Beth Asghari

Jana Payne

Lesson Guide

Lesson Themes:

Dinosaurs, Real and Make believe, Survival techniques

Target Audience:

Elementary (3rd-5th grades) self-contained or inclusive setting

Objectives:

TSWBAT define terms dinosaur, real and make believe, and survival techniques.

TSWBAT recognize and distinguish between examples of real and make believe dinosaurs.

TSWBAT name two ways survival techniques utilized by dinosaurs.

TSWBAT create a diorama illustrating dinosaurs using survival techniques.

Instructional Materials:

Web Sites:

This site will be used as a teacher resource to obtain pictures and sounds of make believe dinosaurs.

-Software:

World of Dinosaurs by Steck Vaughn

Zug's Dinosaur World by Zugware

T Rex the Dinosaur Survival Game by Holt

Type of Classroom Activity:

Group setting with large screen projector to show computer for whole class

Small group or individual interaction with World of Dinosaurs, Zug's Dinosaur World, and T Rex Dinosaur Survival Game

Pre-requisite skills:

Students will be able to work in small groups.

Students will be able to use the mouse.

Teacher will have printed pictures of make believe dinosaurs.

Teacher will have recorded sounds of make believe dinosaurs.

Instructional Events:

Presenting important content: Whole class will interact and read & discuss stories together.

Eliciting Performance and practice: Students will work in small groups to create diorama depicting "real" dinosaurs using survival techniques.

Enhancing transfer: Students will write a story to demonstrate an understanding of the concept of make believe.

Time considerations & Tips for classroom management:

The dinosaur theme will be carried through all areas of the curriculum for two weeks. Each day will begin with the whole class viewing one book in the interactive series, World of Dinosaurs. The students will be allowed to work in pairs or small groups to explore previously introduced stories before school, after lunch, or at the end of the day. After viewing the first story, the teacher will introduce the term make believe using pictures and sounds recorded previously and guide students in a discussion of differnces between real and make believe dinosaurs. Students will work in small groups during language arts on a make believe story about dinosaurs to be presented to the class. After introduction by the teacher and class discussion, students will be assigned a time to work in pairs or individually on the program T Rex Dinosaur Survival Game. Further discussion of "real" and "make believe" dinosaurs will follow an introduction of Zug's Dinosaur World. This program will allow students to print a color picture of a dinosaur for use in this discussion. During social studies class the students will work in small groups to discuss and produce a diorama depicting "real" dinosaurs using survival techniques.