ClassX Video Lessons Dinosaurs for Kids | Learn about Dinosaur History, Fossils, Dinosaur Extinction and more!
Have you ever wondered what it was like when dinosaurs roamed the Earth? Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago, long before humans existed. They have fascinated us ever since a scientist named Sir Richard Owen found the bones of a giant creature and named it “dinosaur,” which means “terrible lizard” in Greek. Even though dinosaurs weren’t lizards, they were reptiles, and the name stuck!
Since the first discovery, thousands of dinosaur fossils have been found all over the world. These fossils have inspired many stories and movies like “Jurassic Park” and “The Land Before Time.” There are also lots of dinosaur toys that let us imagine what life was like back then.
But why do we need to imagine? Because there are no living dinosaurs today. Instead, we have fossils and paleontologists. Paleontologists are scientists who dig up and study these ancient bones. Millions of years ago, when dinosaurs died, their bodies could get covered by mud or sand. Over time, the soft parts disappeared, leaving only the bones. These bones turned into fossils, which are like stone copies of the original bones.
Finding dinosaur fossils is like solving a mystery. Paleontologists look for clues in the Earth to find the best places to dig. They start with big tools like shovels and pickaxes, but as they get closer to the fossils, they use smaller tools to be very careful. It’s a lot of work, but it’s exciting to piece together a dinosaur skeleton!
Some of the best places to find dinosaur fossils in the United States are Utah, Texas, California, Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Maybe there’s a museum or a dinosaur quarry near you!
One of the most famous dinosaurs is the Tyrannosaurus Rex, or T-Rex. Its name means “king of the tyrant lizards.” The T-Rex was as long as a school bus and taller than a basketball hoop! It was a carnivore, which means it ate meat. The largest T-Rex fossil ever found is named “Sue,” after the paleontologist who discovered it. You can see Sue at the Field Museum in Chicago.
Another well-known dinosaur is the Triceratops. It had three horns on its face and was about the size of an African elephant. Unlike the T-Rex, the Triceratops was an herbivore, meaning it ate plants. Its name means “three-horned face,” which fits perfectly!
Not all dinosaurs were giants. The Velociraptor was about the size of a turkey and probably had feathers. It was very fast and had a long tail to help it balance. Some dinosaurs, like the Ankylosaurus, used their tails for protection.
There were also flying reptiles called Pterosaurs, which weren’t dinosaurs but lived at the same time. Paleontologists study these creatures to learn more about ancient life on Earth.
Dinosaurs lived on a supercontinent called Pangaea, but something happened that caused most of them to disappear. Some scientists think a giant meteorite hit the Earth, while others believe there were huge volcanic eruptions. Whatever happened, it changed the Earth’s climate, and many dinosaurs became extinct, meaning they vanished forever.
After the dinosaurs, new animals began to appear. Some scientists think modern birds might be related to dinosaurs because their bones are similar.
Studying dinosaurs is like going on an adventure! There are hundreds of different species, and maybe there are more waiting to be discovered. Who knows, maybe you’ll find a new dinosaur someday!
If you want to learn more about dinosaurs, check out the Clarendon Learning Activity pages. You can find fun facts and even create your own dinosaur!
Thanks for exploring the world of dinosaurs with us. Keep learning and having fun!
Create Your Own Fossil: Gather some clay or playdough and small objects like leaves, shells, or toy dinosaurs. Press these objects into the clay to make an impression, then carefully remove them. Let the clay dry to create your own “fossil.” Discuss with a friend or family member how real fossils are formed and what they can tell us about dinosaurs.
Dinosaur Detective Adventure: Go on a “dinosaur dig” in your backyard or a sandbox. Bury small toy dinosaurs or bones (you can use chicken bones or craft sticks) and use tools like spoons and brushes to carefully uncover them. Imagine you are a paleontologist and describe what kind of dinosaur you think you found and what it might have looked like.
Draw Your Own Dinosaur: Using what you’ve learned about different dinosaurs, draw your own dinosaur. Think about its size, what it eats, and how it protects itself. Give it a name and write a short story about its life. Share your drawing and story with your class or family.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
Clarendon Learning explores the world of dinosaurs! Where were you when dinosaurs roamed the Earth? Dinosaurs lived on the Earth millions of years ago—hundreds of millions of years ago. Dinosaurs have captured our imagination ever since Sir Richard Owen, a paleontologist, unearthed the fossilized bones of a large creature and named it using the Greek word meaning “terrible lizard,” which is “dinosaur.” Although dinosaurs were not lizards, they were reptiles, and “dinosaur” is a fitting name for these ancient creatures!
Since then, thousands of dinosaur fossils have been discovered all over the world, and countless stories have been told about dinosaurs. Many of these stories come from imagination, such as “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “The Land Before Time,” and “Jurassic Park.” And of course, there are toys—many kinds of dinosaur toys to spark your interest and imagination!
We must use our imagination because there are no living dinosaurs on the Earth today. However, we do have dinosaur bones and paleontologists! What’s a paleontologist? Paleontologists are scientists who dig up and study dinosaur bones, known as fossils. Millions of years ago, when dinosaurs walked the Earth, they might have died in deep mud, swamps, sand, or rivers. If a dinosaur was quickly covered, it would be preserved in the Earth. Over millions of years, all the soft parts of the dinosaur would dissolve, leaving behind the skeleton. The bones would fill with minerals, making them as hard as stone, thus becoming fossils! Dinosaur footprints can also become fossils.
Over time, the Earth changed—swamps dried up, jungles became deserts, and seas became mountains. The fossils waited to be discovered by paleontologists. Fossils have been found on every continent, in backyards, and at construction sites. Maybe someday you will find a dinosaur fossil! You might even want to become a paleontologist!
It takes a lot of work and patience to dig up dinosaur fossils. Paleontologists are like detectives; they can tell where to look for fossils by examining the Earth. They start digging with pickaxes and shovels, but as they get closer to the fossils, they must use smaller tools like rock hammers and chisels. When they are very close, they use dental picks and brushes, being careful not to damage the fossils.
Some of the best places in the United States to find dinosaur tracks and fossils include Utah, Texas, California, Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Is there a dinosaur quarry or museum near you? Paleontologists try to collect all the bones they find and piece them together like a puzzle. When they finish, they hope to have a complete dinosaur skeleton—minus the skin! The fun part is naming the dinosaur! Usually, the person who discovered the fossil gets to name it.
Let me introduce you to “Sue,” the Tyrannosaurus Rex, or “T-Rex.” Its name means “king of the tyrant lizards.” It was as long as a school bus and taller than a basketball hoop! Can you tell it was carnivorous? Carnivorous means “meat eater.” It takes long, sharp teeth for a dinosaur to be a meat eater. The largest and most complete fossil skeleton of a T-Rex ever found is now on display at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois. This T-Rex has a nickname—Sue. It was discovered by paleontologist Sue Hendrickson.
67 million years ago, Sue the T-Rex roamed the hills of South Dakota; its head alone is over five feet long! The T-Rex was no friend of the Triceratops. Triceratops was about the size of an African elephant and was an herbivore, meaning it ate plants and vegetation, which it chewed with its rows of 800 teeth! How do you think Triceratops got its name? The name means “three-horned face.” Does the name fit? It looks like Triceratops could use its large bony frill like a shield and its long horns for protection!
Triceratops fossils are very popular in museums. Now you can see why it’s a good thing that people and dinosaurs didn’t live at the same time! I’ll stick to visiting them in museums! Someday, if you become a paleontologist, you may find a treasure of dinosaur fossils and put them together and give them a name.
Not all dinosaurs were huge. Here is Velociraptor—it was very swift and probably had feathers, but it couldn’t fly. It was only about the size of a turkey, with a long tail and a large claw to seize its prey. Dinosaurs that walked on two legs also had long tails to help them keep their balance. Other dinosaurs, like Ankylosaurs, used their tails for protection.
Here is an ancient creature that really wasn’t a dinosaur, but it was a winged reptile that could fly! It belongs to the family of Pterosaur. This is what paleontologists do—they gather all the clues available with the knowledge they have learned and try to piece together the history of ancient life on our planet.
During the age of dinosaurs, the continents of the Earth were mostly linked together as one supercontinent scientists call Pangaea, and the dinosaurs roamed freely upon the land. Then something happened—something huge and unexpected! Something occurred on Earth that caused most of the life to die quickly. What do you think it could have been?
Some scientists believe that a massive meteorite or asteroid hit the Earth in the Gulf of Mexico. That collision created a cloud of dust that covered the Earth, changing its climate. Other scientists believe extensive volcanic activity caused the change in the Earth’s climate. Maybe both ideas are correct. Whatever it was, most life on Earth became extinct, meaning it disappeared forever.
After the extinction of the dinosaurs, new and different kinds of animals began to develop and grow. Paleontologists believe that modern birds may be distantly related to dinosaurs because their bone structure is very similar.
The study of dinosaurs is fascinating! Some were as tall as trees, and some, like the “Compys,” were as small as cats. There are hundreds of dinosaur species that have been discovered, and maybe many more that have not been discovered—perhaps they’ll be discovered by you!
Now might be a good time to check out the Clarendon Learning Activity pages! There, you will discover more fun facts about dinosaurs we haven’t talked about, and you’ll even have a chance to create your own dinosaur!
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