From Dinosaurs to Birds

Week 1: What is a dinosaur? What distinguishes dinosaurs from other ancient creatures?
We begin by investigating a variety of ancient and modern creatures to hone our definition of "dinosaur". Are all ancient creatures dinosaurs? Who are dinosaurs' closest extinct and living relatives? We examine a variety of photos of fossils and artist representations to determine which characteristics apply to the dinosaur group. Students then apply the features of dinosaurs towards designing their own species as a poster or 3-D model.

Week 2: Dinosaur evolution and groupings on the dino family tree - Why are there so many different kinds of dinosaurs?
We begin by looking an animated model of Earth's surface, focusing on how the positions of the continents and oceans have changed over time and examining the conditions under which dinosaurs first began to evolve and spread out. We then examine  dinosaur species to place them into groups, then compare our groupings to how scientists classify dinosaurs.

Week 3: What features of birds can we find in their dinosaur relatives?
This week we focus on dinosaur fossils with preserved feathers and other birdlike features, honing in on dinosaurs in the theropod grouping. We also examine ancient imprints of feathers and compare them to modern day feathers, thinking about whether the presence of feathers means that a species could have been able to fly. Students compare the fossil photos to artist representations and try their hand at their own Oviraptor interpretation.

Week 4: What can studying today's birds teach us about their dinosaur ancestors?
We examine videos, CT scans, and anatomical comparisons to understand how birds are able to fly, make decisions, navigate, and live socially. Students are invited to draw comparisons between birds and birdlike dinosaurs, and ponder the question of what dinosaurs did with their wings if they weren't able to fly. The course concludes with an invitation for students to continue their study of modern day birds as a way of understanding dinosaur ancestors.