I. TEACHING INFORMATION

Title of Lesson: Dino-mite Measurement

Topics:

Math- Reasoning, Estimation, and Measurement

Science- Patterns of Change, Measuring

Student Level: 2nd grade

Objectives:

1. The students will identify four dinosaurs as plant eaters or meat

eaters on a web.

2. The students will lest the four dinosaurs on a graph according to height from shortest to tallest.

3. The students will predict the length on the lines on the dinosaur pattern and record the estimation on data sheet.

4. The students will measure the lines on the dinosaur pattern with a ruler and record results on data sheet.

5. The students will participate in a class discussion to compare and contrast estimations with actual measurements.

Materials:

-Dinosaur web

-dinosaur height graph

-dinosaur pattern

-data sheet

-rulers

Prerequisite skills: Prior knowledge on reading a ruler by inches and centimeters

Time required: 30 minutes

II. TEACHING PROCEDURE

Introduction: The teacher will shut off the lights and yell "Yabba-Dabba-Do" and tell "Dino" that is is time for dinner and make the comment that he is growing way too fast for his little doggie house. Fred will then use the phone to call for a 50 ft. dog house.

The teacher will ask students to recall the information covered in science class earlier that day. The teacher will ask the following

review questions:

1. What does the word dinosaur mean?

-Greek word meaning terrible lizard

2. What does herbivore and carnivore mean?

-plant eaters and meat eaters

3. Do you remember which dinosaurs are plant eaters and meat eaters? Teacher will put this on a web on the overhead projector to review with the students. The teacher will also label the dinosaurs from tallest to shortest on the web.

plant- Apatosaurus 80 feet in length

meat- Compsognathus size of chicken

plant- Stegosaurus 25 feet in length

meat- Tyrannosaurus 47 feet in length

4. What does extinction mean?

-the animal no longer exist

5. All scientist agree that the reason for the extinction would be due to major changes in the environment. What were some reasons we discussed earlier?

-cosmic radiation - exploding supernova

-volcanic activity - climatic change

-continental drift

The teacher will then have the students think to themselves how big or small some of these dinosaurs were and tell them that we are going to do a measurement activity using this information.

Review: The teacher will review the students prior knowledge of using a ruler to find inches and centimeters measurements. Using a overhead projector, the teacher will demonstrate how to use a ruler while asking students to state the results of the dinosaur pattern.

Strategies: The teacher will place students in groups of three to do the activity over measurement. They will need to guess the length of each line and record their results on the data sheet provided to them. The students will then help each other measure the lines and record actual measurement on the data sheet.

Conclusion: The teacher will lead a class discussion to compare and contrast their guesses to the actual results and have each group share with the class.

Evaluation: The teacher will observe students behavior while working in small groups by using a checklist. The students will complete a self-assessment sheet over the activity when finished.

Extension:

1. Have students use their height measurement to make up the height of a dinosaur of their choice

2. Ask students to bring stuffed animals from home to measure

Resources:

1. Holzschuher, Cynthia.(1993). 64 Great Games to Make.

North Carolina: Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company, Inc.

2. Spizzirri, Linda. (1981). Dinosaurs. South Dakota:

Spizzirri Publishing, Inc.