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Lesson 3

Designing Dinosaurs

Objectives:

Students will identify features that were unique to certain dinosaurs.
Students will describe dinosaur features and explain how the features relate to the way dinosaurs ate, moved, defended themselves, and attacked.
Students will use information about dinosaur features to create a new kind of dinosaur that has specific capabilities.

Time Required:

Vocabulary:

Materials:

Procedures:

Hold up pictures of dinosaurs and discuss the special features of individual dinosaurs. For example, some dinosaurs had long necks and tails; some had short necks and tails; some walked on two legs; some walked on four legs. Some dinosaurs were large; some were small. Some had claws; some had sharp teeth. See pictures of dinosaurs at Dinosaur Illustrations.
Talk about how dinosaurs used certain features. For example, What might Triceratops have used for its horns for? Why did Tyrannosaurus need sharp teeth and sharp claws?
Explain to students that they will be visiting several sites to research dinosaurs and to get information to create new kinds of dinosaurs.
Sites to Explore:

Tell students that, as they do their research, they need to think about what their new dinosaurs will look like. Prompt students to consider the following:
the size of the dinosaur
how the dinosaur will defend itself (For example, the Stegosaurus has special armor that helped
protect them. Others defended themselves with sharp teeth or heavy tails.)
how the dinosaur will move (On two legs or four; quickly or slowly.)
what the dinosaur will eat (What kind of teeth does it need? Meat eaters need sharp teeth; plant eaters need broad, flat teeth for grinding.)
Have students use the Designing Dinosaurs Chart to remind them of the areas they need to research and make lists of the features they want their dinosaurs to have as they do their research.
Once students have completed their research and choosing the features they want their dinosaurs to have, students will draw pictures of their new dinosaurs in the space provided. Have students name their dinosaurs.
Students will then use KidPix to draw their dinosaur and write a paragraph about the dinosaurs they created making sure to include the name of their dinosaur, the size, how the dinosaur defends itself, how it moves, and what the dinosaur eats. Also why he or she chose certain features for his or her dinosaur and how those features will help the dinosaur live.
Have students share the pictures of their new dinosaurs. Have them describe their dinosaurs' features and tell why they chose those features.

Evaluation:

The students will be evaluated on the final outcome of their individual KidPix slide.

Extension Activities:

Print and combine the drawings and the paragraphs and put them into a class book titled "Our Very Own Dinosaurs."
Create a slide show presentation using the students' individual KidPix Slide.
Instructions for creating a KidPix slide show can be found at:
KidPix Slide Show

Home Learning:

Using desktop publishing have students write a story about what their dinosaurs will do. It can be based on either fact or fantasy and should include pictures of the dinosaurs they created.

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