More About This Resource...

• In this classroom activity, created to complement the Museum's Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries exhibit, young students explore the meaning behind dinosaurs' names.

  • The activity opens with background information for teachers about the Greek and Latin root words that are used in dinosaur names.
  • After discussing what they know about dinosaurs, students learn that dinosaur names can describe what the dinosaur looked like, how it might have acted, or where it was found.
  • Working as a class, students use a chart of root words and their meanings to decipher the names of four well-known dinosaurs.

• Completion Time

  Less than 1 period

• Topic

  Paleontology

• Subtopic

  General

• Subtopic

  National Science Education Standards
  Grades K-4:
  Life Science CONTENT STANDARD C: 

  • the characteristics of organisms

  History and Nature of Science CONTENT STANDARD G: 

  • science as a human endeavor

• Learning Standard

  National Science Education Standards
  Grades K-4:
  Life Science CONTENT STANDARD C: 

  • the characteristics of organisms

  History and Nature of Science CONTENT STANDARD G: 

  • science as a human endeavor