Prehistory Lesson Plan

UILEWH refers to the Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia of World History
1stEDPL refers to the Usborne Internet Linked First Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life
Prehistoric Life refers to the DK Eyewitness Books Prehistoric Life which includes 3 previously released DK Eyewitness Books: Prehistoric Life, Dinosaurs and Early People plus a Workbook.
MSB Kit refers to the Magic School Bus Back in Time with the Dinosaurs science kit.
The Charlie's Playhouse Giant Timeline and Ancient Creature Cards can be found here.

Most of the books listed are ones we currently have in our home (yes we own around 20 books on dinosaurs and prehistoric life).  We may be using additional ones from our local library.

The Internet Links included below are those that are at publicly available websites.  Any links that are exclusive to Usborne are not included.

Eras of Time/Formation of Earth  BLOG POST OF LESSON
Spines:
Usborne ILEWH pg 12-13 (world timeline)
Usborne ILEWH pg 20-23 (birth of Earth/Pangea)
1stEDPL pg 6-7

DVDs:
Earth: Making of a Planet
How the Earth Was Made: Ring of Fire

Internet Links:
Pangea separates animation
Pangea images
Nat Geo Interactive Prehistoric Timeline
Volcano videos

Activities:  
-use layered blankets to show folding mountain formation (The Homeschool Den)
-use folded paper to show Continent/Plate movement (The Homeschool Den)
-make a volcano model using clay, vinegar, baking soda, dishsoap and red food coloring.
-Prehistoric Life workbook pg 226-227
-MSB Kit – timeline of eras activity

Fossils  BLOG POST OF LESSON
Spines:
UILEWH pg 14-17 (fossils)
Prehistoric Life – pg 15; pg 120-121

DVD:
MSB Shows and Tells
Sci Girls (PBS television show) – Digging Archeology

Internet Links: 
how fossils are formed
Burying Bodies (game to show what conditions are needed to form fossils)
Finding Fossils (tools used to find fossils)
Dinosaur Dig (game at funschool.kaboose)

Additional Reading:
Fossils Tell of Long Ago
Fossils, Clues to Ancient Life

Activities: 
-set up a fossil dig using Fossils Toob and sea shells
-MSB Kit – fossil formation sticker activity
-MSB Kit –  make a mold fossil, cast fossil, trace fossil, paint fossils
-Make a coffee ground fossil (museum April 9th)
-Prehistoric Life workbook pg 229

Early Prehistory

**Set up amphibian egg experiment (place raw egg in vinegar, change vinegar daily for about one week to dissolve shell)

VENDIAN PERIOD:  BLOG POST OF LESSON
Spines:
UILEWH pg 24-25 (Beg of life)
Prehistoric Life pg 18-19

Activities: 
Match Charlie Playhouse Critter Cards to Timeline
Make model of Kimberella using shell pasta and ruffle ribbon
Prehistoric Life Coloring page (Satori Smiles)

CAMBRIAN PERIOD:  BLOG POST OF LESSON
Spines:
Usborne ILEWH pg 26-27 (shells and skeletons)
Prehistoric Life pg 20-21
1stEDPL pg 8-9

Internet Links:
Meet the Cambrian Critters
Online Trilobite coloring (Enchanted Learning - membership may be needed)

Extra Reading:
Trilobites

Activities:
Match Charlie Playhouse Critter Cards to Timeline
Trilobite paper craft
Make critters from clay (Satori smiles)
Prehistoric life workbook pg 230
The Paleozoic Sea coloring page

ORDOVICIAN AND SILURIAN PERIODS:  BLOG POST OF LESSON
Spines:
UILEWH pg 28-31
Prehistoric Life pg 22-25

DVD:
Walking with Monsters (Netflix)
Internet Links:
Silurian critter
Sea Monsters
                        
Extra Reading:
When Fish Got Feet, Sharks Got Teeth and Bugs Began to Swarm

Activities:
Match Charlie Playhouse Critter Cards to Timeline
Make a model of cooksonia (Satori Smiles)
Prehistoric life workbook pg 231

DEVONIAN PERIOD:
Spines:
Usborne ILEWH pg 32-33 (life on land)
Usborne ILEWH 34-35 (fish out of water)
Prehistoric Life pg 28-29
1stEDPL pg 10-11

Activities:
-Match Charlie Playhouse Critter Cards to Timeline
-Discuss how amphibians need water to lay eggs due to lack of hard shell.  Examine vinegar dissolved egg and discuss how hard shell was needed for move onto land.

CARBONIFEROUS PERIOD:
Spine:
UILEWH pg 36-37 (swamps and forests)
Prehistoric Life pg 30-31
1stEDPL pg 12-13

Activities:
Match Charlie Playhouse Critter Cards to Timeline
Play game from Timeline activity guide

PERMIAN PERIOD:
Spines:
UILEWH pg 38-39 (reptiles)
Prehistoric Life pg 32-37, 112-113
1st EDPL – pg 14-15
UILEWH pg 40-41 (early reptiles)

Internet Links:
Dinosaur Egg Hunt (game at funschool.kaboose)
Walking with Monsters photo gallery

Activities:
Match Charlie Playhouse Critter Cards to Timeline
Play game from Timeline activity guide


Dinosaurs
GENERAL (to be added as time permits):
Non-Fiction Reading:
1stEDPL – pg 38-39
DK Great Dinosaur Atlas
Big Golden Book of Dinosaurs
Bill Nye Great Big Dinosaur Dig
Dinosaur Dig: Dinosaurs in Action
MSB In the Time of the Dinosaurs
Meet the Dinosaurs
Oh Say Can You Say Dinosaur
Magic Tree House Dinosaur Research Guide
Dinosaurs Golden Photo Guide
The Great Dinosaur Search

Fiction Reading:  
Dinosaur’s Day
Land Before Time: Saro Tells a Story
Danny and the Dinosaur
Magic Tree House – Dinosaurs Before Dark

DVD’s:   
Prehistoric (3 episodes)
Prehistoric Monsters
Walking with Dinosaurs (Netflix)

Activities:
Assemble and paint wood dinosaur models
Match dinosaur flash cards to plastic dinosaurs
MSB Kit – Dinosaur timeline with stickers
MSB Kit – make 3-D paper dinosaurs
MSB Kit – Make dinosaur diorama
Make volcano picture and add dinosaur stamps or stickers
Paint cardboard dinosaur shape with shaving cream paint for texture
Make Paper mache dinosaur eggs (with plastic dino inside?)
                
TRIASSIC PERIOD:
Spines:
UILEWH pg 42-43 (rise of reptiles)
Prehistoric Life pg 74-87

DVD:
Walking with Dinosaurs

Internet Links:
What is a dinosaur

Activities:  
Match Charlie Playhouse Critter Cards to Timeline

JURASSIC PERIOD:
Spines:
UILEWH pg 44-45 (meat eating monsters)
Prehistoric Life pg 90-93
UILEWH pg 46-47 (gentle giants)
Prehistoric Life pg 94-95
1st EDPL – pg 16-21, 24-27

Internet Links:
Study the evidence Oviprator
Dino Diet game
Hungry Hungry Herbivore (Dinosaur Train game)

Activities:
Match Charlie Playhouse Critter Cards to Timeline
Prehistoric Life workbook pg 232-233
Prehistoric Life workbook pg 234

CRETACEOUS PERIODS:
Spines:
UILEWH pg 48-49 (beaks and crests)
Prehistoric Life pg 96-99
1stEDPL – pg 28-29
UILEWH pg 50-51 (horns, clubs and spikes)
Prehistoric Life pg 88-89, 102-103
1stEDPL – pg 30-37
UILEWH pg 52-53 (reptiles of the seas)
1st EDPL – pg 40-41
UILEWH pg 54-55 (flying reptiles)
1st EDPL – pg 42-43

DVD:
Sea Monsters (Netflix)

Internet Links: 
t.rex the killer question
dinosaur defender  (game)
virtual dino dig
gallery of marine reptiles
pterosaur video
Dino Soars  (game at funschool.kaboose)
Pteranodon fishing (Dinosaur Train)

Activities:
Match Charlie Playhouse Critter Cards to Timeline
Prehistoric Life workbook pg 235
T-Rex Coloring page
Stegosaurus coloring page

FIRST BIRDS:
Spines:
UILEWH pg 56-57 (first bird)
Prehistoric Life pg 118-119
1st EDPL – pg 22-23

Internet Links:
Archeopteryx
Becoming a bird

Activities:
Archeopteryx coloring page


DEATH OF DINOSAURS/AFTER THE DINOSAURS:
Spines:
UILEWH pg 58-59 (death of dinosaurs)
Prehistoric Life pg 116-117
1st EDPL pg 44-45

Internet Links:
winners and losers

DVD:
Walking with Prehistoric Beasts