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The following Educator’s Guide for Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana was designed to promote
personalized learning and reinforce classroom curriculum. The worksheets and classroom activities are
appropriate for various grade levels and apply to proficiency standards in social studies, language arts,
reading, math, science and the arts. Students are encouraged to use their investigation skills to describe,
explain, analyze, summarize, record and evaluate the information presented in the exhibit. The information
gathered can then be used as background research for the various Classroom Connections that relate to grade
level academic content standards.
In order to best suit you and your classroom needs, this Educator’s Guide has been broken up into the
following areas:
A. Pre-visit Information
a. Planning Your Visit
i. Enhance Your Dinosaur Experience
ii. How to Book Your Field Trip
b. Background Information
i. What is a Dinosaur?
ii. Vocabulary & Concepts
iii. Evolution & Classification of Dinosaurs
c. Classroom Connections
B. Museum Visit Information
a. Exhibit Walk-through
b. Exhibit Student Worksheet
C. Post-visit Information
a. Classroom Connections
i. Language Arts/Social Studies
ii. Science
iii. Mathematics
iv. Fine Arts
D. Teacher Resources
a. Further Reading
b. Online Resources
E. Ohio and National Standards
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Enhance Your Dinosaur Experience The dinosaur experience doesn’t have to end in the exhibit Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana –
Cincinnati Museum Center has so much more to offer from hands-on classroom experiences to additional
dinosaur exhibits and OMNIMAX® films! For pricing and availability, please call (513) 287-7021.
Learning Labs Enhance student learning with these one-of-a-kind hands-on learning opportunities that support and go beyond the exhibit
during your visit to Cincinnati Museum Center. For the full listings of Learning Labs offerings or for more information,
please visit www.cincymuseum.org/educators.
Dinosaur Discovery (Grades 1-5) – Become a junior paleontologist and explore the size and bone structure of dinosaurs
while using the tools of the trade, including fossil replicas. This program includes a guided experience in the Museum of
Natural History & Science’s Dino Hall.
This Little Dinosaur (Pre K-K) – Discover a story that is 65 million years in the making. This interactive tale of exploration
and discovery includes dinosaur fossils, footprints and other evidence to help tell the story. This program includes a
guided experience in the Museum of Natural History & Science’s Dino Hall.
Programs-on-Wheels Bring hands-on museum learning into your classroom with these exciting learning opportunities that come to your school.
For the full listing of Programs-on-Wheels offerings or for more information, please visit www.cincymuseum.org/educators.
Digging for Dinosaurs (Grades 1-4) – Uncover fossils on a paleontological “dinosaur dig.” Discuss Cincinnati’s world-
famous Ordovician fossils. Learn how fossils are formed and make a plaster cast of a fossil for the group to keep.
Touchable fossils from dinosaurs such as Allosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Stegosaurus, raptors and many more make this
program a junior paleontologist’s dream.
Dino Dig (Pre K-K) – Dig up dinosaur fossils and discover their owners’ true identities! Learn about different kinds of
dinosaurs, what they looked like, what they ate and how they protected themselves. A variety of activities allow you to
growl, claw and walk like a dinosaur.
Museum Exhibits While on your field trip, be sure to stop by the following exhibits to further enhance your dinosaur experience.
Ancient Marine Life (Museum of Natural History & Science) – Meet some of the marine creatures that lived in our ancient
seas including the Coelacanth, Plesiosaur, Xiphactinus, Ohio armored fish and many more.
Dino Hall (Museum of Natural History & Science) – Take a look at some of the Mesozoic Eras wonders! With flying
reptiles, real dinosaur fossils, complete dinosaur replicas and so much more, you get transported back to the time of the
dinosaurs in this exhibit containing one-of-a-kind specimens.
Lost Voices (Museum of Natural History & Science) – Learn about the varied life forms that have inhabited our planet in
the past and gain a greater understanding of the history of our planet and also of our place on it.
Paleo Lab (Museum of Natural History & Science) – Watch staff clean and prepare dinosaur bones and other items
collected on recent museum digs.
OMNIMAX® Films Round out your dinosaur experience with the perfect OMNIMAX
® film all about dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia – Following Pr. Rodolfo Coria, a world-renown Argentinean paleontologist, we visit sites
of major dinosaur discoveries in the Patagonia region of South America and travel back in time to see these amazing
beasts come to life. Journey through the lives of two specimens of these superb achievements of evolution. The action is
intense and the landscape is out of this world. From space, we have the perfect vantage point to witness the movement of
the tectonic plates and the arrival of a comet that may have sealed the fate of the Dinosaurs.
PRE-VISIT INFORMATION
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How to Book Your Field Trip
To help you prepare for your field trip, go to www.cincymuseum.org/educators/visit. Then call (513) 287-7021
Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or fill out the online reservation request form at
www.cincymuseum.org/educators.
Reservation Check List
School Name ____________________________
Teacher Name ___________________________
School Address __________________________
Teacher Phone Number ___________________
Teacher E-mail __________________________
Date of Visit _____________________________
Back-up Date(s) _________________________
Time of Arrival ___________________________
Time of Departure ________________________
Number of Students ______________________
Grade Level(s) __________________________
Number of Adults & Chaperones ____________ 5 students: 1 chaperone through Grade 5
10 students: 1 chaperone Grades 6 and up
Time of Arrival __________________________
Time of Departure _______________________
Method of Payment (credit card, check or P.O.)
What do we want to do?
_____ One Museum Pass
_____ OMNIMAX®
_____ One Museums Pass + OMNIMAX®
_____ All Museums Pass
_____ All Museum Pass + OMNIMAX®
_____ Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana exhibit
_____ Theater LIVE!
_____ Learning Lab
_____ LITE Lab STEM Experience
_____ Programs-on-Wheels
_____ Heritage Program Walking Tour
_____ Heritage Program Bus Tour
_____ Overnight at the Museum
_____ Appalachian Culture Fest School Day
_____ Scout Program
Cancellations
Cancellations within 48 hours are subject to pay a fee of 50% of the reservation price. No-Shows are subject to
pay 100% of the reservation price. Theater LIVE! requires cancellations two weeks in advance. Cancellations
within two weeks are subject to pay a fee of 50% of the reservation price.
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What is a Dinosaur? With new discoveries and scientific improvements, our understanding of dinosaurs is constantly changing,
making it difficult for educators to stay current. Here’s the most up-to-date information to help you stay ahead
of the game.
Dinosaurs were a unique type of animal that:
- lived during the Mesozoic Era from 245 to 65 million years ago. Not all animals that lived during
this time were dinosaurs. Many flying reptiles, marine animals, insects, mammals, etc. are often
mistaken for dinosaurs.
- were vertebrates. All dinosaurs, regardless of their size, had backbones and shared similar
skeletal features.
- were terrestrial, meaning they lived on land. While some dinosaurs may have been able to wade
or paddle through water, they did not live in oceans, rivers or lakes like the swimming reptiles of the
Mesozoic Era such as the mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Dinosaurs also did not spend extended
periods of time in flight like the flying reptiles such as the pterosaurs.
- walked with their legs positioned directly under their bodies. Like birds and most mammals this
adaptation made dinosaurs efficient walkers and runners. Modern reptiles walk with their legs
splayed out, their knees always bent and their feet pointed out, rather than forward.
- are now extinct, but their descendants are alive today as birds. Through new discoveries and
advancements in science, scientists have realized that dinosaurs of the past and modern birds have
very similar features including three-toed feet, a wishbone, nests, brooding, feathers, semilunate
carpal, hollow bones and hard shelled, oblong eggs just to name a few.
A few things to remember:
- Dinosaurs did not live with humans.
- Dinosaurs did not live in water.
- Pterosaurs (flying reptiles) were not dinosaurs.
- Dinosaurs did not drag their tails on the ground - footprints suggest that they walked with their tails
held off the ground.
- The previously named Brontosaurus is now known to be the same species as the Apatosaurus,
therefore leaving the separate distinction of Brontosaurus as inaccurate.
- Not all dinosaurs lived together – not only were groups of dinosaurs separated by the different
landmasses, but during the more than 140 millions of years in which dinosaurs roamed the Earth,
many species also went extinct before others ever evolved.
Warm-blooded vs. cold-blooded:
This is still up for debate but the theory that dinosaurs may have been warm-blooded is gaining traction as new
studies are being done. While many scientists now believe that many of the smaller dinosaurs and those with
feathers may have been warm-blooded, there is evidence to show that some of the larger dinosaurs may have
been closer to cold-blooded but able to control their body temperatures similar to the way a leatherback sea
turtle can.
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Vocabulary & Concepts
Continental Drift
The theory of continental drift was published by a 32-year-old German meteorologist named Alfred Lothar
Wegener in the early 20th century. This is the theory that land masses have been “drifting” across the Earth
and have united and separated in several cycles over the Earth’s geological history. Wegener noticed that the
coasts of western Africa and eastern South America looked like the edges of interlocking pieces of a jigsaw
puzzle. The idea that continents have not always been fixed in their present positions was first suggested as
early as 1596, however in 1912, Wegener was the first to formally present evidence that Africa and South
America had once been connected as the scientific theory continental drift. Wegener proposed that around 200
million years ago, the supercontinent Pangaea began to split apart. Later, Alexander du Toit, Professor of
Geology at Witwatersrand University, supported Wegener and added that Pangaea first broke into two large
continental landmasses, Laurasia and Gondwanaland (now known as Gondwana). These two supercontinents
then continued to break apart into the various smaller continents that exist today.
Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) Extinction Event
The most famous of all mass extinctions marks the end of the Cretaceous Period approximately 65 million
years ago and is known as the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event (formerly called the Cretaceous-
Tertiary [K-T] extinction event). This mass-extinction wiped out an estimated 71-81% of all species, including
the non-avian dinosaurs (birds live on today). While many species of mammals, pterosaurs, plants, fish, giant
marine reptiles, insects and more were victims of this mass extinction, it also brought about evolutionary
opportunities and saw the rise of new forms and species of horses, whales, bats, primates, birds, fish and
more!
It is generally believed that this mass extinction was brought about by a 6 mile wide asteroid that struck the
Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and triggered catastrophic effects on the global environment. These events
included a lingering impact winter that made it impossible for plankton and plants to carry out photosynthesis.
While most scientists now agree that the extinction was started by an asteroid, others still maintain that it was
caused or exacerbated by other factors, such as volcanic eruptions, climate change and a change in sea level.
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Paleontology
The scientific study of prehistoric life, known as paleontology, includes the study of fossils in an attempt to
explain aspects of past organisms such as their identity and origin, their environment and evolution as well as
what they can tell us about the Earth’s organic and inorganic past.
Plate Tectonics
The theory of plate tectonics is the scientific explanation of why the continents move and states that the Earth’s
outermost layer (the lithosphere) is fragmented into distinct rigid plates which move as they ride atop the
hotter, more mobile asthenosphere. Plate tectonics is a relatively new concept in science, introduced around
30 years ago, however it has revolutionized our understanding of the study of the Earth. These plates have
coalesced and separated in several cycles throughout Earth’s history forming landmasses such as continents
and supercontinents that are constantly changing, rearranging and reshaping these landmasses.
Supercontinents
The term supercontinent is usually used when referring to the large landmass created when multiple continents
converge. The most frequently referred to supercontinent is known as Pangaea and formed approximately 300
million years ago. Pangaea is the convergence of all major continents, forming a giant supercontinent which
eventually broke apart about 150 million years ago and became the two smaller supercontinents of Laurasia (in
the north) and Gondwana (in the south). Laurasia was comprised of present day North America, Europe and
Asia while Gondwana was comprised of present day Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, Madagascar
and India.
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Evolution & Classification of Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs ruled the world during the Mesozoic Era with dinosaur ancestors evolving during the Triassic Period
and first appearing as true dinosaurs during the late Triassic Period. The Jurassic Period was a time of growth
for the dinosaurs and by the Cretaceous Period many different types of dinosaurs has evolved.
Paleontologists compare the different kinds of dinosaurs in order to discover their relationships to other
dinosaurs and to find the ancestors of dinosaurs. This can tell scientists much about evolution as well as some
things about the world in which the dinosaurs lived. Dinosaurs that could migrate were similar, but those
dinosaurs that were isolated evolved differently. Dinosaurs and other organisms have historically been placed
into hierarchical categories, using a system of classification called the Linnaean system. Today, research on
dinosaur relationships uses an approach called cladistics, which uses the presence of shared morphological
features to recreate the branching tree of dinosaur evolution. Because scientists have incomplete information
for dinosaurs, these groupings may change as new dinosaur fossils are discovered that could be the key that
unlocks more information about dinosaur evolution and ancestry.
In the Linnaean System, similar species are grouped into a genus, similar genera into a family, similar families
into an order, similar orders into a class, similar classes into a phylum, and similar phyla into a kingdom.
The new approach, called cladistics or phylogenetic systematic, is unlike the Linnean system, which puts
organisms into hierarchical categories. Instead it attempts to determine the many speciation events that
resulted in the separation by branching of all organisms, living and extinct. In simpler terms, cladistics is a
method of analyzing the evolutionary relationships between groups to construct their family tree.
Cladistics groups organisms on the basis of shared derived characteristics and uses a philosophical concept
called parsimony, which holds that the simplest branching pattern (the one with the fewest steps) is most likely
close to the true one. Scientists using cladistics do not place organisms into nested categories like the Linnean
system, because they assume that each branch occurs by the same simple process of speciation. However,
the various Linnean categories are still widely used for placement of groups into categories.
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It is almost impossible to prove that two species share a common ancestor. But by making an extensive list of
characteristics, scientists can show how likely it is that two species are related. The more traits two species
share, the more likely they are closely related and got those traits from a shared ancestor. For example, both
sparrows and bats have arms and hands that are wings, but sparrow wings and bat wings are much different.
Sparrow wings and bat wings evolved separately, and not because of a common ancestor. This is called
convergent evolution. On the other hand, the wings of sparrows, eagles, ostriches, and all other birds are alike.
This shows that today's bird species are closely related and came from a common ancestor.
Dinosaurs are classified as reptiles, but all reptiles do not form a single clade (a group that includes a common
ancestral species and all the species that descended from it). There are two reptilian clades. One clade
includes all living reptiles, dinosaurs, ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and birds (the Sauropsida). The other clade is
the mammals and the extinct mammal-like reptiles (the Theropsida). Crocodilians and birds are more closely
related to each other than either is to lizards and snakes. They are part of a smaller sauropsid clade, the
Archosauria. Lizards and snakes are in the clade Lepidosauria. Archosaurs had a large opening in the front of
each eye. As the many groups of archosaurs evolved, this antorbital fenestra ("window in front of the eye")
sometimes closed (in crocodilians and the later plant-eating dinosaurs) or merged with the nostril (in
pterosaurs).
The earliest archosaurs are found in Permian rocks, formed before the Mesozoic Era began. In the beginning
of the Mesozoic, when animal life was recovering from the worst mass extinction in the world's history, the
archosaurs expanded and quickly spread. Most of those first archosaurs were extinct by the end of the Triassic
Period, but the Pterosauria, Saurischia, and Ornithischia survived to the end of the Mesozoic, and the
Crocodilia survived to the present. Birds have not been found in the Triassic, although some puzzling Triassic
bird-like animals have recently been discovered in Asia, Europe, and Texas. Two important evolutionary
changes took place among the archosaurs. They changed from-sprawling, lizard-like animals to animals that
walked with their legs held directly under their bodies. The other change was from a cold-blooded, lizard-like
metabolism to a warm-blooded, bird-like metabolism. These changes did not take place in all archosaurs, but
they happened in the dinosaurs. Crocodilians are the only surviving example in which those changes did not
occur; birds are the only surviving group in which they did occur.
Birds are dinosaurs but pterosaurs aren’t?
Crocodiles, dinosaurs, pterosaurs and
birds all evolved from the same ancestor,
archosaurs, however not all archosaurs
are dinosaurs. While pterosaurs, birds and
dinosaurs are all archosaurs, pterosaurs
are classified as ornithodirans which
branch off the family tree before the
dinosaurs evolved. The dinosaurs can then
be broken up into ornithischians which
include Triceratops, Stegosaurus and the
duck-billed dinosaurs and the saurischians
which include Tyrannosaurs rex,
Brachiosaurus and modern day birds!
The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction
event caused the extinction of all
dinosaurs except the branch that had
already given rise to the first birds.
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Classroom Connections
Vocabulary Review
Prepare for some of the vocabulary presented throughout the exhibit by having students define the following:
Carnivore Fossil Omnivore
Continental Drift Geology Paleontology
Dinosaur Herbivore Plate Tectonics
Evolution Inference vs. Evidence Supercontinents
Extinction Mesozoic Era Trace Fossil
Charting Dinosaur Knowledge
Discuss what students already know about dinosaurs and explore what they would like to learn further by
creating a classroom Dinosaur Chart to keep track of classroom progress. As the class studies dinosaurs, add
to the chart as you learn more.
Tectonic “Egg”tivity
Have students research the layers of the Earth and their properties. Students should also have a basic
knowledge of plate tectonics and how plates move.
Break the class into 3 groups and have each group study a different type of plate boundary – convergent,
divergent and transform. Groups should create a poster presentation and present their findings to the class.
Now’s your chance to create those boundaries! Have students take a hard-boiled egg and gently crack the
shell. This egg will now represent the Earth with the broken shell as the lithosphere broken into tectonic plates
and the hard-boiled egg white as the firm but slippery asthenosphere. As students gently squeeze the egg,
they can watch the “plates” slowly move, creating the different plate boundaries. Notice how the shell
separates in some places, exposing the “mantle,” collides and/or slides past each other in other areas.
Create a Timeline
In order to place dinosaurs in a historical context, discuss the concept of timelines, why they are important,
how they can help us learn and the importance of creating a scale for a timeline. As a class, (students will
make individual/small group timelines as part of the Post-visit Classroom Connections), create a timeline
including important historical markers for dinosaurs. As you learn more about dinosaurs, both before and after
your visit to Cincinnati Museum Center, add to your classroom timeline.
Becoming a Paleontologist
As a paleontologist, we are studying an extinct group of animals that we never saw. Have the class discuss
how we find out about dinosaurs. Ask students questions like: How do we learn about and study dinosaurs?
What evidence do we have about dinosaurs? What is the difference between a fossil and a trace fossil? Why is
the study of paleontology important? What can paleontology tell us? and Why do we not find dinosaurs in the
tri-state? As the class discusses some of these answers, add them to your Dinosaur Chart.
Have students read “The Mother’s Day Site” story on the next page. Is this story real or make-believe? How do
you know? What can we learn from the Mother’s Day dig site and why is it important? As a paleontologist, we
have to take the evidence we have and, using what we know about current environment, try to piece together a
full picture of what might have happened at a dig site. This often means different paleontologists have different
opinions on how and why the dinosaurs ended at that location. After reading The Mother’s Day Site story and
looking at all of the evidence, do you agree with Dr. Storrs or do you think there might be a different
explanation? If the class is able to come up with different explanations, start a debate and have students
defend their theory to the class.
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The Mother’s Day Site
South-central Montana today does not represent what it looked like
150 million years ago. Instead of the breathtaking views of the
mountains we see today, the land would have been somewhat similar
to the Amazon Basin with a large river flowing through a densely
forested area. The conifers and palm-like trees called cycads were a
food source for large herbivorous dinosaurs. However, not far from
the water, the land would be filled with large, dry areas similar to
Africa’s savannahs. The climate would have been monsoonal,
meaning extended periods of drought followed by torrential rains.
When these droughts would hit, only the strongest and healthiest
dinosaurs would have survived the barren, inhospitable conditions.
Now we fast forward to our more recent history. On Mother’s Day in 1994, a Museum of the Rockies volunteer was
exploring the area along the base of the Pryor Mountains when he found what is now called the Mother’s Day
Quarry. The Museum of the Rockies worked the area for two years before turning it over to Cincinnati Museum
Center in 1999. Over the next 12 years the museum conducted annual educational trips to the site which unearthed
more than 1,000 fossils, mainly from what are believed to be juvenile Diplodocus dinosaurs. Diplodocus were big
sauropod dinosaurs with long necks, long tails and small heads. While an
adult Diplodocus could grow to be 90 to100 feet long and weigh 118 tons,
most juveniles were 20 to 40 feet long. In the Mother’s Day Quarry, most of
the fossils were piled up in a relatively small area and at varying depths. “In
collecting these bones, we believe we have identified 16 individuals at this
one site” Dr. Glenn Storrs, Withrow Farny Curator of Vertebrate
Paleontology at Cincinnati Museum Center explains. But how did these
juveniles get here and why were their fossils found in such a small area?
The stone where the fossils were found offers some clues as to what might have happened. The fossils were found
within a layer of sedimentary rock known as the Morrison Formation which stretches from Canada to New Mexico.
According to Dr. Storrs, “Scientists used to believe that the Montana portion of the Morrison Formation did not
contain any fossils until the discovery of the Mother’s Day site”. The 10 foot layer of rock at the Mother’s Day site is
made up of mudstone and siltstone that appears to have been deposited all at once. There were also small chert
pebbles in the rock that are “completely alien in a sedimentary environment” Dr. Storrs explains. Because the fossils
were all positioned at different angles, researchers ruled out the possibility that the bones were swept to their final
position over time by a stream or river, if that were the case, all the bones would have been lying in a horizontal
position in one direction. “It’s like a flood, all washing it in one event,” Storrs said. ”However, remember, none of the
bones were broken up, so they weren’t worked very far. That suggests a quick event.” Even more interesting is the
fact that, in digging through the mudstone, the researchers found a few scattered teeth of Allosaurus predators and
there were bite marks on some of the diplodocus bones. “It’s an unusual set of clues, not your average stream
washing these fossils downstream,” Storrs said.
Based on all the clues, Storrs and his colleagues concluded that a group of juvenile Diplodocus, probably migrating
with adults in search of water, died together near a shrinking water hole. Only the juveniles died because they were
less able to go long periods without water. A few Allosaurus dinosaurs may have come along and fed upon the
remains, losing some teeth and scattering the bones in the process. When the monsoonal rain returned, a downpour
caused the slightly sloped soil on which the dead dinosaurs lay to slide in one big event, burying all the bones at odd
angles. “It traveled a quarter-mile at most,” Storrs said. “As it flows downslope, it dewaters and freezes like cement,
which explains why the bones are at different angles.” What about the small pebbles found at the site? Dr. Storrs
believes these are gastroliths, small stones swallowed by plant-eating dinosaurs to help them digest the tough,
fibrous vegetation they ate. In one area where a dozen stones were found together amid black carbon, Storrs
hypothesizes that the black was the organic matter in the stomach of one of the dinosaurs, explaining why the rocks
were together—it was the petrified contents of a stomach!
Dr. Glenn Storrs
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Exhibit Walk-through Highlights of the Exhibition
Surrounded by life-like environmental murals, the exhibition features real fossils, skeletons and 20 full-scale
skeletal casts, many of which have never been seen before in the U.S. You'll see Giganotosaurus, possibly the
largest land predator to have ever lived, as well as the crocodile-faced spinosaur Suchomimus, the horned
meat-eater Carnotaurus, and many more.
Augmented Reality
Come face-to-face with these bizarre creatures through the use of Augmented Reality (AR), layering virtual
experiences over real environments in the exhibition. This is the first time Cincinnati Museum Center is using
AR technology in an exhibition setting – bringing these giants to life and encouraging you to look at them from
a new perspective. Experience a fearsome face-off between carnivores Giganotosaurus and T. rex, enhanced
by AR iPad technology, where you can decide for yourself which one is the largest meat-eating dinosaur of all
time while learning about key differences between the northern and southern worlds in the twilight of the Age of
Dinosaurs.
Section Overview
Section 1: Introduction – The Supercontinent of Pangaea and the Origin of Dinosaurs
a) The Supercontinent of Pangaea and the Earliest Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs originated during the time when all the continents were joined together to form Pangaea. As
a result, early dinosaur communities, dominated by coelophysoid theropods and prosauropods were
globally distributed throughout the Triassic Period and the early Jurassic Period.
b) The Concepts of Continental Drift and Evolution in Isolation
This sub-section explains the principles of plate tectonics and evolution and how these two forces
shaped the history of dinosaurs. It includes examples of the same kinds of fossils that spurred the
revolutionary idea of continental drift.
Section 2: The North-South Divide: the Formation of Laurasia and Gondwana
In the first stage of continental break-up, the supercontinent of Pangaea divided near the equator to form a
northern land mass (Laurasia) and a southern land mass (Gondwana). This section describes the initial stages
of the break-up, a process that accelerates into Cretaceous time and sets the stage for the evolution of
dinosaurs of Gondwana. Dinosaur casts include Cryolophosaurus (a meat-eating dinosaur from the Early
Jurassic of Antarctica) and a Massospondylus, illustrating the close similarities of very widespread animals.
Section 3: The Great Gondwana Dinosaurs
This, the largest section of the exhibit, focuses on the fragmenting of Gondwana. Organized along geographic
lines into three major sub-sections – Africa, Madagascar and South America – this part of the exhibit profiles
southern dinosaurs during the same time slice.
MUSEUM VISIT INFORMATION
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a) Section Introduction
The fragmentation of Gondwana began in the early Cretaceous Period, after the southern
continents had become largely isolated from those in the North. As Gondwana broke into the
individual landmasses of South America, Africa and Madagascar (along with Australia, Antarctica
and India), their faunas began to evolve in their own unique direction. During this time, each of the
continents became completely separated from each other. This splendid isolation resulted in some
of the most bizarre-looking and gigantic dinosaurs that we know of today.
b) The Dinosaurs of Africa
This section features dinosaurs from Gadoufaoua, a rich fossil locality in Niger, Africa that dates
back 130 million years. Thanks to the discoveries by Dr. Paul Sereno and his team in the last fifteen
years, these are some of the best-preserved dinosaurs from Africa and include 75 million year old
fauna of crocodiles, birds and amphibians. Specimens include Ouranosaurus, Malawisaurus,
Nigersaurus (skull only), Suchomimus and Carcharodontosaurus (skull only).
c) Madagascar: Late Cretaceous Island Wonders
Unlike South America and continental Africa, which have reconnected to other continents since the
break-up of Gondwana, Madagascar has remained isolated to the present day. The strange lemur-
dominated fauna of Madagascar today evolved under the same evolutionary conditions of biotic
isolation as the strange dinosaurs millions of years before. This section includes wonderful
specimens from the Late Cretaceous including complete skeletal casts of Majungasaurus,
Masiakasaurus and Rapetosaurus. The amazing plant-eating specimens were discovered by Dr.
David Krause and his team in the last fifteen years.
d) The Giants of South America
This, the largest part of section 3, highlights the most famous dinosaurs from South America, an
area where enormous sauropods were the dominant herbivores and horned abelisaurids, huge
raptors and gigantic carcharodontosaurids (such as Giganotosaurus) were the top carnivores.
Specimens include: Amargasaurus, Buiteraptor, Carnotaurus and Austroraptor. This section also
includes a touchable vertebrae from an Argentinosaurus.
Section 4: Reprise – Dinosaurs and Drifting Continents
The final section of the exhibition illustrates the difference between northern and southern dinosaurs by
presenting a dramatic face-off between the mega-predators Tyrannosaurus rex (from the north) and
Giganotosaurus (from the south). Here visitors determine for themselves which one was the biggest
carnivorous dinosaur of all time. During the Late Cretaceous, the familiar tyrannosaurs were the dominant
carnivores in North America, while the plant-eating hadrosaurs (duck-bills) and ceratopsians (horned
dinosaurs) were the dominant herbivores. This contrasts with the Gondwana fauna, where the dominant
carnivores were Giganotosaurus and its relatives and the sauropods were the dominant plant-eaters.
While adding drama, this final section links the two narrative threads of continental drift and evolution that run
through the exhibit. Specimens include Giganotosaurus and T. rex, and an original skull from an
Edmontosaurus.
13
Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana Student Worksheet As you experience everything the exhibit has to offer, look for the answers to some of these questions.
Also don’t miss out on the hands-on activities and virtual experiences throughout the exhibit.
1. When did the earliest dinosaurs appear on Earth?
a. Triassic Period (250 to 200 million years ago)
b. Jurassic Period (200 to 145 million years ago)
c. Cretaceous Period (145 to 65 million years ago)
2. Dinosaurs were not dominant on Pangaea. Can you name and describe at least 2 animals that were fairly dominant?
1. _________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
3. The Earth was drastically different during the Mesozoic Period; present-day Antarctica was once a warm dinosaur-
rich area. Which dinosaur got its name from the large crest on its head and the fact that it was found in Antarctica?
What does its name mean?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What is genetic separation and how does this explain why dinosaurs from the U.S. are different from those in
Africa?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Name two of the “Heroes of Science” shown in the exhibit and explain why they were significant to science.
1. _________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Just before the dinosaurs appeared, a huge mass extinction at the end of the Paleozoic Era saw the loss of
_________ % of all species!
7. Plants first appeared some _______ million years ago and flowering plants (angiosperms) occurred during the
Lower Cretaceous, about _______ million years ago.
8. The most famous of all mass extinctions marks the end of the Cretaceous Period, about _____ million years ago. A 6
mile wide asteroid struck the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, wiping out an estimated ________ % of all species,
including the non-avian dinosaurs (birds live on today).
9. Can you name the 3 main types of dinosaurs?
1. ________________________________
2. ________________________________
3. ________________________________
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10. The vertebrae of Ouranosaurus had very large spines, creating a sail down the middle of its back. What are some
of the theories of the sails’ purpose? Why do you think the Ouranosaurus had a large sail?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Paleontologists often only find the bones left behind by dinosaurs, but in some special cases, like the original
Carnotaurus, soft tissue, such as skin impressions, can be preserved. What were we able to learn about the
Carnotaurus by studying the skin impressions found? What were we NOT able to determine?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
12. Draw a picture of something you were able to see through the microscope.
13. Match some of the largest predators to their proper continent:
Draw a line from the dinosaur to its continent.
Tyrannasaurus rex Africa
Giganotosaurus North America
Carcharodontosaurus South America
14. The dinosaurs were virtually wiped out by the end of the Cretaceous Period, except for this small feathered group:
__________________________
15. Paleontological work can be long and difficult. Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) is currently working on the
skeleton of a small sauropod thought to be Diplodocus or a rare Suuwassea. It took ______ years of lab work to
clean rock from the bones with blocks weighing as much as ________ tons! The fossil is approximately ________
million years old and the dinosaur died on a flood plain in _____________.
16. Although here in Cincinnati we are unable to go in our backyards and dig up dinosaur fossils, we are able to find
fossils and rocks that are older than the dinosaurs and that have attracted worldwide scientific attention for over
150 years! How old are these fossils beneath our feet and why are they so important?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
17. Did you know that the next time you have some chicken nuggets, you can say you ate a dinosaur? Modern birds
are acknowledged by paleontologists to be living dinosaurs! Name a few of the characteristics shared by both
birds and small, bipedal, carnivorous dinosaurs.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
15
Classroom Connections: Language Arts/Social Studies
Take a Mesozoic Walk
In the Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana exhibit, students were able to “experience” the Mesozoic
Era by seeing and learning about some of the animals, plants and environments that existed millions of years
ago. Have students write a first-person story from the perspective of one of the dinosaurs they learned about in
the exhibit. Be sure to include daily activities like what foods they eat, how they walk, who they interact with,
what their environment looks like and more. Students should also use their imagination to describe what they
look like, sound like, etc.
Dinosaur Mapping
Using a world map or globe, have students work in groups or individually to pinpoint where the different
dinosaur species listed below have been found. Some species may be found on several different continents,
what does this tell us about what our planet used to look like? After students have mapped out the locations of
the dinosaurs, have them create two of their own maps – one of Pangaea and another of Laurasia and
Gondwana. Does this help explain the locations of the dinosaurs? Why or why not? Be sure to include a
discussion about plate tectonics and the evolution of our landmasses over time.
Ankylosaurus (Late Cretaceous) – North America
Brachiosaurus (Late Jurassic) – Africa, Europe, North America
Camarasaurus (Late Jurassic) – North America
Compsognathus (Late Jurassic) - Europe
Cryolophosaurus (Early Jurassic) – Antarctica
Datousaurus (Mid Jurassic) – Asia
Eoraptor (Late Triassic) – South America
Iguanodon (Early Cretaceous) – Europe, North America
Leaellynasaura (Early Cretaceous) – Australia
Microraptor (Early Cretaceous) - Asia
Minmi (Early Cretaceous) – Australia
Saltasaurus (Late Cretaceous) – South America
Thecodontosaurus (Late Triassic) - Europe
Valdosaurus (Early Cretaceous) – Africa, Europe
Mapping Dinosaurs Today
After a brief lesson on plate tectonics and how the Earth has changed over time, give each student a different
dinosaur to research. Have students study where their dinosaur lived and what its habitat was like as well as
what types of foods it ate. Don’t forget that although a dinosaur might have been found in a modern day polar
region, that doesn’t mean that is what the habitat was during the Mesozoic Era. Using this information, have
students locate on a map where their dinosaur might survive if they were alive today and why. Can’t find the
same food or habitat on Earth today? Have students find similar foods and habitats that would allow their
dinosaur to thrive on Earth today.
Have your students complete the following worksheets/activities:
POST-VISIT INFORMATION
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Dinosaur Name Matching
Dinosaur names are usually made up of root words from the Latin or Greek languages. A dinosaur’s name
might describe what the dinosaur looked like, how it may have acted, or where its bones were found. For
example, the word “dinosaur” itself can be split into two parts, “dino” and “saur.” The Greek word “dino” means
terrible while “saur” means lizard, so the word “dinosaur” means terrible lizard. Using the Latin/Greek Word
Bank that shows word roots and their meanings, draw a line matching the dinosaur names below with their
correct meanings.
Tyrannosaurus Rex Massive Vertebrae
Carcharodontosaurus Crocodile mimic
Eoraptor Dragon hunter
Carnotaurus Sharp-toothed lizard
Giganotosaurus Dawn robber
Cryolophosaurus Southern thief
Massospondylus Giant southern lizard
Austroraptor Cold crested lizard
Suchomimus Meat-eating bull
Dracovenator Tyrant lizard king
Latin/Greek Word Bank
austr = south giga = giant saur, saurus = lizard
carcharo = jagged, sharp lopho, lophos = crest spondylis = vertebae
carno = meat-eating masso = massive sucho, suchus = crocodile
don, don’t = tooth mimus = mimic taur, taurus = bull
cryo = icy, cold notos = south tyrranos = tyrant
draco = dragon raptor = thief, robber venator = hunter
eo, eos = dawn rex = king
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Across 5. The large landmass created when multiple continents converge 9. The scientific explanation of why the continents move that states
that the Earth's outermost layer is fragmented into distinct rigid plates that move as they ride atop the hotter, more mobile, athenosphere
11. The fossilized remains of a track, trail, footprint, burrow, etc, of an organism
12. An animal that eats both flesh and plant foods 14. Change in the gene pool of a population from
generation to generation by such processes as mutation, natural selection, and genetic drift
15. An explanation derived by reasoning; to derive as a conclusion from facts or ideas
16. One of an extinct group of land-dwelling vertebrates that lived during the Mesozoic Era and, unlike modern reptiles, walked with their legs positioned directly under their bodies
Down 1. A coming to an end or dying out 2. An animal that feeds on grass and other plants 3. The study of the forms of life existing in former
geologic periods, as represented by their fossils 4. Any remains, impression, or trace of a living thing
of a former geologic age 6. An animal that eats flesh 7. The science that deals with the dynamics and physical
history of the earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the physical, chemical, and biological changes that the earth has undergone or is undergoing
8. The interval of geological time from 250 to 65 million years ago
10. Data that can be measured, observed, examined, and analyzed to support a conclusion
13. The theory that land masses have been "drifting" across the earth and have united and separated several times over the Earth's geological history
Ultimate Dinosaurs Vocabulary Crossword
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Classroom Connections: Science
Geologic Walk at Sawyer Point
Take a trip to Sawyer Point to see the geologic time line. Set in the concrete walkway, starting near the old
waterworks building and ending near the statue of Cincinnatus, this is one of the largest outdoor time lines in
the world. Each square of the walk covers one million years of geologic time and covers the formation of the
Ohio River Basin from the creation of the earth to the founding of Cincinnati. Block by block, it describes the
geologic, geographic and agricultural changes that took place including the various life forms present during
each era.
Sawyer Point is located at the intersection of Eggleston Avenue and Pete Rose Way in Downtown Cincinnati.
Identify that Cast
Ever wonder how paleontologists make copies of trace fossils? Fossils form in many ways. Sometimes a plant
or animal can leave an imprint (leaf print, skin print, foot print, etc.) in soft earth, such as mud. These imprints
are known as trace fossils. When the imprint hardens, it forms a mold. Later, mud or other material can fill in
the mold to make a cast, or a copy of the original. Have students make their own molds and casts of objects
then have the class try to match each of the casts to the original objects.
Have students bring in a small object to mold and cast – i.e. a small toy, shell, coin, leaf, stamp, etc. Give each
student a small amount of modeling clay, salt and flour dough, or other hardening clay material. Shape the clay
into a small disk, slightly bigger than the object. Place the disk on a flat, dry surface and add a rim around the
top edge that will allow for pouring plaster into the disk without spilling over. Students will then spray their disk
with vegetable oil and carefully push their object into the clay. Remove the object, leaving an imprint behind.
You have created a mold of your object!
Mix up some Plaster of Paris and quickly pour the mixture onto the molds (being careful to not overflow the
rim). Tap the table and/or mold to remove any air bubbles from the Plaster of Paris. Allow the plaster to dry
until cool and hard. Once dry, carefully separate the cast from the mold. You have now created a cast of the
object.
Pass out the casts and see if students are able to identify what their cast is from. If they need help, place all of
the original objects out on a table and allow students to compare the casts with the objects to help with
identifying what their cast is. Can you imagine having to identify the cast of a dinosaur footprint with the right
dinosaur? Many times paleontologists are unable to narrow down exactly what dinosaur a trace fossil came
from and they must use the knowledge they have to get as close as they can. This is why you may see fossils
labeled as “large theropod footprint” or “small sauropod skin print.”
Have your students complete the following worksheets/activities:
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Cookie Tectonics
After completing the Pre-visit Classroom Connections and visiting Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana,
students should have a good grasp of the layers of the earth and plate tectonics. Wrap up your plate tectonics
lessons with this fun and edible review of the different plate boundaries!
Pass out three Double Stuff Oreo cookies to each student and
have them explain how an Oreo is similar to the layers of the
earth. Make sure the students are able to relate the upper
cookie to the rigid lithosphere, the filling as the pliable
asthenosphere and the lower cookie as the rigid lower mantle
(as shown to the left).
Students should start by carefully twisting and removing the
top cookie on all three Oreos. Try sliding the upper cookie
over the creamy filling – this represents the lithospheric plate
moving over the softer asthenosphere.
Break the top cookies in half to represent two different plates.
These will be use to create the different plate boundaries as
shown below!
Divergent Plate Boundaries – Place both cookie
halves back together and put on top of the filling.
Push down on the two broken cookie halves and
slide them apart to create a divergent plate boundary.
Students may see some of the asthenosphere push
up between the rift in the plates if they are pushing
hard enough. This represents the rising,
decompression and partial melting of the hot
asthenosphere at mid-ocean ridges and continental
rift zones.
Convergent Plate Boundaries – Using a new Oreo
and a new broken top cookie, put both halves on top
of the filling, pushing one cookie piece beneath the
other. This collision between two oceanic plates or an
oceanic plate and a continental plate causes the
denser oceanic plate (or older and therefore denser
in the case of two oceanic plates) to subduct below
the less dense plate. Two converging continental
plates are a little harder with Oreos because
subduction doesn’t occur, however students can try
pushing the two halves together while pushing down
on the rounded outside edges causing the two side to collide in the middle and rise up like mountains.
Transform Plate Boundaries – Using a new Oreo and a new broken top cookie, put both halves on top of the
filling and push one half up while pushing the other half down. The two pieces should rub against each other as
they slide and you should be able to hear, feel and see the plates stick, crumble and crack forming
earthquakes as you push.
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Classroom Connections: Mathematics
Geologic Timelines
Have students work individually or in small groups to create their own geologic timeline on calculator paper or
toilet paper. For older students, allow them to create their own scale, for younger students you can create a
scale. For calculator paper, 1 cm = 10 million years gets students working in about 5 meter strips of calculator
paper which is great for classroom use. For toilet paper, 1 square = 5 million years gets students working in a
1000 sheet roll (most single ply rolls are 1000 sheets) of toilet paper which is great for hallway or playground
use.
Ask students “How long is 4.6 billion years?” It is hard to imagine how old the earth is and comparatively how
long dinosaurs were alive vs. how long humans have been alive. Using either calculator paper or toilet paper,
students will be able to visualize the geologic timeline. With the scale they created, or the one given to them,
ask students to mark significant dates in history with a marker including the formation of earth, mass
extinctions, the formation of Pangaea, the appearance of mammals, dinosaurs, homo sapiens, and the first
plants but don’t forget to mark the eras, periods, etc. Have students draw symbols/pictures or cut out pictures
that correspond with these important dates to add to their timeline.
After the timeline has been created ask questions like “Relative to life on Earth, have we been around very
long?” and “Who was around longer, homo sapiens or dinosaurs?” along with other questions that get students
thinking about and comparing the evolution of Earth.
And the Winner is…
Have a classroom discussion about Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus, two of the biggest carnivorous
dinosaurs. While the two dinosaurs never met because they evolved on different land masses, who would win
a territorial battle? Have the students imagine if Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus were to meet and battle
over land and food. Both of these dinosaurs were compared in the exhibit, now it’s your students’ turn to be the
paleontologists and debate which one was bigger and/or stronger.
Have students research both the Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus including their height, weight, length and
other aspects of the size and strength such as how fast they could run, who had the stronger jaw, the size of
their feet, skulls, teeth, brains, claws, etc. Ask students to take a stance on which dinosaur would win the battle
and the split the class giving each side their chance to present their findings and defend their position on the
issue.
Create a table showing who wins in each aspect of size and strength, discussing the evidence for each as you
go.
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Classroom Connections: Fine Arts
Design a Dinosaur
In this activity, students will create a new species of dinosaur by combining Greek and Latin root words.
Explain to the students that dinosaurs are often named using Greek and Latin roots that describe how the
dinosaur may have looked or behaved. For example, the name triceratops comes from the roots tri, cerat, and
ops, which translate to “three-horned face” in English. Have the students choose two or more roots from the
chart below and create a new dinosaur name.
allo = strange
anato = duck
ankylo = crooked
anuro = no tail
apato = deceptive
baro = heavy
bi = two
brachio = arm
bronto = thunder
canthus = spiked,
spined
cerat, ceros = horned
cephalo = head
compso = pretty
cory = helmet
di = two
dino = terrible
diplo = double
docus = beam
don, don’t = tooth
drypto = wounding
echino = spiked
elasmo = plated
gnathus = jaw
lana = wooly
lepto = slender
macro = large
maia = good mother
mega = huge
micro = small
mimus = mimic
mono = one, single
nano = dwarf
nodo = lumpy
ops = face
ornitho = bird
pachy = thick
pacro = ridge
ped = foot
plateo = flat
proto = first
raptor = robber
rex = king
rhino = nose
saur, saurus = lizard
stego = roof
stereo = twin
super = superior
tri = three
tyranno = tyrant
ultra = extreme
urus = tail
veloci = speedy
xeno = strange
xero = dry
After the students have named their dinosaurs, have them draw or paint a picture or create a model of their
new species using clay or another medium. The students should also explain their new dinosaur in writing-
exploring what it ate, where it lived, how it behaved, etc. You may even want to take this activity a step further
and have the students write creatively about their new creations. They may write a poem or short story about
the new species of dinosaur they invented.
Who’s in That Song?
Discuss as a class the idea that songs can be used to represent people or things and can even evoke
emotions in the listener. Play Henry Mancini’s “Baby Elephant Walk” for the students. Have the students
explain through discussion or essay why the name “Baby Elephant Walk” is fitting for the piece. Do elephants
have certain characteristics that are brought to mind by the song? Do certain instruments used in the song play
a part in making it reminiscent of a baby elephant? Does the tempo seem particularly elephant-like? (You may
choose to brainstorm as a class words that come to mind when students think of a baby elephant and have the
students analyze and discuss which of these words the song best represents.) Assign the students a dinosaur
and have them research facts about the dinosaur such as what it ate, where it lived, how it may have acted,
etc. Once the students have gathered information about their dinosaurs, they should choose a song that they
feel best represents the dinosaur they researched. The songs can have words or be instrumental, can be
current pop songs or old standards, but the students must be able to explain the connections they see between
the song and their dinosaur. Have students present their dinosaur facts and songs to the class.
Alternate Assignment: Instead of assigning students particular dinosaurs, you may choose to play a song for
the entire class and have the students write about or discuss what dinosaur they feel is best represented by
the song and why.
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Further Readings K-2
The Magic School Bus in the Time of Dinosaurs by Joanna Cole
Digging Up Dinosaurs by Aliki
Dinosaurs! by Gail Gibbons
Dinosaur Eggs by Jennifer Dussling
Rare Treasure: Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries by Don Brown
Shadow of the Dinosaurs by Dennis Nolan
3-5
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs by Dennis Nolan
Dinosaur (DK Eyewitness Books) by David Lambert
The Care and Feeding of Dinosaurs by Timothy J. Bradley
Dinosaur Eggs by Jennifer Dussling
The First Dinosaur Eggs and Roy Chapman Andrews by Brooke Hartzog
Rare Treasure: Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries by Don Brown
Shadow of the Dinosaurs by Dennis Nolan
Ankylosaurus and Other Armored Plant Eaters by Virginia Schomp
Dinosaurs A-Z by Jim Pipe
T. Rex: Hunter or Scavenger? by Thomas R. Holtz
6-8
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs by David Norman
Dinosaur (DK Eyewitness Books) by David Lambert
National Geographic Dinosaurs by Paul Barrett
A Dinosaur Named Sue: The Story of a Colossal Fossil: The World’s Most Complete T. Rex by Patricia Relf
Dinosaur Parents, Dinosaur Young by Kathleen Weidner-Zoehfeld
Secrets From the Rocks: Dinosaur Hunting with Roy Chapman Andrews by Albert Marrin
The Tales Fossils Tell by Jonathan R. Gallant
Asteroid Impact by Douglas Henderson
Collecting Fossils: Hold Prehistory in the Palm of Your Hand by Steve Parker
Advanced/Teacher Resources
National Geographic Dinosaurs by Paul Barrett
Eggs, Nests, and Baby Dinosaurs by K. Carpenter
Feathered Dragons: Studies on the Transition from Dinosaurs to Birds by P.J. Currie, F.B. Koppelhus, M.A. Shugar and J.L. Wright
The Dinosauria (second edition) by D.B. Weishampel, P. Dodson and H. Osmolska
Online Resources University of California Museum of Paleontology:
Paleoportal – www.paleoportal.org
Dinosauria – www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/dinosaur.html
Evolution - evolution.berkeley.edu/
Discovery Channel – www.dsc.discovery.com/dinosaurs
American Museum of Natural History – www.amnh.org/dinosaurs
National Geographic - science.nationalgeographic.com/science/prehistoric-world/
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - http://paleobiology.si.edu/dinosaurs/
Finding the World’s First Dinosaur Skeleton - http://www.levins.com/dinosaur.shtml
TEACHER RESOURCES
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OHIO REVISED EDUCATION STANDARDS = Standards addressed within Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana
= Standards addressed within the This Little Dinosaur Learning Lab (Pre-K-K) or the Dinosaur Discovery Learning Lab (Grades 1-5)
Grade Science Social Studies Mathematics Language Arts
K Life Science: Physical and Behavioral Traits of Living Things
Describe traits living things have that assist in their survival.
Match function with identified body part (e.g., mouth-eating, nose-smelling).
Identify a living thing.
Identify part of plants and animals (e.g., leaves, flowers, feet, eyes).
Physical Science: Properties of Everyday Objects and Materials
Sort or classify objects based on one property.
List properties of an object.
Interact with an object for a purpose (e.g., touch a pencil, look at a ball).
History: Historical Thinking and Skills
Time can be measured.
Geography: Spatial thinking and Skills
Terms related to direction and distance, as well as symbols and landmarks, can be used to talk about the relative location of familiar places.
Models and maps represent places.
Counting and Cardinality: Count to tell the number of objects.
Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality.
Count to answer “how many?” questions about as many as 20 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects.
Operations and Algebraic Thinking: Understand addition as putting together and adding to, and understand subtraction as taking apart and taking from.
Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.
Measurement and Data: Describe and compare measureable attributes.
Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.
Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has “more of”/”less of” the attribute, and describe the difference.
Reading Standards for Informational text: Key Ideas and Details
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
Reading Standards: Foundation Skills Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.
Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.
1 Life Science: Basic Needs of Living Things
Describe food sources for a variety of animals.
Identify a source of food.
History: Historical Thinking and Skills
Time can be divided into categories (e.g. past, present, future).
Geography: Spatial thinking and Skills
Maps can be used to locate and identify places.
Geography: Places and Regions Places are distinctive because of their physical characteristics(landforms and bodies of water).
Measurement and Data: Measure lengths indirectly and by iterating length units.
Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps.
Reading Standards for Informational text: Key Ideas and Details
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
Reading Standards for Informational text: Craft and Structure
Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.
Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the
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words in a text.
Reading Standards: Foundation Skills Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
2 Life Science: Interactions within Habitats
Compare an animal that once lived and is now extinct with an animal alive today with similar traits.
Recognize that fossils are physical traces of living things preserved in rock.
Match an animal to its environment.
Identify a fossil as the remains of an organism.
History: Historical Thinking and Skills
Time can be shown graphically on calendars and timelines.
Change over time can be shown with artifacts, maps, and photographs.
Geography: Spatial thinking and Skills
Maps and their symbols can be interpreted to answer questions about location of places.
Measurement and Data: Measure and estimate lengths in standard units.
Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length unit.
Reading Standards: Foundation Skills Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.
3 Life Science: Behavior, Growth and Changes
Describe how an animal’s behavior helps it to survive (e.g., a cat will stalk its prey so it can go undetected in the hunt).
List two or more survival behaviors that parents teach their offspring.
Given a physical trait, match the trait to its specific function (e.g., birds have wings to fly).
Match animal babies to their parents.
Identify a survival behavior.
History: Historical Thinking and Skills
Primary sources such as artifacts, maps and photographs can be used to show change over time.
Geography: Spatial thinking and Skills
Physical and political maps have been distinctive characteristics and purposes. Places can be located in a map by using the title, key, alphamumeric grid and cardinal directions.
Reading Standards for Informational text: Key Ideas and Details
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Reading Standards for Informational text: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
Reading Standards: Foundation Skills Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an
25
experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
4 Life Science: Earth’s Living History
Compare a fossil with a present day organism of similar species noting similar characteristics.
Identify environmental changes that occur suddenly or gradually.
Match fossils with a representation of the organism.
Identify an object as a fossil.
Reading Standards for Informational text: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
Reading Standards: Foundation Skills Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
5 Life Science: Interconnections within Ecosystems
Identify predator/prey relationships in a food chain.
Match a food source for a given animal.
Geography: Spatial thinking and Skills
Globes and other geographic tools can be used to gather, process and report information about people, places and environments. Cartographers decide which information to include in maps.
Latitude and other geographic tools can be used to make observations about location and generalizations about climate.
Geography: Places and Regions Regions can be determined using various criteria (e.g. landform, climate).
Reading Standards for Informational text: Key Ideas and Details
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Reading Standards: Foundation Skills Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
6 History: Historical Thinking and
Skills Events can be arranged in order of
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details
Determine a central idea of a text and how it is
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occurrence using the conventions of B.C. and A.D. or B.C.E. and C.E.
Geography: Spatial thinking and Skills
Globes and other geographic tools can be used to gather, process and report information about people, places and environemts. Cartographers decide which information to include and how it is displayed.
Latitude and longitude can be used to identify absolute location.
Geography: Places and Regions Regions can be determined classified and compared using various criteria (e.g. landform, climate).
conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Craft and Structure
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Key Ideas and Details
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Craft and Structure
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6–8 texts and topics.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
7 Life Science: Cycles of Matter and Flow of Energy
Provide examples of how a plant/animal population changes in relation to the availability of certain resources.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Craft and Structure
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).
Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Key Ideas and Details
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from
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prior knowledge or opinions.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Craft and Structure
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6–8 texts and topics.
Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.
Science and Technical Studies: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
8 Earth and Space Science: Physical Earth
Recognize how the geologic record can be used to determine the age of Earth.
Explain how fossils indicate Earth’s history, environment changes and life on Earth.
Recognize that the crust is broken into plates that move.
Identify a fossil.
Life Science: Species and Reproduction
Make a list of traits that are passed through DNA.
Explain how fossils indicate Earth’s history, environment changes and life on Earth.
Match animals to traits that help them survive in their environment.
Recognize that living things reproduce.
Identify an animal trait needed for survival.
Geography: Spatial thinking and Skills
Modern and historical maps and other geographic tools are used to analyze how historical events are shaped by geography.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details
Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Craft and Structure
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Key Ideas and Details
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.
Science and Technical Studies: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
9-12 Biology: Heredity Identify that different species have different DNA.
Biology: Evolution Describe adaptations animals and
World Geography: Region Criteria are used to organize regions and as the criteria change, the identified regions change. (e.g. natural vegetation)
Grades 9-10
Reading Standards for Literature: Key Ideas and Details
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
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plants make to survive in their environment.
Complete a cladogram (evolutionary tree) showing the common ancestor of specific organisms.
Identify the time it takes for an evolutionary change to take place.
Identify how plants or animals adapt to their environments.
Match a common ancestor to a living organism (e.g., an elephant and a mammoth).
Describe changes to an organism that has changed over the course of many generations.
Identify evolutionary changes between a living organism and its ancestor (e.g., change in size through horse evolution).
Identify an organism that has changed over the course of many generations.
Biology: Diversity and Interdependence of Life
Describe how a plant/animal population changes in relation to the availability of certain resources.
Identify how a population would change in relation to a predator/prey population.
Match a plant/animal to a resource it uses from its environment.
Physical Geology: Earth’s History Identify fossil evidence that supports a theory of the conditions of a past environment (e.g., location was a lake; fossils of fish and aquatic plants are found at that time in the rock record).
Physical Geology: Plate Tectonics Determine which continents used to be connected based on tectonic evidence.
Recognize that the shape of the continents is evidence of plate motion (e.g., they fit together like puzzle pieces).
The characteristics of regions change over time and there are consequences realated to those changes.
inferences drawn from the text.
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details
Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Key Ideas and Details
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text’s explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Craft and Structure
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 9–10 texts and topics.
Analyze the structure of the relationships among concepts in a text, including relationships among key terms (e.g., force, friction, reaction force, energy).
Science and Technical Studies: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author’s claim or a recommendation for solving a scientific or technical problem.
Grades 11-12
Reading Standards for Literature: Key Ideas and Details
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details
Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective
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summary of the text.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Craft and Structure
Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Integration of Knowledge and ideas
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Key Ideas and Details
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing them in simpler but still accurate terms.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Craft and Structure
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 11–12 texts and topics.
Analyze how the text structures information or ideas into categories or hierarchies, demonstrating understanding of the information or ideas.
Science and Technical Studies: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions in a science or technical text, verifying the data when possible and corroborating or challenging conclusions with other sources of information.
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NATIONAL EDUCATION STANDARDS = Standards addressed within Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana
= Standards addressed within the This Little Dinosaur Learning Lab (Pre-K-K) or the Dinosaur Discovery Learning Lab (Grades 1-5)
Grade Science Social Studies Mathematics
(Common Core) Language Arts (Common Core)
K Science as Inquiry: As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understanding about scientific inquiry
Life Science: As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
The characteristics of organisms
The Life cycles of organisms
Organisms and environments
Earth and Space Science: As a result of their activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
Properties of earth materials
Changes in earth and sky
Science and Technology: As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
Abilities of technological design
Understanding about science and technology
Geography: The World in Spatial Terms As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
Understand how to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.
Understand how to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.
Geography: Physical Systems As a result of their activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand the physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface.
Geography: The Uses of Geography As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the past.
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.
Counting and Cardinality: Count to tell the number of objects.
Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality.
Count to answer “how many?” questions about as many as 20 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects.
Operations and Algebraic Thinking: Understand addition as putting together and adding to, and understand subtraction as taking apart and taking from.
Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.
Measurement and Data: Describe and compare measureable attributes.
Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.
Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has “more of”/”less of” the attribute, and describe the difference.
Reading Standards for Informational text: Key Ideas and Details
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
Reading Standards: Foundation Skills Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.
Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.
1 Science as Inquiry: As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understanding about scientific
Geography: The World in Spatial Terms As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire,
Measurement and Data: Measure lengths indirectly and by iterating length units.
Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object (the length
Reading Standards for Informational text: Key Ideas and Details
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
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inquiry
Life Science: As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
The characteristics of organisms
The Life cycles of organisms
Organisms and environments
Earth and Space Science: As a result of their activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
Properties of earth materials
Changes in earth and sky
Science and Technology: As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
Abilities of technological design
Understanding about science and technology
process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
Understand how to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.
Understand how to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.
Geography: Physical Systems As a result of their activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand the physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface.
Geography: The Uses of Geography As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the past.
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.
unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps.
Reading Standards for Informational text: Craft and Structure
Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.
Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.
Reading Standards: Foundation Skills Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
2 Science as Inquiry: As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understanding about scientific inquiry
Life Science: As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
The characteristics of organisms
The Life cycles of organisms
Organisms and environments
Earth and Space Science: As a result of their activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
Properties of earth materials
Changes in earth and sky
Science and Technology: As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should
Geography: The World in Spatial Terms As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
Understand how to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.
Understand how to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.
Geography: Physical Systems As a result of their activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand the physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface.
Geography: The Uses of Geography As a result of activities in grades
Measurement and Data: Measure and estimate lengths in standard units.
Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length unit.
Reading Standards: Foundation Skills Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.
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develop an understanding of Abilities of technological design
Understanding about science and technology
K-12, all students should Understand how to apply geography to interpret the past.
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.
3 Science as Inquiry: As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understanding about scientific inquiry
Life Science: As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
The characteristics of organisms
The Life cycles of organisms
Organisms and environments
Earth and Space Science: As a result of their activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
Properties of earth materials
Changes in earth and sky
Science and Technology: As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
Abilities of technological design
Understanding about science and technology
Geography: The World in Spatial Terms As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
Understand how to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.
Understand how to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.
Geography: Physical Systems As a result of their activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand the physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface.
Geography: The Uses of Geography As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the past.
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.
Reading Standards for Informational text: Key Ideas and Details
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Reading Standards for Informational text: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
Reading Standards: Foundation Skills Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
4 Science as Inquiry: As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understanding about scientific inquiry
Life Science: As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
Geography: The World in Spatial Terms As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
Understand how to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.
Reading Standards for Informational text: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
Reading Standards: Foundation Skills Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
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The characteristics of organisms
The Life cycles of organisms
Organisms and environments
Earth and Space Science: As a result of their activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
Properties of earth materials
Changes in earth and sky
Science and Technology: As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of
Abilities of technological design
Understanding about science and technology
Understand how to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.
Geography: Physical Systems As a result of their activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand the physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface.
Geography: The Uses of Geography As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the past.
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
5 Science as Inquiry: As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understandings about scientific inquiry
Life Science: As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of
Structure and function in living systems
Reproduction and heredity
Populations and ecosystems
Diversity and adaptations of organisms
Earth and Space Science: As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of
Structure of the earth system
Earth's history
Geography: The World in Spatial Terms As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
Understand how to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.
Understand how to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.
Geography: Physical Systems As a result of their activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand the physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface.
Geography: The Uses of Geography As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the past.
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.
Reading Standards for Informational text: Key Ideas and Details
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Reading Standards: Foundation Skills Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
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6 Science as Inquiry: As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understandings about scientific inquiry
Life Science: As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of
Structure and function in living systems
Reproduction and heredity
Populations and ecosystems
Diversity and adaptations of organisms
Earth and Space Science: As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of
Structure of the earth system
Earth's history
Geography: The World in Spatial Terms As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
Understand how to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.
Understand how to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.
Geography: Physical Systems As a result of their activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand the physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface.
Geography: The Uses of Geography As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the past.
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details
Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Craft and Structure
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Key Ideas and Details
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Craft and Structure
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6–8 texts and topics.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
7 Science as Inquiry: As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understandings about scientific inquiry
Life Science: As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of
Structure and function in living systems
Reproduction and heredity
Geography: The World in Spatial Terms As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
Understand how to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.
Understand how to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Craft and Structure
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).
Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
35
Populations and ecosystems
Diversity and adaptations of organisms
Earth and Space Science: As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of
Structure of the earth system
Earth's history
Earth's surface.
Geography: Physical Systems As a result of their activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand the physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface.
Geography: The Uses of Geography As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the past.
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Key Ideas and Details
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Craft and Structure
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6–8 texts and topics.
Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.
Science and Technical Studies: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
8 Science as Inquiry: As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understandings about scientific inquiry
Life Science: As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of
Structure and function in living systems
Reproduction and heredity
Populations and ecosystems
Diversity and adaptations of organisms
Earth and Space Science: As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of
Structure of the earth system
Earth's history
Geography: The World in Spatial Terms As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
Understand how to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.
Understand how to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.
Geography: Physical Systems As a result of their activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand the physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface.
Geography: The Uses of Geography As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the past.
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details
Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Craft and Structure
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Key Ideas and Details
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.
Science and Technical Studies: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
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9-12 Scientific Inquiry: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understandings about scientific inquiry
Life Science: As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of
Biological evolution
Interdependence of organisms
Matter, energy, and organization in living systems
Behavior of organisms
Science and Technology: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop
Understandings about science and technology
Geography: The World in Spatial Terms As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
Understand how to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.
Understand how to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.
Geography: Physical Systems As a result of their activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand the physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface.
Geography: The Uses of Geography As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the past.
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.
Grades 9-10
Reading Standards for Literature: Key Ideas and Details
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details
Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Key Ideas and Details
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text’s explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Craft and Structure
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 9–10 texts and topics.
Analyze the structure of the relationships among concepts in a text, including relationships among key terms (e.g., force, friction, reaction force, energy).
Science and Technical Studies: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author’s claim or a recommendation for solving a scientific or technical problem.
Grades 11-12
Reading Standards for Literature: Key Ideas and Details
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
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Reading Standards for Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details
Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Craft and Structure
Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Integration of Knowledge and ideas
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Key Ideas and Details
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing them in simpler but still accurate terms.
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Studies: Craft and Structure
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 11–12 texts and topics.
Analyze how the text structures information or ideas into categories or hierarchies, demonstrating understanding of the information or ideas.
Science and Technical Studies: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions in a science or technical text, verifying the data when possible and corroborating or challenging conclusions with other sources of information.