2nd Grade Lesson – Digging up Dinosaurs In 3 sessions

Objectives : Students will 1. deepen their understanding of what research is and how real scientists do research
everyday, 2. describe how scientists develop and use theories to refine their knowledge. 3. Students will deepen their
questioning strategies. 4. They will continue to develop skills to seek answers using books and on-line resources to
learn what experts think. 5. They will report information using the Paleo Pals Riddle Sheet (which forces students to
use their own understanding in a fun way to express what they know)

Session 1--- Fossils - finding out about how scientists work with fossils (re-inforcing and revisiting prior
knowledge)
Materials: Fossil Girl: Mary Anning’s Dinosaur Discovery – Catherine Brighton
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins – Barbara Kerley
Story of how one man helped make paleontology exciting
Dragon Bones and Dinosaur Eggs – Ann Brausam
Story of Roy Chapman Andrews discovery of Protoceratops in the Gobi Desert

Discussion Questions after reading –

1. What kind of teeth would a carnivore have? Would share claws help a carnivore eat meat?
2. What are some fossil clues about the size of a dinosaur?
3. How did scientists decide what dinosaurs looked like? Why do we change this from time to time?

Use Fossil Footprints and Dinosaur Drawing Sheets - #1, #2, #3

Online fossil record game - to help students understand how to apply information.

Session 2 --- Teachers assign each pair with a dinosaur to research.

After listing questions we want answered the librarian will demonstrate how to find answers in the
dinosaur books using the Index, Table of Contents, and on-line resources.
Students teams will then use reference resources to find out about their dinosaur.
Being a Book Detective (locating the book, getting it from the shelf, excavating for facts,
taking notes) by looking up assigned dinosaurs in OPAC. They will locate the book on the
shelf, use Table of Contents and the Index to answer student generated questions.

Materials: Abdo – Buddy Books Dinosaur series --- (R.L. from 2.0- 4.0)
Webpage http://westmeade.net/Library/dinowebquest.html

Session 3 – Finish the Paleo Pals Riddle sheet giving clues to their classmates in Guess the Dino Game.

Students will also enjoying “Explore More” and dino-games on the webpage.
Explore More – http://westmeade.net/Library/dinowebquest.html#Explore
Dino Fun - http://westmeade.net/Library/dinowebquest.html#Fun

Enjoy Dinosaur Fossil Cookies which students will mix….in classrooms and parents will bake in
the cafeteria

Responsibilities:
Librarian will :
Design on-line resources for students to use in both group and individual exploration.
Read aloud parts and share questions and answer for these books
 Waterhouse Hawkins – by Barbara Kerley
Fossil Girl – by Catherine Brighton
Dragon Bones and Dinosaur Eggs – by Ann Bausum

Teachers will:
1. Provide the printed worksheets (Fossil Footprints and Dinosaur Drawing Sheets - #1, #2, #3 Paleo
Pals Riddle Sheet click on Task 2 link for sheet) for each student.
2. Pair students with one good reader and one struggling so that the good reader can help the
struggling reader and make it possible for both to succeed.
3. making the dino fossil cookies with parents and kids, (I have ordered the cutters), use classroom
opportunities to remind students about their thinking

Illustrating how researchers learned about dinosaurs from the fossil record, and how Paleontolgists are careful
investigators (detectives) who look at the clues which the fossils reveal.

Vocabulary
Theory
Dinosaur
Preditor
Prey
Fossils
Carnivore
Herbivore
Paleontologist
extinct

Resources
Printable Dinosaur Footprints
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/tlc-dinosaurs/index.html#obj

Bibliography
Allosaurus – Goecke – 567.912 Goe RL 2.7
Ankylosaurus – Goecke – 567.915 Goe RL 2.5
Apatosaurus – Gaines – 567.9138 Gai RL 3.4
Archaeopteryx – Gaines – 562.22 Gai RL 3.1
Brachiosaurus – Goecke - 567.914 Goe RL 2.6
Coelophysis – Gaines – 567.912 Gai RL 3.4
Deinonychus – Devillier – 567.91 Dev RL 3.0
Diplodocus – Goecke - 567.913 Goe RL 2.6
Iguanodon - Goecke – 567.914 Goe RL 2.6
Stegosaurus – Goecke – 567.9153 Goe RL 2.6
Spinosaurus – Devillier – 567.91 Dev RL 3.0
Triceratops – Goecke – 567.9158 Gai RL 3.3
Tyrannosaurus – Gaines – 567.9129 Gai RL 3.2

These are the reading levels and the books to be used in Session 2