Title: Designasaurus: Modeling Activity of a Paleoartist

Author: Roger Evans, Meyer Middle School, 211 N. Fremont, River Falls, WI 54015
Mail: evans@scecnet.net (H) or roevan@rfsd.k12.wi.us (W)

Grades:  5-8

Overview of Lesson: Using pictures, diagrams, and models of modern animals and dinosaurs, students will create and draw a fictitious dinosaur combining features of these past and present organisms.  Students will write a description of their dinosaur that includes information about its size, hunting/grazing methods, habitat and adaptations. 

Suggested time: This activity was originally planned for a summer school program.  It is designed to be completed over the course of two to three 45-minute blocks of time.

Students’ Prior Knowledge: Students involved in the summer school program will have already seen the video Walking with Dinosaurs in order to expose them to the habits, size, habitats, and adaptations of dinosaurs.  Anatomical similarities and differences of dinosaurs and modern animals will be stressed.  The similarities and differences of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and fish will also be presented and discussed.

Background Information: Paleoartists base their drawings and real-life models on bones collected by scientists and their knowledge of muscle structure of animals that currently exist.  Students enrolled in the course will apply similar knowledge by examining Inside Dinosaurs, by Ted Dewan and Incredible Dinosaurs, by William Lindsay.

Materials:

Student Activity: Block 1- After viewing portions of the video Walking with Dinosaurs and discussing dinosaur behavior and adaptations, students will be introduced to information on paleoartists. 

Paleoartists create models and drawings of dinosaurs using bones supplied to them by paleontologists.  When muscles are removed from bones, marks called “scarring” are left on the bones.  Scarring allows the paleoartist to determine how the muscles were attached and how the skin formed around the muscles. 

Give the students time to look at the structures of dinosaurs and modern organisms and take notes on the observations they make.  Time should also be spent on the first day discussing these features as well as habits and adaptations.  Students will discuss their observations with a partner first, then share the observations with the entire class.

At the conclusion of Block 1, give each student either a diagram of a modern skull, a model or an actual skull.  Explain to them that their task is to design a fictitious dinosaur based on that skull.  Their dinosaur can include features of modern animals.  Their animal can live in the trees, underground, on land or in the water.  They need to think about the written portion of this project prior to the next block.  Their description should answer the following questions:  What did this dinosaur look like?  How big was it?  What was its habitat like?  What did it eat? How did it obtain its food?  Did it live in groups?  What time of day was it active?  What were its special adaptations?  A rough draft of their drawing before the next block is optional, but thinking about the explanation is necessary.

Blocks 2 and 3- Students should review the project and ask questions.  Blocks 2 and 3 are designed as work periods.  Students will write final copies and do final drawings.    Optional drawings would include diagrams, drawing the skull, and/or action poses (ex. hunting).  The end of Block 3 is devoted to sharing dinosaurs with partners, small groups, or the entire class.

Teacher Notes: Artwork is often a source of frustration for some students.  Remind the students that since their dinosaur never existed, their drawings couldn’t be wrong.  It should, however, be stressed to the students that any adaptations should be logical for the habitat they chose for their fictitious dinosaur.  In order to avoid students’ misconceptions, they need to be reminded that although this activity allows them to create a dinosaur, features such as mammalian teeth did not actually occur in dinosaurs. The written component may also be of concern to some students.  Spell check, dictation, and modeling a dinosaur that you have written about may be something you want to consider.  Student assessment for this project could include the following: What made this activity easy?  What made this difficult?  After listening to other descriptions, would you add anything to yours?  If so, what would you add?

Vocabulary:  adaptation, paleoartist, scarring

Interdisciplinary Connections: Language arts- written description of fictitious dinosaurs Art- diagrams/drawings of fictitious dinosaurs

Extensions: clay sculptures, computer generated artwork, Power Point presentation, write a “dinosaur rap”, dinosaur poetry

Other Resources: 

  • The New Dinosaurs by Dougal Dixon

  • Planet Ocean by Brad Matsen and Ray Troll

  • Investigating Dinosaurs by Craig Munsart

  • Skulls and Bones by Glenn Searfoss

  • Skulls Unlimited International (catalog)- www.skullsunlimited.com

  • Dino Russ’s Lair-  http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu/dinos/dinos_home.html

  • Dinosaur and Vertebrate Art and Fossil Replicas- http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu/dinos/art.html

  • Dinosaur Art and Modeling-http://www.indyrad.iupui.edu/public/jrafert/dinoart.html



    Wisconsin State Science Standards:

    A.8.4

    http:www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/standards/scia8.html

    Collect evidence to show that models developed as explanations for w\events were (and are) based on the evidence available to scientists at the time

    A.8.6

    http:www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/standards/scia8.html

    Use models and explanations to predict actions and events in the natural world

    B.8.3

    http:www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/standards/scib8.html

    Explain how the general rules of science apply to the development and use of evidence in science investigations, model-making, and applications

    C.8.4

    http:www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/standards/scic8.html

    Use inferences to help decide possible results of their investigations, use observations to check their inferences

    C8.5

    http:www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/standards/scic8.html

    Use accepted scientific knowledge, models, and theories to explain their results and to raise further questions about their investigations

    C8.10

    http:www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/standards/scic8.html

    Discuss the importance of their results and implications of their work with peers, teachers and other adults

    C8.11

    http:www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/standards/scic8.html

    Raise further questions that still need to be answered

    G8.1

    http:www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/standards/scig8.html

    Identify and investigated the skills people need for a career in science or technology and identify the academic courses that a person pursuing such a career would need