Sizing up a dinosaur
Students will answer questions about the Science News article “This ancient dinosaur was no bigger than a hummingbird,” which reports on a fossil of a many-toothed, Mesozoic predator.
Educator Guide: A Tiny Dino and Iron Rain
This hummingbird-sized predatory bird is the smallest known dinosaur to live during the Mesozoic Era, the Age of Dinosaurs, between 252 million and 66 million years ago.
Han Zhixin
About this guide
In this guide, students will learn about the smallest-known Mesozoic dinosaur and use phase diagrams to explore meteorology on an exoplanet. In an activity, students will collect and analyze data in their own homes.
Editor's Note: A study included in this guide has been retracted. Please see the comprehension questions for more detail.
This Guide Includes:
Phase changes: cloudy with a chance of iron rain
Students will use phase diagrams to explore how changes in temperature and pressure affect a substance’s phase of matter before applying the concepts to meteorology on Earth and the exoplanet WASP 76b.
The home as laboratory
Science isn’t done just in a laboratory. Observing phenomena and collecting data in the real world are key parts of the scientific effort. This activity, designed for at-home learning, encourages students to collect and analyze data in their own homes to develop a research question for future exploration.