Lesson Plan What is a Dinosaur Objective: Through discussion and role playing, students will be able to identify and demonstrate some of the differences between reptiles and dinosaurs. Lesson Time: This lesson is expected to take 15 to 20 minutes Grade Level: K – 5 th Standards Correlation: Science Standards – 2 Materials: Figure 3.2 Comparison of skeleton and posture of dinosaurs and nondinosaurian reptiles Procedure Engage: If you were to look at two animals of the same size, one reptile and one dinosaur, could you tell which one is a dinosaur? Explore: Show students skeletons of reptiles and dinosaurs of various sorts throughout the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center (RMDRC). Tell them that they are going to get to play the part of either a dinosaur or a reptile. Explain: Discuss major differences between reptiles and dinosaurs that can be easily seen and/or described based on the RMDRC’s collection. Have the students get on the floor in a crawling position. Have half of them place their arms directly under their shoulders, with their hands arched up so only the fingers touch the floor. Their palms should not be touching the floor. They are the dinosaurs. Have the other half of the students hold their upper arms and elbows out to their sides (as in the lizard-like skeleton in the picture of leg structure), with their palms flat and hands turned out. These students are the reptiles. Have each group place as much weight on their arms as they can and hold the position for a count of ten (you may need to count fast). Now ask them to crawl in this position. Evaluate: Show the student’s a skeleton of a retile that they did not previously see. Have them explain why this animal could not be a dinosaur.
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Lesson Plan What is a Dinosaur
Objective: Through discussion and role playing, students will be able to identify
and demonstrate some of the differences between reptiles and dinosaurs.
Lesson Time:
This lesson is expected to take 15 to 20 minutes
Grade Level:
K – 5th
Standards Correlation:
Science Standards – 2
Materials:
Figure 3.2 Comparison of skeleton and posture of dinosaurs and nondinosaurian
reptiles
Procedure
Engage: If you were to look at two animals of the same size, one reptile and
one dinosaur, could you tell which one is a dinosaur?
Explore: Show students skeletons of reptiles and dinosaurs of various sorts
throughout the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center (RMDRC). Tell them
that they are going to get to play the part of either a dinosaur or a reptile.
Explain: Discuss major differences between reptiles and dinosaurs that can be
easily seen and/or described based on the RMDRC’s collection.
Have the students get on the floor in a crawling position. Have half of them place
their arms directly under their shoulders, with their hands arched up so only the
fingers touch the floor. Their palms should not be touching the floor. They are the
dinosaurs. Have the other half of the students hold their upper arms and elbows out
to their sides (as in the lizard-like skeleton in the picture of leg structure), with
their palms flat and hands turned out. These students are the reptiles. Have each
group place as much weight on their arms as they can and hold the position for a
count of ten (you may need to count fast). Now ask them to crawl in this position.
Evaluate: Show the student’s a skeleton of a retile that they did not previously
see. Have them explain why this animal could not be a dinosaur.
Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to distinguish between dinosaurs
and reptiles. They will be able to explain why the common perception that
pterodactyls, plesiosaurs and mosasaurs are reptiles, is wrong.
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