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Dinosaur Discovery

A Webquest for 3rd grade students

By: Stacy L. Fesler

slf186@psu.edu

http://www.personal.psu.edu/slf186

| Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Teacher Notes | Resources |

 

Introduction

WOW! Giant footprints have been found in the field next to the house of our principal, Mr. Collins. He is very nervous about these footprints and he has asked for the help of the 3rd graders of our school.

I know that this job may sound a little bit scary but we need your help. If you agree to help us, please click on the dinosaur below.

 

 

Task

You will work with a partner (one other person) to complete the following in order to help Mr. Collins solve his problem.

1. Your first job is to identify the type of species that made the footprint by using any measurement tools available in the classroom. (rulers, measuring tapes, etc.)

2. Once you and your partner have decided what species made this print, you will then create a diorama showing how your creature will live peacefully with people in a habitat.

3. After creating your habitat you will then write a newspaper article reporting your findings to the rest of the school and the community of Steelton.

Click on dinosaur below to move on.

 

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Process

1. You and your partner will receive a picture of the footprints that were found outside of Mr. Collins' house.

2.Study the picture, looking for any specific characteristics that will help you identify what animal created the print.

3. After studying the footprints for awhile, you may use any of the measurement tools that we have used in math class to help you measure the prints. This will help you to identify the creature that made the print. Here are some of the tools we have used:

 

4. Once your group has decided what creature made your particular print, you will use many different sources to learn more about your creature.

 

Dinosaur Pictures, Dinosaur Footprints, Dinosaur Information

 

 

  • Magic School Bus In the Time of the Dinosaurs by: Joanna Cole

  • The Ultimate Book of Dinosaurs by: Steve Parker

  • Walking with the Dinosaurs by: Tim D. Haines

  • The Scientific Book of Dinosaurs by: Gregory S. Paul

  • The Big Book of Dinosaurs by: Angela Walker

  • Jurassic Park by: Michael Crichton

 

 

***Please remember that all of the groups have a different set of footprints, so each group will have a different creature to research.***

 

5. You and your partner are now ready to get started on your diorama. This diorama is to be the habitat (home) of your creature.

**Remember that your creature must be able to do the following things...**

 

6. You are now ready to work on your final step, the Newspaper Article.

 

7. Once you and your partner are finished with your Newspaper Article you will report your findings to Mr. Collins and the rest of the school, in an oral presentation.

 

Click on dinosaur below to move on.

 

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Evaluation

Each group will be evaluated in 3 different ways:

1. DIORAMA GRADE - You and your partner will be given a grade for your diorama. To see how you will be graded, click here.

2. NEWSPAPER ARTICLE - You and your partner will be given a grade for your newspaper article to the class according to this rubric.

3. COOPERATIVE LEARNING - The final part of your grade will be given totally by the teacher. It will be based on how well you and your partner worked together. I will be observing you and your partner throughout the time that we are working on the project in order to give you a grade based on Cooperative Learning.

 

Click on dinosaur below to move on.

 

 

Conclusion

CONGRATULATIONS! You should be very proud of yourselves, because you and your partner have completed the given tasks and are now considered experts on your creature. You have learned who your creature was, what it ate, and how it lived all those years ago. If you enjoyed this activity,(and I hope that you did) visit the library and check out the many different books on dinosaurs, paleontologists, and Prehistoric time.

 

 

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Teacher Notes

 

Webquest Title - Dinosaur Discovery

 

Grade Level - 3rd grade, but could be changed to include children of any elementary level grade

 

Subject(s) -

 

Length of Time - One period a day for one week.

 

Objective(s):

 

***IMPORTANT NOTES***

Students are expected to have some kind of basic knowledge of the computer and the internet before beginning this webquest. If you find that there are students in your class like mine, that didn't know how to use the internet when starting out, take a day or two to introduce the concept to the children so that they are all at the same level when starting out on the webquest. The children in the class that already know how to do the things that you are showing, could either take the time to review things that they know or they could help someone who isn't sure what to do.

 

Resources

INTERNET SITES

 

 

BOOKS

 

 

 

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Last Updated : April 26, 2001

Copyrighted: April 2001