CURRICULUM BRIDGES: ANCIENT FLYERS

[MATH | LANGUAGE ARTS | SOCIAL STUDIES | VISUAL/PERFORMING ARTS | LITERATURE LINKS]


MATH:

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Grade Level: Beginning

FLYING DINOSAURS: One ancient flyer (Pterosaurs) is soaring toward a swampy tree. After it flies to the first tree it decides to fly to 7 other swampy trees. How many trees does it fly to altogether?

Grade Level: Beginning

WINGED FINGER: Pterodactyls means "winged finger" because of how the wing is made. There are 4 fingers on each wing. How many fingers are there on 2 Pterodactyls?

Grade Level: Beginning

KITE TAILS: Some Pterodactyls had tails like a kite. This tail helped them to balance during flight. They had one tail. If there are 15 Pterodactyls how many tails are there altogether?

Grade Level: Intermediate

LONG AND SHORT TAILS: The early Pterodactyls had long tails, the latter Pterodactyls had short tails. Each type tail helped them during flight. The short tail is 10 inches shorter than the long tail which is 2 feet long. What is the difference in inches between the 2 tails?

Grade Level: Intermediate

WING SPANS: Another ancient flyer, the Pteranodon had a wing span of 21 feet and the Quetzalcoatlus had a wingspan of 36 feet long. If there are 3 of each type of ancient flyers, what is the total wing span footage for all the ancient flyers?

Grade Level: Intermediate

FLYING ABILITY: The Pterosaurs had the ability to glide and do powered flight. When they were gliding the Pterosaurs did not "fall" but could go into powered flight. If a Pterosaur glides for 8,690 feet and then goes into powered flight for 56 miles, how many miles did the Pterosaur go altogether?

Grade Level: Advanced

LIGHT AS AIR ITSELF: Pteronodon (Also a soaring ancient flyer) was built almost as light as air itself. A system of air sacs, connected to the lungs, partly filled the hollow bones. The sacs worked like tiny bellows that were pumped by the moving wing. With air inside and out, Pteronodon could float like an inflated balloon. If the air sacs were pumped at the rate of 30 times a minute and the Pteronodon was soaring for 3 hours, how many times would the air sacs be pumped in the 3 hours?

Grade Level: Advanced

MEMBRANE TYPE WINGS: The Pterosaurs had membrane type wings like bats, but also had a supporting structure to make the wing rigid. This causes us to conclude that the airfoil of the Pterosaurs was made for accurate flight control. If a Pterosaurs was flying at a rate of 20 miles per hour, how many hours would it take him to fly 1500 miles?

Grade Level: Advanced

TAKE OFF: Because a Pteronodon is so light it could take off at very low speeds. It could face into a mild wind, stretch out its wings, and float up into the sky like a dry leaf. If the width of its wings were 25 feet and the "speed of the wind" was 3 knots an hour, how many feet would it take before the Pteronodon would be 1000 feet in the air?




LANGUAGE ARTS:

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Grade Level: Beginning

A DAY IN THE LIFE: As a class have the children write a story about the day in a life of a Pterosaurs and its flying techniques. Write their ideas on the blackboard and then give them a small journal to write it in. Afterwards have them draw a picture of the Pterosaurs on the front of the journal and color.

Grade Level: Beginning

POETRY DAY: Write a poem together using the word Pterodactyls (meaning Wing-Finger) as an acrostic. Have the students print the poem on colored paper and draw a picture of the ancient flyer next to the poem.

Grade Level: Beginning

A PTEROSAUR FAMILY: Have the class imagine that they are a Pterosaur (A Winged Lizard) and that they are part of a large family. Have them write a play together about their "Pterosaur Family". They can then make costumes out of construction paper and present their play to their parents.

Grade Level: Intermediate

THE PTERODACTYLOIDEA: The short tail Pterodactyls, the Pterodactyloidea, had stout bodies and broader, more powerful wings. They had the ability to move better as they flew. Have the students write a poem about the Pterodactyloidea.

Grade Level: Intermediate

SHORT- TAILED PTEROSAURS: The Pteranodon had a wing span of 21 feet and the Quetzalcoatlus had a wing span of 36 feet. They were both short-tailed Pterosaurs. Have the students write a play about these 2 types of flying Pterosaurs. Ask the students to use their imaginations.

Grade Level: Intermediate/Advanced

PICTURES OF "FLYING DINOSAURS": Displaying various books with pictures of "Flying Dinosaurs" (Pterosaurs, Pterodactyls, Quetzalcoatlus, Rhamphorrhynchus and Dimorphodon) have the students write stories about their lives.

Grade Level: Advanced

NO TAILS: The Pteronodon had no tail. Birds and airplanes need a tail to steer with when they fly. Maybe the Pteronodon used its head as a rudder to change direction while flying. You do this when you turn your head from side to side while swimming to steer your body through the water. Have the students write a short story about a Pteronodon.

Grade Level: Advanced

A LIFE IN THE AIR: Pterosaurs lived a life in the air flying. Their bodies were covered with fur. They were called 'hairy devils'. The hairy devils must have cast shadows as they cruised over the open seas in search of fish to eat. Maybe their fur was white so their prey would confuse them in the air as white clouds. Have the students write a series of poems called a 'Trilogy' about the Pterosaurs.




SOCIAL STUDIES:

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Grade Level: Beginning

FOSSIL RECORDS: Once there were ancient flyers. As a class do a short study on the fossil records and their findings about ancient flyers.

Grade Level: Beginning

MUSEUM VISIT: Visit a museum as a class that has dinosaur displays. Have the class write a 'report' together about what they learn about dinosaurs.

Grade Level: Beginning

THE ARCHAEOPTERYX: Archaeopteryx is the oldest known bird that lived during the time of the dinosaurs. As a class do a study about the archaeopteryx and write in a journal book for the library. Have the students draw pictures of the bird to include in the journal.

Grade Level: Intermediate

EARTH'S HISTORY: Fossils tell the story of the earth's history like entries in a diary. Have the students do a study of the dinosaur age called Cretaceous and how it impacted the ancient flyers.

Grade Level: Intermediate

GERMAN QUARRIES: In Germany in the quarries of the Bavarian region called Solnhofen fossils are wonderfully preserved intact. Have the class do a study of the findings there and how these findings have enhanced the knowledge of ancient flyers.

Grade Level: Intermediate

GIDEON MANTELL: Have the students do a study about Gideon Mantell. He was a doctor, but an enthusiastic collector of rocks and fossils. As his collection grew his home started looking like a museum.

Grade Level: Advanced

'JUMBO': The biggest Pterosaur ever discovered had a wing tip to wing tip measuring 35 feet. People nicknamed it 'Jumbo' and '747'. Its real name was Quetzlcoatlus. The Aztec Indians called it a 'feathered serpent'. Have the students do a study on this belief of the Aztecs about the existence of the Quetzlcoatlus.

Grade Level: Advanced

ENGLISH SCIENTIST: In 1900 an English scientist believed that Pterosaur bodies were covered with fur. Have the students do a study about this scientist, his findings, and how his belief was proven in 1978 by a Russian scientist. The scientific name for the hairy devils is "Sordes Pilosus".

Grade Level: Advanced

SEDIMENTARY ROCK: By studying fossils from the same layers of sedimentary rock, scientists (called paleontologists) can tell what kinds of plants and animals lived at the same time as dinosaurs. Divide the class into teams of 4 students each and have them do a study on fossil records.




VISUAL/PERFORMING ARTS:

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Grade Level: Beginning

DRINKING STRAWS: The Pterosaurs had 4 fingers. The finger bones were light, air-filled tubes with no walls no thicker than drinking straws. Have the children design their own ancient flyers using drinking straws. They can be simple and creative!

Grade Level: Beginning

DINOSAUR DIORAMA: Have the students make a diorama of ancient flyers. Use clay to make the ancient flyers and shoe-boxes to make the diorama. Construction paper can be used to cut out swampy plants and water.

Grade Level: Beginning

PRETEND ANCIENT FLYERS: Have the children pretend that they are ancient flyers. Go out on the playground when other classes are in their rooms and have your children fly about the school yard, using scarves for their 'wings'. Discuss with the children before they go outside the wonder of being able to fly above the ground while other creatures are bound to the ground and cannot get into the air. Using the natural curiosity and imaginations of the children will make this a memorable time.

Grade Level: Intermediate

A SANDWICH OF LEATHERY SKIN: The wing of a Pterosaurs was a sandwich of leathery skin, elastic fibers and thin strings of muscle. The thin strings of muscle (called aktinofibrils) could alter the curve of the wing for better aerodynamics. Have each student make the wings of the Pterosaurs out of strips of leather, straws, and saran wrap.

Grade Level: Intermediate

FLAPPERS: Sets of muscles flapped the Pterosaur wing down and back for the power stroke, and up on the recovery stroke. This gave the thrust and lift to keep it airborne. Using sticks and large pieces of brown paper have the class construct one large Pterosaurs.

Grade Level: Intermediate

FAVORITE ANCIENT FLYERS: Have the students draw pictures of their favorite ancient flyers. Have an art contest among the class and let them vote on the best drawn ancient flyer, the funniest, the oddest, etc. Have the students make up different categories in the voting so that each student has a chance to win!

Grade Level: Advanced

FOSSIL MAKINGS: Have the students make fossils. Make mud out of dirt and water. Then have each student put the mud into an aluminum pie plate. The next step would be to take a leaf and an acorn and press it into the mud. Place the mud plate in the sun and let it dry thoroughly. When it is dry the leaf and acorn impression will be permanent.

Grade Level: Advanced

DESIGN YOUR OWN DINOSAUR: Have various pictures of ancient flyers on display for the students in your class to study. Ask them to design, draw, and name their own creation of a ancient flyer. Then display them on a bulletin board.

Grade Level: Advanced

MASK MAKING: Using the 'designs' of the heads of the ancient flyers have the students make masks. Then as an extension of this art activity ask your students to make up songs or rhythms to go along with their mask. Ask them to share their songs and mask with the rest of the class.




LITERATURE LINKS:

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The Dinosaur Who Lived in My Backyard
Author: B. G. Hennessy
Publisher: New York: Penguin Books, 1988
Grade Level: Preschool - 4
Synopsis:
This is a fun book for small children about dinosaurs living in your backyard, making comparisons in size to length, volume, weight, and area such as big as a car.

Dinosaurs are Different
Author: Aliki
Publisher: New York: Harper & Row, 1985
Grade Level: K-3
Synopsis:
This book explains the various orders and suborders of dinosaurs. They were similar and different in structure and appearance. This is a good book for a catalogue of dinosaur defenses. Are birds descended from dinosaurs?

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs
Author: Byron Barton
Publisher: New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1989
Grade Level: K-2
Synopsis:
This is a great book to read to the children. It covers the different kinds of dinosaurs, big and small - those with spikes and those with long sharp teeth.

Author: Caroline Arnold
Publisher: New York, Clarion Books, 1988
Grade Level: K-6
Synopsis:
This is a very interesting book about Dinosaur National Monument in Utah and the dinosaurs that have been discovered there. The fossilized record of their past and how paleontologists study their remains is covered. There are full-color photographs to enhance the text.

Dinosaurs
Author: Lee B. Hopkins
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1990
Grade Level: 3-9
Synopsis:
This is a fun book with ink drawings illustrating poetry about dinosaurs. It is a great reference book for inspiring kids about dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs
Author: Michael Benton
Publisher: New York: Smithmark Publishers, 1995
Grade Level: 3-9
Synopsis:
This is a fantastic book packed with colorful photographs, wonderful illustrations, and fascinating facts about dinosaurs and people who became mesmerized by them.

Dinosaurs and Their World
Author: Steve Parker
Publisher: New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1988
Grade Level: 3-7
Synopsis:
This is a colorful, well-illustrated book about dinosaurs and what their lives were like on the planet while they were alive. The concise, informative captions bring facts and events to life for the reader.

Dinosaur: Eyewitness Books
Author: David Norman and Angela Milner
Publisher: New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1989
Grade Level: 3-6
Synopsis:
This is a beautiful book with illustrations, photographs and text to inform and inspire the young reader about the events of the dinosaurs, their lives and environment. It is like a mini- museum between the covers of the book.

Inside Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures
Author: Steve Parker
Publisher:New York: Delacorte Press, Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1993
Grade Level: 3-6
Synopsis:
In a series of dramatic cross-sections, the author and artist flesh out the dinosaur from bare bones to organs and skin for the reader to comprehend the complexities of these animals. The text enhances the illustrations to such a degree that once you pick up the book it is difficult to put it down.

Dinosaurs Walked Here
Author: Patricia Lauber
Publisher: New York: Bradbury Press, 1987
Grade Level: 3-6
Synopsis:
The author does an outstanding job of presenting the finds of another era - the era of the dinosaur, its environment and climate through the study of fossil records. The colored photographs encourage students to feel like they are there during the time of the dinosaurs.

Dinosaur Mysteries
Author: Mary Elting and Ann Goodman
Publisher: New York: Platt & Munk, Publishers, 1980
Grade Level: 4-7
Synopsis:
This book gives some real understanding about the different dinosaurs and flying dinosaurs. The text is easy to follow and the illustrations, both black and white and colored helps the reader to imagine these giants of the past.


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