Unit: Dinosaurs and the Sands of Time

Target Audience: 7-Year-Olds (Grade 1) | Duration: 4 Lessons (1 per week) | Context: Homeschool/Classroom/Neurodiverse Friendly

Lesson 1: The Land Before Time (HASS & Science)

Objective: Students will understand the concept of "prehistoric" and "extinct" by comparing the past to the present.

Materials:

• A long piece of string or yarn (about 3 meters)
• Printed pictures of a dinosaur, a woolly mammoth, a horse, and a car
• Paper and crayons
• Sensory bin (optional): Sand or dried beans with toy dinosaurs hidden inside

1. Introduction (The Hook)

Talking Point: "Close your eyes. Imagine there are no cars, no houses, and no iPads. Instead, there are giant ferns as tall as skyscrapers and lizards as big as school buses! That was the world millions of years ago. Today, we are becoming time travelers!"

2. Body (The 'I Do, We Do, You Do' Model)

• I Do: Show the string "Timeline." Explain that the beginning of the string is the start of the Earth and the end is today. Place the car picture at the very end and the dinosaur picture far back. Define Extinct (no longer living) and Prehistoric (before history was written down).
• We Do: Together, look at the other pictures (mammoth, horse). Ask: "Does this look like it belongs in the past or now?" Have the students pin the pictures onto the string timeline where they think they belong.
• You Do: Students draw a "Past vs. Present" picture. On one side, they draw a dinosaur in its home; on the other, they draw their own house today.

3. Conclusion & Assessment

Recap: Ask, "If I go to the zoo today, will I see a real T-Rex?" (No, because they are extinct).
Success Criteria: Student can identify that dinosaurs lived a very long time ago and are no longer alive today.

Differentiation: ASD Support: Use a visual schedule for the lesson steps. If the "Past" concept is too abstract, use a "Then and Now" photo of the student as a baby vs. now to introduce the idea of time passing.

Lesson 2: The Bone Hunters (HASS & Science)

Objective: Students will identify the role of a Paleontologist and practice "excavation" skills.

Materials:

• Hard chocolate chip cookies (one or two per student)
• Toothpicks and small paintbrushes
• A magnifying glass (optional)
• A "Field Journal" (stapled paper)

1. Introduction (The Hook)

Talking Point: "How do we know dinosaurs were real if no one was there to see them? We have secret clues buried in the ground! People who find these clues are called Paleontologists. They are like nature's detectives."

2. Body

• I Do: Demonstrate how a Paleontologist works. Show how to use a brush to gently move dirt (cookie crumbs) and a pick (toothpick) to carefully remove a "fossil" (chocolate chip) without breaking it.
• We Do: Practice the "Slow and Steady" rule. Remind students that fossils are very fragile and can break if we hurry.
• You Do: The "Cookie Dig." Students must "excavate" all the chocolate chips from their cookie using only their tools. They must record how many they found in their Field Journal by drawing the "fossils."

3. Conclusion & Assessment

Recap: What is the name of the scientist who studies dinosaurs? (Paleontologist). Why do they use brushes? (To be gentle).
Success Criteria: Student demonstrates patience in the "dig" and can name the career of a paleontologist.

Differentiation: For sensory seekers: Use a buried toy dinosaur in a container of kinetic sand if the cookie texture is unappealing. Advanced: Have them map their cookie on grid paper before they start digging.

Lesson 3: Frozen in Stone (Science & Art)

Objective: Students will learn how fossils are formed and create their own "imprint" fossil.

Materials:

• Salt dough (2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 cup water) or air-dry clay
• Small plastic dinosaur toys, shells, or leaves
• Brown paint or coffee grounds (for "aging" the look)

1. Introduction (The Hook)

Talking Point: "If a dinosaur stepped in deep, sticky mud and that mud turned into hard rock, what would be left behind? A footprint! We call these fossils. It’s like a photograph made of stone."

2. Body

• I Do: Explain the 4 steps of fossilization: 1. Animal dies. 2. Covered by mud/sand. 3. Layers turn to rock over a long time. 4. Weather washes the rock away so we can find it.
• We Do: Roll out the dough into flat circles. Discuss how the dough feels (squishy like mud).
• You Do: Students press their dinosaur toys or leaves firmly into the dough to create an imprint. Remove the object carefully. If desired, lightly brush with wet coffee grounds or brown paint to make it look "old." Let them dry.

3. Conclusion & Assessment

Recap: "Did we make a real bone today, or a print?" (A print/imprint fossil).
Success Criteria: Student can describe that a fossil is a sign of something that lived long ago and successfully creates an imprint.

Differentiation: ASD Support: Provide gloves if the dough texture is a sensory trigger. Use a "First/Then" board: "First make fossil, then wash hands."

Lesson 4: Dino-World Diorama (Science & Art)

Objective: Students will classify dinosaurs by diet (Herbivore/Carnivore) and create a habitat model.

Materials:

• A shoebox or a large paper plate
• Green paper (for plants), blue paper (for water), and red/orange paper (for volcanoes)
• Glue and scissors
• Toy dinosaurs or printed dino-drawings

1. Introduction (The Hook)

Talking Point: "Some dinosaurs liked salad (Herbivores) and some liked steak (Carnivores)! To survive, they needed a home with food, water, and shelter. Today, we are building a world for them to live in."

2. Body

• I Do: Show a picture of a T-Rex (sharp teeth = meat eater) and a Brachiosaurus (flat teeth/long neck = plant eater). Explain that they need different things in their habitat.
• We Do: Sort a small pile of dinosaurs into "Meat Eaters" and "Plant Eaters" based on their teeth or features.
• You Do: Create the Diorama. Students decorate their shoebox or plate with "habitats." They must include a water source (blue paper), plants for herbivores (green paper), and a place for the carnivores to hide.

3. Conclusion & Assessment

Recap: Have the students give a "tour" of their diorama. Ask: "Where would a plant-eater go to get lunch in your world?"
Success Criteria: Student correctly identifies a herbivore vs. a carnivore and includes basic survival needs (food/water) in their art project.

Differentiation: Art Choice: Students can choose to build a 3D diorama or draw a 2D "map" of Dino-land. Language: Use signs labeled "Plant Shop" and "Meat Shop" to help categorize the dinosaurs visually.