build a dinosaur shadow box
TRANSCRIPT
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Paleontologists are people who fi nd and study fossils.
They learn about prehistoric creatures that used to live on
Earth. Just like dinosaurs, paleontologists come in all
shapes and sizes!
Paleontologist 89
Build a Dinosaur Shadow Box. . . that can create a full dinosaur silhouette from lots of little pieces!
Here’s what you need to know:
Paleontologists usually only fi nd a few parts of a dinosaur – they almost never fi nd a whole
skeleton! So, paleontologists look at animals like birds and reptiles to get a better idea of
what dinosaurs might have looked like. Then they put together the pieces they have and fi ll
in the rest with research and imagination!
. . . that can create a full dinosaur silhouette from lots of little pieces!
Build a Dinosaur Shadow BoxBuild a Dinosaur Shadow Box. . . that can create a full dinosaur silhouette from lots of little pieces!
When paleontologists aren’t
able to fi nd all the fossils
from one individual dinosaur,
sometimes they use fossils
from other dinosaurs. For
example, the Triceratops at
the Natural History Museum
of Los Angeles County has
parts from four different
Triceratops put
together as one!
from one individual dinosaur,
in the rest with research and imagination!
example, the Triceratops at
Each color in this picture shows parts used from 4
different Triceratops! The grey-colored bones are what
paleontologists fi lled in with their research and imagination.
Putting together a dinosaur skeleton is like solving a really
big puzzle with no picture to guide you!
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It must be so cool to be a paleontologist!
Paleontologists go all over the world to fi nd fossils – preserved parts of really old plants
and animals that have been turned to stone, which can take millions of years! Once the
fossils are dug out, they go to museums to be cleaned and studied.
Paleontologists don’t only
study extinct animals,
though! To put dinosaur
skeletons together, they
need to understand
animals living today, too!
Birds and reptiles are
likely living relatives of
dinosaurs, and have clues
for paleontologists to
understand how dinosaurs
looked and lived.
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looked and lived.
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This paleontologist is making a cast of a fossil. Casts copy
the shape and texture of something – for example, if you
press your hand into a lump of clay, you can make
a cast of your hand!
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Imagine how dinos might have lived!Think of your favorite dinosaur! Was it fast, slow, big or small? Can you think of an animal
living today that might have moved the same way? Now you’re thinking like a paleontologist!
Here’s an example:
Dimetrodon was a mammal-like reptile, not a dinosaur, even though it might look like one!
Sailfi sh have dorsal sails like Dimetrodon!Dimetrodon might have had a body a lot like an anole lizard, but much bigger!
Draw where and how you think your favorite dino might have lived!
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Plan how to build your dino shadow box! List all the materials you plan to use. There’s a few here to get
started. You should look for other things to use, and add them too!
cardboard
tape
string
flashlight
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Dinosaur cutouts!You can use a few of these dinosaur pieces for your shadow box! (There are bones for 2
different dinos mixed together here! Choose the pieces you think will fi t together.)
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Paleontologist 95
Draw your plan for a dino shadow box design here. Label all the parts so that everyone else can understand your amazing plan!
(If you need help getting started, you can use the dinosaur pieces cutout!)
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Start building!If you have trouble getting started, here’s one way to build a dino
shadow box that creates a full dinosaur silhouette:
step 1: Make three boxes that are open on two sides, like square tubes.
step 2: Find your dinosaur! Use the
cutouts, or make your own dino pieces!
Tape each piece onto the middle of a string.
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step 3:: Attach the strings to the boxes, so
the dino parts hang inside.
Step 5: Shine a light through the open
side of the box in a dark room. You
should see the shadow of your dinosaur!
Step 5:
step 4:: Start arranging the boxes so they
create a tunnel that you can see all the dino
parts through. You might need to move or turn
some of the boxes so the dino pieces are in
the right spot.
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How does it work?Sometimes it takes a few tries to make something work like you want it to! Does
your dino box make the shape of a whole dinosaur? Do you need to use your imagination
to fi ll in any areas of the dinosaur’s body? Take notes here!
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Draw or take a picture of the shadow your fi nished dino shadow box makes here!
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Put on your thinking cap!Reflect on what you’ve made! What can you change to make it work better? Did you learn
how to do something new? Here’s one question to get you started:
Sometimes dinosaur bones can be hard to recognize! Can you make a dinosaur shadow out of rocks and sticks you fi nd outside? Is it harder to make a dinosaur shadow with these unusual shapes?
Paleontologist 101
Paleontologists can fi nd microfossils, or tiny
fossils, in the rocks and dirt around a bigger fossil.
These are usually bones from smaller animals, piec-
es of plants, or shells. Microfossils can tell us more
about what the environment was like when ancient
animals lived.
Paleontologist 101