UNSOLVED MYSTERY:
WHAT KILLED THE DINOSAURS?
(Gallery hunt for sixth thru eighth grades based on South Carolina curriculum standards for sixth and
eighth grade.)
The greatest unsolved mystery of all time is what killed the dinosaurs. In order to
explore the possibilities, scientists continue to study the clues of Earth’s past
environments. Today is your chance to brush up on your science knowledge. Maybe
you can unearth the answer, or at least, make an educated guess as you explore the
clues. Your hunt will take you to several areas of the State Museum. The answers to
the questions for each stop are hidden in a sentence at the end of each section.
STOP 1
The Fossil Gallery on second floor behind the Big Map
STOP 2
The Permanent Dinosaur Gallery near the glass elevator.
STOP 3
The new South Carolina Unearthed Gallery on the third floor near the
Charles Hard Townes L.A.S.E.R. exhibit.
STOP 4
The exciting Blockbuster exhibit, A Bite Out of Time on the second floor.
You will find the gallery guide for A Bite Out of Time helpful for Part 4.
What do you think killed the dinosaurs?
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STOP 1: Fossil Gallery
(Located on the second floor behind the Big Map.)
Where do we start? We must know where to find the clues, so we start with fossils.
1. Fossils are
a.
b.
c.
The preserved remains of an ancient rock formation
The preserved remains of an ancient timekeeper.
The preserved remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past.
2. Different types of fossils include:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e
Molds and casts
Unaltered remains
Trace fossils
Petrified fossils
All of the above
3. Fossils give clues about
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Ancient environments
Early animal life
Changing climates
None of the above
All of the above
4. A mold fossil forms when
a.
b.
c.
Minerals soak into the buried remains, replacing the remains, and changing them
into rock.
A mold is filled with sand or mud that hardens into the shape of the organism
Sediment surrounds an organism and as the sediments harden into rock; the
organism decays, leaving a cavity in the shape of the organism.
5. Index fossils can be used to determine the relative age of rock layers. Looking at the
reproduction of the Great Pee Dee River in Florence County, we can infer that a fossil
found in the rock positioned farther down in the rock layers would be
a.
b.
Older than a fossil found above it or
Younger than a fossil found above it.
For the key to the correct answers for this section, fill in the letters in the following sentence.
During the _retaceous Period the _arth’s climat_ was warmer and
the o_ean level much higher than tod _y.
STOP 2: Permanent Dinosaur Exhibit
(Located on second floor near the glass elevator)
1. Geologists divide time into three (3) eras called
a.
b.
c.
Permian, Cretaceous, Jurassic
Tertiary, Cambrian, Devonian
Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic
2. Eras are subdivided into units called
a.
b.
c.
Periods
Class
Orders
3. True or False? Changes in life forms, additions and extinctions, are often
accompanied by changes in the environmental conditions on Earth. True or False:
These changes have been influenced by the impact of an asteroid or comet, volcanic
activity and climate changes.
a.
b.
True
False
4. Which of the following statements is false?
a.
b.
c.
Dinosaurs were killed when a large meteorite crashed onto earth’s surface 66
million years ago, causing dust and smoke to rise into the atmosphere causing
climate changes.
Only non-avian dinosaurs were killed, but the avian variety survived and
flourished and may be chirping and laying eggs in the trees in our
neighborhoods.
All may true because scientists are still studying the different hypotheses.
For the key to the correct answers for this section, fill in the letters in the following sentence.
During the Mesozoi_ era, when dinos_urs roamed the earth, many clim_te
changes oc_urred due to plate tectonics and the movement of landmasses.
STOP 3: South Carolina Unearthed Gallery
(Located on the third floor near the Charles Hard Townes exhibit)
1.
Paleontologists, biologists, and geologists study the earth using the scientific
method. What activity is not part of the scientific method?
a.
Observing
b.
Writing a journal article
c.
Asking and answering questions
d.
Making a hypothesis
e.
Doing experiments
2. Suppose our hypothesis was that a fossil shark tooth was used to catch fish, what
experiment can you set up to prove that?
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3. Skeletons can teach scientists how bones work together when an animal moves.
What skeletal bones help show how an animal moves?
a.
Humerus,tibia
b.
Calceneum, Vertebra
c.
All of the above.
4. This grass eating, shrub chopping mammal was recently named the official South
Carolina state fossil?
a.
Columbian mammoth
b.
leatherback sea turtle
c.
Cretaceous crocodile
d.
saber-toothed cat
For the key to the correct answers for this section, fill in the letters in the following sentence.
_y comparing fossil sh _rk teeth with modern shark teeth while poking and
slashing them into a piece of clay, we can compare the m_rks made.
(HINT: Statement is answer to Question 2)
STOP 4: A Bite Out of Time Exhibit
(Located on the second floor as the elevator doors open. You will find the exhibit gallery guide helpful.)
Dinosaurs are classified as part of the vertebrate phylum of animals, which
included fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Vertebrates share certain
physical characteristics. They have backbones, an internal skeleton (endoskeleton),
and muscles. They have blood that circulates through blood vessels and lungs (or gills)
for breathing. They have a protective skin covering. Most have legs, wings, or fins for
movement. They have a nervous system with a brain that processes information from
their environment through sensory organs.
1. Where did non-avian dinosaurs live in South Carolina?
a. Charleston, Aiken, Bamberg counties
b. Darlington, Florence and Williamsburg counties
c. York, Spartanburg, and Oconee counties
2. Match the dinosaur nickname with the dinosaur name.
1. Helmet Lizard
a. Triceratops
2. Winged and toothless
b .Stegosaurus
3. Thick-headed lizard
c. Elasmosaurus
4. Tyrant lizard king
d. Pteranodon
5. Three horned face
e. Mosasaurus
6. Roof Lizard
f. Deinonychus
7. Terrible Claw
g. Corythosaurus
8. Tendon lizard
h. Pachycephalosaurus
9. Thin-plated lizard
i. Tenontosaurus
10. Meuse lizard
j. Tyrannosaurus rex
3. Dinosaurs lived during the Mesozoic Era, which included the Cretaceous, Jurassic,
and Triassic periods. As you observe each dinosaur in this exhibit, list them in the
period that they lived.
Cretaceous Period
Jurassic Period
Triassic Period
4. Now that you have brushed up on your knowledge of fossils, the scientific method,
and dinosaurs, can you solve the greatest mystery of all time? We ask this question
again.
What do you think killed the dinosaurs? Why?
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(Answers for Bite Out of Time exhibit: 1-B, 2=1-g,2-d,3-h,4-j,5-a,6-b,7-f,8-i,9-c,10-e, 3. All lived during
the Cretaceous Period except the Stegosaurus which lived in the Jurassic Period) 4. Not yet known.