Dinosuar Theme Unit Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Activities

Printable Emergent Reader 1
The emergent reader "Different Dinosaurs" can be made into a big book with the enlarged pictures found in the Dinosaur Theme unit (photograph on the left) or made into a predictable chart, shown on the overhead or projected on a whiteboard from the computer. The teacher would model the reading process using the emergent reader.
The story line is as follows:
Different dinosaurs, what do we know?
Some were big.
Some were small.
Different dinosaurs, what do we know?
Some ate plants.
Some ate meat.
Different dinosaurs, what do we know?
Some moved fast.
Some moved slow.
Different dinosaurs, what do we know?
Some walked on two legs.
Some walked on four legs.
They lived a long time ago.

Sample Page from the Emergent Reader

Interactive component

The children would draw or cut and paste a dinosaur on the repetitive lines that say "Different dinosaurs, what do we know?"

Printable Emergent Reader 2 - Rap Song

The emergent reader "The Dinosaur Quiz" would be displayed for all the children to view the print. The teacher would model the reading process in a shared reading experience. After, this could be made into a rap song where one group of children sing the questions and the other group answers them.

Who had three horns long ago?
Triceratops was the name.
Who was the fastest of them all?
Ornithomimus was the name.
Who was the tallest of them all?
Ultrasaurus was the name.
Who was the longest of them all?
Diplodocus was the name.
Who was the fiercest of them all?
Tyrannosaurus rex was the name.
We like learning about dinosaurs.

Sample Page from the Emergent Reader

Interactive Component

The children match the clip to the illustrated version as shown it the photograph above.

Preschool and Kindergarten Activities

Dinosaur Crafts

Stuffed Stegosaurus Craft

Instructions for the Craft

1. Make 2 photocopies of the stegosaurus template found in the theme unit.

2. Children paint the dinosaur. Ensure both sides match if you are painting both sides.

3. Glue the dinosaur together leaving a hole on the bottom to stuff tissue.

4. Stuff tissue in the bottom hole

5. Glue the bottom hole together

Dimetrodon Craft Above

Instructions for the Craft

1. Paint the template

2. Cut the dinosaur

3. Glue on a coffee filter on the back of the dimetrodon for the sail.

Preschool and Kindergarten Activities - Triceratops Craft

1. Paint body and head templates of the triceratops template.

2. After drying, the children cut the head and body. They assemble triceratops using a coffee filter as the frill (shown in the photograph above).

Ankylosaurus Craft

1. Have the children paint the ankylosaurus template.

2. After drying, cut the dinosaur and glue on sunflower seeds to represent the plates.

Diplodocus Textured Coloring

1. Lay the diplodocus template on top of sandpaper. Have the children use the side of a wax crayon to color this dinosaur (crayon paper removed).

2. Cut out the textured dinosaur. This would be added to the dinosaur bulletin board display.

Preschool and Kindergarten Activities - Tyrannosaurus Rex Sponge-Painting
1. Children sponge-paint tyrannosaurus two different colors (light colors work the best).

2. After drying, cut out the dinosaur and add it to the bulletin board display.

Making Dinosaur Tracers
Using plastic or foam sheets make great dinosaur tracers. Draw an outline of the dinosaurs on the sheets. The templates found in the theme unit were intentionally made to be simple for cutting but also for using as tracers. The outline would be cut from the middle of the sheet. Using plastic or foam sheets allows the tracers to be cleaned and used year after year.

Dinosaur Silhouette
Using the tracers outlined above, the children paint over the top of the tracer making a silhouette of the dinosaur as shown in the photograph.

Dinosaur Treat Bag for Collecting Dinosaur Eggs
Have children make a dinosaur egg collecting bag. Hide jellybeans (wrapped in plastic wrap) around the classroom. The children go on a hunt to find them. They must count them before eating their find.

Preschool and Kindergarten Center Activities
Math Center - Stegosaurus Shape Dinosaur
1. The children would color or paint the stegosaurus template.
2. Reproduce the shapes on a different color of paper. The shapes could be cut in advance (depending on your age group) or the children could cut them.
3. The children add the shapes where indicated on the dinosaur.

More Math Games and Activities

More math games and activities can be found in the theme unit.

Writing Center

The templates from the theme unit can be used to make a shape book. The complexity of the book would vary according to the age group you teach. The simple version, the children cut the dinosaur picture with the word on it and paste it on the shape book. After, they would cut the name that matches on the picture and glue it along side the picture. For a more complex book, have a set template and the children must print the missing words by using a model. Example, Ultrasaurus _________ the tallest dinosaur. The children would print the word "was". This could be a focus sight word. The information generated at this center would have been through class discussions.

Word Family Activity

Print the focus word family on half the dinosaur. Print different initial consonants on the other half of the dinosaur (like a puzzle). Discuss what word is made when you change the puzzle.

Connect the Alphabet Dots Dinosaur Picture

Connect the Alphabet Dots Alphabet

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