THE LAST DINOSAUR TEACHER GUIDE
The
Last Dinosaur Teacher Guide.pdfRequires Adobe Acrobat Reader
THE LAST DINOSAUR TEACHER GUIDE |
The
Last Dinosaur Teacher Guide.pdf Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader |
| This Winslow Press Teacher Guide has been designed to be of use to the classroom teacher by offering enrichment activities and discussion materials to complement The Last Dinosaur Egg. These activities can help students to better understand and enjoy the story as well as assist teachers in implementing strategies and experiences that support their districtÕs learning standards for language arts. |
| The Guide presents a story synopsis and outlines pre-reading activities. It also presents some concepts related to the story and includes: a brief discussion of related curriculum areas; a list of vocabulary words; class discussion questions; and independent study ideas related to The Last Dinosaur Egg. The activities are designed to cover a range of language arts skills development that meets the needs of multiple learning styles. The final part of the Guide lists additional resources (books, museums, reference materials, related Internet Web sites) for both teachers and students. |
| The interdisciplinary activities were developed to support the New York State Learning Standards for English Language Arts. The Standards can be downloaded from the New York State Education Department's Web site at http://www.nysed.gov/rscs/stds/contents.html. If you have questions about specific standards applied to these activities, please call Winslow Press at 800-617-3947. |
| We hope this Teacher Guide will be a useful and positive part of your teaching experience! |
| Sincerely, Diane F. Kessenich Chief Executive Officer and Publisher |
| Most children are interested in dinosaurs and eager to explore the subject. Andrew Hegeman has been enthusiastic about dinosaurs since his own childhood, and in The Last Dinosaur Egg, he creates his ultimate fantasyÑfinding a live dinosaur. On a remote island, a strange, large egg begins to hatch as a group of animals watch curiously. Out of the egg comes a baby Corythosaurus. Jon and Jenny, a brother and sister visiting the island, find the tiny Corythosaurus and sneak him home with the intention of keeping him as a pet. As the dinosaur, named Cory, grows, so does the difficulty of keeping himÑand keeping him a secret. Though they have done their best, Jon and Jenny canÕt possibly prevent the climactic scene that occurs in their local grocery store when the broccoli-loving Cory sheds his disguise. The care and feeding of a pet dinosaur is obviously a challenge. Jon and JennyÕs inventive approach can provoke discussion of a truly wide range of topics, from pet ownership to responsibility to nutrition to paleontology. |
| Knowledge: Why did Jon, Jenny and their dad choose an uninhabited island to paint and hunt for butterflies? How did CoryÕs egg get to the island? What kind of animal did Jenny think he was at first?
Comprehension: How do you know Jon and Jenny planned to tell Dad about the little dinosaur at some other time? Why didnÕt they tell him right away? Application: Can you explain how the children took care of Cory? How did they find out what to feed him? What kind of home would you have made for Cory? Analysis: In what ways was the lady in the supermarketÕs reaction to Cory like that of Mom and Dad? Synthesis: How would this story be different if the children had told their mom and dad about Cory in the beginning? What, if anything, would you do differently if you found a baby dinosaur? Evaluation: Do you think the zoo was a good home for Cory? Did the police chief make a wise decision when he called a truck from the zoo? Why or why not? |
Related Concepts
Meet Corythosaurus & What Is a Paleontologist?
Meet Corythosaurus
| A dinosaur, even a little one, is not your everyday household pet. And when they adopted Cory, Jon and Jenny may not have realized that a full-grown Corythosaurus could reach a length of over 33 feet. Corythosaurus was a hadrosaur, or a Òduck-billedÓ dinosaurÑthe hadrosaurs all had broad, flat snouts that did actually look something like duck bills. He lived during the Late Cretaceous period (between 140 and 65 million years ago). He would have shared his world with a number of the plants, birds, small reptiles, and mammals we know today, as well as with other plant eaters, including horned dinosaurs like Triceratops. Corythosaurus remains have been found in Alberta in western Canada, where plant eaters grazed the trees and shrubs of this plain. They would have been able to snack on flowering plants, which didn't exist until the beginning of the Cretaceous period. (Students may not know that broccoli itself is a flowering plant, and that the part of the plant we value is its flowers.) Tyrannosaurus rex, definitely not a broccoli eater, would have been a feared predator on the North American plains, attacking duckbills who strayed from their herds. |
| A Corythosaurus could grow to be as much as 33 feet long. What things can you think of that are this long? Can you think of any way that kids could keep an animal that big as a pet? What do you call a person or animal who doesnÕt eat meat? What would you feed Cory if he were your pet? Cory hatched from an egg. Can you think of other animals that hatch from eggs? |
| The word paleontology comes from the Greek and means Òancient life.Ó A paleontologist, then, is someone who studies ancient life. This is done primarily through the study of fossils, the preserved remains of these ancient life forms. ÒFossilÓ comes from the Latin for something Òdug up from the ground.Ó Paleontologists study fossilized remains in order to learn about life on earth in the distant past. A paleontologist looks at dinosaur teeth, bones, and footprints and puts together the information she finds in order to make deductions about the life of that dinosaur. Paleontology is a very broad field, and she needs some knowledge of such subjects as geology, botany, and biology in order to do this, though she also works in collaboration with experts in those fields. Paleontologists use knowledge and skills particular to many fields to help us write the history of the earth. Students may be interested in exploring different specializations within the field of paleontology, which can often be done, to a certain extent, within classroom settings. Layers of sedimentary rock can be examined, plaster ÒfossilsÓ can be made and extracted, small organisms can be examined under a microscope, and studies of plant and animal evolution can be made. The study of paleontology is rich with possibilities for class work in the sciences and across the curriculum. |
| When you are interested in a topic and you make an effort to find out more about it, you are doing research. If you found a fossil and you wanted more information about it, what are some things you might do? If you want to investigate one topic, does that sometimes mean you need to something about other topics, too? Have you ever seen fossils? What kinds of fossils were they? If you found a dinosaur egg, do you think it might hatch? Or would it also be a fossil? |
| Benton, Michael. The Dinosaur Encyclopedia. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1984.
Lasky, Kathryn. Dinosaur Dig. Photographs by Christopher G. Knight. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1990. Lindsay, William. Prehistoric Life. Photographs by Harry Taylor. Eyewitness Books. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994. Parker, Steve. The Practical Paleontologist: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding, Studying, and Interpreting FossilsÑFrom Searching for Sites to Extracting, Cleaning, and Restoring Finds. Raymond L. Bernor, Ed. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990. Other resources of use to teachers and students may be found in the final section of this Teacher Guide. |
Vocabulary
| aisle | shriek | seascape | iceberg |
| grocer | broccoli | sturdy | shock |
| munch | hatch | disguise | tinsnips |
Independent Learning
To help facilitate independent study, we have provided a starting list of ideas as well as Special Project Planning Sheets to help children get started. Some areas of interest may include the following:
| icebergs | Tree houses | Museums | Corythosaurus |
| butterflies | Animals that hatch from eggs | Police Department | Hadrosaurs |
| Fossils | Zoos | Supermarkets | Pets |
| Painting (landscapes, seascapes, animals) |
Scientists (paleontologists, biologists, etc.) |
Dinosaurs of the Late Cretaceous period | The Army and Air Force |
My Special Learning Project Web
My Special Project Planning Sheet
Writing Prompts: Problem Scenarios
| Jenny goes to the store to buy broccoli for Cory. On the way home, she realizes that she has lost the special ring her grandmother gave to her. On your birthday, a box with big holes in it arrives at your house. Inside the box is a present from your uncle. ItÕs a baby lizard! The supermarket and the vegetable store in town have run out of broccoli. Cory is getting hungry. Cory is so popular with the children who visit the zoo that the zookeeper wants to build a much bigger home for him. This means that Cory has to stay somewhere else while the zoo builds his new home. After Cory goes to live in the zoo, Jon and Jenny are lonesome. |
Interdisciplinary Activities
Science/Social Studies/Language Arts: Mini Icebergs
| Discover an ÒeggÓ with the children. Take an ice cube tray, place a small pebble (or other small object) in each compartment, add water and freeze. Give each child one cube in a clear plastic cup. What happens to ice at room temprature? Show pictures of icebergs and encourage the children to discuss: Weather and climate What is an iceberg? How big are they? Do they move? How does temperature affect ice? Why might something stay preserved inside? | ||||||
| Skills: Evaluation; Planning; Visual Expression | ||||||
| Visual Arts/Design: CoryÕs House | ||||||
| Students can work alone or in pairs to design a new home for Cory on his island at the zoo. They can draw a picture or make a model. Keep in mind CoryÕs size, and his needs for sleeping, exercising, and eating. | ||||||
| Skills: Listening; Role Playing | ||||||
| Language Arts/Science: Dinosaur ABC | ||||||
How many dinosaurs can you name? Pick a dinosaur. Find out more about it. Share the information with classmates.
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| Skills: Alphabet and Listing; Reading; Listening | ||||||
| Language Arts/Science: Share a Dino | ||||||
| Everyone would like to share a fact about a dinosaur. Each child can name a dinosaur and can tell something he/she knows about that dinosaur. Listen well! You canÕt repeat a fact that someone has said. The teacher can record each contribution on the board or chart paper. As a follow-up, each child can draw a picture of their dinosaur for a class book or attach a large sheet of paper to the wall. Each child will illustrate the fact he/she contributed to the class fact sheet. DonÕt forget Cory! Invite other classes to a ÒDinosaur DayÓ so they can see what youÕve created! Compose the invitation as a group. | ||||||
| Skills: Discussion; Visual Expression; Social Interaction | ||||||
| Language Arts/Science: Long Ago | ||||||
| What was the earth like in the days of the dinosaur? What kinds of plants grew? Many dinosaurs were herbivorous (feeding on plants). Now you can make them come alive! LetÕs create a habitat for your dinosaur. Divide the children into small groups. Many hands are needed for this project. Fold a large piece of butcher paper in half. Design a side view of your dinosaur. Cut out your dinosaurs (you will have 2 cutouts for each). Staple together all around, leaving an opening big enough for a hand. Stuff your dinosaur with torn newspaper strips until heÕs full. Staple the opening. Arrange the dinosaurs and staple them to a bulletin board. Use construction paper to make trees and leaves. Staple the foliage around the dinosaurs or create a diorama. Have the children make a dinosaur from clay. Use a shoe box, construction paper, crayons or markers to make its habitat. What was its habitat like? Have pictures, books and other materials available. | ||||||
| Skills: Small Group Interaction; Creative Artworks | ||||||
| Science: Dinosaur Museum | ||||||
| Create a dinosaur museum in your classroom. Depending on the age of the students and the time factors involved, the teacher can choose from the following options to make dinosaurs Òcome aliveÓ for the children. Make Your Own Fossil Coat a twig or shell with salad oil (to enable its later easy removal from plaster-of-Paris). Make a mixture of plaster-of-Paris and pour onto a small, heavy-duty paper/plastic plate. Press the coated object into the plaster. When the plaster-of-Paris has set (generally within 5-10 minutes), the object can be removed. The impression that remains is your Òfossil.Ó Students can label their fossils and create a classroom museum! Using clay or other molding materials, children can make miniature versions of their favorite dinosaurs. Children can create a mural of prehistoric times as a background for their creations. | ||||||
| Skills: Following Directions; Writing; Listening; Labeling | ||||||
| Language Arts/Visual Arts: My Own Dinosaur | ||||||
| Students can invent and report on dinosaurs of their own invention: Imagine that you find a totally new dinosaur. Describe your dinosaur, and provide an illustration. What sounds does the dinosaur make? Is it friendly or fierce? Is it a carnivore (meat-eater), an herbivore (a plant eater), or an omnivore (an eater of meat and plants)? What does your dinosaur look like? Does it have any special features (horns, spikes, etc.) that help it to survive? How does it feel if you touch it (smooth, rough, spiky, slimy, etc.)? This can be done as either a written assignment or an oral presentation, accompanied by its illustration. | ||||||
| Skills: Writing/Speaking, Creative Artworks | ||||||
| Social Studies: Occupations | ||||||
| Explain to the class that it takes many different scientists and experts, working together, to be able to solve the ÒmysteriesÓ of the history of dinosaurs. Create a list on the blackboard for the class and discuss some of the different kinds of jobs that people who study dinosaurs may do: A geologist is a scientist who studies rocks and the earth. Geologists can tell how old fossils are. An ecologist is a scientist who studies the environment and the living things in the environment. A climatologist is a scientist who studies the earthÕs weather. A draftsman creates drawings of the fossils. A photographer takes pictures of the fossils. A curator helps these other experts prepare the fossils to be displayed in a museum. Once you have discussed these different occupations with the class, brainstorm a list of characteristics that each person might need to have in order to be good at his/her job. | ||||||
| Skills: Drawing on Prior Experiences; Listening; Group Discussion | ||||||
| Math/Language Arts: Dino Facts | ||||||
| The teacher can guide children in writing class-generated word problems using dinosaur facts and information. Brainstorm dinosaur information with the class. Make a list (names of different dinosaurs, foods they ate, where they lived, etc.). Ask the children to help create word problems that will be solved by the class. Examples: If the Corythosaurus eats 700 pounds of broccoli a week, how many pounds of broccoli does it eat in a day? If a Tyrannosaurus rex eats 4 other dinosaurs a day, how many dinosaurs does it eat in 3 days? The teacher can also use the children in these word problems. For example: If Conor found 3 fossils on Monday, and 4 fossils on Tuesday, how many fossils did Conor find in all? The children will have fun creating and solving problems that involve the dinosaurs they are learning about. | ||||||
| Skills: Discussing; Planning | ||||||
| Math/Language Arts: Allowances | ||||||
| Discuss with the children how they get and spend their money. Do they get an allowance? Do they think an allowance is a good idea? Do they receive money as a gift from a relative for their birthday or other holiday? Point out that the children in The Last Dinosaur Egg bought broccoli for Cory. Did they use their allowances? What things do the children in the class spend their money on? Make a list on the blackboard. Ask if the children like to save or spend their money. Discuss the concept of budgeting. Create a simple model budget for someone on a set allowance. Choose a range of allowances and have students create their own budget. | ||||||
| Skills: Drawing on Prior Experiences; Group Discussions; Planning | ||||||
| Cory in the Maze |
Extended Learning Opportunities
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| Books:
Aliki. Digging Up Dinosaurs. New York: HarperCollins, 1988. (This picture book provides a simple introduction to different kinds of dinosaurs and explains how scientists find, preserve and study dinosaur fossils.) Fossils Tell of Long Ago. New York: HarperCollins, 1988. (This picture book tells children how fossils were formed and how they provide us with information about the past.) Gafney, Eugene S. Dinosaurs. New York: Golden Press, 1990. (Fascinating facts and new information on dinosaur evolution and extinction.) Kellogg, Steven. Can I Keep Him? New York: Dial Books, 1971. (ArnoldÕs mother rejects every pet that Arnold wants to keepÑexcept for one.) Lindsay, William. Corythosaurus. American Museum of Natural History. Stuttgart: Dorling Kindersley, 1993. (Meet the crested Corythosaurus, a plant-eating member of the duck-billed dinosaur family. Includes fossil photos and a dinosaur Fact File.) Santoro, Christopher. Dinosaur World. New York: Random House, 1997. (Flip a flap and find out how Stegosaurus swung its spiky tail and Allosaurus opened its jaws. A delightful ÒflipÓ book that illustrates what dinosaurs were really like.) Welford, John Noble. The Riddle of the Dinosaur. New York: Knopf, 1990. (For adults, an examination of some myths and truths about dinosaurs.) Internet Resources: The Dinosaur Society offers links to dinosaur-related sites. at:http://www.dinosociety.org The following museums have Web sites that offer resources to those interested in dinosaurs: American Museum of Natural History New York, NY http://www.amnh.org National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC http://www.pvisuals.com/dinosaur_museum/dinosaur_museum.html Royal Ontario Museum Toronto, Ontario http://www.rom.on.ca/ New Mexico Museum Natural History and Science Albuquerque, NM http://www.aps.edu/htmlpages/NMMNH.html Other organizations of interest: The National Geographic Society displays fossilized dinosaur eggs and pictures of what the baby dinosaurs inside looked like on its Web site at: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/96/dinoeggs San Diego Zoo San Diego, CA http://www.sandiegozoo.org/home.html |