All About the Dinosaurs

dinosaurs roamed the earth! 65 million years ago… dinosaurs roamed the earth!

Let’s learn about the dinosaurs! Dinosaurs lived a long time ago, before cave men (65 million years ago). Some dinosaurs were big and some were small. There are two main groups of dinosaurs: herbivores and carnivores.

Herbivores Herbivores are dinosaurs that eat plants. They ate leaves and grasses, but weren’t interested in eating other dinosaurs.

Brachiosaurus Brachiosaurus had a long neck and it was big. It used its neck to reach leaves and for protection. It ate and ate and ate to fill up its big body. Brachiosaurus was about 50 feet tall and 85 feet long. It is possible that the ground trembled and shook when it walked.

Stegosaurus Stegosaurus had a spiked tail that it used to protect itself. It used its plates for protection. It ate plants. This dinosaur walked on four legs, but its back legs were twice as long as its front legs. It was about 30 feet long.

Triceratops Triceratops means "three horned face." It had three sharp horns for protection. It was 25-30 feet long and 9 1/2 feet tall. They ate grass, bushes, leaves and berries.

Carnivores Carnivores didn’t eat plants. They ate animals, including smaller dinosaurs. If people were around, these fierce animals might have eaten them!

Tyrannosaurus Rex Tyrannosaurus Rex means "tyrant reptile." It had really big jaws that were razor-sharp. Its teeth were six inches long. It stood on its hind legs, and it had two tiny feet in the front. It dragged its tail behind. It was the biggest meat-eating animal that ever lived and the last dinosaur to walk the earth.

Saltopus Saltopus means "leaping foot." It is even smaller then a crocodile's mouth opening. The saltopus was about 2 feet long and it weighed about 2 pounds. Saltopus walked on its two legs and was a very fast runner. It was very quick and scientists think it was a jumping dinosaur.

What happened to the dinosaurs? Scientists are trying to figure out why dinosaurs are extinct. Extinct means that they no longer exist. Some scientists think that a large meteorite hit the Earth and caused a fire which killed some of the dinosaurs. The ash from the fire covered the sunlight, causing the plants and herbivores to die. When the herbivores died, the carnivores had nothing to eat and died as well.

Who studies dinosaurs? Paleontologists are scientists who study dinosaurs. They dig for dinosaur bones that were left where the animal dies. These are called fossils. Dinosaur fossils have been found in the following states: California, Montana, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma and Wyoming. You can find dinosaur fossils in a museum.

Work with your team to discuss the following vocabulary words…

Extinct Herbivore Carnivore Paleontologist Fossils Museum Meteorite Tyrannosaurus Rex Stegosaurus Brachiosaurus Triceratops Saltopus

Tell your neighbor three things you’ve learned about dinosaurs today.