Dinosaur Bones
Scientists have used the bones of dinosaurs to figure out what
they might have looked like, how they moved about and how
they lived. We are going to be scientists asking the question,
“How did the body structures of dinosaurs adapt for their
survival?” In your body, you have different-sized bones. The
dinosaurs had different sizes and shapes of bones in their
bodies, too. In the outline of your dinosaur, you will draw where
you think the large and small bones would be. I also want you
to think about how the dinosaur’s skeletal system – the bones
working together – relates to the movements of your dinosaur.
Dinosaur Bones
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Dinosaur Bones
Suggested Grade Span
K–2
Task
Scientists have used the bones of dinosaurs to figure out what they might have looked like, how
they moved about and how they lived. We are going to be scientists asking the question, “How
did the body structures of dinosaurs adapt for their survival?” In your body, you have differentsized bones. The dinosaurs had different sizes and shapes of bones in their bodies, too. In the
outline of your dinosaur, you will draw where you think the large and small bones would be. I
also want you to think about how the dinosaur’s skeletal system – the bones working together –
relates to the movements of your dinosaur.
Big Ideas and Unifying Concepts
Evolution and equilibrium
Form and function
Models
Scale
Systems
Life Science Concepts
Evolution, diversity and adaptations
Structure and function
Mathematics Concepts
Diagrams
Measurement
Time Required For the Task
Approximately 45 to 60 minutes.
Context
Dinosaurs and fossils engage the curiosity of young learners. Children are fascinated by their
size and diversity, by theories of extinction, and by the evolution of features/adaptations that
can be connected to wildlife they are currently studying.
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This investigation began with the making of fossil prints of natural objects and plastic dinosaurs.
My first graders examined a variety of resources that showed the skeletal structures and
muscles of many different dinosaurs. They constructed skeleton pictures with popsicle sticks
and toothpicks (representing large and small bones) to begin demonstrating the positions and
functions of large and small bones. By making fossils and building skeletal structures, my
students could see similar clues that a paleontologist would look for.
What the Task Accomplishes
This task asks children to apply their prior knowledge from other themes that involved
adaptations. The students use clues from fossils and skeletal structures for evidence in making
more scientific conclusions about a variety of different dinosaurs. This task provides
connections for children to relate the use of muscles and movement to large and small bone
systems. By examining the body structures of different dinosaurs, children can more fully
understand the function of eye placement and claws, the different characteristics of dinosaurs
that walked on two legs or four legs, dinosaurs' defensive features and their predator vs. prey
relationships.
How the Student Will Investigate
I shared a variety of books and dinosaur videos with the students to start the investigation,
because students have many preconceptions about dinosaurs that may be true or false. The
children had a big tub of sand to dig in, locate and then record real bone samples they found.
Fossils and rubbings were made using real objects like seashells, driftwood, rocks, evergreen
twigs, hands, keys and raised bone structures of dinosaurs. Additionally, many of Aliki’s books,
such as Digging Up Dinosaurs, which I used to introduce this unit of study, are well written for
young children. After about a week of exploration, I asked the class to decide on five of their
favorite dinosaurs, so I could make outlines of them. From these five, I let each child choose
his/her favorite dinosaur and then glue popsicle sticks to the outline to represent the larger
bones and toothpicks to represent the smaller bones. I asked students to think about the
system of muscles and movement of their dinosaur. After the task was completed, I interviewed
each child about his/her dinosaur skeleton and theories.
Interdisciplinary Links and Extensions
Science
One early activity was having cooperative groups design a camouflaged nest, made by tearing
paper, to hide large, hinged eggs that had been painted with watercolors. Each group chose a
particular baby dinosaur to put into their egg collage. Use plaster of Paris and recruit parent
volunteers to help children make fossil prints with seashells, dinosaur feet, and parts of rubber
or plastic dinosaurs that children bring in for sharing during the unit. Bring in a tub of sand that
contains real bones and a skull that children can “dig up,” like a paleontologist, using
toothbrushes. (Bones from turkeys, chicken, etc., should be soaked in bleach and then washed
thoroughly with soap and water before using.) Ask students to sketch, date and discuss with
each other what clue this gives them about the animal it may have come from. Use Bernard
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Most’s book, Dinosaur Cousins, to stimulate a discussion of some modern animals that are in
danger of extinction, and what can be done to help. Make papier-mâché eggs in art class to
crack open. I have had children use wood scraps to represent the baby dinosaur or make
beanbag dinosaurs that can be moved in and out of the hatching eggs.
Social Studies
Use Digging Up Dinosaurs, to create a unit on careers in science that are involved with the
study of dinosaurs. I used a series of videos, found at the Nature Company, that presents
groups of dinosaurs with similar traits – like the “Boneheads.” This also showed the different
jobs the search team had on the expedition in Africa looking for dinosaur fossils. These videos
also bring up discussions about newer, conflicting theories.
Language Arts
Write acrostic poems to go with the hatching eggs. Learn a variety of chants from songs or
create your own to reinforce related scientific concepts. After children have acquired some
knowledge about dinosaurs, play: “Paleontologist, I Spy.” (For example: “I spy, with my
paleontologist’s eye, a dinosaur that has ...” ) Engage children in discussions, using webs, that
might have topics like dinosaur facts or opinions. Use the format of “We’re Going on a Bear
Hunt” to understand and pantomime the steps a paleontologist would go through from finding
bones to returning to the museum.
Movement/Music
You can combine drama with science by having children use their five senses to portray
dinosaurs hatching. Have children use drama and movement with mask making to present the
characteristics of a particular dinosaur. Use the whole class to build a dinosaur skeleton or
function together as one dinosaur. Have groups of children demonstrate predator/prey
relationships or food gathering for survival. Excellent cassettes are available to teach many
science concepts through songs (which children love to do). Ask your librarian for ideas.
Mathematics
Combine mathematical skills to demonstrate and measure different stride lengths dinosaurs
would have, using pieces of string. Compare dinosaur strides while walking, running or leaping.
Graph these lengths on a bar graph. Provide each child with a train for six or more cars. Start
with the present day (the child and parents) and draw animals back through time to dinosaurs to
try to distinguish the passage of time through earth’s history. Design problem-solving tasks like
this: “There is a herd of dinosaurs walking down the path. I counted 18 horns. What type of
dinosaurs are in the herd and how many are there?” Purchase a bucket of colored plastic
dinosaurs for children to problem-solve as partners – use ordinal numbers like first, last, third,
etc. Because it is often difficult for children to understand how large dinosaurs actually were, try
using chalk to create a scale drawing on the playground (by measuring). The whole class can
then fill in the drawing by adding details, like scales, claws, etc.
Teaching Tips and Guiding Questions
Throughout this task and unit, it is important to ask lots of questions to explore students’
preconceptions and understanding about dinosaurs.
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Some of the open-ended questions that can be asked are:
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If a jawbone has many sharp teeth, then it might mean that . . .
If a thighbone is four feet long . . .
If the rock found around a bone is __ million years old . . .
If some bones from one dinosaur are found inside another . . .
If no one has ever seen a dinosaur, what evidence are we looking for to explain what we
have found?
How could an endangered animal of today become extinct like the dinosaur?
When you look at this skull from our “dinosaur dig,” what clues can you gather from this
evidence about the animal?
How do paleontologists know where to look for bones?
Why did some dinosaurs travel in herds? Can you connect this to any animals living today?
What relation do the muscles have to the large- and small-bone structures of a particular
dinosaur? How are your bones and muscles like that?
How do features like claws, teeth, size, two legs verses four legs, wings, etc., help give
clues about a specific dinosaur's speed, habitat, food sources, sounds or camouflage?
Concepts to be Assessed
(Unifying concepts/big ideas and science concepts to be assessed using the Exemplars
Science Rubric under the criterion: Science Concepts and Related Content)
Life Science – Structure and Function: Students identify and categorize living organisms as
plant eaters or meat eaters and describe characteristics of family groupings, food chains,
adaptations and changes over time. Students hypothesize how the adaptations identified help
the animals to survive in their particular habitats; they describe and group dinosaurs by their
body structures, bone patterns and function of physical structures for protection.
Life Science – Evolution and Diversity: Students explain how a certain adaptation has arisen
and how species change over time.
Mathematics: Students measure, diagram and compare the characteristics of dinosaurs.
Skills to be Developed
(Science process skills to be assessed using the Exemplars Science Rubric under the criteria:
Scientific Procedures and Reasoning Strategies, and Scientific Communication Using Data)
Scientific Method: Observing, predicting/hypothesizing, drawing conclusions, communicating
findings, challenging misconceptions and raising new questions.
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Other Science Standards and Concepts Addressed
Scientific Theory: Students look for evidence that explains why things happen and modify
explanations when new observations are made.
Life Science – Structure and Fuction; Regulation and Behavior: Students describe and
group animals by what they eat and where they live. Students understand that living things are
found almost everywhere in the world and are interdependent.
Life Science – Structure and Function: Students understand that each animal and plant has
different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival and reproduction.
Life Science – Evolution, Diversity and Adaptations: Students understand that species
acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptations, including changes
in structures, behaviors or physiology that enhance their survival in an environment. Students
understand how living things evolve.
Earth Science – Earth’s History: Students explain how fossils provide important evidence of
how life and environmental conditions have changed.
Suggested Materials
I try to find updated books illustrating fossils and bone and muscle structures. Factual, accurate
videos can show simulations of the differences and similarities in groups of dinosaurs,
especially in movements and strides. Popsicle sticks, toothpicks and glue are used to build
bone structures inside a dinosaur outline on construction paper.
Additionally, I use activity sheets, with outlines similar to the first activity, to have students draw
where they thought the large and small muscles should go on their particular dinosaur. I also
used an activity sheet that showed two different dinosaur skeletal structures, so that each child
could draw what the dinosaur would look like in the flesh and in its habitat. Each child was
asked to write or dictate three appropriate facts about the habits of the dinosaur that he/she had
discovered.
Possible Solutions
Based on the experiences and knowledge that the children had been exposed to for about a
month, they should be able to draw accurate conclusions about the bone structure needed for
their particular dinosaur. This is based on the details shown in their bone sketches and
information gathered in a spontaneous interview with me. Their dialogue should also
demonstrate relevant scientific terminology in relation to their dinosaur. I am using interviews
more and more, because some first-grade children are not yet strong in their drawing and
writing skills.
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Task-Specific Assessment Notes
Novice
The student completes the task, drawing bones inside the Brontosaurus. There is primarily a
use of large bones to create the structure, showing almost no connecting of bones. There is
some evidence of scientific understanding but no use of consistent reasoning. (“The
Brontosaurus is very big, so it has all big bones.”)
There seems to be no understanding of the nature of a skeletal system or of the nature of
bones. (The student said, “The Brontosaurus is very big, so it has all big bones. The tail is very
long so it has two huge bones. The back is very big, so the bones are big and they need space
to bend. This dinosaur is heavy and has 4 big bones for its legs. The neck has the longest
bone.”)
Apprentice
The task is completed, and the student labels the name of the dinosaur. This student’s drawing
is lacking in bone details. Bones are depicted at random in some places in the drawing, yet
large and small are shown and they seem to connect in some way. The student is able to
articulate some aspects of dinosaur structure but does not make clear connections about
adaptations with the drawing. Some of his/her statements contradict each other, for example,
“His tail bones are short and small, medium and big."
(“The big bones are near the outside. The little bones are inside. Claws are sharp on his feet.
His legs don’t go very fast. There are small bones for his ribs. Leg bones help him walk to take
big steps. His feet bones are the strongest because that’s what holds him all up. His tailbones
are short and small, medium and big. T-Rex has skull bones. These big skull bones protect him
from rocks falling and holes he sticks his head in.”)
Practitioner
The student shows more detail in the drawing of the bone placement. Bones are shown as
having different sizes and shapes, depending on where they are located. Some bones are
shown as connected to others, as in the knee joints. The student correctly identifies the
relationship between the sketch and concepts learned about the dinosaur. There is clear
evidence of scientific reasoning: the student discusses movement, form and function of bones,
and similarities to human skeletal systems.
(“The skull of Parasaurolophus holds a long bone which moves air through it to make sounds.
His neck bones are strong to hold its head up. Large bones support a strong back. His tail is
strong and thick so he needs bones that move to allow his tail to slap his enemies. Two big legs
have joints in the bigger leg bones to walk on. He has smaller bones for ribs like people do. His
neck bones must have gaps like ours.”)
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Expert
The student’s solution is complete and detailed. The drawing demonstrates complexity in the
bone structure of this dinosaur, in that bones are of different sizes and shapes according to
location and function. The skull is detailed, showing openings for eyes and nostrils. Accurate
conclusions and extensive understanding of appropriate, related vocabulary are supported by
the interview. Both factual and inferential ideas are shared during the interview through
connections to survival and other organisms.
(“This Stegosaurus has big bones on the legs to make it strong with joints to bend. She walks
on 4 legs. This dinosaur has many big bones on her back. Plates on her back are bony, and
they start small near the head, get biggest in the middle, and get smaller down the back. The
bony plates are for protection. The skull bone protects the small head, and eyes. It has a jaw
bone like we do so she can chew plants like we do (salad). She has bones in the tail like the
plates on her back but they are pointier. She used her tail to whack enemies. It must hurt
another dinosaur like T-Rex real bad to bite her bony plates or get whacked by that tail. She is a
medium-sized dinosaur and is slower than others that move on 2 feet. I don’t think her bones
would be as big as T-Rex.”)
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Novice
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Apprentice
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Practitioner
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Expert
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