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Teacher’s Guide to

All About Prehistoric Animals
KNOW #24, November/December 2009

Ticklish Apes (page 3)

Classroom Link: Biology

Students may enjoy watching a short video clip of scientists tickling apes.

One of the interesting findings is that apes can laugh as they breathe in and out. Humans can only laugh when we exhale. Encourage the students to observe this the next time they laugh.

Death by Dragon (page 4)

Classroom Link: Biology

For more background information on Komodo dragons, see the article in KNOW, Issue 2, page 8.

Among other things, this study shows how our understanding of science changes over time and with more research. Prior to Dr. Fry’s study, the predominant theory was that Komodo dragons used bacteria-filled saliva to infect their prey. (In fact, the article in KNOW from 2006 states this.) Fry and his team thought there might be another way and set out to study this hypothesis.

Dr. Fry, the “Venom Doc,” has many videos and photos on his website. The visuals give a good sense of the size of these animals. Review the links and pages for age-appropriateness before using in the classroom.

Good News for Good Moods (page 4)

Classroom Link: Biology

Students may enjoy listening to a podcast about this study here.

Stone Age Music (page 5)

Classroom Link: Archaeology, Music

Activity: Make a Flute

This prehistoric flute is a simple design: a hollow tube with holes. Students can create a similar flute with some readily available supplies.

What you need:
Scissors
Plastic drinking straw

What to do:
1.Use the scissors to snip a point at one end of the straw.
2.Have the student blow gently into the cut end.
3.Experiment with straws of different lengths and also by cutting small holes in the straw (like holes in a flute).

How it works:
As students blow into the straws, their breath causes the air to vibrate. In turn, these vibrations cause the eardrum to vibrate and we hear sound. Changes to the straw result in changes to the sounds we hear. For more on sounds and hearing, see Issue 18 of KNOW, page 7 (“Getting an Earful”).

Chicken Pox (page 7)

Classroom Links: Health, Biology

This page provides more background information on chicken pox and viruses. The related article on itching also provides good information.

This article briefly explains the difference between bacteria and viruses.

Caribou (page 8)

Classroom Links: Biology

Students may enjoy the film Being Caribou, in which two researchers follow a caribou herd on their annual journey. The film, slides, and background information are available here.

A children’s book, Being Caribou, written by one of the researchers also provides good information on caribou.

Theme Section: Prehistoric Animals (pages 9 to 18)

Classroom Links: Biology

There are many excellent on-line sources for activities. This site is a good place to begin.

This animated time line is a great tool to help students understand how life on Earth has changed over time.

Activity: The Child-o-zoic Era Have students create their own time line.

What you need:
Post-It notes (approx. 10 per student)
Felt pens

What to do:
1.Have students write significant milestones in their lives on Post-It notes. E.g., the day they were born; the day a sibling was born; when they began school, etc. (Dates can be approximate.)
2.Draw a time line on the board. Begin with “Present” at the far left of the board and, to the left, mark off One Year Before Present; Two Years Before Present, etc. This will help students become familiar with measuring time backward from the present.
3.Have students put their Post-It notes on the time line.

This animation on fossilization will help students visualize one way in which fossils are formed.

The book Jurassic Poop, by Jacob Berkowitz, is an informative (and very funny) introduction to coprolites.

For more information on the Le Brea Tar Pits, visit this site. The site also includes an on-line picture book, which describes the prehistoric environment at Rancho La Brea.

Poetry Place: Sky Ride (page 20)

Go to the website of The Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre for more about woolly mammoths. The movie Raising the Mammoth follows the true story of the Jarkov Mammoth, the focus of the poem “Sky Ride.”

Great Moments in Science: The Burgess Shale (page 22)

For more information on The Burgess Shale, go to this website.

Reviewed By You (page 28), Comic Captions (page 29), and KNOW & Tell (pages 30-31).

There are many ways for our readers to participate in the pages of KNOW. We are always looking for book reviewers, regardless of reading ability (parents, teachers, and siblings are welcome to help). If a child is interested, contact us at the email address below. We’ll match you up with a book when their name comes up on the list (usually within six months).

Instructions for Comic Captions and KNOW & Tell are on pages 29 and 30 respectively. KNOW & Tell submissions are almost always tied to our themes.

For submissions or questions please contact: editor@knowmag.ca

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Email: teacher@yesmag.ca