Dinosaurs

Welcome to Dino Museum Mystery: Escape the Fossil Maze! In this exciting adventure, you'll navigate through the mysterious Time-Lost Dinosaur Museum, solving puzzles and unlocking the secrets of prehistoric giants. Use your knowledge of dinosaurs and fossils to escape! An Adventure Guide video is available to help you along the way, providing important clues and insights throughout your journey.

Lesson Plan: Dinosaurs – Exploring the Time-Lost Dinosaur Museum

Grade Level: Elementary
Subject: Science
Duration: 1 hour
Resources: Video (Adventure Guide), Online Escape Room (Dino Museum Mystery: Escape the Fossil Maze)

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students will learn about dinosaurs through three key subtopics: dinosaur classification, fossilization, and the Mesozoic Era. Using a combination of an instructional video (Adventure Guide) and an engaging online escape room, students will apply their knowledge to answer questions and solve challenges in an interactive, adventurous environment.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Identify different types of dinosaurs based on their diets and physical characteristics.
2. Describe the process of fossilization and how dinosaur fossils are formed.
3. Understand the major periods of the Mesozoic Era and identify key dinosaurs from each period.

Lesson Structure:

1. Introduction (10 minutes):

• Briefly introduce the topic of dinosaurs and the three main subtopics: classification, fossilization, and the Mesozoic Era.
• Explain that students will watch an Adventure Guide video to gather information and then navigate an online escape room to apply what they’ve learned.

2. Video Instruction (15 minutes):

• Play the Adventure Guide video, which will provide key information about dinosaur classification, fossilization, and the Mesozoic Era.
• Encourage students to take mental notes during the video, as the information will help them navigate the challenges in the escape room.

3. Online Escape Room (25 minutes):

• Direct students to the Dino Museum Mystery: Escape the Fossil Maze online escape room.
• Students will navigate the three sub-settings, answering questions and solving puzzles related to:
  • Dinosaur Classification (e.g., identifying herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores).
  • Fossilization (e.g., understanding how fossils form over time).
  • The Mesozoic Era (e.g., identifying dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods).
• Remind students that they can refer back to the Adventure Guide video at any time if they get stuck by clicking the "Adventure Guide" button on each question page.

4. Conclusion and Assessment (10 minutes):

• Review the key points from the escape room and discuss any challenges students faced.
• Encourage students to reflect on what they learned about dinosaurs, fossils, and the different periods of the Mesozoic Era.
• Use the escape room results to assess students' understanding of the material.

Vocabulary:

1. Herbivore – A plant-eating dinosaur.
2. Fossilization – The process through which organic material is preserved and becomes a fossil.
3. Carnivore – A meat-eating dinosaur.
4. Mesozoic Era – The period of time known as the "Age of Dinosaurs," including the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods.
5. Extinction – The permanent disappearance of a species, such as the extinction of dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period.

Supplemental Resources:

• Adventure Guide Video (For instructional purposes only)
• Dino Museum Mystery: Escape the Fossil Maze (For engagement and assessment)

Assessment:

Student participation and understanding will be assessed through their performance in the escape room. The correct answers to the questions and challenges will indicate their grasp of the material covered in the video.

Teacher Reference Guide

In this lesson, students will explore the fascinating world of dinosaurs through three main topics: dinosaur classification, fossilization, and the Mesozoic Era. The lesson will consist of two main components: a video called the Adventure Guide and an engaging online escape room titled Dino Museum Mystery: Escape the Fossil Maze. The video will provide all the necessary information students need to succeed, and the escape room will serve as an interactive assessment tool where students apply what they’ve learned.

Begin by introducing students to the topic of dinosaurs, explaining that they will learn about three key aspects: how dinosaurs are classified, how fossils are formed, and the different periods in which dinosaurs lived. These subtopics are important to understanding the history of dinosaurs and how we know about them today.

Dinosaur Classification: Explain to students that dinosaurs are grouped based on their diet and physical characteristics. Some dinosaurs were herbivores, meaning they only ate plants. Examples of herbivores include Triceratops and Brachiosaurus. Other dinosaurs were carnivores, meaning they ate meat, such as the T. Rex and Velociraptor. Some dinosaurs were omnivores, meaning they ate both plants and meat. Understanding these differences is important for identifying various species.

Fossilization: Move on to discuss how dinosaurs became fossils. The process of fossilization begins when a dinosaur dies and is buried under sediment. Over millions of years, the organic material is replaced by minerals, turning the bones into fossils. Fossils provide scientists with important information about what dinosaurs looked like and how they lived. Not only bones but also impressions of dinosaur skin or footprints can become fossils, allowing us to understand their behavior and environment.

Mesozoic Era: Finally, explain the Mesozoic Era, the "Age of Dinosaurs," which is divided into three periods: the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous. The Triassic Period saw the first dinosaurs appear, while the Jurassic Period is known for famous dinosaurs like Brachiosaurus and Stegosaurus. The Cretaceous Period is the last period of the Mesozoic, where species like the T. Rex thrived before a mass extinction event wiped out all dinosaurs. Understanding the timeline and the environment of these periods helps students comprehend how dinosaurs evolved and adapted to their world.

Once students have this foundational knowledge, play the Adventure Guide video, which will explain these concepts in greater detail. Encourage students to pay close attention, as they will need the information to succeed in the escape room.

After the video, direct students to the Dino Museum Mystery: Escape the Fossil Maze. In this interactive online escape room, students will navigate through three distinct sections. The first is the Hall of Classification, where they will use their understanding of herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores to answer questions. The second is the Fossilization Chamber, where students will solve puzzles related to how fossils are formed. The third is the Mesozoic Time Portal, where they will travel through the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, answering questions about the dinosaurs that lived during each period.

Remind students that if they get stuck, they can always re-watch the Adventure Guide by clicking the “Adventure Guide” button on each question page. At the end of the escape room, students should feel confident in their understanding of dinosaurs, fossils, and the Mesozoic Era. The escape room will act as an exciting way to assess their knowledge and ensure that they have mastered the subject matter.

This Teacher Reference Guide provides all the information necessary to effectively guide students through the lesson, ensuring that they understand the key concepts while engaging with the material in a fun and interactive way.

Teacher Answer Sheet

Hall of Classification (Multiple Choice Questions)

1. What do herbivorous dinosaurs primarily eat?

   • Answer: A) Plants

2. Which dinosaur is known for its three horns?

   • Answer: A) Triceratops

3. Which of the following dinosaurs was a carnivore?

   • Answer: A) Tyrannosaurus Rex

4. What type of dinosaur is a Brachiosaurus?

   • Answer: A) Herbivore

5. Which dinosaur had a long neck and was a plant-eater?

   • Answer: A) Brachiosaurus

Fossilization Chamber (True or False Questions)

1. True or False: Fossils are formed when dinosaurs are buried quickly under sediment.

   • Answer: True

2. True or False: All fossils are made of bone.

   • Answer: False

3. True or False: Fossils can help scientists learn about the behavior and diet of dinosaurs.

   • Answer: True

4. True or False: Fossilization is a process that happens in just a few years.

   • Answer: False

5. True or False: Only the bones of dinosaurs can become fossils.

   • Answer: False

Mesozoic Time Portal (Multiple Choice Questions)

1. Which era is known as the "Age of Dinosaurs"?

   • Answer: A) Mesozoic

2. During which period did the T. Rex live?

   • Answer: A) Cretaceous

3. Which period is the earliest in the Mesozoic Era?

   • Answer: A) Triassic

4. Which dinosaur species lived during the Jurassic period?

   • Answer: A) Brachiosaurus

5. What happened at the end of the Cretaceous period?

   • Answer: A) A mass extinction wiped out the dinosaurs