Dinosaur Dilemma

A WebQuest for 2nd Grade Technology, Science, and Language Arts

Introduction

Are you ready to embark on a dino-mite journey back in time? Join me in a search for three dinosaurs that roamed the earth more than 65 million years ago. It is your job to decide which of these dinosaurs will be best suited to live in YOUR backyard! You’ll need to think about their eating habits, their size, and the environment in which they lived before you make your decision. Will it be Velociraptor, Oviraptor, or Lesothosaurus?

The Task

Once you have used the Internet to research these three dinosaurs and decided which would be best suited to live in your backyard, you will have two tasks.

The first task will be to send a friendly letter home letting your parents know which dinosaur you have chosen to live in your backyard. You will tell them why you have selected that particular dinosaur.

Your second task will be to create a visual presentation. You can do one of two things: make a poster or a shoebox diorama.

The Process

Ø First, you will read The Dinosaur Who Lived in My Backyard by BG Hennessy. Get this book from your teacher.

Ø What is a dinosaur? Find out at What is a Dinosaur?

Ø Learn when dinosaurs lived by looking at a timeline at Dinosaur Times. Play the game while you’re there!

Ø Next, you will visit Velociraptor to find out more about this dinosaur, its eating habits, size, and habitat. As you read about the Velociraptor, complete the chart, “Comparing Dinosaurs.” Your teacher will provide this chart.

Ø Then, go to Oviraptor to get more information. You’ll also want to visit Oviraptor Data File to get additional information for your chart.

Ø Visit Lesothosaurus . Get the details on this dinosaur and complete your chart.

Ø Just for fun - connect the Dot2Dot and learn about a different dinosaur named for its horns.

Ø Use your chart to determine which dinosaur will best be suited to your backyard.

Ø Send your parent(s) a friendly letter letting them know which dinosaur you have decided to bring home. Don’t forget to include your reason for choosing that dinosaur. Is your yard large enough? Do you have the right food? Get the stationary from your teacher.

Ø Finally, create a poster that shows your dinosaur in your backyard. Your poster should give us some idea of weather conditions and what your dinosaur will eat. Your dinosaur should be proportionate to its surroundings. This means that you will have to find out about how tall your house is. You will have to find out about how tall the trees in your yard are. You will have to find out how tall any telephones are. Get the poster board from your teacher. Once you have completed your illustration lightly in pencil, you may use crayon or colored pencil.

Ø Design a shoebox diorama of a dinosaur using Dino-Diorama. Get the shoebox and the dinosaur template from your teacher. You may use markers or crayons once your illustrations are done in pencil. You may also use construction paper.

Evaluation – The Friendly Letter

CATEGORY	A	B	C	N	Score
Sentences & Paragraphs	Sentences are complete, well-constructed and begin differently.	All sentences are complete and well-constructed.	Most sentences are complete and well-constructed.	Many sentence fragments or run-on sentences.
Neatness	Letter is neatly hand-written, clean, not wrinkled, and is easy to read with no distracting error corrections. It was done with pride.	Letter is clean, not wrinkled, and is easy to read with no distracting error corrections. It was done with care.	Letter is crumpled or slightly stained. It may have 1-2 distracting error corrections. It was done with some care.	Letter looks like it had been shoved in a pocket or desk. It may have several distracting error corrections. It looks like it was done in a hurry.
Capitalization and Punctuation	Writer makes no errors in capitalization and punctuation.	Writer makes 1-2 errors in capitalization and punctuation.	Writer makes 3-4 errors in capitalization and punctuation.	Writer makes more than 4 errors in capitalization and punctuation.
Format	Complies with all the requirements for a friendly letter.	Complies with almost all the requirements for a friendly letter.	Complies with several of the requirements for a friendly letter.	Complies with less than 75% of the requirements for a friendly letter.

Evaluation – Poster/Diorama

CATEGORY	A	B	C	N	Score
Knowledge Gained	Student can accurately answer all questions related to facts in the poster/diorama.	Student can accurately answer most questions related to facts in the poster/diorama.	Student can accurately answer about 75% of questions related to facts in the poster/ diorama.	Student appears to have insufficient knowledge about the facts or processes used in the poster/diorama.
Use of Class Time	Used time well during each class period. Focused on getting the project done. Never distracted others.	Used time well during each class period. Usually focused on getting the project done and never distracted others.	Used some of the time well during each class period. There was some focus on getting the project done but occasionally distracted others.	Did not use class time to focus on the project OR often distracted others.
Attractiveness	The poster/ diorama is exceptionally attractive in terms of design, layout, and neatness.	The poster/ diorama is attractive in terms of design, layout and neatness.	The poster diorama is acceptably attractive though it may be a bit messy.	The poster/ diorama is distractingly messy or very poorly designed. It is not attractive.

Conclusion

Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago and are now extinct. Some dinosaurs were meat-eaters, while others were plant-eaters. You should have decided which of the three dinosaurs would make its home in your backyard. Your parents should have received a friendly letter letting them know which dinosaur you chose to live in your backyard. If you designed a poster, it should illustrate your dinosaur in its new habitat. If you created a diorama, it should show any dinosaur in its original habitat.

Credits & References

http://www.aaa-backgrounds.com/cgi-bin/backdisplay.pl?marble1/3.gif

http://www.cliphoto.com/index0.htm

http://www.kidsdomain.com/brain/dino/clip1.html

http://www.clipart-free.com/Letter_clipart.shtml

Thank you, Michele Crandall, for being my tech buddy. I couldn’t have done it without you!

Thank you, Lisa DeLacey. Your expertise was invaluable.

Teacher Page

Comparing Dinosaurs Chart

NH Curriculum Frameworks:

Educational Technology 1.1 Curriculum Standards: Use input and output devices to successfully operate computers, VCRs, audiotapes, and other technologies.

Educational Technology 1.2 Curriculum Standards: Use a variety of media and technology resources for directed and independent learning activities.

Science as Inquiry 1a Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing understanding of how the scientific enterprise operates.

Life Science 3a. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to recognize patterns and products of evolution, including genetic variation, specialization, adaptation, and natural selection.

Writing 2 Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate the interest and ability to write effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Reading 1. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate the interest and ability to read age-appropriate materials fluently, with understanding and appreciation.

Last updated on August 15, 1999. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page