Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs.  Need we say more?  It’s hard to find a more popular subject among young children that these giant beasts of the prehistoric past.  In this theme you’ll find a variety of learning activities to explore Dinosaurs and all we know about them.  Your kids will be little Paleontologists in no time at all!

 

Related themes:

  • Prehistoric animals

 

Preparing for this theme:

  • Gather up as many toy dinosaurs as you can find to use for assorted activities.
  • Check out a dinosaur encyclopedia from your local library to use as a reference tool.

 

Field trips & special activities

  • Take a field trip to your local Natural History Museum to scope out the dinosaur exhibit.
  • Google “dinosaur sites” or “dinosaur monument” in your state to see if there are any monuments in your area you might visit.
  • Schedule a day to watch a movie like Jurassic Park or Walking With Dinosaurs.
  • Consider inviting a paleontologist (or the student of one) from a local university to come and speak to your class about what they do, answering any questions they might have.

 

Classroom decoration ideas

  • Draw large, 3-toed “dinosaur footprints” on pieces of paper. Color them, cut them out, and then tape them to your walls to make dinosaur tracks in assorted sizes going all around your classroom.
  • Make a giant volcano out of butcher paper to hang on the wall.
  • Bring in fake plants or vines to decorate your classroom like a prehistoric forest.

 

Theme words

Use the following as spelling or vocabulary words throughout this theme:

  • Archosaur: A type of dinosaur family
  • Bone
  • Claw
  • Cretaceous: The most recent dinosaur period, from 65 million to 145 million years ago.
  • Dig
  • Egg
  • Excavate: To dig out from the earth
  • Fossil: The imprint or remains of an animal left in stone
  • Jurassic: The middle dinosaur period, from 145 million years ago to 201.3 million year ago.
  • Paleontologist: A person who studies dinosaurs
  • Pangea: A supercontinent comprising all the continents we know today that existed in the age of dinosaurs.
  • Pterosaur: A family of winged dinosaurs
  • Raptor
  • Tail
  • Teeth
  • Triassic: The oldest dinosaur period 201.3 million years ago to 251.9 million years ago
  • Volcano

 

Dinosaur Coloring Pictures

Dinosaur Theme Resources:

Teaching Kids About Dinosaurs

The following subjects from our teacher’s encyclopedia will give you some fun and educational talking points and additional lessons to do with your kids: