Extinction of the Dinosaurs Lesson Plan

Learning Objective

Students will be able to understand the concept of extinction and how it relates to the dinosaurs. Create an animated GIF using Brush Ninja to depict a scene from the prehistoric era.

Materials

• Computers or tablets with internet access for each student (or pairs of students)
• Brush Ninja website
• Reference materials about dinosaurs and their extinction (books, websites, etc.)

Procedure

Introduction

• Begin by discussing what students already know about dinosaurs. Ask questions like: What are dinosaurs? When did they live? Are there any dinosaurs living today?
• Explain that we will be learning about the extinction of dinosaurs, which means they no longer exist on Earth.
• Share some key facts about dinosaur extinction, such as the theory of an asteroid impact causing their demise.

Research

• Provide students with reference materials and guide them in researching more about dinosaur extinction.
• Encourage them to find information on different theories surrounding this topic.
• Have them take notes or create a simple outline summarizing their findings.

Animated GIF Creation

• Introduce Brush Ninja as a tool for creating animated GIFs.
• Demonstrate how to navigate the website and use the basic features of Brush Ninja.
• Guide students through creating their own animated GIF depicting a scene from the prehistoric era, focusing on dinosaurs.
• Encourage creativity in choosing colors, backgrounds, and characters for their animations.

Sharing and Discussion

• Give students time to finish their animated GIFs.
• Allow each student or pair to present their creation to the class briefly.
• Facilitate a discussion by asking questions like:
  • What scene did you choose to animate? Why?
  • How does your animation represent the prehistoric era?
  • How does this activity help us understand more about dinosaurs and their extinction?

Assessment

• Observe students during the research and animated GIF creation process to gauge their understanding of dinosaur extinction.
• Assess their ability to explain why they chose particular scenes for their animations and how accurately they represent the prehistoric era.

Extension

• Encourage students to explore other topics related to dinosaurs, such as different species or paleontological discoveries.
• Have them create additional animated GIFs using Brush Ninja to showcase their newfound knowledge.

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