Teacher Guide: The Lost Dinosaur Files
Welcome to The Lost Dinosaur Files, an engaging and interactive free escape room lesson designed to bring the world of Dinosaurs and Fossils to life for your students! Set in Dinosaur Provincial Park, Canada, this adventure transforms students into young paleontologists as they work to uncover lost fossil records, classify dinosaur discoveries, and piece together prehistoric clues before a looming storm erases the evidence forever.
This lesson includes:
- A free online interactive escape room where students solve puzzles using their knowledge of fossils, dinosaurs, and paleontology.
- Nine printable trading cards, each covering essential vocabulary. Students use these cards as resources to navigate the escape room while reinforcing key concepts.
- A fun, animated video that introduces the topic in an engaging way and aligns with the escape room challenges.
- A complete lesson plan that integrates science standards with an interactive, inquiry-based approach.
- An answer guide to support teachers in facilitating discussions and assessing student learning.
- Free Dig Kit Adventure Tickets, allowing students to earn hands-on excavation experiences to continue their learning beyond the escape room.
- And more!
This high-energy, student-driven experience is perfect for classrooms, homeschool groups, and enrichment activities. Get ready to take your students on a prehistoric adventure they won’t forget!
🦕 Print, Cut, and Explore! 🦕
Teachers, be sure to print the FREE trading cards for your students before starting the escape room! These cards contain key vocabulary, fossil facts, and dinosaur classifications to help them navigate the adventure and solve the challenges. Have students cut them out and use them as their field guide while exploring The Lost Dinosaur Files!
Lesson Plan: Dinosaurs and Fossils – The Lost Dinosaur Files
Grade Level: Elementary (Grades 3-5)
Time Frame: 1 Hour
Subject: Science
Lesson Overview:
In this lesson, students will explore Dinosaurs and Fossils by learning about how fossils form, how dinosaurs are classified, and how paleontologists study prehistoric life. Using an engaging video for instruction, a set of printable trading cards for vocabulary and concept reinforcement, and an interactive online escape room for engagement and assessment, students will take on the role of young paleontologists to uncover prehistoric secrets.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Explain how fossils form and identify different types of fossils.
- Classify dinosaurs based on key characteristics and understand extinction events.
- Describe the role of paleontologists and how fossils contribute to the fossil record.
- Apply their knowledge to solve challenges in an interactive escape room.
Materials Needed:
- Printed Trading Cards (One set per student for vocabulary reference)
- Classroom Devices (For playing the instructional video and escape room activity)
- Projector or Smartboard (Optional for whole-class engagement)
Relevant Vocabulary:
Students will reference printable trading cards that contain key vocabulary and facts to support their learning.
Subtopic 1: Fossils and the Fossilization Process
- Fossilization
- Amber
- Trace Fossils
Subtopic 2: Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life
- Prehistoric
- Dinosaur Classification
- Extinction
Subtopic 3: Discovering and Studying Fossils
- Paleontologist
- Bonebed
- Fossil Record
Lesson Breakdown:
1. Introduction to Dinosaurs and Fossils (10 minutes)
- Begin by asking students what they know about fossils and dinosaurs.
- Discuss why fossils are important and how they help us learn about prehistoric life.
- Introduce the vocabulary words using the printable trading cards, encouraging students to explore key facts.
2. Instructional Video (10 minutes)
- Play the Adventure Guide Video, which provides students with the knowledge they need to navigate the topic.
- Pause at key points for discussion and clarification.
- Ask comprehension questions related to fossil formation, dinosaur classification, and the role of paleontologists.
3. Interactive Escape Room – The Lost Dinosaur Files (30 minutes)
- Guide students to begin the online escape room, where they will use their knowledge to navigate three prehistoric sub-settings:
- The Fossil Canyons: Explore fossil formation and different fossil types.
- The Lost Dinosaur Graveyard: Classify dinosaurs and analyze extinction clues.
- The Paleontologist’s Field Lab: Study fossil records and solve a missing specimen mystery.
- Emphasize that they can reference their trading cards and rewatch the Adventure Guide Video using the “Adventure Guide” button in the escape room if they get stuck.
4. Wrap-Up Discussion (10 minutes)
- Discuss the key takeaways from the escape room and what students discovered.
- Review the vocabulary terms and how they applied them in their exploration.
- Reinforce the importance of fossils in understanding Earth’s history.
Assessment:
- Formative: Class discussion, student reflections, and comprehension checks during the lesson.
- Summative: Completion of the online escape room, demonstrating understanding through the challenges solved.
Extensions (Optional):
- Have students create their own “fossil discovery” story using the vocabulary words.
- Assign students a dinosaur species to research and present to the class.
Conclusion:
By engaging with printable trading cards, an informative video, and an interactive escape room, students will develop a deeper understanding of fossils, dinosaurs, and the work of paleontologists. This lesson promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and scientific inquiry while immersing students in a prehistoric adventure!
Teacher Reference Guide
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms that lived millions of years ago. These remains can include bones, shells, imprints, and even fossilized droppings. The process of fossilization occurs when an organism is quickly buried by sediment, protecting it from decay. Over time, minerals replace the organic material, turning it into stone. Not all fossils come from body parts; trace fossils, such as footprints, burrows, and nests, provide evidence of how ancient creatures lived and moved. Another unique form of fossilization occurs in amber, where tree resin hardens over millions of years, preserving small organisms like insects inside. Fossils give us a window into prehistoric ecosystems, helping us understand the plants and animals that once roamed the Earth.
Dinosaurs lived during the Mesozoic Era, which is divided into the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. These creatures are classified into two major groups based on their hip structure: Saurischia (lizard-hipped dinosaurs) and Ornithischia (bird-hipped dinosaurs). Saurischians include well-known dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex and Brachiosaurus, while Ornithischians include plant-eaters like Triceratops and Stegosaurus. Dinosaurs went extinct about 66 million years ago, likely due to a massive asteroid impact that changed Earth's climate. However, extinction is not limited to dinosaurs—many species have disappeared throughout Earth’s history due to environmental changes, natural disasters, and competition for resources. Scientists study extinction events to understand how life adapts and evolves over time.
Paleontologists are scientists who study fossils to learn about ancient life. They carefully excavate fossils from rock formations and analyze them to determine an organism’s structure, diet, and habitat. Many fossils are found in bonebeds, which are large sites containing the remains of multiple prehistoric creatures. These bonebeds can tell scientists whether dinosaurs traveled in herds, suffered from natural disasters, or lived in specific environments. All discovered fossils contribute to the fossil record, which is a timeline of life on Earth preserved in rock layers. The deeper a fossil is buried, the older it is. Since fossilization is a rare event, the fossil record has gaps, meaning scientists must use their knowledge to fill in missing pieces and develop theories about ancient life.
Throughout this lesson, students will explore fossil formation, dinosaur classification, and paleontology using printable trading cards for vocabulary and concept reinforcement. They will watch the Adventure Guide Video, which provides the knowledge they need to successfully complete the interactive escape room, The Lost Dinosaur Files. In the escape room, students will journey through three unique prehistoric settings: The Fossil Canyons, The Lost Dinosaur Graveyard, and The Paleontologist’s Field Lab. They will apply their knowledge to solve puzzles, classify fossils, and uncover a lost prehistoric discovery. If students need help, they can refer to their trading cards or rewatch the Adventure Guide Video by clicking the “Adventure Guide” button available on each question page.
By the end of this lesson, students will have a solid understanding of how fossils form, how dinosaurs are classified, and how paleontologists study ancient life. They will engage in scientific inquiry, problem-solving, and critical thinking as they take on the role of fossil hunters, unlocking the secrets of the prehistoric past.
Answer Sheet – The Lost Dinosaur Files Escape Room
The Fossil Canyons – Multiple Choice
What is a fossil?
Answer: The preserved remains or traces of ancient life
How does fossilization usually begin?
Answer: An organism gets quickly buried by sediment
What makes trace fossils different from body fossils?
Answer: Trace fossils are evidence of activity, like footprints or burrows
Why is amber important in fossilization?
Answer: It can preserve small creatures like insects for millions of years
Why are fossils important to scientists?
Answer: They provide evidence of how life and Earth’s environment have changed over time
The Lost Dinosaur Graveyard – True or False
Dinosaurs lived during the Mesozoic Era.
Answer: True
All dinosaurs were large, meat-eating predators like Tyrannosaurus rex.
Answer: False
Scientists classify dinosaurs based on their hip structure into two main groups: Saurischia and Ornithischia.
Answer: True
The extinction of dinosaurs happened because they all slowly evolved into mammals.
Answer: False
Some birds today are direct descendants of certain dinosaur species.
Answer: True
The Paleontologist’s Field Lab – Multiple Choice
What does a paleontologist study?
Answer: Fossils
What is a bonebed?
Answer: A place where many fossils are found together
What does the fossil record help scientists understand?
Answer: The history of life on Earth
Why are some fossils found deeper in the ground than others?
Answer: Older fossils are buried under newer layers of rock
Why is the fossil record incomplete?
Answer: Not all organisms become fossils, and some fossils haven’t been found yet