Description

The Dinosaurs Everywhere! Unit is constructed for 2nd graders (but

can also be used for 3rd!). Books such as Tea Rex, How Do Dinosaurs
Say Goodnight, DinoTrux, and If the Dinosaurs Came Back are exciting
books with interesting visuals that engage students. This unit can be
covered in a week (one lesson per day). This dinosaur unit covers
reading, writing, and expresses the different ways words can be used in
storytelling and to add effect into their creative writings. The lessons
presented allows students to become interactive with each other as well
as the teacher. This unit also allows students to use their imagination,
creativity, and storytelling as well.

Topic: Language Arts

Tea Rex by Molly Idle
Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Common Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1.D
Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
Objectives:

Students will be able to locate the beginning, middle, & end to stories.
Students will be able to create their own story using the beginning, middle, and end.

Materials:

Tea Rex by Molly Idle

Computer
Crayons
Markers
Flip books
Glue
Pencils

Procedure:
1. Teacher will begin the class by asking the students about the three things that make a story
(beginning, middle & end). Teacher will pick 4 students to give an answer. (Can a story be complete
without a beginning, a middle, or an end?)
2. Teacher will then introduce the story Tea Rex by Molly Idle (by the look on cover, what do you think
we are going to be reading about today?)
3. Teacher will instruct the class to pay close attention to the beginning, the middle, and the end of the
story. (Pay close attention! I will be asking about them throughout the story!)
4. Teacher will begin reading the story and stop after page six. (So far, what has happened in the
beginning of our story? Who are our characters? What do you think is going to happen next?) Teacher
will then pick six students to give out answers (Lets find out!)
5. Teacher will resume the story and stop again at page 17 (Now what has happened? Are there any
new characters? What do you think will happen next?) Teacher will pick four students to answer.
(Lets keep going to see how it ends!)
6. Teacher will once again resume the story and finally make it towards the end. (What was the story
about? Was it different from what you thought in the beginning? What do you think the story tried to
teach us?) Teacher will call on 10 students to give out answers. (The story dealt with manners and
how to behave a dinner table!)
7. Teacher will then tell all the students to go back to their seats.

8. Teacher will ask the students again on what are the three parts to making a story (call on three
students).
9. Teacher will write beginning, middle, and end as reference for the students.
10. Teacher will then instruct the class that they will be making their own story. It can be a story about
anything but it has to have a beginning, a middle, and an end.
11. Teacher will pass out booklets which are labeled beginning, middle, and end so it is easier for the
students to develop their stories.
12. Teacher will call on two students to hand out markers and crayons.
13. Teacher will play the Beginning, Middle, and End song by Sesame Street
(http://youtu.be/hnoJwfnzmqA)
14. Teacher will walk around the room to make sure everyone is on task.
15. If certain students are finished, teacher will distribute a coloring page to keep the students engaged.
16. Once all the students are finished, teacher will give the students 5 minutes to clean off their desks.
17. Teacher will instruct the class that they will be able to share their stories at Story Time, after lunch.
Assessment:
Formative:
Walk around the classroom to make sure all students are on task.
Ask questions during the story and after the story.
Summative:
Use rubric to determine the students understand of the task.
Students should obtain 4 out of 5 criteria with a smiley face. If not, teacher should provide one-on-one
help with student.

Topic
Students place the
beginning, middle, and
end correctly in their
stories.
Stories use correct
punctuation and
capitalization.
Students decorate the
cover of their flipbook
neatly and colorfully.
Students used
characters and had a
setting.
Accommodations: Students will learning disabilities will get an extra 5 minutes to complete work and
will get more one-on-one help with the teacher.
Topic: Language Arts

DinoTrux by Chris Gall

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Common Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1.A
Use collective nouns
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.5.A
Identify real-life connections between words and their use
Objectives:

Students will be able to include onomatopoeia word effects into their comic book strip.
Students will be able to recognize onomatopoeia words.

Materials:

DinoTrux by Chris Gall

Comic strip paper
Crayons
Markers
Glue
Extra coloring page (when finished)
Computer

Procedure:
1. Teacher will put out examples of onomatopoeia and stick them on the board (Bam, Slush,
Creek, and Burp)
2. Teacher will ask students where they think they have seen these words before (movies, comic books,
video games, etc..; What do those words usually represent?) Teacher will pick 5 students and then
explain to the students (It creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described)
3. Teacher will then introduce the book DinoTrux by Chris Gall to the class. (By the title and the
pictures on the front of book, what do you think this story is going to be about? What sounds do
trucks make? Do you think the sounds are going to be different since they are DINOTRUX? What
sounds do dinosaurs make? Lets find out!)
4. By page three of the book, teacher will point out the onomatopoeias that are being used in the story
(crack, munch, bonk, gobble).
5. Teacher will then instruct the students to repeat after her whenever they come across an
onomatopoeia word. Class will join in on yelling out the words whenever they appear from now until
the end of the book.
6. Teacher asks the class which onomatopoeia words they heard the most throughout the whole book
(burp, grumble, honk etc...) Teacher will call on six students to answer.
7. When the book is finished, teacher will send the students back to their seats one by one.
8. Teacher will ask the class again what an onomatopoeia is. After, she will call on 4 students to give
examples. (Very good, class!)

9. Teacher will tell the class that they are going to be making their own comic strips about DinoTrux.
(students can either construct an alternative ending or make a completely different story about
DinoTrux)
10. Teacher will demonstrate a premade sample of the comic strip expected from the students (make sure
to include onomatopoeia words!)
11. Teacher will pick three students to hand out the comic strip paper and the crayons.
12. Teacher will play the Onomatopoeia song while the students work. (http://youtu.be/f1b5kCvVBo8)
13. Teacher will be walking around the classroom to make sure all the students are on task.
14. If certain students finish early, they will be given a coloring page to keep them engaged until the rest
of their classmates finish.
15. Once everyone is done, students will bring up their work to be stapled together as one big comic
book.
16. Students will be given 5 minutes to clean off their desks,
Assessment:
Formative:
Walk around the classroom to make sure all students are on task.
Ask questions during the story and after the story.
Have students come up to the Blackboard and make sure they are writing expected vocabulary.
Summative:
Use rubric to determine the students understand of the task.
Students should obtain 4 out of 5 criteria with a smiley face. If not, teacher should provide one-on-one
help with student.

Topic
Students demonstrate
the use of
onomatopoeia words
correctly
Comic strip is colorful
and neat
Comic strip stays on
topic with the story,
DinoTrux
Capitalization and
punctuation are used
correctly.

Accommodations: Students will learning disabilities will get an extra 5 minutes to complete work and
will get more one-on-one help with the teacher.
Topic: Language Arts
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? By Jane Yolen
Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Common Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.3
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
Objectives:

Students will be able to incorporate rhyming words into their writing.

Students will be able to identify rhyming words.

Materials:

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? By Jane Yolen

Line paper
Crayons
Markers
Pencils
Construction paper

Procedure:
1. Students will be called one by one to sit on the carpet.
2. Introduce the lesson by holding up the book and reading the title of the book to the class (How Do
Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? By Jane Yolen)
3. Teacher will tell the class on how she used to say goodnight to her parents. After, ask the class if they
have an idea on how dinosaurs say goodnight. Teacher will pick several students to give out an answer.
After the 4th student, begin reading the story (Well, lets find out!)
4. After the 5th page in the story, ask the class if they notice something special about the book. Teacher
will pick 3 students to give an answer. After, teacher will explain what are rhyming words (Rhyming
words are two different words that sound alike. A lot of times, they have the same ending but they can
have different endings too.)
5. Teacher will finish the story and tell the class to go back to their seats.

6. Teacher will put some examples of rhyming words on the board. Teacher will then ask the class if they
can name some words that rhyme together (Words from the book will also be put on the chalkboard for
reference)
7. Teacher explains to the class that they will be writing about how they say goodnight to their parents
(teacher will include a premade sample story so students have an idea on how its supposed to look).
8. Teacher will hand out the lined paper and asks two students to help out with passing out crayons and
scissors.
9. Students will work on their rhyming stories for 10-20 minutes
10. Teacher will walk around classroom to make sure everyone is on task and to assist students.
11. Teacher will give the students 5 more minutes to finish their work.
12. Teacher will call up each table to hand in their project which will be graded by rubric. The projects
will be hung on a bulletin board.
13. Closing: Teacher will give students five minutes to put all the supplies away. Students will sit
patiently until instructed to line up for lunch.
14. Assessment:
Formative:
Walk around the classroom to make sure all students are on task.
Ask questions during the story and after the story.
Summative:
Use rubric to determine the students understand of the task.
Students should obtain 4 out of 5 criteria with a smiley face. If not, teacher should provide one-onone help with student.

Topic
Story includes
rhyming words.
Creativity
Story has proper
punctuation and
capitalization.

Story stays on topic of

the lesson.

Accommodations: Students will learning disabilities will get an extra 5 minutes to complete work and
will get more one-on-one help with the teacher.

Topic: Language Arts

If The Dinosaurs Came Back by Bernard Most
Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Common Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding
of key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1.E
Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified
Objectives:

Students will be able to create a page for our very own If the Dinosaurs Came Back book.
Students will be able to draw a picture of their dinosaur.
Students will be able to place action verbs into their story.

Materials:

Book If The Dinosaurs Came Back by Bernard Most

Line paper
Crayons
Markers
Blackboard
Pencils
Construction paper

Procedure:
1. Students will be sitting on the rug in time for story time.
2. Introduce the lesson by asking the students if they know what dinosaurs were.
What did dinosaurs look like?
What did they eat?
What is the difference between where dinosaurs used to live and where we live now?
3. Teacher will ask the students to take a close look at the cover of the book. (Do you notice
anything different? Whats funny looking about the cover?)

4. Teacher will begin reading the book to the students. After the 4th page of the story ask if they
notice anything about what the dinosaurs are doing. Ex: Dinosaur (pg 2) is carrying the workers,
Dinosaur (pg. 4) is scaring robbers away.
5. After pointing out that each dinosaur has a job in the community, teacher will explain that
doing words are called action verbs (actions words are words that move).
6. When story is done, teacher will ask all the students to return to their seats.
7. Teacher will then ask the students if they can name more moving words other than the words
listed in the book.
8. Teacher will ask students to come up to the Blackboard and write one action verb (examples will
be available if needed.)
9. Once everyone has finished writing their one word on the Blackboard, teacher will explain that
our list of action verbs will be very helpful when the class writes their If the Dinosaurs Came
Back story page.
10. Teacher will hand out one sheet of line paper and one sheet of blank paper.
11. Teacher will explain that each student must write one paragraph about what they would do with
their dinosaur if dinosaurs ever came back (dont forget the action verb!)
12. Students must also draw/create a picture of what their dinosaur would look like.
13. Give students 10-15 minutes to finish their work.
14. Tell students to put all supplies away.
15. Once everything is put away, tell students that each person is going to present their dinosaur to
the class. When they finish, students will hand over their work and the pages will be stapled
together to make our very own If The Dinosaurs Came Back book.
16. Closing: Review moving words (action verbs). Ask the class their favorite action word.
Assessment:
Formative:
Walk around the classroom to make sure all students are on task.
Ask questions during the story and after the story.
Have students come up to the Blackboard and make sure they are writing expected
vocabulary.
Summative:
o Use rubric to determine the students understand of the task.
o Students should obtain 4 out of 5 criteria with a smiley face. If not, teacher should
provide one-on-one help with student.

Topic
Name is on paper
Sentences start with
capital letters
Proper use of the
action verb

Neatness
Creativity
Picture is appropriate
for the assignment
Accommodations: Students will learning disabilities will get an extra 5 minutes to complete work and
will get more one-on-one help with the teacher.