Description
What our Dinos A to Z: Kentrosaurus lesson plan includes
Lesson Objectives and Overview: Dinos A to Z: Kentrosaurus is a high-interest reading comprehension lesson plan. As such, students will practice various close reading and comprehension skills. In addition, they will learn some basic information about these interesting prehistoric animals. This lesson is for students in 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th grade.
DINOS A TO Z: KENTROSAURUS LESSON PLAN CONTENT PAGES
Kentrosaurus
The Dinos A to Z: Kentrosaurus lesson plan contains one content page. The Kentrosaurus (KEN·truh·SOAR·russ) was a dinosaur that lived about 155 million years ago. Its name means “spiky lizard,” and it’s easy to see how it got its name! Kentrosauruses are in the family of armored dinosaurs, much like their cousin, the Stegosaurus.
From the tip of its spiky head to the end of its tail, the Kentrosaurus was about 5 meters (16 feet) long. It was slightly less than 2 meters (6 feet) tall and is estimated to have weighed between 1,500 to 3,500 pounds (680 to 1565 kilograms). By dinosaur standards, the Kentrosaurus wasn’t large. But don’t let its size fool you! Its unique spiky armor plating and skull made it a formidable combatant.
The first Kentrosaurus discovery was in Tanzania on the eastern coast of Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean. It was discovered by Werner Janensch in 1909. The paleontologists uncovered a nearly complete tail, a hip, several vertebrae (backbone), and a few leg pieces of one dinosaur. Over four years, about 1,200 fossilized dinosaur bones were unearthed! Unfortunately, the site where they were found was destroyed during World War II when intense fighting took place there.
Predator or Prey?
Looking at the dinosaur, you might think it was a predator. But it was actually an herbivore. Scientists believe it squatted low to the ground when threatened, exposing cactus-like spikes on its back to keep predators at a distance. It appeared to have had long spikes on its sides as well, which protected its body from attacks on its flanks. The dino probably foraged amongst other larger herbivores. The Kentrosaurus walked on all fours as it grazed on luscious ground plants. It could stand on its back legs to eat tree leaves and limbs, too.
Its spikes make the Kentrosaurus one of the most unique dinosaurs to walk on the earth. Though a peaceful herbivore, it’s easy to think that it did not shy away from battle if threatened. Scientists continue to learn more about this unique creature and how it fits into the dino world’s ecosystem.
DINOS A TO Z: KENTROSAURUS LESSON PLAN WORKSHEETS
The Dinos A to Z: Kentrosaurus lesson plan includes two worksheets: an activity worksheet and a practice worksheet. Each one will help students solidify their grasp of the material they learned throughout the lesson.
ANIMAL COMPARISON ACTIVITY WORKSHEET
For this activity, students will compare the kentrosaurus to animals that share a common feature with the dinosaur. These animals are rhinos, armadillos, and porcupines.
REVIEW PRACTICE WORKSHEET
The practice worksheet requires students to answer a series of 5 questions. These questions all relate to the content pages, so students will need to refer to them for the answers.
