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"Children should use enquiry skills in context. These up-to-the-minute stories will captivate them"

Anne Goldsworthy
Primary Science Expert

Topic: 3D Rocks and soils

The fragmentation of tropical rainforests around 300 million years ago helped pave the way for the rise of the dinosaurs, a new study suggests. In the Carboniferous period, 360-286 million years ago, North America and Europe lay at the equator and were covered by steamy rainforest. Global warming is thought to have brought about the collapse of these tropical habitats, triggering an evolutionary burst among reptiles.

In this activity children will learn about the formation of coal and that there are different types of coal. They will look at pictures of the different coals and use observation to determine some of the characteristics of those coals. Some children will compare those with rocks found in their local environment.

Rise of the Dinosaurs activity	Rise of the Dinosaurs teacher notes

You will need Acrobat Reader installed to open the activity sheets.

You will also need the latest version of the flash player to be able to play swf files.

• that rocks are naturally occurring

Children will demonstrate this by completing the task on page 2 successfully.

• some vocabulary used to describe characteristics of materials

Children will demonstrate this by completing the task on page 3 successfully.

• to create a key

Children will demonstrate this by completing the task on page 3 successfully.

Assessing Pupil Progress in Primary Science (APP)

This activity is useful for each Assessment Focus (AF), but is particularly relevant for:

AF3 - Communicating and collaborating in science
• Use scientific forms of language when communicating simple scientific ideas, processes or phenomena

Science:
QCA Unit 3D: Rocks and Soils
• that rocks are used for a variety of purposes

Scientific enquiry
• use observations measurements or other data to draw conclusions

Introducing the activity
• Display Page 1 through a projector or as an OHT. Discuss the questions raised with the children.

Leading the main activity

• Display Page 2 through a data projector or on an OHT. Print off copies for the children. Group the children to talk about the information presented. Discuss the statements together as a class.

• Display Page 3 through a data projector or as an OHT. Provide children with copies. Discuss the activity. Children to fill in the sheet using the pictures given. Further investigation can be carried out on samples of local rock given to the children. The children then use the information to create a branching key. This can be done in groups or as a class using the pictures and actual rocks studied. Further questions can be discussed.

For more able children/extension
Children to be given a picture (see below) of grassland or heathland and forest along with pictures of different types of prehistoric creatures, including dinosaurs. The children will stick the pictures of the creatures where they think they might live. What are their reasons for the positions?

BBC News
Story behind the activity

The National Strategies
Website for Assessing Pupils' Progress (APP)

Plant Fossils of West Virginia
A general description of the carboniferous period

UCMP
A brief description of the period

Wikipedia
A detailed list of the invertebrates, plants and other creatures found to have existed during the carboniferous period. Also includes a general description of the planet at the time and the physical changes that took place.

Yahoo
A description of some of the changes that took place during the period including a summary of the evolution of plant and animal life

Biodiversity and Conservation
A brief discussion on some of the creatures of the period and how the gave rise to the creatures we know today

About.com
A detailed discussion on the rise of the dinosaurs

Universe Review
A brief discussion on the development of some of the creatures of the period

Fossil Museum
A summary of the plants and creatures of the carboniferous period

The National Academies Press
Detailed description of how the increased oxygen content of the air impacted upon the creatures and plants that lived at the time and those that developed as a result. Also includes a description of the atmosphere and climate at the time

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