These lesson plans use the exciting world of dinosaurs to help your students explore the natural world. By applying scientific principles to a diverse range of modern animals, students can develop a broader understanding of, and connection with, nature. Designed for children between the ages of 3 and 6, many lessons also include extensions to adapt these activities for older or advanced students. These lessons can be used in conjunction with the Dinosaur Train episodes, or done independently to support existing curricula.

 

A Colorful Hypothesis: Help students understand and apply the term "hypothesis" while investigating the science of color.

 

 

Hungry Herbivores: Create and compare two collages to help students understand the concept of an herbivore.

 

 

Flowers That Last Forever : Students find and draw pictures of flowers in their area and create a card for someone special to understand why bees are attracted to flowers, and how this behavior helps flowers reproduce.

 

 

Even Bigger Than T. rex! : Using illustrations and physical markers, students will measure out differences in large dinosaurs to understand their size and scale.

 

 

Dinosaurs A to Z : Students practice the letters of the alphabet while learning about diversity of dinosaurs that once lived on Earth.

 

 

Dinosaurs of a Feather : Students observe and compare different bird feathers and create a 3-D picture of what a feathered Velociraptor might have looked like.

 

 

Drawing Birds: Students learn the names of different parts of a bird they observe.

 

 

Playing DinoBall Your Way : Students creatively solve problems and get exercise by inventing the rules for an imaginary game then playing it.

 

 

Have a Brachiosaurus Picnic : Engage the students in the preparation and enjoyment of a classroom picnic and games while learning about vegetarianism and the need for proper handwashing before eating or preparing food.

 

 

Make a Dragonfly : Students build a dragonfly while learning about its anatomy and origins.

 

 

Start a Nature Collection : Encourage students to explore nature by creating a collection of items found in the woods or at the beach and then organizing their collections into displays.

 

 

Eruption! : Learn more about the components of a volcano and then create a simple volcano.

 

 

Dinosaur Hand Shadows : Allow students to create familiar and new hand shadow shapes and explore how the position of hands in relation to the light source changes the size of the shadow.

 

 

Homemade Fossils : Learn more about how fossils are formed, and then create your own fossils using art supplies.

 

 

Smell This! : Allow students to sample foods with and without their sense of smell to determine how smell is connected to taste.

 

 

Pterosaur Plane : Explore how the makeup of a pterosaurs wings help it to glide even with a large body structure.

 

 

Collect a Critter : Understand the habitats of small, local creatures and create an environment to house one of the creatures for a day.

 

 

Meeting Modern Dinosaurs — Birds!: Encourage students to observe, document, and identify different types of birds that live in their area, and explore how birds are descended from the dinosaur era.

 

 

Footprints and Trackways: Discuss the footprints and trackways of dinosaurs and modern animals. Use a pattern to create T. rex footprints and trackways in your classroom.

 

 

Camouflage Cloak: Discuss how camouflage can help protect an animal from predators. Create camouflage from an old sheet to let students see first hand out they can blend into an environment while wearing the created camouflage.

 

 

Maiasaura Nest: Learn more about the Maiasaura dinosaur's nesting habits. Then create a Maiasaur nest to emulate how eggs might have appeared in the nest.