Description
THIS DINOSAURS LIBRARY LESSON IS MADE ESPECIALLY FOR:
- elementary librarians looking for Dinovember activities
- elementary librarians on Specials rotation
- secondary teachers who are now elementary librarians
- busy parents who just don’t have time to create detailed library lessons
I have been all four of these at the same time! My Library Lessons and Storytimes are the lessons I would have wanted when I was a new, overwhelmed, and exhausted school librarian.
FAST FACTS ABOUT THIS DINOSAURS LIBRARY LESSON MINI:
- Recommended for: Grades 1-4
- Lesson Duration: 1 library lesson (about 25-30 minutes total)
- Formats: PPT or Google Slides; PDF
- Editable: YES, all text is editable
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL GET WITH THIS DINOSAURS LIBRARY LESSON MINI:
- 27-slide PPT + Google™ Slides (27 slides that students see; there are actually 32 slides when you include directions and tips for librarians)
- two differentiated scavenger hunt activities (2 pages)
- answer key for the second scavenger hunt (1 page)
- list of 34 dinosaur-themed Recommended Reads (1 page)
- Dinosaur Library Lesson Take-Home Extension Activities (2 pages)
- prep and set-up tips + notes page (2 pages)
- lesson plan templates (5 pages)
- complete, detailed instructions for all included pieces
- All printable pages can be edited in PPT, Google Slides, or PDF.
ACCESSIBILITY
All parts of this Library Lesson Mini are optimized for readability. Here’s how:
- uses only two fonts (Arial and KG Blank Space Solid)
- Arial font is one of 8 accessibility fonts recommended by the British Dyslexia Association. It is also pre-loaded on most school computers.
- all but one slide uses black text on a solid white background
- no cursive fonts, fancy fonts, or random capitalizations are included
- body text line spacing is 1.5
- minimal text on each slide
- lots of white space on each slide
- scavenger hunt includes two versions. One is images only and requires no reading. The other is for students who can read short text well.
IMAGES
As a certified librarian, I am careful to use only legally-acquired images in my resources. Librarians can be assured that:
- All images in this resource were purchased for commercial use from TPT or Unsplash, or they are in the public domain (i.e., Wikimedia Commons).
- Every image is credited in the Slide Notes area of each slide.
- All images in this resource adhere closely to the artist or photographer’s terms of use. This is why they are all locked into the background and not editable.
In addition, all images in this resource:
- are high-quality, full-color images
- include captions (except in cases where the text of the slide explicitly names the image)
- complement the subject and text of each slide
PART I – DINOSAUR LIBRARY LESSON MINI SLIDES:
This is a “Mini” Library Lesson, so the Part I slides are shortened from my full Library Lessons. Part I includes only 3 slides, which enables the librarian to get to the read-aloud more quickly.
The slides are:
- introduction to the theme
- “Dinosaur” in American Sign Language (includes instructions and video link)
- Discussion question to activate students’ prior knowledge of dinosaurs
PART II – SCROLLING SLIDES INCLUDE:
I take great care to thoroughly research all information in my Library Lessons. Every slide that contains information about dinosaurs is credited in the Slide Notes section of that slide. All resources are credible, authoritative references. Source URLs are included.
- fun facts about dinosaurs
- multiple species of dinosaurs
- 3 dinosaur trivia questions and answers
- 2 dinosaur Would-You-Rathers
- Library Skill: Dictionary, atlas, or encyclopedia?
- binomial nomenclature and rules for writing species names
- comparing two dinosaur brain sizes and intelligence
- world’s oldest and largest dinosaur fossils
- dinosaur communication
- “dinosaur” means “terrible lizard” in Greek
- herbivore vs. carnivore
- 2 dinosaur vocabulary words: fossil and extinct
PART III – REVIEW QUESTIONS
Since this is a Library Lesson “Mini,” it does not include a Part III.
SCAVENGER HUNTS
- differentiated (one is images-only; one is images + text)
- 2 pages, PDF
- Scavenger Hunt #1 is an images-only hunt. Students can complete this scavenger hunt without reading the text on the slides.
- Scavenger Hunt #2 includes both images and text. This one is for the students who are able to read the Part II slideshow. This scavenger hunt includes images and questions about the information in the slideshow.
- Scavenger Hunt #2 includes answer key
LIST OF RECOMMENDED READS
- picture books, fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels for Grades 1-5
- all books have dinosaur themes
- total of 34 titles
- titles are editable, so you can customize the titles for your classroom or library
- All titles were hand-selected by a veteran school librarian for quality, diversity, positive reviews, and currency.
- Every book on the list received at least one positive review on Titlewave. Several also received starred reviews and/or book awards.
TAKE-HOME EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
I am so excited about this new addition to my Library Lessons! You can download an example (Spiders) here. This Dinosaurs Library Lesson Mini includes a similar Take-Home Extension Activities handout, except it’s dinosaur-themed.
Students love sharing their knowledge! With this 2-page Dinosaurs Take-Home Extension Activities Handout, students can:
- quiz siblings, friends, and family members about some of the dinosaur facts they learned in the scrolling slides (Part II)
- prepare a no-bake, dinosaur-themed snack
- read some recommended dinosaur picture books
- review dinosaur vocabulary words from the lesson
- learn to draw a cute dinosaur using simple, step-by-step directions
- remember how to sign “dinosaur” in American Sign Language
- complete a Triceratops maze
- 2 pages, text is editable in PPT, Google Slides, or PDF
MORE ANIMAL – THEMED LIBRARY LESSONS AND STORYTIMES
