🦕 DINOSAURS – A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

🦕 DINOSAURS – A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

CST Activity Theme: Science • History • Discovery

Tagline: “Exploring the world before us!”

🧠 1. INTRODUCTION & CONVERSATION STARTERS

Ask the group:

What do you think of when you hear the word dinosaur?

Can you name any dinosaurs?

Have you ever seen dinosaur fossils in a museum?

Have you ever seen fossils in the wild?

Which animals today remind you of dinosaurs?

Dinosaur footprint found at Sully in South Wales

📜 2. A BRIEF HISTORY

Dinosaurs first appeared around 230 million years ago during the Triassic Period.

They ruled the Earth for over 165 million years, through the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Some were small like chickens; others, like Argentinosaurus, could weigh over 70 tons!

The world then had lush forests, giant ferns, and continents joined together as Pangaea.

Pangea was a supercontinent that existed from roughly 335 to 175 million years ago, joining all of Earth's landmasses into a single landmass.

☄️ 3. THE EXTINCTION EVENT

About 66 million years ago, a mass extinction wiped out most dinosaurs. Scientists believe it was caused by a massive asteroid (comet) that struck near what’s now Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, creating the Chicxulub crater.

Dust and smoke blocked sunlight.

Temperatures fell.

Plants died, followed by the animals that ate them.

The Chicxulub Crater, Mexico

🦴 4. FOSSIL EVIDENCE

Fossils are the preserved remains of plants or animals found in rock layers.They tell scientists how dinosaurs looked, moved, and lived.

Can you name these frequently seen fossils?

Answers: Graphaea; Trilobite; Ammonite

Can you name these dinosaurs?

Answers: Tyrannosaurus Rex; Triceratops; Pterodactyl; Diplodocus; Stegosaurus; Velociraptor

Factoid: Mary Anning (1799–1847), a British fossil hunter from Lyme Regis, discovered many famous fossils, including the first ichthyosaur skeleton. The 2020 movie 'Ammonite', satrring Kate Winslet, was about her life's work.

Of course, another very famous person in our understanding of evolution is Charles Darwin.

Can you name the islands he visited?

Can you name the ship he travelled on?

Can you name his 1859 book?

Answers: The Galapagos Islands; 'HMS Beagle'; 'On The Origin Of Species'

Darwin's 'Theory Of Evolution' definitely applies to our own species

🐊 5. SURVIVING RELATIVES

Not all dinosaurs vanished — some evolved into birds! Other ancient species still around today include:

Crocodiles and alligators (200+ million years old)

Turtles (220 million years)

Sharks (400 million years!)

Horseshoe crabs (450 million years!)

Nautilus (500 million years)

Emperor Scorpion (300 million years)

Some tree life is also very ancient. The Gingko Biloba tree dates back 270 million years

The Ostrich is thought to be the oldest surviving bird species - 20 million years.

Ask the group: Which animals today look “prehistoric” to you? Who has seen a crocodile, lizard, or large bird up close?

🦤 6. EXTINCT SPECIES

Aside from Dinosaurs, here are some other extinct species. How many of them can you name?

Answers: Woolly Mammoth; Dodo; Sabre Toothed Tiger (Smilodon); Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine); Great Auk; Quagga

Discuss the causes of extinction ...

🌋 Extinction Causes (Discussion Prompts)

• Climate Change & Ice Ages

• Meteor Impacts

• Human Hunting & Habitat Loss

• Invasive Species & Disease

Name these animals on the "Endangered List" ...

Answers: Asian Elephant; Mountain Gorilla; Sumatran Orangutan; Black Rhinoceros

🎥 7. DINOSAURS IN MOVIES, TV & MUSIC

Dinosaurs continue to fascinate us! Can you name these TV shows & movies?

Answers: 'King Kong', 1933; 'Godzilla', 1954; 'Journey To The Centre Of The Earth', 1959; 'One Million Years B.C.', 1966; 'The Land That Time Forgot', 1974; 'The Flintstones'; 'Barney & Friends'; 'Toy Story', 1995; 'Jurassic Park', 2015

Some questions:

Who is King Kong holding in his hand (actress name)?

In which country did this monster story originate?

Who wrote the 1864 book 'Journey To The Centre Of The Earth'?

Which actress is pictured in the claws of a Pterodactyl?

Name the actor on the left?

Name the four adult characters (the dinosaur is Dino)?

What dinosaur is Barney?

Name the cowboy and spaceman?

Where did they find the dino D.N.A.?

Answers: Fay Wray; Japan; Jules Verne; Raquel Welch; Doug McLure; Fred & Wilma Flintstone and Barney & Betty Rubble; T-Rex; Woody & Buzz Lightyear; Mosquito trapped in amber

🎤 8. MUSIC

There aren't many songs about dinosaurs, but here are a few from the band 'T-Rex' ...

'Children On The Revolution'; 'Cosmic Dancer'; 'Bang A Gong (Git It On)'; 'I Love To Boogie'; 'Ride A White Swan'; 'Hot Love'

There is also a hit dance song, 'Walk The Dinosaur', by Was (Not Was) -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yy2_NKJlkQ&list=RD6yy2_NKJlkQ&start_radio=1

Can you think of any others?

✏️ 9. CREATIVE ACTIVITY IDEAS

Fossil Prints Craft: Press shells or toy dinosaurs into clay or playdough.

Make a Dino Egg: Paint small balloons or papier-mâché eggs and “hatch” baby dinos.

Design a New Dinosaur: Give it a name, colour, and sound!

Timeline Poster: Create a “Life on Earth” line from dinosaurs to humans.

🌍 CLOSING REFLECTION

“Even though dinosaurs vanished millions of years ago, they still fire our imagination. Their bones tell the story of a world that came before us — one full of change, adaptation, and survival.”

💡 CST LINKS

Cognitive areas: memory recall, sequencing, language, creative thinking

Social areas: group discussion, shared memories, humour

Sensory areas: sound (music), touch (fossil crafts), visual (film clips)