Science
| 2.1.2 |
Use tools - such as thermometers, magnifiers, rulers, or balances - to gain more information about objects.
At the Dinosaur Dig and the Paleo Prep Lab, students will have the opportunity to use magnifiers and other tools in paleontology to make observations about fossils. |
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| 2.4.1 |
Observe and identify different external features of plants and animals and describe how these features help them live in different environments.
After looking at the different dinosaurs, ask the children to think about how they are different and why they might have different size teeth, colorings, and claws. How would their different features help them to live in their environments? |
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| 2.4.2 |
Observe that and describe how animals may use plants, or even other animals, for shelter and nesting.
Spend some time at the Nest area and allow the children to investigate what the nests were made of. Ask them questions about how they think the nests were made and why they think they were made. |
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| 2.4.3 |
Observe and explain that plants and animals both need to take in water, animals need to take in food, and plants need light.
All of the scenes in Dinosphere show some dinos eating, drinking, scavenging or hunting. The watering hole scene can reiterate that animals need water to survive and the other two scenes shows that some dinos fed on other dinos to survive. Have the students tell a story about what is happening in the scenes. |
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| 2.4.5 |
Recognize and explain that materials in nature, such as grass, twigs, sticks, and leaves, can be recycled and used again, sometimes in different forms, such as in birds' nests.
The Nest area allows students to make some guesses to what the dinosaurs used to make their nests out of. Have the children figure out what would have made a good nest for dinosaurs using the materials seen in the scenes. |
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| 2.5.6 |
Explain that sometimes a person can find out a lot (but not everything) about a group of things, such as insects, plants, or rocks, by studying just a few of them.
Explain to the students that paleontologists have learned a lot about specific dinosaurs by studying just a few like the ones in the gallery. Because finding whole dinosaurs is rare, scientists have to learn about them as a group of animals from the few that they have uncovered. |
Language Arts
| 2.2.2 |
State the purpose for reading.
Before entering Dinosphere, tell the children that there will be signs up in the space for them to read. Ask them why they think there would be labels for the visitors to read. What is the purpose of those labels? Then encourage them to read the labels to learn more about Dinosaurs. |
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| 2.2.3 |
Use knowledge of the author's purpose(s) to comprehend informational text.
In your discussion about the purpose of the labels, remind the students to think about why the labels are there as they read them. Encourage them to use this info to understand what is written. |
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| 2.2.4 |
Ask and respond to questions to aid comprehension about important elements of informational texts.
As students are reading the labels, ask them questions that test their comprehension. Then encourage them to all think of question they would like to as after reading the text. |
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| 2.2.5 |
Restate facts and details in the text to clarify and organize ideas.
After reading some of the labels in the space, have the students summarize and restate what they just read. Encourage them to clarify each other as they do it. |
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| 2.7.1 |
Determine the purpose or purposes of listening (such as to obtain information, to solve problems, or to enjoy).
Before joining an Up-Close and Personal presentation in the gallery, have the children tell you why they should listen to the interpreter. Help them to see that this presentation's purpose to provide fun and educational material to the visitors. |
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| 2.7.2 |
Ask for clarification and explanation of stories and ideas.
During any presentation encourage your students to ask questions when needed. Help them to understand that asking questions can help them to better understand the information being shared. |
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| 2.7.3 |
Paraphrase (restate in own words) information that has been shared orally by others.
Let the children know that after they are done with listening to a presentation, that they will be required to summarize what was said. Then after joining an Up-Close and Personal, have the students share what they learned. |
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