Hello, Prehistoric Scientists! In this on-going class, we will take a look at the following categories of dinosaurs and prehistoric animals. Listed below is a schedule of how the class will be structured:

Section 1: Powerful Predators (e.g., Tyrannosaurus, Spinosaurus, Elasmosaurus, etc.)
Section 2: Huge Herbivores (e.g., Diplodocus, Brachiosaurus, Iguanodon, etc.)
Section 3: Horns and Spikes (e.g., Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, Coelodonta, etc.)
Section 4: Desert Dinosaurs (e.g., Velociraptor, Microceratops, etc.)
Section 5: Ice Age Animals (e.g., Cave Bear, Wolly Mammoth, Ground Sloth, etc.)
Section 6: On Two Legs (e.g., Allosaurus, Megalosaurus, etc.)
Section 7: Small and Speedy (e.g., Troodon, Eoraptor, etc.)
Section 8: Under the Sea (e.g., Mesosaurus, Platecarpus, Basilosaurus, etc.)
Section 9: Hooves and Claws (e.g., Toxodon, Miacis, etc.)
Section 10: Mighty Mammals (e.g., Moropus, Diprotodon, etc.)
Section 11: In a Swamp (e.g., Mastodonsaurus, Diplocaulus, etc.)
Section 12: All Kinds of Fish (e.g., Dunkleosteus, Cladoselache, etc.)
Section 13: Lots of Birds (e.g., Paraphysornis, Titanis, etc.)
Section 14: In the Air (e.g., Pterodactylus, Pteranodon, etc.)

This class is structured such that it has equal amounts of academic learning and student discussion and engagement. Each week we will cover facts about one dinosaur or animal. After we've covered all 199 animals, we will start over with animal #1 and discuss even MORE facts about each animal! During class, students will click on a link that the teacher provides to access a set of interactive Pear Deck slides.  Ideally, students may log into the Outschool classroom a few minutes early in order to click on the link to the slides.  There are several options for viewing both your Zoom window and the Pear Deck slides window simultaneously.  

Option 1:  You may access Zoom on your computer and the Pear Deck slides on a separate device (e.g., phone or tablet).  Or, vice versa, you may access the Pear Deck slides on your computer and Zoom on a separate device (e.g., phone or tablet).  

Option 2:  If you are using a single monitor on your computer, you may Restore (make smaller) both the Zoom and the Pear Deck slides windows.  Then arrange them (change their sizes) on the screen such that you can see both windows on your monitor.  If you have trouble Restoring the Zoom window, make sure that you are not in the full-screen mode.  To exit full-screen mode on a PC (not a Mac), click the Exit Full Screen rectangle in the top-right corner of your Zoom window.  To exit full-screen mode on a Mac (not a PC), click the green dot in the top-left corner of your Zoom window.

Option 3:  If you are using dual monitors on your computer, you may drag either the Zoom or Pear Deck slides window to one monitor and the other application to the other monitor.  

Students seem to love interacting in class using Pear Deck slides and it is a great tool to keep students of any age engaged and focused.  Students will be able to use a drawing tool to draw on the screen as well as a drag-and-drop feature to answer questions during class.  Each student can only see his or her drawings or drag-and-drop icons (you cannot see other student's responses unless they are shared, but the teacher can see everyone's responses).  Following are the specific learning points we will cover in each class about each dinosaur or prehistoric animal:

1. Learn to identify each animal by picture.
2. Learn to correctly pronounce the names of each animal presented. Audio clips will be provided for each student to hear the names of the animals pronounced. Students will also learn what the scientific name of the animal means (e.g., Spinosaurus means "spine lizard").
3. Identify if the animal is a carnivore or herbivore.
4. Learn the length of each animal and compare it to the length of a similar-sized object that we know of today (e.g., Spinosaurus was 49 feet long, about the length of a semi-truck!).
5. Learn the weight of each animal and compare it to the weight of a similar-sized object that we know of today (e.g., Spinosaurus weighed 40,000 pounds, about the weight of a Greyhound bus!). 
6. Identify how long ago the animal lived (e.g., Spinosaurus lived 100 million years ago). 
7. Identify which continent the animal primarily lived on (e.g., Spinosaurus lived in Africa). 
8. Learn a fun fact about each animal (e.g., Spinosaurus was larger than Tyrannosaurus Rex and may have been the largest carnivorous dinosaur ever!).
9. As time permits, students will have a chance to show-and-tell their own dinosaur toys, so please feel free to bring your toys to class!

All students are encouraged to speak and engage in class but are not required to speak. All students have different levels of social comfort and I want this class to be one in which students of all levels of social interactivity feel included and welcome. A shy student will still learn plenty by absorbing the facts presented. Thank you for your interest in Paleontology Pre-K: 199 Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals for your child!  See you in class!

Mrs. Kristi