TeachersFirst's Dinosaur Resources
Kids "dig" dinosaurs, whether they learn about them in science class while studying paleontology and geology or simply explore dinosaurs as a personal favorite topic. Dinosaurs are an elementary school perennial, but even high school students enjoy digging into fossils and geologic time. This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst features a wide range of lesson ideas and research sources for students of all ages. Spend some "geologic time" as you try some of the project ideas or simply make this collection available to your dino-maniacs.
Explore all of our resources about dinosaurs.
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The Tumble Podcast - Lindsay Patterson and Marshall Escamilla
Grades
K to 8
tag(s): animals (284), bacteria (22), birds (45), dinosaurs (39), insects (68), listening (86), molecules (42), oceans (149), planets (112), plants (147), podcasts (95), stars (69), sun (71)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site to find informative podcasts. Podcasts can be an engaging way to promote interest in science topics as part of a listening center rotation or to enhance your current lessons. Enhance learning by downloading the transcript and creating a set of questions using an AI resource such as MagicSchool, reviewed here. Visit MagicSchool, select the Text Dependent Questions generator, add the requested information, and upload the PDF transcript to generate a set of comprehension questions based on the information in the podcast. Extend learning by asking students to create an infographic using free templates found in Adobe Infographic Creator, reviewed here or Canva Education Templates, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Ancient Earth Globe - Ian Webster
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): dinosaurs (39), earth (185), geologic time (10)
In the Classroom
Engage student interest by sharing this site with them and letting them explore. Use Google Jamboard, reviewed here, to create a bulletin board for students to share their observations. Ask them to add sticky notes and drawings with their thoughts and questions. If desired, create multiple boards to divide information by periods. Use a bookmarking site such as Wakelet, reviewed here, to include a link to the site as part of a larger learning unit on dinosaurs or the earth's evolution over time. Include videos, websites, quizzes, and more as part of your unit on Wakelet. As students learn about changes in the earth over millions of years, enhance learning using Google My Maps, reviewed here. Use Google My Maps to create a virtual tour around the earth by adding location stops that include images and descriptions of changes over time to places worldwide.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Geographic 101 - National Geographic
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (284), chemicals (39), climate (82), climate change (90), dinosaurs (39), diseases (67), drugs and alcohol (27), energy (130), evolution (86), genetics (76), hiv/aids (13), moon (72), planets (112), plants (147), pollution (51), religions (79), romans (36), solar energy (34), solar system (109), space (214), STEM (269), sun (71), weather (161)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the share feature included with each video to share a link or embed videos on your class website or student computers. These videos provide a wonderful opportunity for students to explore a variety of science topics that aren't always included in the science curriculum. As students find a topic of interest on the site enhance learning by asking them to research additional information, and then use Canva, reviewed here, and to modify their technology use by creating posters or infographics sharing their findings with their peers. Include student-created posters or infographics as part of an overall presentation using a portfolio-building site like about.me, reviewed here. Use About.me for students to create a portfolio as their future self as a scientist sharing their research that includes posters, written work, cited research, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Smithsonian X 3D - Smithsonian Institution
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): coral (10), dinosaurs (39), electricity (59), fossils (40), jamestown (6), lincoln (62), magnetism (36), museums (44), presidents (124), space (214), STEM (269), virtual field trips (83)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of these many resources to take a virtual visit with your class to the Smithsonian Museum. View artifacts and tours together on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector then allow students to explore on their own. After viewing a tour, ask students to research a topic further. Instead of a written report have students create an online quiz for fellow students using a quiz tool like Knowt, reviewed here. Use a video response tool like Gravity, reviewed here for student collaboration and sharing of research. Extend learning by asking students to create their own virtual field trip using Google Earth, reviewed here. Have students add articles, images, and videos to locations featured on their virtual trip.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Smithsonian Learning Lab - The Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): animals (284), architecture (62), art history (86), aviation (38), black history (128), civil war (135), dinosaurs (39), explorers (65), images (261), inventors and inventions (71), Learning Management Systems (20), oceans (149), scientists (63), shakespeare (92), Teacher Utilities (156), volcanoes (56)
In the Classroom
The Smithsonian Learning Lab is a must-add to your list of classroom bookmarks! Search for collections and information throughout the year on all topics. Add a link to classroom computers for the entire site or specific collections. Be sure to take advantage of the many features of this site to create customized collections, then have students add additional resources. Have students create quizzes for review of topics. Enhance student learning by challenging them to create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.Comments
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OneGeology Kids - OneGeology
Grades
1 to 5tag(s): dinosaurs (39), earthquakes (45), energy (130), fossils (40), geology (64), maps (208), rocks (35), volcanoes (56), water (101)
In the Classroom
Share OneGeology on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to introduce your geology unit to students. Enhance learning by having students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. Create a link to the site on classroom computers for students to explore on their own. Transform technology use and enhance learning by having students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Image Annotator, reviewed here, to explain different geologic phenomenon.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Antarctica: The Frozen Continent of the South Pole - Enchanted Learning
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (284), antarctica (29), continents (32), dinosaurs (39)
In the Classroom
Provide this link to students on your class page. Provide time to view various pages of the site to gather general information to discuss as a class. Be sure to share the view from space and the map/geography on an interactive whiteboard or projector to the whole class. Identify the various Antarctic visitors (both human and other animals that come and go). Students can write a letter home and pretend to be one of the many visitors using information from this site in their creation. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, have students replace paper and pen by creating blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Telegra.ph, reviewed here. This blog creator requires no registration. If you are teaching younger students and looking for an easy way to integrate technology and check for understanding, challenge your students to create a blog using Edublog, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Animals Past and Present - University of Illinois Extension
Grades
3 to 6tag(s): animals (284), dinosaurs (39), fossils (40), illinois (6), mammals (23)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on animals on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Use this site as a learning station or center. Pair weaker readers with others to help with text-heavy portions. Divide students into cooperative learning groups to explore the site, and have them modify their learning by creating an infographic about an animal and its relatives sharing their findings using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here. Redefine students' learning by challenging them to create online multimedia animal posters individually or together as a class using a tool such as Adobe Express for Education, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Free Online Science Games - Sheppard Software
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animal homes (56), animals (284), body systems (41), cells (82), dinosaurs (39), life cycles (22), nutrition (136), oceans (149), periodic table (44), preK (261), seasons (37)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site for use throughout the year with science lessons. Nearly all activities would work well on your projector or interactive whiteboard. For Example, use the Cell Games (including animal, plant, and bacterial cells) to introduce and explore parts of cells. Create a link on classroom computers or use on laptop carts for students to explore on their own. Simple online coloring science activities require no reading. Share this site on your school website with parents for exploration and reinforcement at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dinosphere at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis - The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Grades
K to 8In the Classroom
Have students create their own dino using the Build a Dino activity. Challenge students to draw and describe their dinosaur with an explanation of how and why different body parts were chosen. Use this as a descriptive writing piece. Create a class book of Dinosaur Creations! Choose from the webquests offered on the site for your class. Use webquests not only to learn about dinosaurs but also to sharpen research and debate skills. Extend learning by having students use a tool such as Zeemaps, reviewed here, to record where dinosaur fossils have been found. This site allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location (on a map) where the story takes place.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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E is for Explore! - Erin Bittman
Grades
K to 6tag(s): addition (127), alphabet (51), angles (51), branches of government (63), charts and graphs (169), density (18), dinosaurs (39), division (97), electricity (59), erosion (15), fractions (158), geology (64), geometric shapes (135), inferencing (7), literacy (110), logic (163), minerals (13), money (117), multiplication (121), place value (34), reading comprehension (142), rocks (35), senses (20), subtraction (108), transformations (12), weather (161)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site for great hands-on activities across the curriculum. Use the activities throughout the school year. Allow students to explore areas of the site to find activities to perform on their own. For example, click on the fractions tag and allow students to view the list of activities to choose their own exploration. When finished, enhance learning by challenging students to create a talking avatar using a photo or other image (legally permitted to be reproduced). The avatars can be used to explain the activity and its outcome. Use a site such as Phrase.it, reviewed here, to add speech and thought bubbles.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Montana Kids - Montana.gov
Grades
4 to 8tag(s): dinosaurs (39), famous people (21), montana (3), states (122)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your interactive whiteboard then allow students to explore on their own. Create a scavenger hunt with information from the site for students to find. Brainstorm with Stormboard, having students enhance their learning by adding sticky notes of things they learn (or questions) about Montana on the online shared whiteboard. Use this site as part of a web exhibit collection about states using a tool to share all of the important links, information, and even brief descriptions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Science for Kids - Science Kids
Grades
K to 6tag(s): animal homes (56), animals (284), dinosaurs (39), geology (64), light (52), natural disasters (16), planets (112), plants (147), recycling (45), sound (73), water (101), weather (161)
In the Classroom
Use the quizzes on the site as a pre-assessment when beginning a new unit. Share images and videos included on the site on your interactive whiteboard or projector to supplement classroom learning. Use the ideas from projects or experiments as resources for Science fairs. Assign experiments for students to demonstrate in class. Video the experiment presentations and share them with parents using a site such as SchoolTube reviewed here. Create a link on classroom computers for students to try the activities on the site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kids' Habitat - San Diego Natural History Museum
Grades
1 to 6tag(s): animal homes (56), animals (284), dinosaurs (39), light (52)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students to explore on their own to learn more about the canine family when learning about groups of animals. Use the recommended reading list as a resource for students who love dogs and canines. Complete the grow your own minerals activity when learning about rocks and minerals. Redefine learning by challenging students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Some tool suggestions are (click on the tool name to access the review): Lucidpress, Powtoon, and MoocNote.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dinosaur Train - PBS Kids
Grades
K to 4NOTE: the popularity of this site can make it slow to load, especially at peak times. Open it on the classroom computer before the lesson so it is in the "cache," and avoid heavy traffic times such as 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time when schools are online across the U.S.
tag(s): counting (59), dinosaurs (39), measurement (124), paleontology (28), preK (261)
In the Classroom
If you are teaching about dinosaurs, herbivores, carnivores, measurements, and many other topics, share this site on your interactive whiteboard. Share parts of the video clips and then discuss the science concepts discussed. Have students use the "Field Guides" to learn more about specific dinosaurs. Transform learning by having cooperative learning groups create multimedia presentations using Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, about the dinosaurs they study. How about creating a class DinoWiki (dinosaur wiki). Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries - check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through. Be sure to list this site on your class website for all of your dinosaur loving students to view at home!NOTE: Open this site on the classroom computer before the lesson so it is in the "cache," and avoid heavy traffic times such as 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time when schools are online across the U.S.
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What Did T. rex Taste Like? - U.C. Berkeley
Grades
7 to 12In the Classroom
Use this activity as a learning center or station during a unit on cladistics or evolution. Save this site as a favorite on classroom computers and have students complete the activity in pairs or cooperative learning groups. This would be a great activity during a Biology class. As an extension, students can summarize what they learned in an flow chart or graphic organizer such as Holt Interactive Graphic Organizers, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Dino Directory - British Museum of Natural History
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
In a unit on dinosaurs, share this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector with students. The function they will find most interesting about this site is the area that describes the dinosaurs that existed in their local area! Brief bios are presented on all the dinosaurs, so this could also be a great resource if the students were to research their local dinosaurs for a project.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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