As a prelude to studying evolution and adaptation, students should consider the ways in which animals use their special body characteristics to perform such actions as finding food, eating, and walking. Students are used to seeing animals, and they have probably also learned some things about dinosaurs or seen dinosaur reproductions in museums, movies, or elsewhere. This lesson asks students to think about the ways in which living animals use their bodies and the ways in which dinosaurs might have used their bodies, based on fossil evidence and our best educated guesses.

Geography, science

Standard 17: "How to apply geography to interpret the past"

Two hours

• Computer with Internet access
• Picture of a familiar animal, such as a dog or horse
• Writing and drawing materials

Students will

• list the words that come to mind when they think of dinosaurs;
• explain some of the ways in which animals living today make use of their specialized body parts;
• view pictures of two recently discovered dinosaurs fossils and describe interesting things about the dinosaurs' body structures;
• list ways in which these dinosaurs might have used their body parts;
• draw pictures of dinosaurs engaging in realistic activities, and write explanations as to how the dinosaurs are using their bodies in these activities.

Ask students what words come to their minds when they think of dinosaurs. What do they already know about dinosaurs? What did dinosaurs look and act like? Write their ideas on the board.

Tell the class that scientists called paleontologists continue to discover new dinosaur fossils and new types of dinosaurs, and that there is still a lot that we don't know about dinosaurs. Inform them that paleontologists are busy looking for fossils, digging them up, preparing them for safekeeping, and reconstructing them into the dinosaurs on display at museums. Have them explore the Dallas Museum of Natural History's DinoWorld or the University of California Museum of Paleontology Web site to see examples of a dinosaur skeleton that could be seen at a museum.

Show students a picture of an elephant, lion, dog, or other animal with which they are familiar. Ask them to explain some of the ways in which this animal makes use of its body parts, such as its trunk, teeth, claws, or legs. For example, an elephant uses its trunk to grab objects, to spray dust and water on itself, and to move heavy objects.

Tell students that paleontologists looking at dinosaur bones try to figure out how the dinosaurs used their body parts to do certain things, just as animals today use parts of their bodies. Ask students why they think this job would be harder with dinosaurs than with other animals. Make sure they understand that scientists only find dinosaur bones, not their organs or flesh, so they must make educated guesses as to what their bodies really looked like. Thus, the pictures they are used to seeing of dinosaurs fighting, eating, etc. are really just good guesses as to what the dinosaurs looked like.

Inform students that Paul Sereno, a famous paleontologist, has discovered several new types of dinosaurs. Two recent discoveries are Suchomimus and Jobaria. Have students look at pictures of the dinosaurs at these Web sites:

Suchomimus tenerensis
National Geographic: Dinosaurs of the Sahara

Jobaria
Project Exploration: Jobaria

Ask students to look carefully at each picture and to describe the dinosaurs' bodies. What interesting things do they notice about the dinosaurs, such as the long neck of Jobaria or the sharp claws of Suchomimus?

Ask students to describe ways in which Jobaria and Suchomimus might have used their unique body parts for behaviors such as eating, drinking, walking, running, and fighting. List their ideas on the board. To give them a hint, you can tell them that Sereno has said that Suchomimus was "a dinosaur trying hard to be a crocodile."

Inform the class that looking at dinosaur bones or skeletons and trying to figure out how the dinosaur might have behaved is a big part of a paleontologist's job.

Ask students to discuss what they have learned about paleontologists. Would they like to be paleontologists? Why or why not? Why do they think people become paleontologists?

Have students draw pictures of dinosaurs—either the two they have learned about in this lesson or others they can find information about—doing things that they might really have done on a daily basis. They can see pictures of dinosaurs engaging in various activities at the following Web sites:

Jobaria Herrerasaurus Jurassic dinosaurs Cretaceous dinosaurs

Once students have drawn their own pictures, have them write paragraphs or captions explaining how the dinosaur(s) in the picture are making use of their unique physical characteristics, such as long necks, long tails, or sharp teeth or claws.

• Ask students to explain in a class discussion the appearances of different types of dinosaurs and the ways in which these dinosaurs' appearance may have affected their behavior.
  
  
• Ask students to observe an animal near their home. It can be either a pet or a wild animal. Have them explain how this animal uses its special body features to eat, drink, walk, run, etc. Then have them write sentences or share with the class the ways in which this animal's body compares with that of a particular dinosaur and the possible similarities and differences between this animal's behaviors and those of a dinosaur.

National Geographic: Dinosaurs of the Sahara
Project Exploration: Jobaria