pink palace museum
Teacher’s Program Guide
Presented in a
Pink Palace
Classroom
For Grades
Pre-K - 3
15-32 students
Available
August - May
Monday-Friday
at 9:30 & 11 am
45-60 Minutes
Vocabulary
dinosaur
extinct
paleontologist
fossil
carnivore
herbivore
coprolite
gastrolith
Allosaurus
Camarasaurus
Iguanodon
Maiasaura
Triceratops
Tyrannosaurus rex
Program Summary
Be a young paleontologist. Students are guided on an adventurous journey to discover how these scientists unearth and study
dinosaur fossils. They explore a backpack full of fossil hunting tools and work as young paleontologists to excavate fossils in our
indoor dig pits. At our Investigation Stations, students use magnifying lenses, tape measures and small brushes to examine
dinosaur skin impressions, claws, teeth and eggs. We match the fossils to the dinos and compare teeth and skulls. Students
experience just how big a T. Rex was as we dramatically reveal its length inside our classroom. After identifying dinosaur diets,
students examine coprolite (fossilized dinosaur poop). We use Museum artifacts and everyone gets to touch real dinosaur bones
millions of years old.
Curriculum Standards
Tennessee
Kindergarten:
1st Grade:
2nd Grade:
3rd Grade:
Mississippi
Kindergarten:
1st Grade:
2nd Grade:
3rd Grade:
Arkansas
Science
K.1.1, K.1.2, K.5.2
1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.3.1, 1.5.1, 1.5.2
2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.2.1-3, 2.3.1, 2.5.1, 2.5.2, 2.6.1
3.1.spi.1-3, 3.2.spi.1, 3.3.spi.1, 3.3.spi.2, 3.5.spi.1-3, 3.6.spi.1-3
Science
K.1
1.2
2.2
3.1, 3.4
Kindergarten:
1st Grade:
2nd Grade:
3rd Grade:
Science
NS.1.K.2, NS.1.K.7, LS.2.K.1, LS.4.K.1
NS.1.1.2, NS.1.1.7, LS 2.1.2
NS.1.2.2, NS.1.2.7, LS.2.2.2, LS.4.2.1
NS.1.3.2, NS.1.3.8, ESS.8.3.1
Catholic Diocese of Memphis
Science
Pre-K:
Kindergarten:
1st Grade:
2nd Grade:
3rd Grade:
I.3, I.4, II.1-3, II.5, V.5-7, VI.1, VI.3
I.2, I.3, II.1, II.2, II.4, II.5, V.7, V.8, VI.4
I.3, II.1, II.3, II.4, V.4, V.6. V.9, VI.3
II.1-5, V.5, V.7, V.8, VI.4
I.4, II.2-6, VI.4, VI.5
Objectives
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Explain what paleontologists study, how they work, and the tools they use.
Understand how fossils are formed and why scientists study them.
Recognize that non-avian dinosaurs are now extinct.
Know the difference between a carnivore and a herbivore.
Realize examination of teeth provides information about the daily life of dinosaurs.
901.636.2362
3050 central Avenue • MEMPHIS, TN 38111
WWW.MEMPHISMUSEUMS.ORG
Some scientists believe birds are
relatives of dinosaurs. That would
mean our national symbol is a
dinosaur (bald eagle).
Even though T. rex was
over 40 feet long, his brain
was just one foot.
Five dinosaur bones have been
found in Tennessee. Marine
fossils are more common in our
Mississippi Valley.
1. List animals that eat plants and animals that eat meat. Discuss kinds of teeth and the teeth of animals that are “Choppers,
Strippers, Grinders, and Rippers”. Distribute carrots to students. Ask them to use their teeth to rake off the outer layer, bite, and
grind to eat like dinosaurs. http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/exhibitions/dinosaurs/fossil_basics.php
2. Each Investigation Station has magnifying lenses. Practice observation skills by looking closely at objects.
http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/inchsquare/index.html
3. Create impressions of leaves, feathers, twigs, and shells using salt dough, clay, Play-Doh, or polymer clay. Make crayon
rubbings. http://onramp.nsdl.org/eserv/onramp:331/apr08_impression.pdf
1. Students construct a paleontologist’s notebook to record their observations.
2. Using broken dog biscuits, students match up the pieces to re-assemble a bone just like paleontologists.
3. Simulate a fossil dig by burying shells, rocks and bones in a shallow pan covered with sand. Using small paintbrushes,
students gently excavate their fossils. They record observations in their notebooks.
Visit our Natural History Exhibits on the ground floor. Examine a Triceratops skull, a Camarasaurus leg bone, and Mid-South
marine fossils in our Walk Through Time gallery. Make your own dinosaur comparison to birds in the colorful Birds gallery.
Check your library for Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones by Byron Barton.
Zoom Dinosaurs http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/
Dinosphere – Indianapolis Children’s Museum http://www.childrensmuseum.org/themuseum/dinosphere/resources/bone_prep/index.htm
Teachers Network http://www.teachnet-lab.org/glasgold/lesson_3.htm
Kids Know It Network http://www.kidsdinos.com/
Internet4Classrooms http://www.internet4classrooms.com/earthspace.htm
Book our traveling Pink Palace Museum Suitcase Exhibits.
Check out Dinosaurs featuring lessons for grades K-5 with posters, books, teeth, claws, and lots of prehistoric
models. Fossils has object-based learning for grades 3-8 that includes sifting through a bucket of Bone Valley
ore. Magnifiers presents hands-on specimens for examination by grades K-2.
RESERVATIONS: 901.636.2362
PINK PALACE MUSEUM • 3050 CENTRAL AVE. • MEMPHIS, TN 38111
WWW.MEMPHISMUSEUMS.ORG