Creatures Old and Older

Content Objectives

Children will:

• Learn about the concept of creatures old and older.
• Access prior knowledge and build background about how we learn about animals that lived long ago.
• Explore and apply the concept of what we can learn from animals from long ago.

Language Objectives

Children will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of creatures old and older.
• Orally use words that describe ways that we can learn about animals that lived long ago.
• Extend oral vocabulary by speaking about what we can learn about animals from long ago.
• Use key concept words [dinosaurs, skeletons, rocks, dig, fossils, research].

Other

Explain

• Use the slideshow to review the key concept words.
• Explain that children are going to learn about:
• How some animals lived on Earth long ago that no longer live today.
• How we can learn about animals from long ago.
• What we can learn from fossils.
• What research means.

Model

• After the host introduces the slideshow, point to the photo on screen. Ask children: What does the place in the photo look like? (dry, dusty, steep). Where do you think we can find skeletons of animals from long ago in this picture? (under ground).
• Ask children: What is your favorite animal from long ago? (answers will vary).
• Say: Some animals lived many years ago that no longer live today. We can learn about these animals by looking at their skeletons and fossils. How is it different to learn about animals that are alive today from animals that lived long ago? (harder to learn about animals from long ago, less to look at, have to dig for bones).

Guided Practice

• Guide children through the next three slides, showing them the different ways to learn about animals from long ago. Always have the children describe the skeleton or fossil in the photo.

Apply

• Have children play the games that follow. Have them discuss with their partner the different topics that appear during the Talk About It feature.
• After the first game, ask children to talk about other names of animals from long ago that they know and help the children learn more about animals from long ago they are interested in. After the second game, have them describe how scientists could use the tools to research animals from long ago.

Close

• Ask children: Why is it important to learn about animals from long ago? Explain.
• Summarize for children that there are many ways we can learn about animals from long ago. We can research them. We can look at their skeletons and fossils. Encourage children to think about what animals they'd like to learn more about from long ago.