Dinosaur Preschool Unit

7/29/2019 Dinosaur Preschool Unit

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Dinosaurs

Kristen Coughlan, 2013


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MathGraphing: Would a Dinosaur Make a Good Pet?After reading When Dinosaurs Came with Everythingby

Elise Broach, students will graph their answers to thequestion Would a Dinosaur Make a Good Pet?

Students will analyze the graph and determine whichanswer has the most votes. Students may provide theirreasoning behind their answers.


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MathEstimating and Counting Dinosaur EggsTeachers should fill a jar with jelly beans (dinosaureggs). Students can examine the jar and then estimatehow many eggs are in the jar. The teacher will record

their estimates.

As class, they will count the jelly beans. The teacher

will discuss how it would take a long time to counteach jelly bean and will introduce counting by 10s.They will group the jelly beans into groups of ten and

will count the exact number. Then they will determinewhich estimate was the closest to the actual number.


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MathMeasurement: How Long Was a T-Rex?In this lesson, students compare their heights to the

length of a T-Rex. Dinosaurs walked hunched over and

were therefore measured from head to tail. TheTyrannosaurus Rex was up to 40 feet long.

The class will go to the playground or a large open

space. They will measure 40 feet of an extension cordwith a measuring tape. Then, the teacher will measure

students heights by cutting string so that students canhold their heights. Once all students have beenmeasured, they will line up their strings representing

their heights along the extension cord to compare theirheights to the dinosaurs. They can see how manystudents it would take to equal the length of the

dinosaur.

They can also look at the How Big Was That

Dinosaur? chart to compare various dinosaur sizes.


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ScienceVolcano ExperimentIn this lesson, students observe the chemical reactionthat occurs when they mix baking soda and vinegartogether to create a volcano.

Teachers can create a volcano by covering a drinkableyogurt container with laminated brown construction

paper. Pour baking soda into the yogurt container anddye vinegar red. Have students smell the vinegar andmake predictions about what might happen when they

pour it in. Then pour some vinegar into the containerand watch the volcano explode. Have students describe

what they observed. This experiment can be repeatedmultiple times in a row. After the experiment, studentswill draw their observations on the recording sheet.

Fossil Dig

Have students make fossils by pressing objects into

play dough and letting the play dough dry. Then, burythe fossils in the sandbox and have students search for

them using paintbrushes and shovels.


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Volcano Experiment


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Name ________________________Volcano Experiment


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LiteracyThroughout the unit, students will discuss thedifference between fiction and nonfiction literature.

Students will compare and contrast how dinosaurs areportrayed in fiction books versus nonfiction books.

Kid-Friendly Definitions

Fiction: Make believe stories that are not true.Nonfiction: Books that have facts that are real and true.After reading each book in the unit, students will

discuss whether the book was fiction or nonfiction andwill provide evidence for their conclusions.

At the end of the unit, students will brainstorm as a

class what dinosaurs can do in fictional books versuswhat dinosaurs can do in nonfiction books. Then

students will individually draw pictures of whatdinosaurs can and cannot do.

Fiction vs. Nonfiction


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BooksFiction-How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?Series Jane Yolen- Dinosaurumpus! Tony Mitton

- Dinosaurs Galore! Giles Andreae

- Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp Carol DiggoryShields

-Ten Terrible Dinosaurs Paul Stickland-Oh Can You Say Di-no-saur? Bonnie Worth-When Dinosaurs Came with Everything - Elise BroachNonfiction

-Pebbles Plus Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animals Book Pack-When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth Martha Morss-How Big Were the Dinosaurs? Bernard Most-Dinosaur Bones Bob Barner-Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones Byron Barton-Digging Up Dinosaurs- Aliki-Dinosaurs Dinosaurs Byron Barton


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SongsWilloby Walloby(have students hold a toy dinosaur when it is their turn)Willoby Walloby we, a dinosaur sat on me

Willoby Walloby woo, a dinosaur sat on you

Willoby Walloby wisten, a dinosaur sat on Kristen

Willoby Walloby wake, a dinosaur sat on Jake

(Continue the song until every childs name has been used.)

10 Little Dinosaurs

1 little, 2 little, 3 little dinosaurs



10 little dinosaurs ___________ (stomping, eating,playing, swimming, roaring, etc.)

(Choose 10 students at a time to participate and give themeach a number. When the class sings their number, thestudent stands up and they do the chosen action.)

CD: Dinosaurs Lakeshore Read it Sing it


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PoetryBones, bones, dinosaur bones.

We want to find dinosaur bones.Digging, digging, everyday.

We hope todays our lucky day!


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CentersSound JournalsAs a whole group, students should play "I Spy

something that begins with /d/." The teacher should

put a collection of objects that start with the letter Din a bucket and go through the bucket with the class,emphasizing the /d/ at the beginning of each word.Then students can volunteer additional words that

start with D. During centers, students will think ofwords that begin with D and draw them on the "Letter

D" recording sheet. Teachers can label studentdrawings. Students who have difficulty thinking ofwords can use the bucket with D objects to give them

ideas.

Science

Look at various rocks through magnifying glasses anddraw observations on the Rock Observations

recording sheet.


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Name ___________________

D


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Rock Observations

Name:


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CentersArt- Make dinosaur skeletons by gluing packing peanutsto black paper.

-Make binoculars by taping together two toilet paperrolls, attaching string, and decorating with markersand stickers.

-Make dinosaur egg window art by having students ripcolored tissue paper and stick it on egg-shaped contactpaper. Once students have finished, teachers can place

another contact paper sheet over the back, cut it out,and attach a string to hang it on the window.

-Give a triceratops scaly skin by gluing corn flakesonto the triceratops outline (printed or traced oncardstock)

-Make dinosaur footprints by cutting sponges intofootprint shapes and having students stamp with paint.

-Make dinosaur masks by decorating the dinosaur faceoutline.


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Dinosaur Mask


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CentersPlay DoughUse various toy dinosaurs and plastic leaves to make

fossils.

Dramatic Play

Pretend to be archeologists with hats, magnifyingglasses, shovels, paintbrushes, and a nest with plastic

eggs.

Writing

Class book: What We Know About Dinosaurs. At thebeginning of the unit, create a list with the class aboutwhat they know about dinosaurs and what they would

like to know. During centers, students will each create a

page for a class book in which they explain one thingthey know about dinosaurs. Students can create anillustration for their page, and teachers can helpstudents with writing.


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What WeKnow AboutDinosaursWritten by: _______________________


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___________________ knows

that dinosaurs ________________________________________


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CentersBlocksOption to play with toy dinosaurs with the blocks.

MathHelp the dinosaurs reach the lake. Students play this

game with a partner. Player 1 chooses zero, one, or two,gems secretly and puts them in her hand. Player 2

guesses how many gems player 1 chose. If player 2guesses correctly, he moves forward that many spaces.

If player 2 guesses incorrectly, player 1 gets to movethat many spaces.

Sensory Table

Search through sand and rocks to find uncooked pastafossils using shovels, sifters, and paintbrushes.

Additional Centers

Puzzles, Math Manipulatives, Library, Free Writing/

Drawing


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Images from: Enchantedlearning.com Rocky Creek Studio Clker.com

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Dinosaur Preschool Unit