What Makes a Dinosaur a Dinosaur
Can you walk like a dinosaur? Hint: The movement is not like lizards, crocodiles, and other reptiles; instead, it's more like birds. Investigate what else birds and dinosaurs have in common.
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More About This Resource...
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In this classroom activity, created to complement the Museum's Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries exhibit, middle school students learn what distinguishes dinosaurs from other animals.
- The activity opens with background information for teachers about these prehistoric reptiles.
- As a class, students compare the stance of lizards and dinosaurs in pictures and try to replicate both reptiles' walks.
- Students then learn that Museum paleontologists classify birds as dinosaurs, and work in groups to compare a T. rex skeleton with pictures of birds.
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Completion Time
Less than 1 period
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Origin
Moveable Museum -
Topic
Paleontology -
Subtopic
General -
Subtopic
National Science Education Standards
Grades 5-8:
Science as Inquiry CONTENT STANDARD A:• abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry• understanding about scientific inquiry
History and Nature of Science CONTENT STANDARD G:
• science as a human endeavor• nature of science
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Learning Standard
National Science Education Standards
Grades 5-8:
Science as Inquiry CONTENT STANDARD A:• abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry• understanding about scientific inquiry
History and Nature of Science CONTENT STANDARD G:
• science as a human endeavor• nature of science
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