDinosphere. The assessment of thislesson is on the way they communi-cate what they believe orally and inwriting.



LessonLesson 22

LessonLesson 33

LessonLesson 44






EXPERIENCE 3

Dinosaur Webquests —Who Should Own theBones?

FocusQuestions


l Who should own dinosaur bones?l Do all fossils have the same value?l If you own the land do you own the fossils?

l Research information and opinions about dinosaur fossil ownership.l List positive and negative arguments and opinions about a topic.l Write a persuasive letter supporting one position on a controversial topic.l Present and discuss information, statements and personal opinions to

support a position.l Vote online in support of the question, “Who owns the bones?”

Vocabulosaurus


Science — 6.1.1, 6.1.2, 6.1.4, 6.1.5, 6.2.5, 6.2.7, 6.2.8, 7.1.3, 7.1.4, 7.1.5, 7.1.6, 7.2.8, 8.1.1, 8.1.2, 8.1.4, 8.1.8, 8.2.7, 8.2.8, 8.2.9, 8.2.10

Language Arts — 6.2.6, 6.2.7, 6.2.8, 6.4.5, 6.4.6, 6.4.7, 6.4.9, 6.5.7, 7.2.6, 7.4.1, 7.4.3, 7.4.4, 7.4.7, 7.4.9, 7.5.4, 8.4.1, 8.4.2, 8.4.4, 8.4.5, 8.4.9, 8.5.4, 8.5.7

Social Studies — 7.3.7, 8.2.4, 8.3.4

Dig

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s Computer access, referencebooks,http://www.childrensmuseum.org/dinosphere/kids/webquests.html

l opinionl academicl commercial

l paleontologistl researchl editorial

Bucky Derflinger, right, works with another young scientist to uncover fossilizeddinosaur bones.

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Careful examination of this jaw reveals signsof injury and disease — more clues about thelife and death of the dinosaur.

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Paleo-pointsfor the teacher

Bonus:Digging deeper!

Introduction









Dinosaur classroom



Family connection


For many years, commercial and academicpaleontologists have disagreed about whoshould own excavated bone fossils, regardlessof where these discoveries are made. TheChildren’s Museum Web quest is a fictitiousstory about the plight of two college studentswho made an interesting discovery whilehiking one day. The two students try to sellfossils they found in a national park. The lawsays you can’t excavate or sell fossils found ongovernment land. So, who owns the bones?Students will predict the outcome of this situa-tion and compare their choice to others’choices by participating in an online vote. Inaddition to this, students consider anotherchallenging scenario involving a poor farmerand a fossil collector.





LessonLesson 22

LessonLesson 33

LessonLesson 44

Experience 1

Experience 2

Experience 3

Experience 4






















DIG IN ...

l Students will visit the DinosphereWeb site to participate in theWebquest. They may work insmall groups or individually on theproject. The Webquest starts withthe reading of two scenarios aboutthe ownership of fossilizeddinosaur bones.

l The students’ job is to read thetwo differing opinions, academicpaleontologist versus commercialpaleontologist, and then studytwo other cases.

l Students will read two additionalaccounts of fossil ownership.

l Students will decide whichopinion they agree with most andwrite a letter to the newspapereditor supporting the opinion.

l Students will share their opinionswith the class. After the classpresentations students will goonline to vote for the scenario theymost agree with.

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A few bones on the surface hint at the Triceratops below.

Students may think that the only job of a pale-ontologist is to dig up fossilized bones.However, the field is diverse. Paleobotanistsstudy plants and sedimentologists study thesoil found with fossils. Another paleontologistmay spend years learning how leg andhipbones work together. There are manydifferent areas for men and women to pursuein the field of paleontology. The NationalGeographic magazine article “Dinosaurs:Cracking the Mystery of How They Lived”(March 2003) features many different andspecialized paleontologists and their work.

Dinosphere museumlink: When you visitStudents will be able to see real fossil bones inDinosphere. They can follow the journey afossilized bone takes from the dig site to themuseum. The various steps are outlined inDinosphere and on The Children’s MuseumWeb site. In the museum’s Paleo Prep Labstudents will be able to touch real fossilizeddinosaur bones and meet people who workon fossils. Dinosphere has many areas wherestudents can explore dinosaur fossils and helpto uncover fossilized bones in a simulated digsite. Students can identify, sort and makedrawings of the different teeth found in the 14animals on display in Dinosphere.

Students should revise and write a copy oftheir letter in the Dino Diary. Students shouldshare their letters with the class. Students canmake a list of comments that are in favor andagainst their position. End each class periodwith time to write under the heading “Today Idiscovered …” in their diaries.






















Make itMake itfossilizefossilizeCreate with your class a writing rubricthat will allow them to assess theirletters to the editor. They will alsodiscuss their findings and conclusions.Students should be able to list positiveand negative arguments and opinionsabout a topic they support.

Dino bookl Larson, Peter and Kristin Donnan. Bones

Rock! Everything You Need to Know to Bea Paleontologist. Montpelier, Vt.: InvisibleCities Press, 2004.

The Children’s Museum Web site —Dinosphere Webquestshttp://www.childrensmuseum.org/dinosphere/kids/webquests.html

Great Fossil Hunters of All Timehttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/

Fossil Halls, American Museum of NaturalHistoryhttp://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/Fossil_Halls/fossil-halls2.html

Sternberg Museum of Natural History(unofficial virtual tour)http://www.oceansofkansas.com/Sternbrg.html

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Dinosphere

Unit of Study












Bonus:Digging deeper!Make a timeline from the Important Dates inDinosaur Discovery. A reference timeline isincluded in the resources material in this unitof study. Students can illustrate eachdiscovery on poster board. Many importantdinosaur discoveries have been made since1970. Use additional reference materials tocomplete the timeline.

Grades 6 – 8


Lesson 2

LessonLesson 33

LessonLesson 44

Experience 1





Lesson 3: Scientificmethodosaurus

Not everyone is lucky enough to be Bucky Derflinger, the youngest person ever to find aTyrannosaurus rex. When Bucky was a fourth-grader he found his first fossilized T. rex boneand took it to school. His South Dakota teacher told him it was not a fossilized dinosaurbone. It’s a good thing that he did not give up looking for dinosaurs, because a few yearslater he found the only teenage T. rex. Today the dinosaur named for Bucky is on display inDinosphere. In this experience students have an opportunity to make a discovery of theirown. They use scientific methods to learn about dinosaurs. Students select dinosaur ques-tions to use in a presentation following a scientific method. Students use digital resources tocreate reports and audiovisual presentation.

Enduring IdeaFossils are clues that help us learn about dinosaurs.






















Modeling clay is used to make an imprint ofthe fossilized bone. From this impression arubber mold can be made. Many copies orreplicas can be made from the mold.

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Each layer of dirt at the Bucky site may contain clues about life in the Cretaceous Period.These rocks are not found in Indiana.

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Why aren’t dinosaursfound in Indiana?Students often ask this question. Dinosaursprobably lived in Indiana long ago, butseveral major changes in climate haveoccurred in this area since the end of theCretaceous. Large glaciers scoured,scraped and eroded the surface andbedrock of Indiana, where dinosaur bonesmay have been deposited. When theclimate changed the melted glaciersproduced tremendous quantities of waterthat moved sediments, soil, rocks andfossils out of the area. Fragile fossils cannotsurvive the strong natural forces that haveshaped the Hoosier state. The youngestbedrock in Indiana, from the CarboniferousPeriod, 360 – 286 million years ago (mya),is much older than the Mesozoic Era fossilbeds of the dinosaurs, 248 – 65 mya. Thusfossilized dinosaur bones have not beenfound in Indiana.


Culminating Experience Grades 6 – 8


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Experience 4

What did it eat? How did it move? Was it real?What does its name mean? How long ago didit live? It is questions like these that make chil-dren and scientists alike want to find out more.The best reason for studying dinosaur fossils isto provide students and teachers a uniqueopportunity to use science to answer questions

and solve problems. Science can be used tomake observations, collect data, test ideas anddraw conclusions about the dinosaurs’ world.Science discoveries are directly tied to how theideas are communicated. In this lessonstudents will select a question about dinosaursto use in a science investigation. Students willshare ideas supported by their findings in asymposium. Dinosphere will be used as livinglaboratory for students to investigate and testtheir ideas.

FocusQuestions


l How are fossils used to learn about dinosaurs?l What evidence is used to prove a science idea?l Do scientists disagree about dinosaur ideas?l How are conflicting ideas resolved in science?

l Select a dinosaur question to research.l Use a scientific method to learn about dinosaurs: question –

hypothesis – research – procedure – test – observations – data –conclusion.

l Take notes and propose theories about dinosaurs.l Write and display information about dinosaurs.l Share what they have learned with others.l Visit Dinosphere to conduct a science investigation.

Vocabulosaurus


Science — 6.1.1, 6.1.2, 6.1.3, 6.2.5, 6.2.7, 7.1.1, 7.1.4, 7.1.5, 7.2.7, 7.3.3, 8.1.1, 8.1.2, 8.1.8, 8.2.6, 8.2.7, 8.2.8, 8.2.10

Language Arts — 6.2.7, 6.4.1, 6.4.5, 6.4.6, 6.4.7, 6.4.9, 6.5.3, 6.7.5, 6.7.6, 6.7.7, 6.7.9, 6.7.11, 6.7.13, 6.7.14, 7.4.1, 7.4.3, 7.4.4, 7.4.5, 7.4.7, 7.4.9, 7.5.3, 7.7.1, 7.7.3, 7.7.4, 7.7.5,7.7.6, 7.7.10, 7.7.11, , 8.2.5, 8.4.1, 8.4.4, 8.4.5, 8.4.6, 8.4.9, 8.5.3, 8.7.1, 8.7.2, 8.7.3,8.7.4, 8.7.5, 8.7.12

Social Studies — 7.3.7, 8.3.4

Scientific methodosaurus

CULMINATING EXPERIENCE

Using scientific methodsto learn about dinosaurs

l scientific method — the princi-ples and procedures used to recog-nize and formulate an idea, collectdata through observation andexperiments, and test a theory.

l hypothesis — an unconfirmedtheory or supposition used toexplain certain facts, and to guidein the investigation of others. Thiscan sometimes be considered aworking hypothesis.

l symposium — a meeting orconference where a specific topic isdiscussed.




















Family connection


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Computer, Microsoft PowerPointslide presentation software, Internetaccess. Dinosphere resources:Dinosaur Questions, Dinosaur ImageGallery, and Fossil Image Galleryprovided at the Children’s Museumsite: http://www.chidrensmuseum.org/museumport/csi.htmDinosphere field trip: This lesson isgreatly enhanced by bringingstudents to the museum to maketheir own observations and collectdata. Students not visiting themuseum can take the Dinospherevirtual tour found at the followingWeb site to complete the project. http://www.childrensmuseum.org/dinosphere/virtual_tour/overview/index.html

For every hour digging in the field another10 hours are needed to prepare the fossils.

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Grades 6 – 8 Culminating Experience


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ScientificmethodosaurusOften all that is learned from a scientificinvestigation is that there are many morequestions than answers. In the study ofdinosaurs there are many great questionsstill to investigate. One of the biggestmysteries is what happened to the bigdinosaurs. Did they die gradually or at thesame time in a huge catastrophic event?Did they all disappear at the same time allover the earth? Some scientists think thatsome smaller dinosaurs survived andevolved into birds. In this exercise studentswill explore theories about why dinosaursare not here today. They may not come upwith new answers but they may think ofnew questions. Asking questions is whatscience is really all about.

Step 1: PowerPoint TemplateSlide 1: IntroductionStudents open the Microsoft PowerPointtemplate. The slide contains the name ofthe project, all the students’ names, school,grade level, teacher name and date.Students can copy and paste this informa-tion onto slide 1 of the PowerPoint presen-tation.

Slide 2: Question or ProblemStudents select one question from theDinosaur Questions list to use in the project.Students may also create their own questionor problem. Make sure that the subject orcontent of the project is about a topic fromthe Cretaceous Period. There are manyfascinating dinosaurs and fossils that werefrom the Triassic and/or Jurassic periods.

However, Dinosphere contains plants,animals and dinosaur fossils from theCretaceous. Students should put their ques-tion or problem onto slide 2.

Slide 3: HypothesisStudents convert their question or probleminto a testable statement. The hypothesis isan unconfirmed theory or supposition usedto explain certain facts and to guide in theinvestigation of others. This can be consid-ered a working hypothesis. Often it is easierfor students to begin a working hypothesiswith, “We believe that...” and end it with astatement. For example, the following ques-tion can generate two different hypotheses.Question: Did an asteroid kill thedinosaurs?Hypothesis 1: “We believe that an asteroidkilled the dinosaurs.” Hypothesis 2: “We believe that an asteroiddid not kill the dinosaurs.”The group should confirm their hypothesiswith the teacher before proceeding to thenext step. It is important that the hypothesisis focused and can be tested or investigated.After the teacher has confirmed it, studentscan put their hypothesis on slide 3.

Slides 4 & 5: ResearchStudents use books and the Internet toresearch information about their questions.This is an important step to take because theinformation found will help direct the rest ofthe project. The outcome of this step is forthe group to become experts on theirsubject. Direct students to use reading andnote-taking strategies to collect informationabout their question. Students take notes intheir Dino Diary. The notes are changedinto talking points or statements for the pres-entation. This information is put onto slides 4and 5.

DIG IN ...l Divide the class into small groups of

three to five students. Provide eachgroup with computer access resourcesfor the lesson at the following Website: http://www.childrensmuseum.org/museumport/csi.htm

l Review with the class the resourcesthat are available at the Web site.

l Dinosaur Questions is a set of overmore than 200 questions aboutDinosphere. Educators developedtheses questions specifically for theDinosphere gallery. They are organ-ized around themes.

l Dinosaur Image Gallery is a set ofdinosaur images designed for studentsto copy, cut and paste into presenta-tions. It contains images of dinosaursfound in Dinosphere.

l Fossil Image Gallery is a set of fossilimages designed for students to copy,cut and paste into presentations. Itcontains images of many of the fossilsof the plants and animals that livedwith the dinosaurs found inDinosphere.

l Scientific methodosaurus PowerPointTemplate is a blank template forstudents to create a computer presen-tation about a dinosaur topic.

l Students will record information for allof the following slides on paper, in theDino Diary or in their science journalprior to creating the MicrosoftPowerPoint presentation. The finalgroup presentation includes thefollowing slides:Scientific methodosaurusSlide 1: Student names, school,teacher and date.Slide 2: Question or problem selectedfor the project.Slide 3: Hypothesis created from theproject question.Slides 4 & 5: Research that states fourto 10 statements of fact or findings.Slides 6 & 7: Observations that listfour to 10 items observed inDinosphere.Slide 8: Conclusion describingevidence that does or does not supportthe stated hypothesis.Slide 9: Bibliography listing all thesources used in the project.


Culminating Experience Grades 6 – 8


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LessonLesson 44

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Slides 6 & 7:Dinosphere ObservationsStudents are encouraged to visit theChildren’s Museum Dinosphere to makeobservations and collect data to supporttheir hypotheses. Dinosphere is a uniquelaboratory filled with dinosaurs and fossilsfrom the Cretaceous. The gallery staff, cura-tors and paleontologists are available to talkwith the students about their projects whilethey visit the museum. Dinosphere isdesigned for students to ask questions andseek answers. A class may decide toconduct their observations online through avirtual tour of Dinosphere. http://www.childrensmuseum.org/dinosphere/virtual_tour/overview/index.htmlStudents put the observations they collectonto slides 6 and 7.

Slide 8: ConclusionStudent review their observations collectedfrom Dinosphere. Their observations shoulddetermine if the hypothesis is correct — or

supported. It may be that the observationsdo not support the hypothesis. It is impor-tant that the students understand that agood science investigation may lead to aconclusion that does not support thehypothesis. Several factors could cause this.The hypothesis may be wrong, other factorsmight be involved, more questions areneeded, or additional testing or a differentquestion may be needed. Students shouldrecognize and explain that hypotheses arevaluable, even if they turn out not to be true,if they lead to fruitful investigations. Theinformation is put onto slide 8.

Slide 9: BibliographyStudents list all reference materials used inthe project. They should follow standards onciting sources. Review with the class theformat for citing books, periodicals andInternet sources. This informational bibliog-raphy is put onto slide 9.

Step 2: Dinosaur and Fossil ImagesTwo different galleries of images areprovided for students to use in the project.The images contained in the galleries are ofthe correct size and resolution for use in theproject. Students will also add other featuresto make the presentations dynamic andinteresting. Make sure they focus on thecontent first, and then they can add imagesand effects that enhance their presentation.

Step 3: Presentation/AssessmentOnce completed students should be giventime to practice their presentation. Eachstudent in a group should be responsible forpresenting a portion of the project to theclass. When each group is ready, organize aScientific methodosaurus Symposium forstudents to share their projects. Studentsshould be able to share their ideas supportedby observations, evidence and facts.Students should welcome questions abouttheir findings from other students. Monitorthe discussions and emphasize that oftenthe outcome of one science investigationwill lead to another investigation.

Ask your students: Who would win this fight between two tyrannosaurs and a triceratops?

A family of Alamosaurus welcomes your class to Dinosphere!

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What are dinosaurs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38How long ago did dinosaurs live? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Why focus on the Cretaceous Period? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39What is a fossil?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Classifying plants and animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Dinosphere Dinosaurs — Background Information

Stan, Tyrannosaurus rex (South Dakota) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 – 44Bucky, T. rex (South Dakota) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 – 47Kelsey, Triceratops horridus (Wyoming). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 – 50Baby Louie, Oviraptor (China) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 – 54Maiasaura peeblesorum (Montana) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 – 56Gorgosaurus sp. (Montana) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 – 59Frannie, Prenoceratops pieganensis (Montana) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 – 62Hypacrosaurus stebingeri family (Montana) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 – 65Bambiraptor feinbergi (Montana) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 – 67Didelphodon vorax (South Dakota) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Dig Site Excavation Maps Kelsey, Triceratops horridus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69Dinosphere Dinosaur Classification Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Dinosphere Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Dinosphere Scenes

Tyrannosaurus rex Attack Scene — Stan, Bucky and Kelsey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 – 73Watering Hole Scene — Hypacrosaurus family, Prenoceratops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 – 75Predator or Scavenger Scene — Gorgosaurus, Maiasaura and Bambiraptor. . . . 76 – 77Dinosaurs Eggs, Nests and Babies — Oviraptor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Dinosphere Fossil List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Important Dates in Dinosaur Discovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Dinosphere Paleontologists and Advisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Dinosaur Hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 – 82Dinosphere Unit of Study Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83Dinosaur Videos and Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Dinosaur Web Sites and Webquests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 – 86What’s in a Dinosaur Name? — Greek and Latin words . . . . . . . . . . 87 – 88Indiana Academic Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 – 96National Science Standards — Selected Standards Grades K – 8 . . 96 – 97Dino Diary — Black Line Masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 – 100

Get readyto dig








Dinosphere

Unit of Study

Enduring idea:

Indiana dinosaurs

Focus questions









AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgments

DinosphereDinosphereDinosaursDinosaurs

Resource MaterialsResource Materials

Culminating ExperienceCulminating Experience





Dinosaurs are a special group of animals thatwere alive more than 65 million years ago.Dinosaurs are an extinct subclass ofArchosauria, the “ruling reptiles.” Other extinctreptiles include the flying pterosaurs and themarine plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs. Livingreptiles include three orders: turtles/tortoises,crocodiles/alligators, and lizards/snakes. Areptile is a member of the animal kingdomand has a backbone. Reptiles have scales and

claws, and develop from yolk-filled eggs thatare laid or mature inside the mother’s body.Many scientists are working to understand therelationship between dinosaurs and livinganimals such as birds. Today it is generallyaccepted that dinosaurs and birds share acommon ancestry. Some scientists believethat the dinosaurs are not extinct but haveslowly evolved into birds. Children can use asimple five-step rubric to identify a dinosaur.

It takes a large workspace to prepare aTriceratops skull that is more than 2 meterslong.

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The multiple openings in this skull helpidentify it as a diapsid.

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1. are diapsids, which have two additional sets of openings in their skulls not

counting the nostrils or the eye sockets. All reptiles except turtles are diapsids.

2. were alive during the Mesozoic Era that lasted from 245 to 65 million years

ago. Geologists divide the Mesozoic Era into three distinct periods — Triassic,

Jurassic and Cretaceous.

3. had one of two types of hip joints, called bird-hipped or lizard-hipped.

4. held all four legs under the body, not out to the sides like modern lizards and

crocodiles.

5. moved and lived on land —did not live in the water or fly in the air.

If the animal meets all of these criteria, it is a dinosaur.

All dinosaurs:

How long ago did dinosaurs live?

What are dinosaurs?

It may be impossible for students to under-stand how long ago dinosaurs lived. It is easierfor adults to understand long periods of time. Afirst-grader begins to understand how long aschool week is, but may not be able to graspa decade. A high-school student understandsthe significance of being 18 years old, but maynot fully comprehend the time span of acentury. Many adults find it hard to imaginewhat the world was like 10,000 years ago.Such a large amount of time is difficult to putinto perspective. Dinosaurs were alive duringthe Mesozoic Era that started more than 245

million years ago, and it lasted for 160 millionyears. This means that the extinction ofdinosaurs was complete 61 million yearsbefore the earliest human fossils, from 4 millionyears ago. John McPhee coined the term“deep time” in 1981 to help people understandthe immensity that is covered in geologic time.It is likely that young students will have diffi-culty understanding the Dinosaur Age. Whatcan be understood is that dinosaur fossils areastonishing tools that excite children to learnabout the past.

245 146 65millions of years ago

Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous

Mesozoic Era




The Cretaceous world (144 – 65 million yearsago) must have been a pretty amazing place.There were lots of different kinds of dinosaurs,including the ones best known today, such asTyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops. Dinosaurslived all over the world, even in the polarregions. There were small birdlike dinosaursand huge, long-necked sauropods. It wasduring the Cretaceous Period that the firstflowering plants appeared, along with treessuch as maples, oaks and walnuts. Whathappened at the end of the Cretaceous — ameteorite striking the earth, erupting volca-noes or changing climates — continues tofascinate people today. This was the lastperiod of the Dinosaur Age. Almost half of allthe dinosaurs known about were alive duringthe Cretaceous Period. They includedIguanodon, Deinonychus, Hypsilophodon,Torosaurus and Saltasaurus. Many of thepresent-day continents were starting to form.The Western Interior Seaway covered themiddle of present-day North America fromAlaska to Mexico, filling the land from theRocky Mountains to western Iowa.

Also alive during the Cretaceous Period weredragonflies and other insects, frogs, turtles,crocodiles, fish and small mammals. Othernon-dinosaurs swam the saltwater oceansand flew through the warm, moist skies.Marine reptiles included giant ichthyosaurs,plesiosaurs, pliosaurs, and mosasaurs thatlived on a diet of fish, squid and shellfish. Inthe air flew other fantastic creatures that werenot dinosaurs. The pterosaurs, or flyingreptiles, were as small as crows or owls andothers were giants. The Quetzalcoatlus flewwith a wingspan more than 12 meters long —bigger than some airplanes. Pterosaur wingsconsisted of a thick layer of skin covering theirfingers and hands. Plant life included ferns,cycads (plants with huge fan-shaped leavessimilar to pineapple plants) and evergreentrees. At the end of the Dinosaur Age broad-

leaved trees such as oaks and floweringplants such as the magnolia began to appear.Common grasses of today were not presentthen. The Cretaceous Period holds the fossilclues to solving the mysteries of the dinosaurs.

Why focus on the Cretaceous Period?

Ammonites are extinct mollusks from theMesozoic Era. Their fossilized shells are foundin great quantities and help to date otherfossils found nearby.

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An impression is left behind when a fossil is removed from the ground.




What is a fossil?The word fossil comes from the Latin “dug up.”Scientists define fossil as preserved evidenceof ancient life. Preserved means that ancientlife has survived in a form recognizable today.Many times but not always, fossils are livingthings that have mineralized or turned tostone. A fossil can also be an imprint of skin, afootprint hardened into rock, the hard parts ofan insect trapped in amber, the thin carbonlayer of a leaf or the actual bones and tissuesof a mammoth. Evidence includes bones,teeth, claws, shells and any hard parts thathave become mineralized. Most scientistsagree that a fossil must be 10,000 years orolder to qualify as ancient life. Many livingthings can become fossils — plants, animals,single cell organisms and bacteria — if theconditions are right.

Often the term dinosaur bone and fossil areused interchangeably. However, no dinosaurbones have survived intact from the MesozoicEra — only fossilized dinosaur bones. Eachbone has gone through a rare process whereactual living tissue has been replaced oraltered by minerals. Most plants and animalsdo not become fossils because they areconsumed as food. Animals eat plants andother animals to live. The process of eatingand digesting the food destroys most chances

for those food items to become fossils.However, some scientists have becomeexperts at learning what clues can be found indinosaur coprolite, or dung. The dinosaurfossils found so far represent only a very smallsampling of life in the Mesozoic Era. Mud andwater play an important role in how livingorganisms become fossilized. Mud and waterare associated with lakes, deltas, floodplainsand shores — all areas that optimize theformation of fossils. Many plants and animalsmay have lived in geographic areas andclimates that rarely support fossil formation.

Some organisms that were alive in theDinosaur Age are still living today. They arecalled living fossils. Examples include croco-diles, turtles, cockroaches, ferns, coelacanths,

horsetail rushes, ginkgos, spiders, dragonfliesand horseshoe crabs. The fossil record is rich inopportunities to learn about the past but muchmore lies buried, waiting to be uncovered. Thishelps to make digging for fossils an ongoingand exciting endeavor for adults and children.

Dinosphere contains many examples ofCretaceous Period plants and animals otherthan dinosaurs. A complete list of exhibitfossils is located in the resource section of thisunit.

Classifying plantsand animalsScientists classify all plants and animals,including dinosaurs, using the binomialsystem created by Swedish naturalist andphysician Carl von Linné (often called CarolusLinnaeus) in the 1750s. The binomial, or two-word, system uses one Latin or Greek word torepresent the genus and the second for thespecies. The system uses the following majordivisions to classify plants and animals:

Kingdom – Phylum – Class – Order –Family – Genus – SpeciesAn easy way to remember the differentgroups is with this phrase:Kids Please Come Over For Great Science!

Dinosphere dinosaurs can be classified withthis system. The complete classification chartis on page 70.

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These pieces will need hours of preparation before the Gorgosaurus skull is ready for Dinosphere.




Suborder Marginocephalia (fringed heads)Family Ceratopsidae (frilled dinosaurs, including horned dinosaurs)Genus Triceratops (three-horned face)Species horridus (horrible — describes the horns)





Stan —Tyrannosaurus rexOne full-size cast replicaskeleton in Dinosphere

BackgroundT. rex lived about 67 million years ago, andonly in the areas currently called the GreatPlains, or the western portions of NorthAmerica (the United States, Mexico andCanada ). The “tyrant lizard king” speciesexisted for a span of 3 million years of Earth’shistory (30 times as long as modernhumans have existed so far). Life was toughat the top of the food chain. Despite its repu-tation as a biting, slashing killer, T. rex livedon the edge. A tasty herd of migrating duck-bills might not show up on time. Without aready supply of food, starvation loomed.There were fights with potential mates orrivals and wounds became infected andrapidly fatal. Disease was also a threat,including osteoarthritis and bone deformi-ties that could make movement painful anddifficult. Families of tyrannosaurs may havehelped each other, however. They mayhave cared for their young and brought foodto them in the nest. As the youngsters grew,they learned how to hunt from adults.Perhaps sleek teenagers served as a diver-sion to drive prey to waiting adults. Evengrown theropods may have bandedtogether to find food. Large duckbills or aTriceratops may have been too big for onecarnivore to take on, but two or more couldwork together to attack and kill prey. T. rexhad other adaptations that helped it to hunteffectively. Forward-facing eyes couldquickly spot and focus on prey. An acutesense of smell located food, while stronglegs moved swiftly to the attack.

Why Stan is significant:CompletenessThe T. rex known as Stan probably has thebest preserved and most complete dinosaurskull yet discovered anywhere in the world.Nearly every fossilized bone of Stan’s skullwas recovered during excavation. In addi-tion, the skull was almost entirely disarticu-lated, meaning that each fossilized bonewas separated from the others.Disarticulation allowed the fossilized bonesto be preserved with little or no distortion orcrushing during millions of years of burial.The disarticulation of the fossilized skullbones also provided scientists a uniqueability to examine each individual specimenas well as to study each one’s connectionand movement in relation to the others.Thus, an entire new body of knowledge hasbeen acquired about the functions andkinetics (motions) of T. rex skulls and also ofother large theropod skulls. Forty-sevenseparate fossilized bones plus 35 loosefossilized teeth were reassembled in thereconstruction of Stan’s skull. Only two smallskull bones from the inside of Stan’s lowerjaw were missing. The study and recon-struction of these skull elements providedclear evidence that T. rex had the largestbrain, the keenest eyesight and sense ofsmell, the strongest teeth and the mostpowerful jaws of any other dinosaur identi-fied to date.

Skull and brainThe brain was long and narrow, with well-developed olfactory bulb(s), optic nervesand auditory nerves. Hence, scientistsbelieve that the T. rex had extremely goodsenses of smell, sight and hearing. The skullwas deep and massive and featured arather short snout. Forward-facing eyesprovided depth perception, which allowedthe T. rex to judge distance while moving.

Teeth and jawsA tyrannosaur’s mouth, teeth and jaws werespecialized for biting and swallowingchunks of prey. More than 50 saw-edgedteeth, some as long as 12 inches, could tearinto flesh like knives. Bulging muscles onthe skull enabled T. rex to twist its head andgulp down whole chunks of meat. And asteeth were shed, new teeth grew to fill thegaps. The jaws were narrow toward thefront but widened out to be broad at thecheeks. The lower jaw was hinged at themidpoint between the jawbone and thechin to increase the size of the bite. The jointbetween the left and right mandibles (lowerjaw) was moveable. Sharp teeth were up to7 inches (18 cm) long, and the largest teethwere shaped like saw-edged steak knives.The worn crowns on Stan’s teeth indicatethat T. rex ate tough, likely fresh, meat ratherthan rotting carcasses (and thus was notjust a scavenger but a hunter). The aging,long roots of older teeth dissolved so thatthey could fall out and be replaced bystronger new teeth. The upper teeth werecurved and very sharp, like huge scalpels.When eating, the T. rex probably moved thelower jaw backward so that the sharp lowerteeth could tear through flesh while theupper teeth held dinner in place.

ArmsThe first complete Tyrannosaurus forearmswere found in 1988; before that discovery,the arms were thought to have beenweaker than they are considered now.Although T. rex arms were no longer thanhuman arms, one single arm was probablystrong enough to lift 400 pounds. Themuscular but short arms may have proppedup the dinosaur’s body as it rose from lyingor crouching to standing. The arms mayalso have been used as grappling hooks tofight and hold other dinosaurs.

Dinosphere Dinosaurs:Stars of the Cretaceous —Dinosaur Background Information




Stan’s pathologiesStan has some interesting pathologies — orhealed injuries — that create a picture ofwhat life was like for such predators. The T.rex has several broken and healed ribs, aswell as a scar that may match the size andshape of a T. rex tooth. At some point, Stanalso suffered a broken neck. As it healed,two vertebrae fused together and a thirdwas immobilized by extra bone growth.Even more spectacular is a hole in the backof the skull. A piece of fossilized bone 2 by5 inches broke off inside the braincase. PeteLarson, of the Black Hills GeologicalInstitute, speculates that the size of the holematches a T. rex tooth. Whatever the imme-diate effect of these injuries, Stan livedthrough them to fight another day. Perhapsdisease or old age finally killed the T. rex. AsStan’s carcass rotted in the sun, scavengerspulled apart much of the skeleton and skull.Spring floods eventually covered the bones,which remained buried for 65 million years.

DiscoveryIn the spring of 1987, amateur paleontologistStan Sacrison was exploring outcrops of theHell Creek Formation near the town ofBuffalo, S.D., when he came across a largedinosaur pelvis weathering out of a sandycliff face 100 feet above the prairie.

Site

Most Tyrannosaurus specimens, includingStan, are from Hell Creek Formation, HardingCounty, S.D.

SizeStan is one of the last, largest and mostpowerful of all predatory dinosaurs. The T.rex is likely to have been the largest carniv-orous land animal (theropod) of any age. Anadult T. rex is about as heavy as anelephant, tall enough to look through asecond-story window and long enough tostretch out across the width of a tennis court(10 to 14 meters from head to tail). Like othertyrannosaurs, Stan was lightweight (4.5 to 7tons) because of hollow bones and largeskull openings.

NameT. rex was described in 1902 by Americanpaleontologist Henry Fairfield Osborn, whonamed it the “dinosaur king.” From then untilthe 1960s, few T. rex skeletons were knownto exist. T. rex anatomy wasn’t well knownuntil new discoveries aided the completionof the whole skeleton form. The discovery oftwo more skeletons, one in Montana in1988 and another (Sue) in 1990, allowed forbetter understanding of the Tyrannosaurusskeleton and anatomy. Since then, throughbooks, movies and comic strips, T. rex hasbecome the most popular, best-recognizeddinosaur of all.

Lifestyle and behaviorT. rex may have hunted alone or in packs. Itmay have followed migrating herds ofherbivorous dinosaurs and targeted the sick,young and weak dinosaurs, and may alsohave ambushed its prey, charging withwide-open jaws at perhaps 20 mph whenan unsuspecting dinosaur came near. The T.rex diet included Triceratops andEdmontosaurus; fossils of these specieshave been found with T. rex bite marks.Although it may have laid eggs, nofossilized Tyrannosaurus eggs have yetbeen found. T. rex grew continuouslythroughout its long life. Because fossilizeddinosaur bones have been found in regionsthat were cold when the dinosaurs werealive, and since birds are the closest rela-tives of dinosaurs (not crocodiles, lizards orsnakes), Tyrannosaurus and other dinosaursmay have been warm-blooded.

Dinosphere linkStan is a cast model of the original in thecollection of the Black Hills Institute.

Dinosphere DinosaurClassificationKingdom — Phylum — Class — Order— Family — Genus — SpeciesKids Please Come Over For Great Science!




Suborder Theropoda (beast-footed)Family Tyrannosauridae (tyrant lizard)

Carnosauria (meat-eating lizard) Genus Tyrannosaurus (tyrant lizard)Species rex (king)

Stan — Tyrannosaurus rex




Tyrannosaurus rex — Stan

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This is how Stan looked just before being moved to Dinosphere.




DrawingTyrannosaurus rex — Stan

A fleshed-out T. rex.

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Bucky —Tyrannosaurus rexOne full-size fossilized boneskeleton in Dinosphere

BackgroundBucky the T. rex is a rare find. This remark-able dinosaur is the first juvenile T. rex everplaced on permanent exhibit in a museum.Twenty-year-old Bucky Derflinger found itin 1998 near the small town of Faith, S.D. Arancher and rodeo cowboy, Derflinger is theyoungest person ever to discover a T. rex.

Why Bucky is significant:Completeness Bucky is thought to be the sixth mostcomplete T. rex (out of more than 40) everdiscovered. Bucky is an important find. It isthe first known T. rex discovered with afurcula (wishbone). The furcula may be animportant link between dinosaurs and birds.

DiscoveryThis dinosaur is also from the Hell CreekFormation, but it is a true teenager, approxi-mately two-thirds the size of an adult. T. rexand other predators are relatively rare finds.On average, one predator is found for every30 or 40 herbivores discovered. Juvenilefinds are even more rare.

SiteThe fossil remains of Bucky were scatteredand difficult to find. So far the excavationsite for this creature is nearly half the size ofa football field, making the Bucky dig sitethe largest known T. rex excavation to date.Bucky is extremely well-preserved and waseasily prepared because the surroundingrock matrix was rather soft and easy toremove. The fully prepared fossils have adark, chocolate-brown patina.

SizeBucky is almost the size of an adult T. rex. Itis approximately 34 feet long and morethan 10 feet tall.

NameT. rex was described in 1902 by Americanpaleontologist Henry Fairfield Osborn, whonamed it the “dinosaur king.” From then untilthe 1960s, only three T. rex skeletons wereknown to exist. T. rex anatomy wasn’t wellknown until new discoveries aided thecompletion of the whole skeleton form. Thediscovery of two more skeletons, one inMontana in 1988 and another (Sue) in1990, allowed for better understanding ofthe Tyrannosaurus skeleton and anatomy.Since then, through books, movies andcomic strips, T. rex has become the mostpopular, best-recognized dinosaur of all.

FossilsTo date, more than 33 percent of Bucky hasbeen uncovered and verified. Bucky has anearly complete set of gastralia (belly ribs)and a rare ulna (lower arm bone). Fossilizedbones include the first furcula (wishbone)and the first bicolor toe ever found. Ancillaryfossil material unearthed from the Buckysite will help scientists tell a more completestory. Materials excavated includeTriceratops, Edmontosaurus, Nanotyrannus,Champosaurus crocodile, turtle, fish, sharkand some plant material. It is interesting tospeculate how all these remains came to bedeposited in the same location. PerhapsBucky died by a river and the remains,along with skeletons from other animals,washed downstream before sand and siltcovered and preserved them.

Dinosphere linkTwo T. rex specimens — one adult and onejuvenile — are displayed in a huntingscenario in Dinosphere. The two haveencountered a Triceratops and are rushing infor the kill. Perhaps the younger T. rex,Bucky, acts as a diversion to keep theTriceratops off-balance. Stan, the adult, iscoming in at the Triceratops from behind.The outcome of the battle is uncertain.Perhaps the two will be successful andenjoy a meal. Perhaps the powerfulTriceratops will gore one or both predators.

Dinosphere DinosaurClassificationKingdom — Phylum — Class — Order— Family — Genus — SpeciesKids Please Come Over For Great Science!




Suborder Theropoda (beast-footed)Family Tyrannosauridae (tyrant lizard)

Carnosauria (meat-eating lizard) Genus Tyrannosaurus (tyrant lizard)Species rex (king)

Bucky — Tyrannosaurus rex




Skeleton DiagramTyrannosaurus rex — Bucky

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Kelsey —Triceratops horridus One full-size fossilized boneskeleton in Dinosphere

BackgroundKelsey the Triceratops is a ceratopsian, or“horned dinosaur,” that lived during the LateCretaceous Period more than 65 million yearsago. Appearances can be deceiving.Triceratops, often depicted as a passive, plant-eating behemoth, was actually one of themost dangerous animals in the Cretaceousworld to a predator such as T. rex. There isdebate about whether Triceratops lived inherds. The skeletons of other ceratopsianshave been found together in large bone-beds,but Triceratops is often found alone.Paleontologist Bob Bakker has speculatedthat they roamed the Cretaceous forests ontheir own and did not migrate. Only when T.rex couldn’t find a herd of duckbills would it tryto attack a large and dangerous prey likeTriceratops. It took a lot of food to feedTriceratops. Since it was herbivorous, it atemany pounds of cycads, ferns and other low-lying plants daily. It may also have used itshorns to knock down small trees and thensnipped the leaves with its parrot-like beak.Scientists know some of the plants thatTriceratops devoured by studying phytoliths— tiny parts of plants that left scratch markson the animals’ teeth or remained betweenteeth even after the animal fossilized. Kelseyhas a short, pointed tail, a bulky body,columnar legs with hooflike claws, and abony neck frill rimmed with bony bumps. Likeother Triceratops, Kelsey has a parrot-likebeak, many cheek teeth and powerful jaws.

Why Kelsey is significant:CompletenessMore than 50 percent of Kelsey’s skeleton hasbeen uncovered, making this specimen one ofthe top three Triceratops skeletons known toscience and perhaps the most complete.Although Triceratops is one of the mostpopular dinosaurs with children, remarkablyfew have been found, and most that havebeen found are fragmentary.

DiscoveryKelsey was found by the Zerbst family inNiobrara County, Wyo., in 1997 and namedafter a young granddaughter. Kelsey wasdiscovered eroding from a hillside on the ranchof Leonard and Arlene Zerbst. To date, theZerbsts and paleontologists from the Black HillsInstitute have excavated more than half ofKelsey’s skeleton. Alongside Kelsey were foundmore than 20 fossilized teeth shedded by apredatory dinosaur, Nanotyrannus, a smallercousin of T. rex. Perhaps Kelsey died of naturalcauses and was scavenged, or perhaps shewas attacked and killed by predators.

SiteTriceratops roamed what is now western NorthAmerica at the very end of the Dinosaur Age.Kelsey was found on the famous Lance Creekfossil bed, where many Late Cretaceousdinosaur fossils have been excavated.

SizeThe sheer bulk and size of Triceratops — up to22 feet long and 9 feet tall and weighing asmuch as 6 tons — commanded attention. Athrust from one of its three sharp horns (thetwo above the eye sockets each measured upto 3 feet long) could be lethal to an attacker.Kelsey has a large skull over 6 feet (2 m) long,one of the largest skulls of any land animalever discovered. The head is nearly one-thirdas long as the body.

NameThis specimen was named after the Zerbsts’granddaughter Kelsey Ann. John Bell Hatcherdescribed the first Triceratops fossils in 1889.Othniel C. Marsh named the specimen “three-horned face.” The name refers to the two largebrow horns and the smaller nose horn of these

animals. This easily recognized dinosaur hasbecome widely popular, particularly amongchildren who have seen movies featuring thebehemoth as a peaceful, plant-eating creature.

FossilsTriceratops skulls are huge — measuring up to7 feet long — and heavy. Kelsey’s is solidfossilized bone, up to two inches thick, fromthe top of the frill to the tip of the beaklikemouth. The skull is also bumpy — or in scien-tific terms, displays rugosity. Some scientistsspeculate that this may be an indication ofolder age. The frill at the top of the skull wasoriginally thought to be crucial for protectingthe neck area. Scientists now think the frillmay have been more important in matingrituals. A flush of blood over the frill might haveattracted females or deterred rival males inshoving matches. Still another explanation forthe frill is heat regulation. As the bodywarmed up, heat escaped from the frill andbody temperature was stabilized. Kelsey’sfossilized bones of interest are the hugecranium, massive femur, mandible teeth andgreat horn.

Dinosphere linkIn Dinosphere, Kelsey charges the adult T.rex, Stan. Bucky, the younger T. rex, circlesaround Kelsey, ready to strike. Though twoagainst one may seem like a mismatch, theoutcome in such a fight would be uncertain.The Triceratops could wound one or both ofthe tyrannosaurs.

Dinosphere DinosaurClassificationKingdom — Phylum — Class — Order —Family — Genus — SpeciesKids Please Come Over For Great Science!




Suborder Marginocephalia (fringed heads)Family Ceratopsidae (frilled dinosaurs, including horned dinosaurs)Genus Triceratops (three-horned face)Species horridus (horrible — describing the horns)





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Skeleton DiagramTriceratops horridus — Kelsey




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Baby Louie —OviraptorOne full-size fossilized boneskeleton in Dinosphere

BackgroundAbout 65 million years ago in what is nowHunan Province, China, a dinosaur egg wasjust about to hatch. Sometime before, themother had probably scooped out a wide,shallow nest, then laid eggs two at a time ina circular pattern in as many as three layers.Finally, she settled down on top of the nest,spreading out to keep it warm and safe frompredators. But something went wrong.Perhaps something scared the mother and thenest was trampled. Maybe a predator tried tosteal the eggs. Scientists who have studiedthe specimen say it looks as if Baby Louiewas stepped on and crushed. However ithappened, slowly rising water probablycovered the eggs. But as silt and sand settledover the nest, Baby Louie’s fossilized bonesremained surprisingly intact. Today, BabyLouie is a “star” dinosaur specimen that scien-tists continue to study. Paleontologist CharlieMagovern wants to look closely at the nestand focus on two other eggs, affectionatelydubbed Huey and Duey. Perhaps improvedscanning technology will help to determine ifthere are little fossilized bones inside thoseeggs as well. Baby Louie is the only knownarticulated dinosaur embryo ever discovered.

Why Baby Louie is significant:CompletenessIt is not always obvious which species ofdinosaur laid a particular egg, even whenfossilized bones are found inside. This isbecause embryonic skeletons are small andfragile, and the skeleton is initially made ofcartilage that does not preserve well beforecalcification occurs. This specimen, however,is remarkably well-preserved and remains inan articulated position. Baby Louie was deli-cately prepared by utilizing a powerful micro-scope and small needles to carefully free itfrom the rock matrix. Several years have beendevoted to preparing this dinosaur specimenfor exhibit.

A unique findBaby Louie is an unusual dinosaur specimenrepresenting an unknown giant species ofOviraptor with some very birdlike characteris-tics. This Late Cretaceous specimen consists ofthe fossilized remains of a small dinosaur in anegg. While most embryonic remains arejumbled piles of fossilized bones, Baby Louieis extremely rare in that the fossilized bonesare intact and well-articulated. Did dinosaursincubate their eggs? Did they raise theiryoung? How were they related to modernbirds? These are questions to which BabyLouie may be able to provide answers.Recently paleontologists identified a fossilizedbone from the skull as part of a lower jaw. Theshape of this fossilized bone — beaklikewithout teeth — is similar to the lower jaw ofthe group of dinosaurs that includes Oviraptor.Some scientists believe this is an extremelylarge new species.

DiscoveryThe amazing discovery of this dinosaurembryo within its nest is beginning to unlockthe mystery of what kind of theropod laid sucheggs. In 1994 Charlie Magovern discoveredthis embryo while working on a large eggblock from China in his preparation laboratory.He named the embryo Baby Louie afterphotographer Louie Psihoyos, whophotographed it for the May 1996 issue ofNational Geographic magazine. Magovernspent years using a stereoscopic microscopeand small needles to free the tiny fossilizedbones from the rock.

SiteBaby Louie was excavated from the ancientrocks of the Shiguo Formation in the HunanProvince of China.

NameIn 1923, the first of these dinosaurs ever foundwas dubbed Oviraptor or “egg robber” becausethe remains were in a nest of eggs mistakenlyidentified as those of another species. It wasproven in 1994 that the eggs were actuallylaid by the dinosaur itself, leading to theassumption that Oviraptor cared for its youngmuch as today’s birds do. What scientistsknow about Baby Louie has changed overtime. At first, Baby Louie was thought to be atherizinosaur embryo. Artist Brian Cooleysculpted a fleshed-out version for the cover ofthe May 1996 National Geographic maga-zine. Later, scientists examining Baby Louiefound telltale signs of an ornithominid. Otherscientists have reviewed the findings and nowbelieve it is an Oviraptor or perhaps a newgenus. The debate continues.

FossilsBaby Louie’s fossilized bones include manythat are crucial to identification, includingcranium, mandible, femur, dorsal vertebra,tibia, cervical vertebra, metatarsal and manusclaw.

Dinosphere linkBaby Louie is displayed in a special case inDinosphere. The exhibit plays an importantrole in the discussion of eggs, nests anddinosaur babies.

Dinosphere Dinosaur ClassificationKingdom — Phylum — Class — Order —Family — Genus — SpeciesKids Please Come Over For Great Science!




Suborder Theropoda (beast-footed)

Family Coelurosauridae (birdlike Therapods)

Genus Oviraptor (egg-robber)

Species unknown at this time

Baby Louie – Oviraptor




FossilOviraptor embryo — Baby Louie

Baby Louie’s skull and other bones are clearly visible. The fossil bones are full size.

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This model of Baby Louie was created by paleo-artist Brian Cooley.

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DrawingOviraptor embryo — Baby Louie

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SculptureOviraptor embryo — Baby Louie

Working from the fossilized bones, artist Gary Staab created this model of what Baby Louie might have looked like as a hatchling.

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MaiasaurapeeblesorumOne full-size fossilized boneskeleton in Dinosphere

BackgroundWhen paleontologist John Horner walked intoa small rock shop in Bynum, Mont., in 1978,he had no idea what he was about to find.The owners, the Brandvolds, showed Horner acoffee can full of little fossilized bones. Hornersaw at once that they were fossilized babydinosaur bones and asked where they werefound. The Brandvolds showed him the site,which was later dubbed “Egg Mountain” forthe hundreds of eggs and nests excavatedover many seasons. The Brandvolds, it turnsout, had discovered a new species of dinosaur,which Horner named Maiasaura, meaning“good-mother lizard.” Horner speculated thatthese dinosaurs cared for their young. Hestudied baby Maiasaura skeletons andsurmised from their soft fossilized bones thatthey couldn’t walk just after hatching. Heguessed that they probably stayed for about amonth in the nest and depended on the adultsto bring them food. Bits of fossilized eggshellwere also found, indicating hatchlings stayedlong enough to trample their shells. Thoughmore recent research has challenged Horner’shypothesis, the “good-mother lizard” monikerhas stuck. Like the hypacrosaurs, Maiasaurawere duck-billed hadrosaurs. They probablyhad to eat many pounds of leaves, berries,seeds and woody plants each day to survive.Maiasaura had a toothless beak for snippingplants and hundreds of specialized teeth forchewing and grinding. Teeth were frequentlyworn down by all the chewing, but for eachfunctioning tooth up to four or five weregrowing and ready to replace it. Maiasaurshad to eat almost constantly to get enoughfood to maintain their weight. And becausethey traveled in large herds for protection(perhaps up to 10,000 in number), theymigrated in search of new food supplies.

DiscoveryThe Dinosphere Maiasaura is a compositeskeleton, meaning it is made up of thefossilized bones of several individualdinosaurs. The fossils come from the TwoMedicine Formation in Teton County, Mont.Cliff and Sandy Linster and their seven chil-dren — Brenda, Cliph, Bob, Wes, Matt, Luke

and Megan — discovered a rich fossil site thatholds the fossilized bones of many maiasaurs.For many years they have spent their summervacations excavating dinosaurs at the site.

SiteThe first Maiasaura fossils consisted of a 75-million-year-old nesting colony found in thebadlands of Montana by John Horner andRobert Makela in 1978. The colony containedeggs, babies and adults. The number of spec-imens found gave rise to the belief in parentalcare and also to the theory that maiasaurswere social, with females nesting and living inlarge herds. Also found at the Linsters’ dig sitewere the remains of a large meat-eatinggorgosaur and several small bambiraptors.These creatures likely fed upon the maiasaurs.

NamePaleontologist John Horner named Maiasaura“good-mother lizard” because he believed thatthese dinosaurs took care of their offspringwell after they hatched.

SizeMaiasaurs were large — up to 30 feet long, 12to 15 feet tall and weighing roughly 3 to 4tons. They walked on all fours, although theycould also stand on two legs for feeding. Theirhands had four fingers and their feet wereshaped like hooves. They also had a long, stifftails that helped with balance.

Dinosphere linkMeat-eating dinosaurs such as Gorgosaurusprobably preyed on the maiasaur herds. InDinosphere a maiasaur lies on the groundwith a gorgosaur standing above it. Visitors arechallenged to look for clues and solve thiswhodunit. Did the maiasaur die from naturalcauses or did the gorgosaur kill it?

Dinosphere Dinosaur ClassificationKingdom — Phylum — Class — Order— Family — Genus — SpeciesKids Please Come Over For Great Science!



Subclass Dinosauria (extinct reptiles, “terrible lizards”)Order Ornithischia (bird-hipped)

Suborder Ornithopoda (bird-footed)Family Hadrosauridae (bulky lizard)Genus Maiasaura (good-mother lizard)Species peeblesorum (named after the Peebles family, who once owned the badlands)

Duckbill — Maiasaura peeblesorum




Suborder Ornithopoda (bird-footed)Family Hadrosauridae (bulky lizard)Genus Edmontosaurus (Edmonton lizard)Species annectens (from or connected to)

Duckbill — Edmontosaurus annectens




Skeleton DiagramMaiasaura peeblesorum

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GorgosaurusOne full-size fossilized boneskeleton in Dinosphere

BackgroundWhen people see an illustration ofGorgosaurus they almost always think of itspopular cousin, Tyrannosaurus rex. There aremany similarities. Both were fierce carnivoreswith dozens of sharp teeth designed for bitingand swallowing prey. They were bipeds withsmall muscular arms and a long tail thatbalanced the body. Eyes on the front of theskull and a highly developed sense of smellwere important adaptations for hunting prey.There are a few differences between the two,however. First, they were not contempo-raries. Gorgosaurus lived about 74 to 80million years ago, several million yearsbefore the oldest known T. rex. Second,Gorgosaurus had a bony plate (rugoselacrimal) over its eyes. Then there’s the differ-ence in size. Gorgosaurus was about 25 feetlong, slightly smaller than T. rex.

Why the Gorgosaurus is significantCompleteness There have been only 20 Gorgosaurus speci-mens ever found, and this one is the mostcomplete. One of the most valuable aspects ofits discovery is a thin, V-shaped fossilizedfurcula, a bone commonly found in birds andoften referred to as a wishbone. Long consid-ered a characteristic only of birds, thisevidence helps to bolster the claim that birdsand dinosaurs are related. Further, almost all ofthe fossilized teeth are intact and still attachedto the jawbone. The body is 75 percentcomplete.

DiscoveryCliff and Sandy Linster found this gorgosaur in1997 in Teton County, Mont. It is an interestingand significant find. The furcula (wishbone)may help bolster the claim that birds anddinosaurs are related. There are interestingpathologies in the skeleton. Preparators havefound major injuries in the left femur, a mostlyhealed compound fracture of the right fibula,and some fused vertebrae at the base of thetail. Scientists surmise that this gorgosaurwalked with pain and probably had help fromothers in its pack to survive.

SiteGorgosaurus finds are rare, more so than T. rex.Gorgosaurus specimens have been discoveredonly in North America, excavated at sites inMontana, New Mexico and Alberta, Canada.

SizeAn adult Gorgosaurus measures approxi-mately 25 feet in length and 10 feet high atthe hip. Gorgosaurus is smaller than T. rex anda more slender, fierce fleet-footed hunter,capable of pursuing prey at speeds in excessof 20 mph. It has a strong, muscular neck andmore than sixty 4- to 5-inch-long serratedteeth. The teeth are not well suited tochewing, so Gorgosaurus may have swal-lowed large chunks of flesh whole. It haspowerful legs, three-toed feet with sharpclaws, and longer arms than T. rex.

NameLawrence Lambe, who named it “fearsomelizard,” first described Gorgosaurus in 1914. Itwas dubbed Gorgosaurus in reference to itsenormous mouth and teeth. Later, scientistssuggested it was a smaller form ofAlbertosaurus and took away its distinction asa separate species. In 1992, Phil Currie arguedthat Gorgosaurus was distinct fromAlbertosaurus and the terminology wasrestored.

New species The well-preserved fossilized breastbone,extraordinary curved hand claws and rugoselacrimal (eyebrow bone) suggest it is aspecies previously unknown to science.Paleontologists, including Robert Bakker andPhil Currie, are currently studying the find.

FossilsThe fossilized bones are rare and complete.Fossilized bones of interest include a fibulawith a stress fracture, and healed caudal andscapula fractures. Preparators working on theskull also found interesting features that wereidentified as vestibular bulae, very delicatestructures in the nasal passages that areunusually well preserved. The find may shednew light on dinosaur physiology.

Dinosphere linkFound with the gorgosaur were the remains ofa maiasaur and two Bambiraptor specimens.Perhaps the gorgosaur was feasting on themaiasaur while the raptors waited for theirturn. Visitors to Dinosphere are challenged todecide whether the maiasaur was killed orscavenged.

Dinosphere Dinosaur ClassificationKingdom — Phylum — Class — Order— Family — Genus — SpeciesKids Please Come Over For Great Science!

Kingdom Animalia (animals)

Phylum Chordata (animals with spinal nerve cords)

Subphylum Vertebrata (chordates with backbones)

Class Archosauria (“ruling reptiles”)

Subclass Dinosauria (extinct reptiles, “terrible lizards”)

Order Saurischia (lizard-hipped)


Family Tyrannosauridae (tyrant dinosaurs)

Carnosauria (meat-eating lizards)

Genus Gorgosaurus (fearsome lizard)

Species (not named to date)

Gorgosaurus




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Frannie —PrenoceratopspieganensisOne full-size fossilized boneskeleton and one cast modelskeleton in Dinosphere

BackgroundThere’s something mysterious aboutPrenoceratops. It doesn’t seem to belong to theusual cast of Cretaceous creatures. Scientificanalyses of the bones of our dinosaur revealthat it is in fact not a Leptoceratops but acompletely new type of dinosaur — aPrenoceratops. Differences in the bones of theskull are significant enough to give this animala new genus and species name. It does,however, remain in the same family asLeptoceratops and other “primitive” membersof the dinosaur group that includes Triceratopsand other horned dinosaurs (these “primitive”members of this group are called basal neocer-atopsians). This is roughly the same relation-ship that dogs and foxes have. Phil Currieexplains that at the end of the Mesozoic Era,most dinosaurs were specialists. That is, theyhad adapted and evolved in special ways tomeet the challenges of a changing environ-ment. Prenoceratops, however, was a gener-alist. It was around for a very long time ingeological history and did not seem to developunique adaptations. Perhaps it survived on thefringes of the forest or in the uplands wherethere was less competition for food from fewerpredators. Prenoceratops is a small, primitivemember of the ceratopsian family. Unlike itslarger cousin Triceratops, the diminutivePrenoceratops is a rare occurrence in the fossilrecord.

Why Frannie is significant:CompletenessThis specimen is a fully adult Prenoceratopsthat contains about 60 percent originalfossilized bone. Paleontologists at theMuseum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Mont.,assert that this dinosaur represents an entirelynew genus. Prenoceratops is a primitivecousin of another Dinosphere specimen —Kelsey the Triceratops. Prenoceratops,however, had only a small frill and no horns. Itmeasured approximately 6 feet long andweighed 120 to 150 pounds. About 3 feet tall,Prenoceratops probably walked on four feetbut may have had the ability to stand on two

for feeding. Its slender build indicates that itcould move quickly. Like Triceratops,Prenoceratops had the characteristic parrotbeak that helped snip and grind plants.Scientists point out, however, thatPrenoceratops teeth were different from thoseof other ceratopsians, being broader ratherthan long. Prenoceratops had only two teethin each position, compared to the batteries ofteeth found in other herbivores. And eachtooth had only a single root, compared toceratopsians’ double root. Paleontologists arenot sure if Prenoceratops was a solitary orherding animal. It is related to Leptoceratops,and only a few of these creatures have beenfound in the fossil record, so it is possible thatit roamed by itself or in very small herds. In1999, fossils of six Leptoceratops sub-adultswere found in a bone bed in the Two MedicineFormation, perhaps lending credence to theidea that Prenoceratops lived in small groups.

DiscoveryDorothy and Leo Flammand found thisPrenoceratops in Pondera County, Montana,in the summer of 1995. About 60 percent ofthe skeleton is actual fossilized bone. Usingthe matrix as a dating tool, it is estimated thatthe age of the fossil is between 65 and 74million years old.

SiteThe Flammands found this dinosaur amongthe rocks of the Two Medicine Formation,which dates back to the Maastrichtian Stageof the Late Cretaceous Period, 74 to 83 millionyears ago.

SizeThis animal is a Protoceratopsian dinosaur, aprimitive member of the ceratopsian familythat weighed less than 150 pounds, stood atless than 3 feet tall on all fours and was lessthan 6 feet long.

NameThis new genus of ceratops has been namedPrenoceratops and this dinosaur was giventhe species name pieganensis. The genusname means “sloping horn-face” and thespecies name is the name of the tribe ofBlackfeet Indians that live on the reservationwhere the specimen was found.

FossilsFossilized bones of interest include thecranium, which is the hallmark of the species,unique teeth, phalanges for digging and anunusual scapula.

Dinosphere linkIn Dinosphere, the Prenoceratops watches forpredators and feeds on low-lying plants near agroup of hypacrosaurs at a small wateringhole. This scene shows something aboutdinosaur diversity: Not all dinosaurs were largeor carnivorous. Some, like Prenoceratops,were small creatures that spent most of theirtime hiding or feeding.





Suborder Marginocephalia (fringed heads)Family Ceratopsidae (frilled dinosaurs)Genus Prenoceratops (slender- horned face)Species pieganensis (after the Blackfeet Indian tribe who lived in the area

where it was found)

Frannie — Prenoceratops pieganensis




Skeleton PhotosPrenoceratops pieganensis — Frannie

Prenoceratops is a small, primitive member of the Ceratopsidae family.

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DrawingPrenoceratops pieganensis — Frannie

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HypacrosaurusstebingeriOne full-size adult fossilized boneskeleton, one full-size juvenilefossilized bone skeleton, one full-size baby fossilized bone skeletonand one full-size baby cast modelskeleton in Dinosphere.

BackgroundHypacrosaurus is a large, plant-eatingdinosaur that roamed the earth towards theend of the Cretaceous Period. This creature iscommonly known as one of the hadrosaurs,or “duckbill dinosaurs.” While some dinosaursare rare in the fossil record, Hypacrosaurus isabundant. Some scientists liken duckbills tolarge herds of bison that once roamed theplains of North America. Barnum Browndescribed the first specimen in 1913 and notedits prominent nasal crest. The ancient remainsof these three specimens provide a uniqueopportunity to show dinosaur familydynamics.

Why the hypacrosaurs aresignificant:CompletenessThe largest is a composite skeleton of an adulthypacrosaur containing 75 percent fossilizedbones. The juvenile skeleton is a compositecontaining 70 percent fossilized bones. Theinfant specimen contains 35 percent originalfossilized bones.

DiscoveryHypacrosaurus is well-represented in the fossilrecord and thus is one of the best knowndinosaurs in the world, with specimens inseveral museums. Because they required somuch food to survive, it is likely that herdsmigrated to find a constant food supply. Therewas also safety in numbers, as carnivoreswere less likely to attack a herd of large,healthy adults. But traveling in numbers hadits dangers. If a herd tried to cross a floodedriver, hundreds could drown. That is one expla-nation for what might have happened to theDinosphere specimens, which were found infossilized bone beds containing parts of indi-vidual hypacrosaurs.

SiteThe fossilized bones of these hypacrosaurswere discovered in 1990 in the rocks of theTwo Medicine Formation in northernmostMontana, and were excavated over a period offive years.

SizeHypacrosaurus was a big animal, averaging30 feet long and 15 feet tall. To maintain itssize, it had to eat as much as 60 pounds ofplant material per day. Rows and rows ofteeth on either side of its jaws sliced toughfibers. Like other duckbill dinosaurs,Hypacrosaurus had a long snout and a beakthat helped it shred plants. It likely stayed inthe forests, snipping plants and leaves up to 6feet off the ground. It had strong back legs thatsupported its weight. Some scientists specu-late that it could also balance on its hind legsto reach leaves in tall trees. Its front legs wereshorter, but three of its four fingers werewrapped in a “mitten,” making it easier towalk. A long, thick tail helped the animal keepits balance. Scientists estimate it could travelup to 12 miles per hour in a hurry but that itusually walked on all fours at a much moreleisurely pace.

NameHypacrosaurus means “almost the highestlizard,” which refers to the height of the creston its head.

Unique features Like many duckbill dinosaurs theHypacrosaurus has an expanded nasal creston its head that may have been used as aresonating chamber for communicating.Oddly enough only the adults had crests,leading paleontologists to theorize that thejuveniles would have made much differentsounds. Some scientists believe the crest mayhave been used as a display or signal to otherhypacrosaurs, possibly in mating rituals.These animals are thought to have formedlarge herds, established migratory patternsand created nesting sites. It is possible thatadult female hypacrosaurs traveled to nestingcolonies in a sandy site, where they could

scoop shallow impressions to hold up to 20eggs. The eggs might have been covered bysand and plant material to keep them warmduring incubation because the mothers werefar too large to sit on the nest. After hatchingfrom the cantaloupe-size eggs, babies meas-ured about 24 inches long. Scientists debatewhether the adults cared for the babies or leftthem to fend for themselves. Since they grewso quickly, young hypacrosaurs would haveneeded a supply of protein. Perhaps they ateinsects in addition to plants. It is unclear howsoon they may have joined the herd. Tinyyoung dinosaurs were apt to be trampled, sothey may have banded together until theywere big enough to travel.

FossilsFossilized bones of interest include thecranium and expanded nasal crest that mayhave aided in production of sound, a uniquedental battery, dorsal and caudal vertebrae,chevron, femur, humerus, pes claw andmanus claw.

Dinosphere linkIn the Dinosphere story line, the fourhypacrosaurs have separated from the herd tocome to a watering hole. The adult is nervousand can smell a predator. While the juvenilesdrink, the baby is chasing a dragonfly,perhaps looking for a quick snack. Dangerlurks nearby, both in the water and on theland; the mother is alert and ready to protecther young. Displaying the four together affordsthe opportunity to talk about dinosaur families,herding and migration.





Suborder Ornithopoda (bird-footed)Family Hadrosauridae (bulky lizard)Genus Hypacrosaurus (almost the highest lizard)Species stebingeri (after Eugene Stebinger, who found the first specimens)

Duckbill — Hypacrosaurus stebingeri




Skeleton DiagramHypacrosaurus stebingeri

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The hypacrosaur is a large plant-eating duckbill that roamed the earthtoward the end of the Dinosaur Age.

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BambiraptorfeinbergiTwo full-size juvenile castmodel skeletons in Dinosphere

BackgroundBambiraptor lived about 74 to 80 million yearsago, several million years before the oldestknown T. rex. A carnivore, it lived and diedwith Gorgosaurus and Maiasaura.

Why Bambiraptor is significant:Bambiraptor is significant because it is themost birdlike of all the raptor dinosaurs found.It is not known if they actually flew, but thewell-preserved fossilized bones show strongrelationship to birds. This small raptor is impor-tant in establishing the link between dinosaursand birds. Only one skeleton has been found.

CompletenessThe specimen is in excellent condition.Dinosphere features two cast models of theoriginal.

DiscoveryWes Linster, son of Cliff and Sandy Linster,found the first teeth-filled jawbone ofBambiraptor.

SiteThe specimen was found in 1993 at the Linsterfamily site in Teton County, Mont.

SizeBambiraptor was about 3 feet long andweighed about 7 pounds. Its 5-inch skull isabout the size of a light bulb.

NameBambiraptor was named for its size.Bambiraptor feinbergi was named in honor ofMichael and Ann Feinberg, who helped toensure these fossils would be in the publicdomain for all to enjoy.

FossilsThe original is an almost perfect specimensimilar to Archaeopteryx, especially thefurcula (wishbone) and semi-lunate (wrist)bone. Some scientists believe Bambiraptorhas the largest relative brain size of anyknown dinosaur.

Dinosphere linkFound with the Bambiraptor specimens werethe remains of a maiasaur and a gorgosaur.Perhaps the raptors were trying to scavengesome of the maiasaur that the gorgosaur waseating. They would need to be quick to getfood away from a gorgosaur. Visitors toDinosphere are challenged to decidewhether the maiasaur was killed or scav-enged.





Class Archosauria (“ruling reptiles”)

Subclass Dinosauria (extinct reptiles, “terrible lizards”)

Order Saurischia (lizard-hipped)


Family Coelurosauridae (very advanced meat-eaters)

Genus Bambiraptor (baby raptor)

Species feinbergi (in honor of Michael and Ann Feinberg)

Bambiraptor feinbergi




PhotographBambiraptor feinbergi

Bambiraptor feinbergi is a small birdlike dinosaur with a very large brain case.

Scale: 1 cm = 5 cm

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Didelphodon voraxTwo full-size sculpted models inDinosphere

If you have seen an opossum, you know whatDidelphodon might have looked like. Thoughno one has found anything more than a fewpieces of a Didelphodon — fossilized teeth,jaw and skull fragments — scientists havespeculated that it resembled today’s opossumin shape and size. In fact, the genus name,Didelphodon, means “opossum tooth.”

Barry Brown was searching for fossils in 2001in Harding County, S. D., when he spotted asmall area of eroding rock that was filled with

“micro material” — tiny fossilized bones, teethand claws from mammals, fish, amphibians,reptiles and dinosaurs. Finding a canine toothstill imbedded in the jaw was significantbecause previously fossil hunters had seenonly loose fossilized teeth. The Didelphodonjaw helps scientists determine the size, posi-tion and number of the animal’s other teeth,and serves as a useful comparison tool whenstudying other early mammals.

Despite its small size, Didelphodon wasamong the largest mammals in the world 65million years ago. Dinosaurs ruled the landand mammals were an easy target for thegiant carnivores. Didelphodon likely burrowedinto the ground and slept during the day for

protection. At night, it relied on its keen senseof smell and good vision to find insects, smallreptiles, amphibians, other mammals anddinosaur eggs. Its teeth were especially well-suited for crushing, so it could probably feaston clams, snails and baby turtles as well.

Like today’s kangaroos and koalas,Didelphodon was a marsupial that probablycarried its young in a pouch. Though marsu-pials are found today primarily in Australia andSouth America, Didelphodon fossils havebeen found only in North America. InDinosphere, the Didelphodon jaw will beexhibited near the two tyrannosaurs and theTriceratops. Visitors can easily imagine what itwould have been like to hide in a burrowwhile big dinosaurs battled nearby.

Dinosphere ClassificationKingdom — Phylum — Class — Order —Family — Genus — SpeciesKids Please Come Over For Great Science!




Class Mammalia (mammals)

Subclass Theria (advanced mammals)

Infraclass Metatheria (pouched animals)

Order Marsupialia

Suborder Didelphimorphia (opossums)

Family Didelphidae

Genus Didelphodon (opossum tooth)

Species vorax

Didelphodon Vorax

These two Didelphondon models are based upon small fossilized teeth and jaw bone.

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Dig Site (Excavation) Map — Kelsey, Triceratops horridus

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‘Kelsey Ann’Triceratops Dig

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Zerbst Ranch, W yomingLance Creek Formation

KelseyTriceratops Dig

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Zersbt Ranch, WyomingLance Creek Formation

Copyright © 2004Black Hills Institute ofGeological Research, Inc.

7 feet2.1 meters

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Saurischia — lizard-hipped

Saurpoda — lizard-footed

*BarosaurusCamarasaurus

*DiplodocusAragosaurus

*SaltasaurusPatagosaurus

Therapoda — beast-footed

Allosaurus

*Oviraptor (Baby Louie)Ceratosaurus

*Gorgosaurus Troodon

*Tyrannosaurus rex (Stan, Bucky)

*Bambiraptor feinbergi

Ornithischia — bird-hipped

Ornithischia — bird-hipped

Ornithopoda — bird-footed

Camptosaurus

Corythosaurus

*Edmontosaurus annectensHeterodontosaurs

*Maiasaura peeblesorumProsaurolophus

*Hypacrosaurus stebingeri

Stegosauria — roofed or plated reptiles

Stegosaurus

Kentrosaurus

Ankylosauria — armored reptiles

Ankylosaurus

Hylaeosaurus

Ceratopsia — horn-faced

Protoceratops

*Prenoceratops pieganensis (Frannie)Brachyceratops

*Triceratops horridus (Kelsey)

Pachycephalosauria — thick-headed reptiles

Pachycephalosaurus

Ornithopoda Thyreophora M

arginocephalia

Saurapod Therapod

*Dinosaur fossil bones in Dinosphere

Dinosphere Dinosaur Classification Chart




Dinosphere Floor Plan




Enduring ideaFossils are clues that help us learn aboutdinosaurs.

Secondary messagesFossils show that life could be dangerous andshort at the top of the food chain. Fossilsshow that some dinosaurs lived in familygroups.

Tertiary messagesDinosaurs fought for food, mates and terri-tory. Disease and wounds were constantthreats. Some dinosaurs helped each other.

Story lineWhat was it like to be a top predator? Fossilsshow that life could be dangerous and shortat the top of the food chain. Fossilized T. rexbones display numerous injuries. Bycomparing tyrannosaurs to modern-daypredators, scientists surmise that they werenot always successful in catching prey. Andwhen they were not hunting, dinosaurs werefighting each other for food, mates andterritory.

In this scene two hungry tyrannosaurs, anadult and a juvenile, are stalking aTriceratops. Two against one seems like unfa-vorable odds, but the Triceratops is nopushover. It boasts three sharp horns that caninflict fatal wounds on either predator.Suddenly, the Triceratops charges the adult T.

rex, aiming for the torso. The younger T. rexquickly lunges for the Triceratops. Maybe it isa foolish move. It risks being crushed under-foot or impaled. Who will win? Who will lose?Or will this encounter end in a stalemate?

The noise and movement have terrorized twoopossum-size didelphodons hiding inside anearby burrow. They are nocturnal animalsand this afternoon skirmish has interruptedtheir nap. Because they could be trampled,they stay hidden, hoping the predators willbe chased away.

Prey are not always easy to catch, so thetwo tyrannosaurs may go days or weekswithout eating anything. In the meantime,they often fight with other tyrannosaurs overmates or territory. Broken bones, bites andclaw marks are common injuries for theseanimals, while starvation always looms. It isnot an easy life for a top predator like T. rex.

Tyrannosaurus rex Attack Scene — What willbe the outcome?

The horns, claws, teeth and armor on these dinosaurs make the outcome undecided. Studyingthe fossils can reveal clues about how the fight might end.

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Dinosphere Scenes




Dinosphere Tyrannosaurus rex Attack SceneMichael Skrepnick Mural SketchWhat will be the outcome?

Paleo-artist Michael Skrepnick’s “T. rex Attack” scene is based upon the most current research and findings about how dinosaurs interacted.

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Secondary messageFossils show that some dinosaurs lived infamily groups.

Tertiary messagesSome dinosaurs lived in herds and migrated tofind food. Some dinosaurs helped each other.Some dinosaurs took care of their hatchlings.

Story lineHow did dinosaurs interact with one another?The fossils featured in Dinosphere indicatethat some dinosaurs lived in family groups.Fossilized bones of big and little dinosaurs arefound together in fossil beds. Trackways showthat some dinosaurs traveled together in herdsfor protection or to find food.

In this scene it is early morning in theCretaceous world and creatures are gatheredat a watering hole — a dangerous place formost animals. Adult and juvenile duckbilldinosaurs are thirsty. They have separatedfrom the herd to find water. Nearby, two babydinosaurs playfully chase a dragonfly. Do youthink these dinosaurs are strangers? Or could

they be a family, traveling together to staysafe and find food?

There is a crunching noise in some low-lyingbushes by the water. One Prenoceratops snipsand swallows leaves and twigs, while anotherslowly backs into a shallow hole to watch forpredators.

In the murky water, garfish and frogs dart,wriggle and squirm. On a nearby rock, a turtlestretches out in the hot sun, while insects buzzoverhead.

The Watering Hole Scene: Hypacrosaurus,Prenoceratops — Is this a family?

Dinosphere Watering Hole Scene

A family of hypacrosaurs pause for a drink of water, but predators lurk nearby.

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Dinosphere Watering Hole Scene

Paleo-artist Michael Skrepnick’s “Watering Hole” scene is based on the most current research about dinosaur habits and interactions.

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Secondary messagesFossils show that life could be dangerous andshort at the top of the food chain. Paleon-tologists find and prepare fossils and studythem for clues about ancient life.

Tertiary messagesDinosaurs fought for food, mates and territory.Disease and wounds were constant threats.Some dinosaurs lived in herds and migrated tofind food. Today’s birds may be descendants ofthe dinosaurs.

Story linePaleontologists find and prepare fossils andstudy them for clues about ancient life. TheLinsters, a family of amateur paleontologists,found and dug up a gorgosaur, a maiasaurand two Bambiraptor specimens at one site inMontana. Other paleontologists prepared andstudied these fossils in the laboratory usingspecial technology. They have noted someunique characteristics of the gorgosaur andrecognized similarities between Bambiraptorand today’s birds.

In this scene, scavengers gather silently at akill site as the sun sets and a full moon rises.They watch and wait as a gorgosaur eats itsfill of a maiasaur carcass. Is the gorgosaur akiller or a scavenger? It is a fast and agilerunner. Perhaps it chased and outran the

duckbill, then attacked when it separated fromthe herd. Or the maiasaur may have died fromsickness or old age and the gorgosaur tookadvantage of a ready meal.

Feathered, birdlike Bambiraptor sit nearby,watching and waiting for the gorgosaur toleave. One slinks in to snatch a piece of thecarcass. This is risky business, since thegorgosaur is within striking distance. Thegorgosaur snarls and snaps at the intruders. Ameal this big doesn’t come along everyday.The gorgosaur will make the scavengers waita while longer.

Predator or Scavenger Scene: Was it an attack ora scavenger opportunity?

Dinosphere Predator or Scavenger Scene

Predator or Scavenger? A close examination of these fossils may help determine if the gorgosaur killed or scavenged the maiasaur.

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Paleo-artist Michael Skrepnick’s “Predator or Scavenger” scene depicts the question posed inDinosphere: Did the gorgosaur kill the duckbill, or is it just a scavenger with an opportune find?

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Dinosphere Predator or Scavenger SceneExhibit PerspectiveWas it an attack or a scavenger opportunity?




Enduring IdeaFossils are clues that help us learn aboutdinosaurs.

Dinosaur EggsHow did dinosaurs interact with one another?Fossils show that some dinosaurs lived infamily groups. Dinosaurs mated and laid eggsof different shapes and sizes. Some laid theireggs and left them. Others took care of theirhatchlings. Paleontologists have found manydinosaur nests and eggs, and some fossilbones of female dinosaurs have been foundon top of nests. Telltale clues in the fossilizedbones of hatchlings suggest that some babydinosaurs were cared for over a period of time.

Despite careful study of an extraordinary fossilfrom China, scientists aren’t sure whathappened to the little dinosaur dubbed BabyLouie. Some speculate that the dinosaur diedwhile hatching, while others believe it died stillin the egg.

Dinosphere AreaDinosaur Eggs, Nests and Babies Area — Oviraptor

Fossilized eggs contain clues that help us learn more about dinosaurs.

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Skeleton Tyrannosaurus rex

Skeleton Triceratops horridus

Skeleton Gorgosaurus

Skeleton Maiasaura peeblesorum

Skeleton Prenoceratops pieganensis

Skeleton Hypacrosaurus stebingeri

Skeleton Oviraptor sp.

Skeleton Cast Bambiraptor feinbergi

Furcula Tyrannosaurus rex

Mandible Tyrannosaurus rex

Tooth Tyrannosaurus rex

Horn Core Triceratops

Teeth Triceratops

Femur Triceratops horridus

Mandible Triceratops

Arm Gorgosaurus

Skull and mandible Monoclonius

Skeleton Protoceratops andrewsi

Scute Ankylosaurus

Skull and mandible Ankylosaurus

Skull and mandible Camarasaurus

Skull and mandible Duckbill

Skin cast Edmontosaurus annectens

Teeth Edmontosaurus annectens

Eggshell Saltasaurus

Egg Oviraptor

Egg Hypselosaurus priscus

Jaw Didelphodon

Dragonfly Cordulagomphus tuberculatus

Dragonfly Aeschnidum cancellosa

Dragonfly Aeschnidum cancellosa

Dragonfly Larva Dragonfly

Dragonfly Larva Dragonfly

Pinecones Sequoia dakotensis

Ammonite Desmoceras sp.

Ammonite Scaphite

Ammonite Lemuroceras sitampikyense

Crab Grapsoideus

Baculite Baculite

Guitarfish Rhombopterygia rajoides

Coprolite Coprolites

Gastrolith Gastrolith

Bronze egg Troodon

Bronze egg Therizinosaur

Bronze egg Tyrannosaurus rex

Bronze egg Hadrosaur

Bronze egg Titanosaur

Bronze egg Sauropod

Egg fragments Titanosaur

Egg fragments Oviraptor

Raptor embryo and nest Unidentified

Gorgosaur skull & mandible Gorgosaurus

Water bug Hemiptera

Camarasaur egg Camarasaur

Hadrosaur egg Hadrosaur

Copal with inclusions Agathis australis and others

Ammonite Rhondiceras sp.

Ammonite in nodule Promicroceras planicosta

Jurassic ammonite Dactylioceras sp.

Archaeopteryx Archaeopteryx

Allosaurus hand Allosaurus fragilis

Amber Agathis australis and others

Pinecone fossil Araucaria mirabilis

Dinosaur track Anchisauripus sp.

Seed fern Alethopteris grandini

Liaoning leaf Cladus sp.

Foot Apatosaurus louisae

Fossil wood Cycadales

Ginkgo leaf Ginkgoites sibirica

Grallator trackway Ichnogenus grallator

Triassic petrified wood Araucaria sp.

Triassic petrified wood Araucaria sp.

Jurassic horseshoe crab Mesolimulus walchi

Keichousaurus Keichousaurus yuananensis

Anomoza leaf Anomoazmites inconstans

Rhamphorhynchus Rhamphorhynchus gemmingi

Pinecone fossil Araucaria mirabilis

Petrified wood Araucaria mirabilis

Jurassic shrimp Aeger tipularis

Sycamore leaf Ficus sycomorus

Trilobites Dalmanites limulurus

Apatasaurus vertebra Apatasaurus

Dinosphere Fossil List

Fossil Exhibit Fossil Exhibit

In addition to the reconstructed dinosaurs described in this unit, Dinosphere contains numerousindividual fossils that indicate the diverse plant and animal life of the Cretaceous Period.




Important Dates in Dinosaur Discovery

600 B.C. Central Asian traders bring stories of griffins, based on the fossil record of Protoceratops, to the ancient Greeks.

300 A.D. Chinese scholars record the presence of “dragon bones.”

1677 Robert Plot illustrates a thighbone, possibly of Megalosaurus.

1824 William Buckland names Megalosaurus, the first dinosaur to bescientifically described.

1825 Gideon Mantell and his wife find a dinosaur tooth and name the genus Iguanodon.

1842 Richard Owen coins the term dinosauria.

1850 – 1851 Models of Iguanodon, Megalosaurus and Hylaeosaurus, made by Waterhouse Hawkins, are displayed in the Great Exhibit at the Crystal Palace in London.

1856 The first dinosaur remains from the United States are described.

1867 Thomas Henry Huxley is the first scientist to suggest that birds are the direct descendants of dinosaurs.

1877 – 1895 “The Bone Wars,” a fierce scientific rivalry between Othniel C. Marshand Edward D. Cope, sparks the discovery of hundreds of new dinosaur specimens in the American West.

1878 Miners discover dozens of Iguanodon skeletons at Bernissart, Belgium.

1920s A series of expeditions, led by Roy Chapman Andrews of the American Museum of Natural History, to Mongolia’s Gobi desert results in the first discovery of dinosaur eggs and of many new types of dinosaurs.

1930s The Chinese scientist C.C. Young begins a series of expeditions to excavate dinosaurs in China.

1969 John Ostrom, of Yale University, publishes a description of Deinonychus, beginning a revolution in the way scientists and the public perceive dinosaurs.

1970–present Increasing evidence suggests that dinosaurs are indeed theancestors of birds. Continued study of specimens shows that dinosaurs were active, complex animals.

Sources:National Geographic Dinosaurs, by Paul Barrett (National Geographic Books, 2001).Tyrannosaurus Sue, by Steve Fiffer (W.H. Freeman and Company, 2000).




DinospherePaleontologists andAdvisers

Robert BakkerRobert Bakker is one of the most noteworthydinosaur paleontologists in the United States,an author and curator of the University ofColorado Museum in Boulder. The paleontolo-gist depicted in the movie Jurassic Park 2 wasmodeled after Dr. Bakker.

Philip Currie and Eva KoppelhusPhil Currie is curator of dinosaurs at the RoyalTyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Alberta,Canada, which has one of the world’s largestcollections of paleontological materials. Heand his wife, Eva Koppelhus, who is a paleo-botanist, travel the world in search of fossilsand have coauthored several books aboutdinosaurs.

John LanzendorfJohn Lanzendorf, of Chicago, is the owner ofthe world’s largest and most complete collec-tion of dinosaur art. The John J. LanzendorfPaleoArt Prize was created in 1999 to recog-nize the outstanding achievements of scien-tific illustrations and naturalistic art in paleon-tology. In Dinosphere visitors will see theGallery of Dinosaur Imagery featuring TheJohn Lanzendorf Collection.

Pete and Neal LarsonThe Larson brothers excavated Sue, the mostcomplete T. rex found to date, and founded theBlack Hills Institute of Geologic Research in HillCity, S.D. The brothers continue to makesignificant finds and create displays formuseums around the world, including TheChildren’s Museum.

Michael Skrepnick Michael Skrepnick is a world-famousCanadian artist whose paintings and draw-ings of dinosaurs have illustrated articles,books and presentations by top paleontolo-gists. His work is on display in Dinosphere.

Paul SerenoPaul Sereno is a professor in the Department ofOrganismal Biology and Anatomy at theUniversity of Chicago and considered an expertin the research of South American and Africandinosaur material. He also led the team toexcavate and bring back the Super Croc fossilsthat serve as the basis for the replica inDinosphere.

Dong ZhimingDong Zhiming is a professor of research at theChinese Academy of Sciences Institute forPaleontology and Paleoanthropology. He isThe Children Museum’s contact for dinosaursfrom China and the Gobi.

Dinosaur HuntersAdapted from “Great Fossil Hunters of All Time”http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/

Roy Chapman Andrews (1884–1960) was a biologist, U.S. fossil hunter anddirector of the American Museum of NaturalHistory from 1935 to 1942. Andrews led fiveexpeditions into Mongolia’s Gobi desert from1922 to 1930, where he discovered the firstdinosaur eggs known to science; identifiedmany new species of dinosaurs; made impor-tant finds about now-extinct mammals,including the largest known land mammal,Baluchitherium; and found evidence of earlyStone Age humans in Central Asia.

Robert Bakker is a prominent paleontol-ogist and dinosaur artist who revolutionizedpeople’s concept of dinosaurs in the late1960s. He brought to light new evidence thatsupported the belief that dinosaurs werewarm-blooded, and suggested that dinosaurswere active, fast-moving animals that stoodupright and did not drag their tails.

Barnum Brown (1873–1963) was afamous U.S. dinosaur hunter and curator of theAmerican Museum of Natural History. Heexplored the Red Deer River Canyons ofAlberta, Canada. Brown is well-known forexcavating more dinosaurs than anyone elsein his 66-year career at the museum. Themuseum did not have a single dinosaur priorto Brown’s arrival but had the largest collectionin the world at the time of his death. Browndiscovered many dinosaurs, including the firstT. rex specimens.

William Buckland (1784 – 1856) was aBritish geologist at Oxford University. Henamed Megalosaurus, the first dinosaur to bescientifically described in a paper in 1824.

Kenneth Carpenter is a paleontologistat the Denver Museum of Natural History. In1992 Carpenter, along with Bryan Small andTim Seeber, found the most completeStegosaurus to date near Canon City, Colo.Carpenter named many other dinosaurs andhas written books on dinosaurs.

Edwin Colbert (1905 – 2001) was anAmerican paleontologist who discovered aLystrosaurus in Antarctica. This discoveryhelped prove the continental drift theory. In1947 he found large fossilized dinosaur bonebeds at the Ghost Ranch in New Mexico.Colbert named many dinosaurs, publishedpapers and was the curator of the AmericanMuseum of Natural History and the Museumof Northern Arizona. The dinosaurNedcolbertia was named after him in 1998.

Edwin Drinker Cope (1840 – 1897) isconsidered one of the founders of vertebratepaleontology in North America. He collectedthousands of specimens and named morethan 1,000 species of fossil animals. He alsonamed dinosaur families, includingIguanodontidae in 1869.




Dinosaur Hunters continued

Philip Currie is one of the world’s leadingdinosaur paleontologists and curator at theRoyal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology inAlberta, Canada. He has worked extensivelyin Canada and Asia and recently excavatedfeathered dinosaurs in China. He is a leadingproponent of the connection betweendinosaurs and birds. He discovered anumber of new dinosaur species, includingAlbertosaurus.

Georges Cuvier (1769 – 1832) was aFrench vertebrate zoologist who developed anatural system of classifying animals based oncomparative anatomy. He named many taxo-nomic groups of mammals, birds, reptiles andfish. His description of an extinct marine reptile,Mosasaurus, helped to make the theory ofextinction popular.

Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins(1807 – 1889) was a British artist and educatorwho worked with Richard Owen to build life-size dinosaur sculptures. He created sculpturesand artwork in England and the United States.

Susan Henderson is an amateur fossilhunter who on August 12, 1990, discoveredthree large fossilized bones sticking out of acliff in South Dakota. These fossils belonged toSue — the largest, most complete and bestpreserved T. rex ever found.

John R. Horner is an American paleon-tologist from Montana who named Maiasaurain 1979 and Orodromeus in 1988. He discov-ered the first egg clutches in the United Statesand the first evidence of parental care fromdinosaurs. He is also the author of manybooks and was the technical advisor for themovies “Jurassic Park” and “The Lost World.”

Thomas Henry Huxley (1825 – 1895)was the first scientist to suggest that birds arethe direct descendants of dinosaurs, in 1867.

Eva B. Koppelhus is a paleobotanistand adjunct research scientist at the RoyalTyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Alberta,Canada. She studies the microfossils leftbehind by pollen grains and spores fromancient plants, and writes dinosaur bookswith her husband, the paleontologist PhilipCurrie.

Neal Larson and Peter Larsonexcavated Sue, the most complete T. rex foundto date, and founded the Black Hills Institute ofGeologic Research in Hill City, S.D. Thebrothers continue to make significant findsand create displays for museums around theworld, including The Children’s Museum.

Gideon Mantell (1790 – 1852) was aBritish fossil collector and an early pioneer ofdinosaur research. He showed the bigfossilized teeth he found in 1822 to the Frenchanatomist Georges Cuvier, who believed theybelonged to a new kind of animal, a plant-eating reptile. Mantell named it Iguanodon.

Othniel Charles Marsh (1831 – 1899)was an American paleontologist at YaleUniversity’s Peabody Museum, where heestablished the field of vertebrate paleontologyin North America. He named many of thedinosaur suborders, including Sauropoda in1878 and Theropoda in 1881. He also namedmany dinosaurs and more than 500 newspecies of fossil animals found by his team. Hisfeud with E.D. Cope, known as the “GreatBone Wars,” brought dinosaurs to the attentionof the public.

Ruth Mason (1906 – 1990) found a largedinosaur fossil bed on her family’s ranch inHarding County, S.D., when she was 7 yearsold. Tens of thousands of dinosaur fossils havebeen found at the Ruth Mason Quarry nearthe town of Faith since then. The dinosaursinclude large numbers of Edmontosaurusannectens — duck-billed, plant-eatingdinosaurs. The quarry is also the site of TheChildren’s Museum Dino Institute TeacherDig during the summer.

John H. Ostrom is best known for hisdescription of Deinonychus, published by YaleUniversity in 1969, which began a revolutionin the way that scientists and the publicperceived dinosaurs.

Sir Richard Owen (1804 – 1892) was aBritish anatomist who introduced the termdinosauria, from the Greek deinos, meaningterrible, and sauros, meaning lizard. Hecreated the term in 1842 to describe severaltypes of large extinct reptiles, fossils of whichhad been discovered in Europe. Owen’s classi-fication went unchallenged until 1877 whenthe groups were divided into two orders,Saurischia and Ornithischia. Owen alsonamed and described many dinosaurs.

Robert Plot (1640 – 1696), a British natu-ralist, published a drawing in 1677 of afossilized bone fragment found in Oxfordshire.His was the first known drawing of a fossilizeddinosaur bone — a thighbone, possibly ofMegalosaurus.

C.C. Young (1897 – 1979) was a Chinesepaleontologist responsible for supervising thecollection and research of dinosaurs in Chinafrom 1933 into the 1970s. He was responsiblefor some of the most important fossil finds inhistory. The Chinese Academy of SciencesInstitute of Paleontology and Paleoanthro-pology in Beijing houses one of the mostimportant collections in the world due toYoung’s scientific work.




Dinosphere Unit ofStudy Booksl Achenbach, Joel. “Dinosaurs: Cracking the

Mystery of How They Lived.” NationalGeographic Magazine, March 2003, 2–33.

l Barner, Bob. Dinosaur Bones. SanFrancisco: Chronicle Books, 2001.

l Barrett, Paul. National GeographicDinosaurs. Washington, D.C.: NationalGeographic Society, 2001.

l Barton, Byron. Bones, Bones, DinosaurBones. New York: HarperCollins, 1990.

l ———. Dinosaur, Dinosaur. New York:Thomas Y. Crowell, 1989.

l Brandenberg, Aliki. Dinosaur Bones. NewYork: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1988.

l ———. Digging Up Dinosaurs. New York:Thomas Y. Crowell, 1988.

l Branley, M. Franklyn. What Happened tothe Dinosaurs? New York: Thomas Y.Crowell, 1989.

l Cohen, Daniel. Tyrannosaurus Rex.Mankato, Minn.: Bridgestone Books, 2001.

l Cole, Joanna. The Magic School Bus inthe Time of the Dinosaurs. New York:Scholastic Inc., 1994.

l Cooley, Brian. Make-a-Saurus: My LifeWith Raptors and Other Dinosaurs. NewYork: Annick Press Ltd., 2000.

l Currie, Philip J. and Eva B. Koppelhus. 101Questions About Dinosaurs. Mineola, N.Y.:Dover Publications, 1996.

l Edgar, Blake. Dinosaur Digs DiscoveryTravel Adventures, Insight Guides.Maspeth, N.Y.: Langenscheidt PublishersInc., 1999.

l Fiffer, Steve. Tyrannosaurus Sue. New York:W. H. Freeman and Company, 2000.

l Funston, Sylvia. The Dinosaur Questionand Answer Book. Owl Magazine and theDinosaur Project. New York: Little, Brownand Company, 1997.

l Kerley, Barbara. The Dinosaurs ofWaterhouse Hawkins, New York:Scholastic, 2001.

l Lionni, Leo. Swimmy. New York: Alfred A.Knopf, 1991.

l Milton, Joyce. Dinosaur Days. New York:Random House, 1985.

l Most, Bernard. The Littlest Dinosaurs. SanDiego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1989.

l ———. Where to Look for a Dinosaur. SanDiego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1993.

l Murphy, Jim. Dinosaur for a Day. NewYork: Scholastic Inc., 1992.

l Norman, David and Angela Milner.Eyewitness: Dinosaur. New York: DKPublishing, 2000.

l Paul, Gregory S., ed. The ScientificAmerican Book of Dinosaurs. New York:St. Martin’s Press, 2000.

l Relf, Patricia with the Sue Science Team ofThe Field Museum. A Dinosaur NamedSue: The Story of the Colossal Fossil. NewYork: Scholastic Inc., 2000.

l Taylor, Paul D. Eyewitness: Fossil. NewYork: DK Publishing, 2000.

l Wallace, Joseph. Familiar Dinosaur: TheAudubon Society Pocket Guides. NewYork: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993.

l Willis, Paul. Dinosaurs. Pleasantville, N.Y.:Reader’s Digest Children’s Books, 1999.

l Zoehfeld, Kathleen Weidner. DinosaurBabies. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.

Cretaceous Period Books —Specific books about the plantsand animals in Dinosphere

l Currie, Philip J., Eva Koppelhus and JanSovak. A Moment in Time WithAlbertosaurus. Alberta, Canada: TroodonProductions, 1998.

l ———. A Moment in Time WithCentrosaurus. Alberta, Canada: TroodonProductions, 1998.

l ———. A Moment in Time With Troodon.Alberta, Canada: Troodon Productions,1997.

l Green, Tamara. Cretaceous DinosaurWorld. Milwaukee, Wis.: Gareth StevensPublishing, 1998.

l Horner, John R. and James Gorman. Maia:A Dinosaur Grows Up. Philadelphia:Running Press, 1989.

l Landau, Elaine. Triceratops. New York:Children’s Press, 1999.

l ———. Tyrannosaurus Rex. New York:Children’s Press, 1999.

Dinosaur Books for theClassroom

l Bennett Hopkins, Lee. Dinosaurs: Poems.San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,1987.

l Berg, Cherney. Three-Horn the Dinosaur.Mahwah, N.J.: Educational ReadingService, 1970.

l Brandenberg, Aliki. Fossils Tell of LongAgo. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1990.

l ———. My Visit to the Dinosaurs. NewYork: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1985.

l Brown, Laurie Krasny and Marc Brown.Dinosaurs Travel: A Guide for Families onthe Go. Boston: Joy Street Books, 1988.

l Burton, Jane and Dougal Dixon. JurassicDinosaurs. Milwaukee, Wis.: GarethStevens, 1987.

l Carrick, Carol. Big Old Bones: A DinosaurTale. New York: Clarion Books, 1989.

l ———. Patrick’s Dinosaurs. New York:Clarion Books, 1983.

l ———. What Happened to Patrick’sDinosaurs. New York: Clarion Books,1986.

l Cauley, Lorinda Bryan. Trouble WithTyrannosaurus Rex. San Diego: HarcourtBrace Jovanovich, 1988.

l Hoff, Sydney. Danny and the Dinosaur.New York: HarperFestival, 1999.

l Marzollo, Jean. I’m Tyrannosaurus! A Bookof Dinosaur Rhymes. New York:Scholastic, 1993.

l Pfister, Marcus. Dazzle the Dinosaur. NewYork: North-South Books, 1994.

l Prelutsky, Jack. Tyrannosaurus Was aBeast: Dinosaur Poems. New York:Greenwillow Books, 1988.

l Rey, Margaret and Alan J. Shalleck, eds.Curious George and the Dinosaur. Boston:Houghton Mifflin, 1989.

l Selsam, Millicent and Joyce Hunt. A FirstLook at Dinosaurs. New York: Walker,1982.

l Wilhelm, Hans. Tyrone the Horrible. NewYork: Scholastic, 1988.




Dinosaur VideosDigging Up Dinosaurs, Reading RainbowSeries, from the book Digging Up Dinosaursby Aliki Brandenberg. Narrated by LeVarBurton, 30 minutes. New York: Lancit MediaProductions, 1983.

Dinosaur! With Walter Cronkite, “The FirstClue — Tale of a Tooth”; “The Fossil Rush —Tale of a Bone”; “Birth of a Legend — Tale ofan Egg”; “Giant Birds of the Air — Tale of aFeather.” A&E Home Video, 4-volume set,1991. 200 minutes.

“Walking With Dinosaurs,” BBC and theDiscovery Channel, 1999. 180 minutes.

ModelsThe Tiny Perfect Dinosaur — Book, Bones,Egg & Poster Series, #1 Leptoceratops, #2Tyrannosaurus rex, #5 Triceratops, #7Hypacrosaurus, Kansas City, Mo.: AndrewsMcMeel Publishing, 1991–1999.

Dinosaur Web Sites*Artwork of Waterhouse Hawkinshttp://rainbow.ldeo.columbia.edu/courses/v1001/dinodis3.html


The Dinosaur Farm — retail toys, books, etc.http://www.dinosaurfarm.com/


Links to dinosaur siteshttp://www.kidsites.com/sites-edu/dinosaurs.htm

The Dinosaur Nest — retail toys, books, etc.http://www.thedinosaurnest.com/

9 Dinosaur Songs by Bergman Broomhttp://www.dinosongs.com/music.htm

The Dinosauricon, by Mike Keeseyhttp://dinosauricon.com/main/index.html

The Father of Taxonomy — Carolus Linnaeushttp://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/linnaeus.html

Fossil Halls, American Museum of NaturalHistoryhttp://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/Fossil_Halls/fossil-halls2.html

Great Fossil Hunters of All Timehttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/

Indiana Fossil Clubs and Siteshttp://www.colossal-fossil-site.com/400-states/2/indiana-2.htm

Jurassic Park Institute (JPI)http://www.jpinstitute.com

Museum of Paleontology, University ofCalifornia, Berkeleyhttp://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/index.html

Dinosphere Paleo Prep Lab link on TheChildren’s Museum Web site shows howa fossil is prepared.http://www.childrensmuseum.org

Songs For Teaching — Dinosaur Songshttp://www.songsforteaching.com/DinosaurSongs.html

Sternberg Museum of Natural History(unofficial virtual tour)http://www.oceansofkansas.com/Sternbrg.html

Strange Science — Art of BenjaminWaterhouse Hawkinshttp://www.strangescience.net/hawkins.htm

Virtual Tour of Dinosaurs, SmithsonianMuseum of Natural Historyhttp://www.hrw.com/science/si-science/biology/animals/burgess/dino/tourfram.html

Weighing a Dinosaur — Robert Lawrence,D.C. Everest Junior High School, Schofield, Wis.http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~museum/hughes/dinosaur-weight_students.html

Enchanted Learning — Comprehensivee-book about dinosaurshttp://www.zoom dinosaurs.com

Zoom Dinosaur — Skeletonshttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/anatomy/Skeleton.shtml

Dinosaur WebquestsDinosaur Webquests link on The Children’sMuseum Web sitehttp://www.childrensmuseum.org

Paramount Elementary School, Robin Davishttp://www.alt.wcboe.k12.md.us/mainfold/schoopag/elementary/paramount/class–webs/1/davisr/DinosaurWebquest.html

Vince Vaccarella for CPE 542 — Technologyin Educationhttp://www.lfelem.lfc.edu/tech/DuBose/Webquest/Vaccarella/WQPS_VV.html

*Note: Web sites are current and active attime of publication.




GlossaryAcademic — related to learning, especiallyhigher education.

Adaptation — a body part or behavior thatproduces an advantage for the animal. Forexample: feathers, fur, scales, teeth andbeaks, or migration and hibernation.

Articulated — fossils and fossilized bonesthat are still positioned in lifelike poses. Thisindicates little geologic energy in the area.

Backbone — the vertebrae forming the axisof an animal’s skeleton (also called thespine).

Bar graph — a representation of quantitativecomparisons using rectangular shapes withlengths proportional to the measure of whatis being compared.

Biography — an account of the series ofevents making up a person’s life.

Biped — an animal that walks or stands ontwo feet.

Bone — rigid connective tissue that makesup the skeleton of vertebrates.

Bone bed — a layer of rock filled withfossilized bones.

Carnivore — a flesh-eating animal.

Cast — a model or replica of somethingmade from an impression or mold.

Centimeter ruler — a device for measuringlength in metric units.

Claw — the long, sharp or rounded nail onthe end of a foot or hand, like fingernails.

Climate — the average weather conditionsat place over a long period of time.

Commercial — related to profit-making busi-ness.

Common – widely known or occurringfrequently.

Conifers – mostly evergreen trees andshrubs with needle-shaped or scale-likeleaves. Some types bear cones and somebear fruit.

Contribution — something given or accom-plished in common with others.

Cooperate — to work together for acommon goal.

Coprolite — fossilized excrement.

Cretaceous Period – the third and lastperiod when dinosaurs lived, during theMesozoic Era, from 144 to 65 million yearsago.

Cycads — palmlike primitive plants, fourfamilies of which still exist.

Death — the end of life.

Dental battery — a set of hundreds ofsmall, fossilized teeth that are continuallywearing out and being replaced. Many plant-eating dinosaurs had dental batteries.

Dig — the excavation activities at a dig site.

Dig site — a place where fossils are foundand dug (excavated).

Dinosaur — extinct reptiles found in thefossil record of the Mesozoic Era.

Dinosauria — “terrible lizard,” coined by SirRichard Owen.

Disarticulated — Fossilized bones that arenot positioned in the way the animal’sskeleton would appear naturally. They maybe broken, missing or rearranged. The Buckysite had disarticulated fossilized bones, whichindicates much geologic energy there.

Discovery — to unearth or bring to lightsomething forgotten or hidden.

Displacement — a method to determine thevolume of an object by measuring theamount of water it displaces whensubmerged in a graduated cylinder.

Editorial — an oral or written expression ofopinion.

Erosion — wearing away of the land by theaction of water, wind and/or ice.

Excavate — to dig out and remove.

Expose – to uncover, as when removingsand or mud from fossils at a dig site.

Extinct – No longer existing.

Family — a group of animals includingparents and offspring; a group of organismsrelated by common characteristics.

Fleshed-out — a picture or model of a livinganimal depicting the color of its skin andshape of its body.

Fossil — preserved evidence of ancient life.Latin for “dug up,” it is the remains or tracesof plants or animals that have turned to stoneor rock.

Frill — the large bony collar around the neckof dinosaurs such as Triceratops.

Gastrolith — a stone or pebble ingested byan animal to help with grinding food fordigestion.

Geology — the scientific study of the earth’shistory and life, especially as recorded inrocks.

Gorgosaurus — an earlier dinosaur relativeof Tyrannosaurus rex.

Greek and Latin words — used by scien-tists to describe plants and animals.

Group — two or more animals gatheredtogether for a common goal; a taxonomicterm for an assemblage of related organisms.

Head — the upper or anterior part of ananimal’s body, containing the brain, theprimary sense organs and the mouth.

Herbivore — an animal that eats plants.

Herd — animals that live in large groups andtravel from place to place together.

Hypacrosaurus — a herding duckbilldinosaur of the Cretaceous Period.

Hypothesis — an unconfirmed theory orsupposition used to explain certain facts andto guide in the investigation of others.Sometimes called a working hypothesis.

Idea — the product of mental activity: athought, plan, method or explanation.

Ichthyosaurs — a group of marine (ocean)reptiles that are not dinosaurs but lived at thesame time, including plesiosaurs, pliosaursand mosasaurs.

Imprint – to leave a mark by means of pres-sure.




Invertebrates — animals without back-bones. This includes shellfish, clams, insects,spiders and others.

Life — the state in which an organism iscapable of metabolism, growth and reactionto stimuli.

Living fossil — an ancient organism thatlived long ago and continues to exist today.Examples include crocodiles, turtles, cock-roaches, ferns, coelacanths, horsetail rushes,ginkgo trees, spiders, dragonflies and horse-shoe crabs.

Magnifying lens — a small optical instru-ment that causes objects to appear largerthan they are.

Maiasaura — a herding duckbill dinosaurfrom the Cretaceous Period.

Meter — a scientific unit of measurementequal to 39.37 inches.

Meteorite — a mass of atmospheric parti-cles that has fallen to the surface of the earthwithout being totally vaporized. Many smallmeteorites often strike and others burn up asshooting stars. Very large ones have leftcraters in the earth’s surface.

Model — a representation of an object thatcan show many but not all the features ofthe actual item. A model is both like anddifferent from the real thing.

Mold — a hollow form or matrix used toform a substance into a specific shape.

Negative — the absence of something;unfavorable.

Opinion — a personal view or judgment.

Ornithischia — an order of bird-hippeddinosaurs that were mostly plant-eaters.

Paleontologist — a scientist who studiesancient life from fossils, including plants,invertebrates (animals without backbones)and vertebrates (animals with backbones).

Paleontology — the study of life in pastgeologic periods as known from fossilremains.

Plaster — a paste made of lime, sand andwater that hardens into a smooth solid.

Positive — the presence of something;favorable.

Predator — an animal that lives by huntingand eating other animals, or prey.

Prey — an animal hunted by predators asfood. Some prey are also predators.

Pterosauria — a subclass of large flyingreptiles, including pterosaurs and pterodons,that were alive during the Dinosaur Age.

Research — the collection of information orthe studious investigation or examination ofinformation to discover and interpret facts.

Resin — a solid or semisolid organic mate-rial, typically translucent and yellowish tobrown, formed in plant secretions. Syntheticresins are often used to make cast fossils.

Saurischia — a suborder of lizard-hippeddinosaurs, including prosauropods, sauropodsand theropods.

Scale drawing — a representation of some-thing reduced according to a ratio; forexample a 1:10 scale drawing means 1 unitof measure represents 10 units of the realobject.

Scavenger — an animal that eats anotheranimal it did not help to kill. A crow is ascavenger when it eats the remains of adead animal.

Scientific method — the principles andprocedures used to recognize and formulatean idea, collect data through observation andexperiments, and test a theory.

Scientist — an investigator or other personwho applies the principles and methods ofscience to learn about something.

Sculpture — a three-dimensional work ofart; impressed or raised markings on part of aplant or animal.

Sediment — solid fragments of living ordead material deposited by wind, water orglaciers.

Simulation — an exercise that models areal practice. A simulation can teach aboutthe real thing, but it will not be exactly likethe real thing.

Sir Richard Owen — a British scientist whocoined the term dinosauria and created theexhibit at the Crystal Palace in Londonfeaturing Iguanodon and Megalosaurus.

Skeleton — the bones that support ananimal.

Skull — the skeleton of the head of avertebrate; the bony or cartilaginous casethat holds and protects the brain and thesense organs, and protects the jaws.

Symposium — a meeting or conferencewhere a specific topic is discussed.

Tail — the rear end or a prolongation of theread end of an animal.

T. rex tooth — large banana-shaped incisorof a top meat-eating predator of theCretaceous Period.

Theory — an idea or hypothetical set ofscientifically accepted facts, principles orcircumstances offered to explain phenomena.

Triceratops — a large plant-eating dinosaureasily recognized by its head, frill and horns.

Tyrannasaurus rex — a large meat-eatingdinosaur alive in the Cretaceous Period.

Unique — one of a kind.

Vertebrates — animals that have back-bones, including fish, reptiles, amphibians,mammals and birds.

Volcano — an opening in the earth’s crustthrough which molten lava, ash and gasesare vented.

Waterhouse Hawkins — a British artist andeducator who worked with Sir Richard Owento build life-size dinosaur sculptures. He alsocreated dinosaur sculptures and artwork inthe United States.

Wire — a flexible metal strand used to createmodel forms.

X-ray — a photograph, as of a skeleton,obtained by the use of electromagneticradiation.

For a comprehensive glossary of dinosaurterms visit: Enchanted Learninghttp://www.zoomdinosaurs.com




What’s in aDinosaur Name?

Create many new and realdinosaur names with theseGreek and Latin words.

a — on, in, at; plural; without

acantho — spinyacro — highacu — sharpae — pluralaero — airallo — different, other,

strangealpha — firstalti — highambul — walkamphi — aroundampli — largean — notanato — duckane — denotinganim — breathankylo — fusedante — beforeanti — againstapato — deceptiveaqua — waterarchae — ancientarium — used forary — used forasis — unhealthyaster — starate — like, possessingaudi — hearauri — earaurus — lizardavi — birdbar(o) — heavybi — twobola — throwbrachio — armbrevi — shortbronto — thundercaco — badcamara — chambered

cantho — spinecardio — heartcarn — fleshcarni — meatcaud — tailcele — swellceler — swiftcentri — one hundredcephale — headceptor — receivercerat — hornedchasm — ravine, canyonchord — stringcide — killercircum — aroundcle — smallclude — closecoel — hollowcon — with, togethercontra — oppositecorpus — bodycory — helmetcosm — universecrypt — hiddencycl — circlecyto — hollowdactyl — finger, toedec — tendeca — tendeino — terriblederma — skindi — twodia — acrossdin(o) — terriblediplo — doubledors — backduce — to leaddupl — twodyma — putting on, offdynam — powerdys — baddysis — putting on, offella — smallence — state ofennial — yearlyepi — upon, overescent — growingesia — act, state of

eu — well, goodeuoplo —well-armedexo — outsideextra — outside offaun — animalfic — makefid — splitfiss — splitflora — plantfoli — leafform — form offy — to makegallo — roostergel — stiffengen — originalgeny — origingeo — earthgerous — bearinggnathus — jawgracile — slender-bodiedgraph — drawinggravi — heavygryp — curvedgymno — nakedgyr — rotateheli — sunhemi — halfhemo — bloodherb — plantheter — different, otherhippo — horseholo — wholehomo — samehyal — clearhydra — waterhypa — veryhyper — over, abovehypo — under, belowi — pluralia — pertaining toic — havingicthy — fishid — havingidium — smallin — in, intoina — subclassine — pertaining toinfra — below

inter — betweenintra — withinintro — go intoite — belonging toitis — inflamationject — to throwkilo — thousandlapse — to sliplat — widelater — sidelepto — smalllipse — leavelite — mineralsluc — lightlun — moonlysis — looseninglyte — looseningma — act ofmacro — largemagni — greatmaia — good mothermani — handmari — seame — act ofmeag — hugemed — middlemeg — largemes — middlemeta — with, aftermicro — smallmilli — thousandmim — copymimus — mimicmimus — mimicmono — singlemorph — formmulti — manymut — changemycin — fungimyo — mouselikemyria — manymytho — legendnano — smallnect — swimneo — newnoct — nightnod — knotnome — name




non — notnonus — ninenoto — backnov — newnycho — clawnychus — clawoct — eightode — of nature, ofoden — toothodon — toothoff — fromoid — form ofole — smallolig — fewoma — tumoromni — allonto — beingonyx — clawops — faceopter — wingorith — birdornith — birdortho — straightoscill — swingose — full ofous — pertaining toover — aboveovi — eggpachy — thickpan — allpapr — ward offpar — besidepara — nearpater — fatherpect — thickped — foot, childpel — drivepelt — shieldpend — hangpene — almostpenia — lack ofpenta — fiveper — for eachperi — aroundphac — lensphago — to eatphan — visiblephen — appearance of

phil — lovingphob — fearsomephon — soundphore — bearsphores — carriesphot — lightphren — the mindphysic — naturalphysis — form, growthphyto — plantpico — millionplas — form, moldplate — flatplex — networkplexy — paralysisplo — armoredploid — division ofplur — morepod — footpoeia — makingpolar — axispoly — manyponic — toilpost — afterpre — beforepreno — slopeprim — firstpro — first, in frontpros — towardprot — firstproter — beforepseud — falsepsil — barepsych — mindpter — wingpus — footpyro — firequadri — fourquasi — as ifquint — fiverad — rayradic — rootraptor — thiefras — scrapere — back againrect — straightretro — backwardrex — king

rhage — breakingrhaphy — sewing uprheo — flowrhexis — breakingrobust — strongrod — wearrot — turnrupt — breaks — pluralsalto — jumpsan — healthsaur — lizardsciss — cutscler — hardscope — examinese — apartsect — cuttingsed — sitseism — earthquakesemi — halfsens — feelsept — sevensex — sixsinu — curvesis — act, state ofsiss — standsist — set, standsol — sun solu — spread outsolut — loosensomn — sleepsperm — seedspher — ballspine — spinyspir — breathstasis — standingstat — statesteg — plated; roofedstell — starsteno — narrowstom — openingstomy — openingstrat — spread outstrate — spread outstroph — turningstyra — spikedsub — undersuper — over, above

syn — withsys — withtach — swifttaurus — bulltauto — sametect — covertele — distance, far offtend — stretchterr — earththerm — heatthetic — setting downtom — cuttop — face; head; placetort — twisttract — drawtrans — over, aroundtrauma — woundtri — threetroo — woundedtrop — turningtroph — foodtrude — pushtum — swellturb — disordertyrann — tyrantula — smallule — smallultra — beyondum — pluralun — notundul — wavyurg — workus — masculine singularvacu — voidvari — variousveloci — fastvent — windventr — bellyvers — to turnvibr — to shakevit — lifevolv — turnvoo — animalvor — eatingvore — eatingxeno — strangey — act, state ofzoo — animal




The Dinosphere units of study (K – 2,3 – 5 and 6 – 8) address the followingstate and national academic standards:

Indiana Language ArtsStandards

Kindergarten Language ArtsStandardsConcepts About PrintK.1.1 Identify the front cover, back cover, andtitle page of a book.K.1.3 Understand that printed materialsprovide information.Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate TextK.2.2 Use picture clues and context to aidcomprehension and to make predictionsabout story content.K.2.3 Connect the information and events intexts to life experiences.K.2.5 Identify and summarize the mainideas and plot of a story.Organization and FocusK.4.3 Write using pictures, letters, andwords.Different Types of Writing and TheirCharacteristicsK.5.1 Draw pictures and write words for aspecific reason.Listening and Speaking ComprehensionK.7.1 Understand and follow one- and two-step spoken directions.Oral CommunicationK.7.2 Share information and ideas, speakingin complete, coherent sentences.Speaking Applications K.7.3 Describe people, places, things(including their size, color, and shape), loca-tions, and actions.

Grade 1 Language ArtsStandardsConcepts About Print1.1.2 Identify letters, words, and sentences.Vocabulary and Concept Development1.1.17 Read and understand root words (look)and their inflectional forms (looks, looked,looking).Structural Features of Information andTechnical Materials1.2.2 Identify text that uses sequence orother logical order.Comprehension and Analysis ofGrade-Level-Appropriate Text

1.2.3 Respond to who, what, when, where,why, and how questions and discuss themain idea of what is read.1.2.4 Follow one-step written instructions.1.2.7 Relate prior knowledge to what is read.Writing Organization and Focus1.4.1 Discuss ideas and select a focus forgroup stories or other writing.Writing Applications1.5.4 Use descriptive words when writing.Listening and Speaking Comprehension1.7.1 Listen attentively.1.7.2 Ask questions for clarification andunderstanding.1.7.3 Give, restate, and follow simple two-step directions.Organization and Delivery of OralCommunication1.7.5 Use descriptive words when speakingabout people, places, things, and events.Speaking Applications1.7.10 Use visual aids, such as pictures andobjects, to present oral information.

Grade 2 Language ArtsStandardsDecoding and Word Recognition2.1.3 Decode (sound out) regular words withmore than one syllable (dinosaur, vacation).Vocabulary and Concept Development2.1.8 Use knowledge of individual words topredict the meaning of unknown compoundwords (lunchtime, lunchroom, daydream,raindrop).Comprehension and Analysis ofGrade-Level-Appropriate Text2.2.4 Ask and respond to questions to aidcomprehension about important elements ofinformational texts.2.2.5 Restate facts and details in the text toclarify and organize ideas.2.2.6 Recognize cause-and-effect relation-ships in a text.2.2.7 Interpret information from diagrams,charts, and graphs.2.2.8 Follow two-step written instructions.Different Types of Writing and TheirCharacteristics2.5.2 Write a brief description of a familiarobject, person, place, or event that developsa main idea and uses details to support themain idea.2.5.5 Use descriptive words when writing.2.5.6 Write for different purposes and to aspecific audience or person.

Listening and Speaking Comprehension2.7.1 Determine the purpose or purposes oflistening (such as to obtain information, tosolve problems, or to enjoy).

2.7.3 Paraphrase (restate in own words)information that has been shared orally byothers.2.7.4 Give and follow three- and four-steporal directions.Organization and Delivery of OralCommunication2.7.9 Report on a topic with supportive factsand details.Speaking Applications2.7.11 Report on a topic with facts anddetails, drawing from several sources ofinformation.

Grade 3 Language ArtsStandardsVocabulary and Concept Development3.1.8 Use knowledge of prefixes (word partsadded at the beginning of words such asun-, pre-) and suffixes (word parts added atthe end of words such as -er, -ful, -less) todetermine the meaning of words.Research and Technology3.4.4 Use various reference materials (suchas a dictionary, thesaurus, atlas, encyclo-pedia, and online resources).Different types of writing and their char-acteristics3.5.2 Write descriptive pieces about people,places, things, or experiences that develop aunified main idea and use details to supportthe main idea.

Grade 4 Language ArtsStandardsVocabulary and Concept Development4.1.4 Use common roots (meter = measure)and word parts (therm = heat) derived fromGreek and Latin to analyze the meaning ofcomplex words (thermometer).Organization and Focus4.4.1 Discuss ideas for writing. Find ideas forwriting in conversations with others and inbooks, magazines, newspapers, school text-books, or on the Internet. Keep a list ornotebook of ideas.Research and Technology4.4.7 Use multiple reference materials andonline information (the Internet) as aids towriting.




Different Types of Writing and TheirCharacteristics4.5.4 Write summaries that contain the mainideas of the reading selection and the mostsignificant details.

Speaking Applications4.7.12 Make information presentations thatfocus on one main topic; include facts anddetails that help listeners focus; incorporatemore than one source of information(including speakers, books, newspapers,television broadcasts, radio reports, or Websites).

Grade 5 Language ArtsStandardsDecoding and Word Recognition5.1.4 Know less common roots (graph =writing, logos = the study of) and word parts(auto = self, bio = life) from Greek and Latinand use this knowledge to analyze themeaning of complex words (autograph, auto-biography, biography, biology).Research and Technology5.4.5 Use note-taking skills.Speaking Applications5.7.10 Deliver informative presentations aboutan important idea, issue, or event by thefollowing means: frame questions to directthe investigation; establish a controlling ideaor topic; develop the topic with simple facts,details, examples, and explanations.

Grade 6 Language ArtsStandardsExpository (Informational) Critique6.2.6 Determine the adequacy and appropri-ateness of the evidence presented for anauthor’s conclusions and evaluate whetherthe author adequately supports inferences. 6.2.7 Make reasonable statements andconclusions about a text, supporting themwith accurate examples. 6.2.8 Note instances of persuasion, propa-ganda, and faulty reasoning in text.Organization and Focus6.4.1 Discuss ideas for writing, keep a list ornotebook of ideas, and use graphic organ-izers to plan writing.Research and Technology6.4.5 Use note-taking skills.6.4.6 Use organizational features of elec-tronic text (on computers), such as bulletinboards, databases, keyword searches, ande-mail addresses, to locate information.

6.4.7 Use a computer to compose docu-ments with appropriate formatting by usingword-processing skills.Evaluation and Revision6.4.9 Edit and proofread one’s own writing,as well as that of others, using an editingchecklist or set of rules, with specific exam-ples of corrections of frequent errors.Different Types of Writing and TheirApplications6.5.2 Write descriptions, explanations,comparison and contrast papers, andproblem and solution essays.6.5.3 Write research reports.6.5.7 Write for different purposes and to aspecific audience or person, adjusting toneand style as necessary.Organization and Delivery of OralCommunication6.7.5 Emphasize important points to assistthe listener in following the main ideas andconcepts.6.7.6 Support opinions with researched,documented evidence and with visual ormedia displays that use appropriate tech-nology. 6.7.7 Use effective timing, volume, tone, andalignment of hand and body gestures tosustain audience interest and attention.Analysis and Evaluation of Oral andMedia Communications6.7.9 Identify persuasive and propagandatechniques used in electronic media (televi-sion, radio, online sources) and identify falseand misleading information.Speaking Applications6.7.11 Deliver informative presentations. 6.7.13 Deliver persuasive presentations. 6.7.14 Deliver presentations on problems andsolutions.

Grade 7 Language ArtsStandardsVocabulary and Concept Development7.1.2 Use knowledge of Greek, Latin, andAnglo-Saxon roots and word parts to under-stand subject-area vocabulary.Structural Features of Information andTechnical Materials7.2.2 Locate information by using a variety ofconsumer and public documents.Expository (Informational) Critique7.2.6 Assess the adequacy, accuracy, andappropriateness of the author’s evidence tosupport claims and assertions, notinginstances of bias and stereotyping.

Organization and Focus7.4.1 Discuss ideas for writing, keep a list ornotebook of ideas.7.4.3 Support all statements and claims withanecdotes (first-person accounts), descrip-tions, facts and statistics, and specific exam-ples. 7.4.4 Use strategies of note-taking, outlining,and summarizing to impose structure oncomposition drafts.Research and Technology7.4.5 Identify topics; ask and evaluate ques-tions; and develop ideas leading to inquiry,investigation, and research. 7.4.7 Use a computer to create documents byusing word-processing skills.Evaluation and Revision7.4.9 Edit and proofread one’s own writing.Different Types of Writing and TheirCharacteristics7.5.3 Write research reports.7.5.4 Write persuasive compositions.7.5.5 Write summaries of reading materials.Listening and Speaking Comprehension7.7.1 Ask questions to elicit information,including evidence to support the speaker’sclaims and conclusions. 7.7.2 Determine the speaker’s attitude towardthe subject.Organization and Delivery of OralCommunication7.7.3 Organize information to achieve partic-ular purposes and to appeal to the back-ground and interests of the audience.7.7.4 Arrange supporting details, reasons,descriptions, and examples effectively.7.7.5 Use speaking techniques — includingadjustments of tone, volume, and timing ofspeech; enunciation (clear speech); and eyecontact — for effective presentations.Analysis and Evaluation of Oral andMedia Communications7.7.6 Provide helpful feedback to speakersconcerning the coherence and logic of aspeech’s content and delivery and its overallimpact upon the listener.Speaking Applications7.7.10 Deliver research presentations. 7.7.11 Deliver persuasive presentations.




Grade 8 Language ArtsStandardsComprehension and Analysis ofGrade-Level-Appropriate Text8.2.5 Use information from a variety ofconsumer and public documents to explaina situation or decision and to solve aproblem.Organization and Focus8.4.1 Discuss ideas for writing, keep a list ornotebook of ideas.8.4.2 Create compositions that have a clearmessage and a well-supported conclusion.Research and Technology8.4.4 Plan and conduct multiple-step infor-mation searches using computer networks.8.4.5 Achieve an effective balance betweenresearched information and original ideas.8.4.6 Use a computer to create documentsby using word-processing skills.Evaluation and Revision8.4.9 Revise writing for word choice; appro-priate organization; consistent point of view.Different Types of Writing and TheirCharacteristics8.5.3 Write research reports.8.5.4 Write persuasive compositions. 8.5.7 Write for different purposes and to aspecific audience or person.Listening and Speaking Comprehension8.7.1 Paraphrase (restate) a speaker’s purposeand point of view and ask questionsconcerning the speaker’s content, delivery,and attitude toward the subject. 8.7.2 Match the message, vocabulary, voicemodulation (changes in tone), expression,and tone to the audience and purpose.8.7.3 Outline the organization of a speech,including an introduction; transitions,previews, and summaries; a logically devel-oped body; and an effective conclusion. 8.7.4 Use precise language, action verbs andsensory details.8.7.5 Use appropriate grammar, word choice,enunciation (clear speech), and pace(timing) during formal presentations.Speaking Applications8.7.12 Deliver research presentations. 8.7.13 Deliver persuasive presentations.

Indiana Math Standards

Kindergarten Math StandardsK.1.1 Match sets of objects one-to-one.Algebra and FunctionsK.3.1 Identify, sort, and classify objects bysize, number, and other attributes. Identifyobjects that do not belong to a particulargroup.K.3.2 Identify, copy, and make simplepatterns with numbers and shapes.GeometryK.4.1 Identify and describe commongeometric objects: circle, triangle, square,rectangle, and cube.K.4.2 Compare and sort common objects byposition, shape, size, roundness, andnumber of vertices.MeasurementK.5.1 Make direct comparisons of the length,capacity, weight, and temperature of objectsand recognize which object is shorter,longer, taller, lighter, heavier, warmer, cooleror holds more.Problem SolvingK.6.2 Use tools such as objects or drawingsto model problems.K.6.3 Explain the reasoning used withconcrete objects and pictures.

Grade 1 Math StandardsNumber Sense1.1.10 Represent, compare, and interpret datausing pictures and picture graphs.Computation1.2.5 Understand the meaning of thesymbols +, -, and =.Geometry1.4.6 Arrange and describe objects in spaceby position and direction: near, far, under,over, up, down, behind, in front of, next to,to the left or right of.Measurement1.5.5 Compare and order objects accordingto area, capacity, weight, and temperature,using direct comparison or a nonstandardunit.1.5.6 Tell time to the nearest half-hour andrelate time to events (before/after,shorter/ longer).Problem Solving1.6.2 Use tools such as objects or drawingsto model problems.

Grade 2 Math StandardsNumber Sense2.1.9 Recognize, name, and compare the unitfractions: , , , , , , , and .2.1.11 Collect and record numerical data insystematic ways.2.1.12 Represent, compare, and interpret datausing tables, tally charts, and bar graphs.Geometry2.4.3 Investigate and predict the result ofputting together and taking apart two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes.Measurement2.5.1 Measure and estimate length to thenearest inch, foot, yard, centimeter, andmeter.2.5.2 Describe the relationships among inch,foot, and yard. Describe the relationshipbetween centimeter and meter.2.5.3 Decide which unit of length is mostappropriate in a given situation.Problem Solving2.6.2 Use tools such as objects or drawingsto model problems.

Grade 3 Math StandardsMeasurement3.5.2 Add units of length that may requireregrouping of inches to feet or centimeters tometers.3.5.5 Estimate or find the volume of objectsby counting the number of cubes that wouldfill them.

Grade 4 Math StandardsNumber Sense4.1.4 Order and compare whole numbersusing symbols for “less than” (<), “equal to”(=), and “greater than” (>).Measurement4.5.2 Subtract units of length that mayrequire renaming of feet to inches or metersto centimeters.4.5.8 Use volume and capacity as differentways of measuring the space inside ashape.Data Analysis and Probability4.6.1 Represent data on a number line andin tables, including frequency tables.4.6.2 Interpret data graphs to answer ques-tions about a situation.




Grade 5 Math StandardsNumber Sense5.1.3 Arrange in numerical order andcompare whole numbers or decimals to twodecimal places by using the symbols for lessthan (<), equals (=), and greater than (>).Measurement5.5.4 Find the surface area and volume ofrectangular solids using appropriate units.Data Analysis and Probability5.6.1 Explain which types of displays areappropriate for various sets of data.

Indiana ScienceStandards

Kindergarten Science StandardsThe Nature of Science and TechnologyK.1.1 Raise questions about the natural world. K.1.2 Begin to demonstrate that everybodycan do science.Scientific ThinkingK.2.2 Draw pictures and writes words todescribe objects and experiences.The Physical SettingK.3.1 Describe objects in terms of the mate-rials they are made of, such as clay, cloth,paper, etc.K.3.2 Investigate that things move indifferent ways, such as fast, slow, etc.The Living EnvironmentK.4.1 Give examples of plants and animals.K.4.2 Observe plants and animals,describing how they are alike and how theyare different in the way they look and in thethings they do.Common ThemesK.6.1 Describe an object by saying how it issimilar to or different from another object.

Grade 1 Science StandardsThe Nature of Science and Technology1.1.1 Observe, describe, draw and sort objectscarefully to learn about them.1.1.2 Investigate and make observations toseek answers to questions about the world,such as “In what ways do animals move?”1.1.3 Recognize that and demonstrate howpeople can learn much about plants andanimals by observing them closely over aperiod of time. Recognize also that caremust be taken to know the needs of livingthings and how to provide for them.

1.1.4 Use tools, such as rulers and magnifiers,to investigate the world and make observa-tions.Scientific Thinking1.2.1 Use whole numbers up to 100 incounting, identifying, measuring anddescribing objects and experiences.1.2.2 Use sums and differences of single digitnumbers in investigations and judge thereasonableness of the answers.1.2.3 Explain to other students how to goabout solving numerical problems.1.2.4 Measure the length of objects havingstraight edges in inches, centimeters, or non-standard units.1.2.5 Demonstrate that magnifiers helppeople see things they could not seewithout them.1.2.6 Describe and compare objects in termsof number, shape, texture, size, weight, colorand motion.1.2.7 Write brief informational descriptions ofa real object, person, place or event usinginformation from observations.The Living Environment1.4.2 Observe and describe that there can bedifferences, such as size or markings, amongthe individuals within one kind of plant oranimal group.1.4.3 Observe and explain that animals eatplants or other animals for food.1.4.4 Explain that most living things needwater, food and air.Mathematical World1.5.1 Use numbers up to 10 to place objectsin order, such as first, second and third, andto name them, such as bus numbers orphone numbers.1.5.2 Make and use simple picture graphs totell about observations.1.5.3 Observe and describe similar patterns,such as shapes, designs and events thatmay show up in nature, such as honey-combs, sunflowers or shells. See similarpatterns in the things people make, such asquilts, baskets or pottery.Common Themes1.6.1 Observe and describe that models, suchas toys, are like the real things in someways but different in others.Constancy and Change1.6.2 Observe that and describe how certainthings change in some ways and stay thesame in others, such as in their color, size,and weight.

Grade 2 Science StandardsThe Nature of Science and Technology2.1.1 Manipulate an object to gain additionalinformation about it.2.1.2 Use tools, such as thermometers,magnifiers, rulers or balances, to gain moreinformation about objects.2.1.3 Describe, both in writing and orally,objects as accurately as possible andcompare observations with those of otherpeople.2.1.4 Make new observations when there isdisagreement among initial observations.2.1.5 Demonstrate the ability to work with ateam but still reach and communicate one’sown conclusions about findings.2.1.6 Use tools to investigate, observe,measure, design and build things.Scientific Thinking2.2.1 Give estimates of numerical answers toproblems before doing them formally.2.2.2 Make quantitative estimates of familiarlengths, weights and time intervals andcheck them by measurements.2.2.3 Estimate and measure capacity usingcups and pints.2.2.4 Assemble, describe, take apart and/orreassemble constructions using such thingsas interlocking blocks and erector sets.Sometimes pictures or words may be usedas a reference.2.2.5 Draw pictures and write brief descrip-tions that correctly portray key features of anobject.The Physical Setting2.3.1 Investigate by observing and thendescribe that some events in nature have arepeating pattern such as seasons, day andnight, and migrations.2.3.5 Investigate that things can be done tomaterials, such as freezing, mixing, cutting,heating, wetting, etc., to change some oftheir properties and observe that not allmaterials respond in the same way.The Living Environment2.4.1 Observe and identify different externalfeatures of plants and animals and describehow these features help them live indifferent environments.2.4.2 Observe that and describe howanimals may use plants, or even otheranimals, for shelter and nesting.2.4.3 Observe and explain that plants andanimals both need to take in water, animalsneed to take in food, and plants need light.




2.4.4 Recognize and explain that livingthings are found almost everywhere in theworld and that there are somewhat differentkinds in different places.The Mathematical World2.5.1 Recognize and explain that, in meas-uring, there is a need to use numbersbetween whole numbers, such as 2 1/2centimeters.2.5.2 Recognize and explain that it is oftenuseful to estimate quantities.2.5.4 Begin to recognize and explain thatpeople are more likely to believe ideas ifgood reasons are given for them.2.5.6 Explain that sometimes a person canfind out a lot (but not everything) about agroup of things, such as insects, plants orrocks, by studying just a few of them.Common Themes2.6.1 Investigate that most objects are madeof parts.2.6.2 Observe and explain that models maynot be the same size, may be missing somedetails or may not be able to do all of thesame things as the real things.2.6.3 Describe that things can change indifferent ways, such as in size, weight, color,age and movement. Investigate that somesmall changes can be detected by takingmeasurements.

Grade 3 Science StandardsThe Nature of Science and Technology3.1.1 Recognize and explain that when ascientific investigation is repeated, a similarresult is expected.3.1.2 Participate in different types of guidedscientific investigations such as observingobjects and events and collecting specimensfor analysis.3.1.3 Keep and report records of investiga-tions and observations using tools, such asjournals, charts, graphs, and computers.3.1.4 Discuss the results of investigations andconsider the explanations of others.3.1.5 Demonstrate the ability to work cooper-atively while respecting the ideas of othersand communicating one’s own conclusionsabout findings.Scientific Thinking3.2.1 Add and subtract whole numbersmentally, on paper, and with a calculator.3.2.2 Measure and mix dry and liquid mate-rials in prescribed amounts, followingreasonable safety precautions.

3.2.3 Keep a notebook that describes obser-vations and is understandable weeks ormonths later.3.2.4 Appropriately use simple tools, such asclamps, rulers, scissors, hand lenses, andother technology, such as calculators andcomputers, to help solve problems.3.2.5 Construct something used forperforming a task out of paper, cardboard,wood, plastic, metal, or existing objects.3.2.6 Make sketches and write descriptionsto aid in explaining procedures or ideas.3.2.7 Ask “How do you know?” in appro-priate situations and attempt reasonableanswers when others ask the same ques-tion.The Physical Setting3.3.5 Give examples of how change, such asweather patterns, is a continual processoccurring on Earth.The Living Environment3.4.1 Demonstrate that a great variety ofliving things can be sorted into groups inmany ways using various features, such ashow they look, where they live, and howthey act, to decide which things belong towhich group.3.4.2 Explain that features used for groupingdepend on the purpose of the grouping.3.4.3 Observe that and describe howoffspring are very much, but not exactly, liketheir parents and like one another.3.4.4 Describe that almost all kinds ofanimals’ food can be traced back to plants.3.4.5 Give examples of some kinds of organ-isms that have completely disappeared andexplain how these organisms were similar tosome organisms living today.The Mathematical World3.5.1 Select and use appropriate measuringunits, such as centimeters (cm) and meters(m), grams (g) and kilograms (kg), anddegrees Celsius (˚C).3.5.2 Observe that and describe how somemeasurements are likely to be slightlydifferent, even if what is being measuredstays the same. 3.5.3 Construct tables and graphs to showhow values of one quantity are related tovalues of another.3.5.5 Explain that one way to make sense ofsomething is to think of how it relates tosomething more familiar.Common Themes3.6.3 Explain how a model of something isdifferent from the real thing but can be used

to learn something about the real thing.3.6.5 Observe that and describe how somechanges are very slow and some are veryfast and that some of these changes may behard to see and/or record.

Grade 4 Science StandardsThe Nature of Science and Technology4.1.1 Observe and describe that scientificinvestigations generally work the same wayin different places.4.1.2 Recognize and describe that results ofscientific investigations are seldom exactlythe same. If differences occur, such as alarge variation in the measurement of plantgrowth, propose reasons for why these differ-ences exist, using recorded informationabout investigations.4.1.3 Explain that clear communication is anessential part of doing science since itenables scientists to inform others abouttheir work, to expose their ideas to evalua-tion by other scientists, and to allow scien-tists to stay informed about scientific discov-eries around the world.4.1.4 Describe how people all over the worldhave taken part in scientific investigation formany centuries.4.1.5 Demonstrate how measuring instru-ments, such as microscopes, telescopes, andcameras, can be used to gather accurateinformation for making scientific compar-isons of objects and events. Note that meas-uring instruments, such as rulers, can alsobe used for designing and constructingthings that will work properly.Scientific Thinking4.2.1 Judge whether measurements andcomputations of quantities, such as length,area, volume, weight, or time, are reason-able.4.2.2 State the purpose, orally or in writing,of each step in a computation.4.2.4 Use numerical data to describe andcompare objects and events.4.2.5 Write descriptions of investigations,using observations and other evidence assupport for explanations.4.2.6 Support statements with facts found inprint and electronic media, identify thesources used, and expect others to do thesame.4.2.7 Identify better reasons for believingsomething than “Everybody knows that ...”or “I just know” and discount such reasonswhen given by others.




The Physical Setting4.3.5 Describe how waves, wind, water, andglacial ice shape and reshape the Earth’sland surface by the erosion of rock and soilin some areas and depositing them in otherareas.The Living Environment4.4.2 Investigate, observe, and describe thatinsects and various other organisms dependon dead plant and animal material for food.4.4.3 Observe and describe that organismsinteract with one another in various ways,such as providing food, pollination, andseed dispersal.4.4.4 Observe and describe that somesource of energy is needed for all organismsto stay alive and grow.4.4.6 Explain how in all environments,organisms are growing, dying, anddecaying, and new organisms are beingproduced by the old ones.The Mathematical World4.5.3 Illustrate how length can be thought ofas unit lengths joined together, area as acollection of unit squares, and volume as aset of unit cubes.Common Themes4.6.3 Recognize that and describe howchanges made to a model can help predicthow the real thing can be altered.

Grade 5 Science StandardsThe Nature of Science and Technology5.1.1 Recognize and describe that results ofsimilar scientific investigations may turn outdifferently because of inconsistencies inmethods, materials, and observations.5.1.2 Begin to evaluate the validity of claimsbased on the amount and quality of theevidence cited.5.1.3 Explain that doing science involvesmany different kinds of work and engagesmen, women, and children of all ages andbackgrounds.5.1.4 Give examples of technology, such astelescopes, microscopes, and cameras, thatenable scientists and others to observethings that are too small or too far away tobe seen without them and to study themotion of objects that are moving veryrapidly or are hardly moving.Scientific Thinking5.2.3 Choose appropriate common materialsfor making simple mechanical constructionsand repairing things.5.2.4 Keep a notebook to record observa-

tions and be able to distinguish inferencesfrom actual observations.5.2.5 Use technology, such as calculators orspreadsheets, in determining area andvolume from linear dimensions. Find area,volume, mass, time, and cost, and find thedifference between two quantities ofanything.5.2.6 Write instructions that others canfollow in carrying out a procedure.5.2.7 Read and follow step-by-step instruc-tions when learning new procedures.5.2.8 Recognize when and describe thatcomparisons might not be accurate becausesome of the conditions are not kept thesame.The Living Environment5.4.4 Explain that in any particular environ-ment, some kinds of plants and animalssurvive well, some do not survive as well,and some cannot survive at all.5.4.5 Explain how changes in an organism’shabitat are sometimes beneficial and some-times harmful.5.4.7 Explain that living things, such asplants and animals, differ in their character-istics, and that sometimes these differencescan give members of these groups (plantsand animals) an advantage in surviving andreproducing.5.4.8 Observe that and describe how fossilscan be compared to one another and toliving organisms according to their similari-ties and differences.The Mathematical World5.5.1 Make precise and varied measure-ments and specify the appropriate units.5.5.2 Show that mathematical statementsusing symbols may be true only when thesymbols are replaced by certain numbers.5.5.6 Describe and use drawings to showshapes and compare locations of thingsvery different in size.5.5.7 Explain that predictions can be basedon what is known about the past, assumingthat conditions are similar.5.5.8 Realize and explain that predictionsmay be more accurate if they are based onlarge collections of objects or events.Common Themes5.6.1 Recognize and describe that systemscontain objects as well as processes thatinteract with each other.5.6.2 Demonstrate how geometric figures,number sequences, graphs, diagrams,sketches, number lines, maps, and stories

can be used to represent objects, events,and processes in the real world, althoughsuch representation can never be exact inevery detail.5.6.3 Recognize and describe that almostanything has limits on how big or small itcan be.

Grade 6 Science StandardsThe Nature of Science and Technology6.1.1 Explain that some scientific knowledge,such as the length of the year, is very oldand yet is still applicable today. Understand,however, that scientific knowledge is neverexempt from review and criticism.6.1.2 Give examples of different ways scien-tists investigate natural phenomena andidentify processes all scientists use, such ascollection of relevant evidence, the use oflogical reasoning, and the application ofimagination in devising hypotheses andexplanations, in order to make sense of theevidence. 6.1.3 Recognize and explain that hypothesesare valuable, even if they turn out not to betrue, if they lead to fruitful investigations.6.1.4 Give examples of employers who hirescientists, such as colleges and universities,businesses and industries, hospitals, andmany government agencies. 6.1.5 Identify places where scientists work,including offices, classrooms, laboratories,farms, factories, and natural field settingsranging from space to the ocean floor.Scientific Thinking6.2.5 Organize information in simple tablesand graphs and identify relationships theyreveal. Use tables and graphs as examplesof evidence for explanations when writingessays or writing about lab work, fieldwork,etc.6.2.7 Locate information in reference books,back issues of newspapers and magazines,CD-ROMs, and computer databases.6.2.8 Analyze and interpret a given set offindings, demonstrating that there may bemore than one good way to do so.The Living Environment6.4.3 Describe some of the great variety ofbody plans and internal structures animalsand plants have that contribute to theirbeing able to make or find food and repro-duce. 6.4.8 Explain that in all environments, suchas freshwater, marine, forest, desert, grass-land, mountain, and others, organisms with




similar needs may compete with oneanother for resources, including food, space,water, air, and shelter. Note that in any envi-ronment, the growth and survival of organ-isms depend on the physical conditions. 6.4.9 Recognize and explain that two typesof organisms may interact in a competitiveor cooperative relationship, such asproducer/consumer, predator/prey, or para-site/host.

Grade 7 Science StandardsThe Nature of Science and Technology7.1.1 Recognize and explain that whensimilar investigations give different results,the scientific challenge is to judge whetherthe differences are trivial or significant,which often takes further studies to decide. 7.1.3 Explain why it is important in science tokeep honest, clear, and accurate records.7.1.4 Describe that different explanations canbe given for the same evidence, and it is notalways possible to tell which one is correctwithout further inquiry.7.1.5 Identify some important contributions tothe advancement of science, mathematics,and technology that have been made bydifferent kinds of people, in differentcultures, at different times.7.1.6 Provide examples of people who over-came bias and/or limited opportunities ineducation and employment to excel in thefields of science.Scientific Thinking7.2.7 Incorporate circle charts, bar and linegraphs, diagrams, scatterplots, and symbolsinto writing, such as lab or research reports,to serve as evidence for claims and/orconclusions.7.2.8 Question claims based on vague attrib-utes, such as “Leading doctors say ...,” or onstatements made by celebrities or othersoutside the area of their particular expertise.The Physical Setting7.3.3 Describe how climates sometimeshave changed abruptly in the past as aresult of changes in Earth’s crust, such asvolcanic eruptions or impacts of huge rocksfrom space. 7.3.8 Describe how sediments of sand andsmaller particles, sometimes containing theremains of organisms, are gradually buriedand are cemented together by dissolvedminerals to form solid rock again. The Living Environment7.4.1 Explain that similarities among organ-

isms are found in external and internalanatomical features, including specific char-acteristics at the cellular level, such as thenumber of chromosomes. Understand thatthese similarities are used to classify organ-isms since they may be used to infer thedegree of relatedness among organisms. 7.7.2 Use different models to represent thesame thing, noting that the kind of modeland its complexity should depend on itspurpose.

Grade 8 Science StandardsThe Nature of Science and Technology8.1.1 Recognize that and describe how scien-tific knowledge is subject to modification asnew information challenges prevailing theo-ries and as a new theory leads to looking atold observations in a new way.8.1.2 Recognize and explain that somematters cannot be examined usefully in ascientific way.8.1.4 Explain why accurate record keeping,openness, and replication are essential formaintaining an investigator’s credibility withother scientists and society.8.1.8 Explain that humans help shape thefuture by generating knowledge, developingnew technologies, and communicatingideas to others.Scientific Thinking8.2.6 Write clear, step-by-step instructions(procedural summaries) for conducting inves-tigations, operating something, or followinga procedure.8.2.7 Participate in group discussions onscientific topics by restating or summarizingaccurately what others have said, asking forclarification or elaboration, and expressingalternative positions.8.2.8 Use tables, charts, and graphs inmaking arguments and claims in, forexample, oral and written presentationsabout lab or fieldwork.8.2.9 Explain why arguments are invalid ifbased on very small samples of data, biasedsamples, or samples for which there was nocontrol sample.8.2.10 Identify and criticize the reasoning inarguments in which fact and opinion areintermingled or the conclusions do notfollow logically from the evidence given, ananalogy is not apt, no mention is made ofwhether the control group is very much likethe experimental group, or all members of a

group are implied to have nearly identicalcharacteristics that differ from those of othergroups.

Indiana Social StudiesStandards

Kindergarten Social StudiesStandardsEconomicsK.4.2 Identify different kinds of jobs thatpeople do.Individuals, Society, and CultureK.5.2 Identify individuals who are importantin students’ lives — such as parents, grand-parents, guardians, and teachers — andgive examples of how families cooperateand work together.

Grade 1 Social StudiesStandardsEconomics1.4.2 Identify services that people do foreach other.Individuals, Society, and Culture1.5.2 Identify groups to which peoplebelong.

Grade 2 Social StudiesStandardsGeography: The World in Spatial Terms2.3.2 Identify the absolute and relative loca-tions of places in the school and communitysetting using a simple grid map.Individuals, Society, and Culture2.5.5 Identify people of different ages,cultural backgrounds, traditions, and careersand explain how they contribute to thecommunity.

Grade 3 Social StudiesStandardsGeography: Physical Systems3.3.5 Explain how climate affects the vege-tation and animal life of a region anddescribe the physical characteristics thatrelate to form an ecosystem*.

Grade 4 Social StudiesStandardsGeography: The World in Spatial Terms4.3.2 Estimate distances between twoplaces on a map, using a scale of miles,and use cardinal* and intermediate* direc-tions when referring to relative location.




Physical Systems4.3.6 Explain how glacial periods shapedIndiana’s landscape and environment.4.3.7 Describe Earth’s atmosphere, litho-sphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere andexplain how these systems affect life inIndiana.

Grade 5 Social StudiesStandardsGeography: Physical Systems5.3.5 Map and describe the characteristicsof climate regions of the United States.

Grade 7 Social StudiesStandardsGeography: Physical Systems7.3.7 Explain how physical processes haveshaped Earth’s surface.

Grade 8 Social StudiesStandardsFoundations of Government8.2.4 Define and explain the importance ofindividual and civic responsibilities.Geography: Physical Systems8.3.4 Name and describe processes that buildup the land and processes that erode it.

National Standards forScience Education(Grades K – 4)

Content Standard A — Scientific Inquiry(Grades K – 4)Fundamental concepts and principles thatunderlie this standard include:l Ask a question about objects, organisms,

and events in the environment.l Plan and conduct a simple investigation. l Employ simple equipment and tools to

gather data and extend the senses. l Use data to construct a reasonable expla-

nation.

Content Standard B — Physical Science(Grades K – 4)Fundamental concepts and principles thatunderlie this standard include:l Properties of objects and materials —

Objects have many observable proper-ties, including size, weight, shape, color,temperature, and the ability to react withother substances. Those properties canbe measured using tools, such as rulers,balances, and thermometers.

l Positions of motion of objects — Objectsare made of one or more materials, suchas paper, wood, and metal. Objects canbe described by the properties of thematerials from which they are made,and those properties can be used toseparate or sort a group of objects ormaterials.

Content Standard D — Earth and SpaceScience (Grades K – 4)Fundamental concepts and principles thatunderlie this standard includeProperties of Earth materials:l Earth materials are solid rocks and soils,

water, and the gases of the atmosphere.The varied materials have different phys-ical and chemical properties, whichmake them useful in different ways, forexample, as building materials, assources of fuel, or for growing the plantswe use as food. Earth materials providemany of the resources that humans use.

l Soils have properties of color and texture,capacity to retain water, and ability tosupport the growth of many kinds ofplants, including those in our foodsupply.

l Fossils provide evidence about the plantsand animals that lived long ago and thenature of the environment at that time.

Changes in the earth and sky:l The surface of the earth changes. Some

changes are due to slow processes, suchas erosion and weathering, and somechanges are due to rapid processes, suchas landslides, volcanic eruptions, andearthquakes.

l Weather changes from day to day andover the seasons. Weather can bedescribed by measurable quantities,such as temperature, wind direction andspeed, and precipitation.

Content Standard F — Personal andSocial Perspectives (Grades K – 8)Fundamental concepts and principles thatunderlie this standard include:Science and technology in local challenges:l People continue inventing new ways of

doing things, solving problems, andgetting work done. New ideas and inven-tions often affect other people; some-times the effects are good and some-times they are bad. It is helpful to try todetermine in advance how ideas andinventions will affect other people.

l Science and technology have greatlyimproved food quality and quantity,transportation, health, sanitation, andcommunication. These benefits ofscience and technology are not availableto all of the people in the world.

Content Standard G — History andNature of Science (Grades K – 8)Fundamental concepts and principles thatunderlie this standard include:Science as a human endeavor:l People have practiced Science and

technology for a long time. l Men and women have made a variety

of contributions throughout the history ofscience and technology.

l Although men and women using scien-tific inquiry have learned much aboutthe objects, events, and phenomena innature, much more remains to be under-stood. Science will never be finished.

l Many people choose science as a careerand devote their entire lives to studyingit. Many people derive great pleasurefrom doing science.

National Standards forScience Education(Grades 5 – 8)

Content Standard A — Scientific InquiryAs a result of activities in grades 5 – 8, allstudents should develop:l Different kinds of questions suggest

different kinds of scientific investigations.Some investigations involve observingand describing objects, organisms, orevents; some involve collecting speci-mens; some involve experiments; someinvolve seeking more information; someinvolve discovery of new objects andphenomena; and some involve makingmodels.

l Current scientific knowledge and under-standing guide scientific investigations.Different scientific domains employdifferent methods, core theories, andstandards to advance scientific know-ledge and understanding.

l Mathematics is important in all aspectsof scientific inquiry.

l Technology used to gather dataenhances accuracy and allows scientiststo analyze and quantify results of investi-gations.


l Scientific explanations emphasizeevidence, have logically consistent argu-ments, and use scientific principles,models, and theories. The scientificcommunity accepts and uses suchexplanations until displaced by betterscientific ones. When such displacementoccurs, science advances.

l Science advances through legitimateskepticism. Asking questions andquerying other scientistsí explanations ispart of scientific inquiry. Scientists eval-uate the explanations proposed by otherscientists by examining evidence,comparing evidence, identifying faultyreasoning, pointing out statements thatgo beyond the evidence, and suggestingalternative explanations for the sameobservations.

l Scientific investigations sometimes resultin new ideas and phenomena for study,generate new methods or procedures foran investigation, or develop new tech-nologies to improve the collection ofdata. All of these results can lead to newinvestigations.

Content Standard C — Life ScienceAs a result of their activities in grades 5 – 8,all students should develop understanding of:Regulation and behaviorl All organisms must be able to obtain and

use resources, grow, reproduce, andmaintain stable internal conditions whileliving in a constantly changing externalenvironment.

l Regulation of an organism’s internal envi-ronment involves sensing the externalenvironment and changing physiologicalactivities to keep conditions within therange required to survive.

l Behavior is one kind of response anorganism can make to an internal orenvironmental stimulus. A behavioralresponse requires coordination andcommunication at many levels, includingcells, organ systems, and whole organ-isms. Behavioral response is a set ofactions determined in part by heredityand in part from experience.

l An organism’s behavior evolves throughadaptation to its environment. How aspecies moves, obtains food, reproduces,and responds to danger are based in thespecies’ evolutionary history.

Populations and ecosystemsl A population consists of all individuals of

a species that occur together at a givenplace and time. All populations livingtogether and the physical factors withwhich they interact compose anecosystem.

l Populations of organisms can be catego-rized by the function they serve in anecosystem. Plants and some micro-organisms are producers — they maketheir own food. All animals, includinghumans, are consumers, which obtainfood by eating other organisms.Decomposers, primarily bacteria andfungi, are consumers that use wastematerials and dead organisms for food.Food webs identify the relationshipsamong producers, consumers, anddecomposers in an ecosystem.

l For ecosystems, the major source ofenergy is sunlight. Energy enteringecosystems as sunlight is transferred byproducers into chemical energy throughphotosynthesis. That energy then passesfrom organism to organism in food webs.

l The number of organisms an ecosystemcan support depends on the resourcesavailable and abiotic factors, such asquantity of light and water, range oftemperatures, and soil composition.Given adequate biotic and abioticresources and no disease or predators,populations (including humans) increaseat rapid rates. Lack of resources andother factors, such as predation andclimate, limit the growth of populationsin specific niches in the ecosystem.

Diversity and adaptations of organisms l Millions of species of animals, plants,

and microorganisms are alive today.Although different species might lookdissimilar, the unity among organismsbecomes apparent from an analysis ofinternal structures, the similarity of theirchemical processes, and the evidence ofcommon ancestry.

l Biological evolution accounts for thediversity of species developed throughgradual processes over many genera-tions. Species acquire many of theirunique characteristics through biologicaladaptation, which involves the selectionof naturally occurring variations in popu-lations. Biological adaptations includechanges in structures, behaviors, or

physiology that enhance survival andreproductive success in a particular envi-ronment.

l Extinction of a species occurs when theenvironment changes and the adaptivecharacteristics of a species are insuffi-cient to allow its survival. Fossils indicatethat many organisms that lived long agoare extinct. Extinction of species iscommon; most of the species that havelived on the earth no longer exist.



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