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¿Por qué se extinguieron los dinosaurios?

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¿Por qué se extinguieron los dinosaurios?
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
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CONVERSEMOS:

¿Cómo podrían determinar los científicos que comían los dinosaurios estudiando sus fósiles?

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Paso
01/09
Encuentra un compañero o compañera con quien trabajar.
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Paso
02/09
Obtén estos materiales. Obtendrás otros más adelante.
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Paso
03/09
Corta a lo largo de las líneas punteadas para crear un conjunto
de tarjetas.
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Paso
04/09
Lee cada tarjeta de animal, y marcalas como carnívoros, herbívoros
u omnívoros. Luego ponlas en grupos, y pon a un lado las que te
sobraron.
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Paso
05/09
Consejo: Pon tus carnívoros en orden del más grande al más
pequeño. Debajo de ellos, alinea tus herbívoros y los omnívoros.
Por último, pon tus plantas abajo. Hazlo.
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Paso
06/09
Esto es lo que nosotros tenemos, si quieres compararlo con
tus tarjetas.
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Paso
07/09
Conversemos. Luego contesten la pregunta número uno.
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Paso
08/09
Esto es lo que decidimos hacer. Utiliza tus tiras de papel de
color para conectar al Tiranosaurio Rex con todo lo que
decidiste que come.
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Paso
09/09
Usa tiras de papel de color para conectar los animales con lo que
comen. Conéctalos con todas sus fuentes de energía.
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CONVERSEMOS:

¿Cómo crees que el impacto de un solo asteroide pudo causar la extinción de todos los dinosaurios?

Paso
01/05
Dibuja flechas en todas las tiras de papel para mostrar cómo
obtiene energía cada animal.
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Paso
02/05
Revisa tus flechas. Si pusiste alguna en la dirección equivocada, solo
tienes que voltearlas, así.
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Paso
03/05
La red alimenticia muestra de dónde obtienen su
energía. Conversemos:
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Paso
04/05
Conecta la tarjeta de la luz solar con las plantas usando una tira
de papel. Dibuja una flecha para demostrar el flujo de la energía.
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Paso
05/05
Conversemos:
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Paso
01/08
Pon uno de los pedazos de papel negros sobre la tarjeta de
luz solar.
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Paso
02/08
Conversemos:
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Paso
03/08
Usa una tira de papel negra para bloquear la flecha del sol hacia las
plantas verdes. Luego pon una tira negra sobre cada una de las
flechas que salen de las plantas.
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Paso
04/08
Conversemos:
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Paso
05/08
Conversemos:
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Paso
06/08
Contesta la pregunta número dos en tu hoja de trabajo.
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Paso
07/08
Conversemos:
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Paso
08/08
Contesta la pregunta número tres en tu hoja de trabajo. Después
ve el último video.
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Slide Image
Slide Image

organismo


1 de 17

cualquier ser vivo
Slide Image

herbívoro


2 de 17

un animal que solo come plantas
Slide Image

carnívoro


3 de 17

un tipo de animal que solo se como a otros animales
Slide Image

omnívoro


4 de 17

un animal que come plantas y animales
Slide Image

consumidor


5 de 17

un ser vivo que se come a otros seres vivos
Slide Image

productor


6 de 17

un ser vivo que produce su propia comida
Slide Image

cadena alimenticia


7 de 17

la manera en la que los seres vivientes están conectados en base a lo que comen y quién se los come
Slide Image

red alimenticia


8 de 17

un conjunto de las cadenas alimenticias que se encuentran en un lugar
Slide Image

energía solar


9 de 17

energía que proviene del Sol y que provee energía a las plantas y a los consumidores que se comen esas plantas
Slide Image

flujo de energía


10 de 17

el movimiento de energía a través de seres vivientes
Slide Image

modelo


11 de 17

una versión de mentiras de algo que los científicos usan cuando la cosa de verdad es algo demasiado grande, pequeño, o complicado para poder usarlo en sus estudios
Slide Image

extinto/a


12 de 17

un ser viviente que vivía en la Tierra hace mucho pero ya no existe
Slide Image

fósil


13 de 17

los restos de una planta o un animal que se murió hace muchísimo tiempo
Slide Image

coprolito


14 de 17

popó fosilizada
Slide Image

atmósfera


15 de 17

el aire que rodea todo un planeta
Slide Image

asteroide


16 de 17

un objeto rocoso que se encuentra en el espacio exterior
Slide Image

evidencia


17 de 17

información que puede ser usada para respaldar o rechazar una idea

Featured Reviews

“The topic is SOOOOO high interest and the discussion was engaging and interesting the entire time. They got the main point about food webs, how organisms are connected and affect one another, how the sun is our main source of energy... What was amazing is how this was all taught through such a riveting topic that encouraged debate and critical thinking through theory making. I LOVED this mystery! ***APPLAUSE*** ”
· Yukendra · Teacher
“This ENTIRE lesson was 100% engagement - even with the 'hard to reach' students!!! All lessons have been great --- this was an eleven!!!”
· Lorraine · Teacher
“My students were sooo excited to learn more about the dinosaurs. I loved seeing the lightbulb go off when they thought about HOW the dinosaurs could have all disappeared and they connected it to the sunlight being blocked out somehow and the plants dying and it affecting the rest of the food web.”
· Alexandra · Teacher
“The students genuinely reached the conclusions on their own--and then they even recognized why certain animals are still around today. This lesson did a great job of leading students to the ideas and still allowing them to truly ponder and reflect.”
· Cynthia · Teacher
“Amazing conversations! Excellent way to teach all energy comes from the sun and to reinforce carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores. ”
· Annmarie · Teacher
“My students LOVED this lessson! The activity planned was amazing, they could discover what might happened to dinosaurs when the sun was blocked. The last video was also mind blowing for them!!!! ”
· Patricia · Teacher
“The steps for making the food web paired with the videos really engaged students throughout the lesson and they understood in a meaningful way how energy can be traced back to the sun. ”
· Emilie · Teacher
“This led to lots of light bulb moments as the students saw how everything was connected in an ecosystem. Was a great last mystery in the unit as it tied all their knowledge together. ”
· Caitlin · Teacher
“Youth loved discussing their theories on what they think might have happened to the dinosaurs. Engaging lesson.”
· Sheryl · Teacher
“This lesson did a great job of introducing food webs and providing practice for the students to apply their knowledge. The fact that you used dinosaurs to teach the lesson was charming. You continue to use creative and innovative ways to keep my students curious.”
· Beth · Teacher
“Best lesson I taught all year!”
· Christal · Teacher
“I liked how the black strips were used to cover the colored strips. That made it obvious why the extinction took place.”
· Charles · Teacher
“The kiddos loved relating what they are learning about food chains and food webs to Dinos!”
· · Teacher
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson, students investigate the hypothesis that an asteroid impact caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. In the activity, Create a Dinosaur Food Web, students use cards and construction paper connectors to create a food web from the time of the dinosaurs. Using this model, they follow the flow of energy through the food web and figure out why dinosaurs went extinct but some other animals survived.
Preview activity

I have a Mystery Pack

Dino Die-Off Cards printout 1 per pair
Dinosaur Food Web worksheet 1 per student
Dinosaur Food Web Answer Key teacher-only resource 1 per class
Markers
Pens, crayons, or colored pencils will also work.
Details
1 marker per student
Scissors
1 pair per student
Black Construction Paper
1 sheet per group
Colored Construction Paper
1 sheet per pair
Prep Instructions

We suggest students work in pairs. Homeschool students can work on their own.

Each pair of students needs an area that’s about 2 feet by 3 feet for their completed food web. Plan for enough space. Students can work at desks, tables, or on the floor.

Access to a paper cutter will make your activity prep really easy.

Prepare Connector Strips

If you have access to a paper cutter, we suggest you use one to prepare these construction paper strips.

Cut the black construction paper into strips measuring 3” by ¾”.

Black Construction Strips

Cut your colored construction paper into strips measuring about 4” by ¾”.

Color Construction Strips

Exploration

15 mins

Hands-On Activity

30 mins

Wrap-Up

5 mins

Extend this lesson

Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Student slideshow: English | Spanish

Teacher printout: English & Spanish

Unit Reading

Unit Reading

What Can Young People Do to Protect the Environment?

In this reading, students learn simple steps they can take to help protect the environment.

Activities

Activities

The American Museum of Natural History in New York has a great Dinosaur Curriculum Collection (Grades 5–8; lesson plans included). Check these out:

  • Walk Like a Dinosaur!: Dinosaurs were reptiles…with a twist. Find out what makes a dinosaur a dinosaur by doing the dinosaur walk.

  • Solve a Sedimentary Layers Puzzle: What happened when? Test your fossil-hunting skills by working out this dino timeline.

Videos

Videos

Find out why scientists think birds are modern-day dinosaurs: It may be hard to believe, but there are dinosaurs around us every day. You might even have had one for dinner last night.

Art Project

Art Project

Scientists and artists work together to imagine how dinosaurs looked and lived. Here, you’ll watch a video, read an article, and then create a dinosaur of your own.

If you're curious, scientists named this dinosaur Parasaurolophus!

Transcripts

Credits
 
Ecosystems Lesson 7: Why did the dinosaurs go extinct?

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