Dinosaurs Kindergarten Mini-Unit by: Emily Maki

Image obtained from Dinosaur On-Line

I. Fossils

1. Introduction to Paleontologists (L&L,S,SS)*
   Digging up Dinosaurs , Aliki
2. Introduction to Fossils (L&L)
   Dinosaur Bones , Aliki
   look at example fossils and describe
3. Formation of Fossils (L&L,S)*
   A New True Book of Fossils , Allen Roberts
4. Digging Up Fossils (S)*
   digging up plastic bones in a sand table and studying them
5. Making a Fossil (S,A)
   using plaster of Paris to create a permanent print of a "fossil"
6. Making an artistic fossil (L&L,S,A)*
   Dinosaur Time , Peggy Parish

II. Introduction to Dinosaurs*

Story of Dinosaurs , David Eastman
Children will learn the meaning of four dinosaurs

1. Plant Eaters
   1. Draw a Brontosaurus In its Environment (S,A)
      Brontosaurus , Angela Sheehan
      students will draw a brontosaurus in its environment (students will discuss habitat having many plants to eat)
   2. Build a Diplodocus (M,S,L&L,A)*
      Diplodocus , Ron Wilson
      students will construct a Diplodocus out of Starburst candy
   3. Why Were They Armored (L&L)
      Triceratops , Angela Sheehan
   4. Camouflage the Dinosaur (S,A)*
      students will trace a dinosaur from a pattern and camouflage it with its background
   5. Dinosaur Tracks (M)*
      Using the picture of a foot print of a dinosaur to measure everyday objects around the room.
2. Meat Eaters
   1. Introduction to Meat Eaters (L&L)
      More About Dinosaurs , David Cutts
   2. The Size of Tyrannosaurus Rex (L&L,S,M)*
      Tyrannosaurus , Angela Sheehan
      Use tooth patterns to define the size of a T-Rex
   3. Dino patterns (M)*
      Using pictures of Meat Eaters to make an ABBA pattern
3. Measuring Dinosaurs
   Have pre-cut string that is the length of dinosaurs and have the children see how they compare to the string lengths.
4. Extinction (L&L)
   What Ever Happened to the Dinosaurs? , Bernard Most
   Eyewitness: Dinosaurs , David Norman & Angela Milner 

Integration

S -Science
L&L -Language and Literacy
M -Math
SS -Social Studies
A -Art
*Lesson plan or activity description included 

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Dinosaur Books and References

Brontosaurus , Angela Sheehan
Diplodocus , Ron Wilson
Triceratops , Angela Sheehan
Tyrannosaurus , Angela Sheehan
Digging Up Dinosaurs , Aliki
Dinosaur Bones , Aliki
Dinosaur Time , Peggy Parish
Story of Dinosaurs , David Eastman
More About Dinosaurs , David Cutts
Eyewitness Books-Dinosaurs , David Norman & Angela Milner
A New True Book-Dinosaurs , Mary Lou Clark
What Ever Happened to the Dinosaurs , Bernard Most

Alexis Benson:
The dinosaur track math print

Jean Breeze, Prudence Runkle, Brenda Wiggins, Lois Meisenheimer
Dinosaur Kit

I really enjoyed doing this project because I have been able to implement seven of the ten activities with my kindergarten class at Garden Hills. The children have been very enthusiastic about the dinosaurs and having the many different books around the classroom has allowed the children to explore books on their own time. Up until this point, the children have only been allowed to check out books once a week from the school library. The dinosaur center has allowed them to look at the concrete models and pictures and intrigued them to look at the books or ask me to read them.
I feel as though my outline is detailed and easy to follow but serves as an easy guide to topic, integration and related activity. I decided to outline my thematic unit by topic and then show the integration by the corresponding letters at the end. This is because a lot of the lessons incorporate many subjects rather than just one and it would have been difficult to out line them according to subject.
I was able to give detailed lesson plans of lessons that I have taught and reflected on. The others are as detailed as possible without actually doing them in a classroom. I designed all the activities so the children would be doing a number of activities in one lesson which will enforce the learning of each topic. Also, many of the lessons incorporate many different learning styles so as to reach and reinforce with every student and the level they are at. The concepts are very difficult but through the excitement and varying activities, the children have become expert paleontologists!