To the teacher: Divide students into teams. Assign each team one section to research during your visit to Jurassic Park at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

To the student: Use the Jurassic Park exhibit to help answer the questions assigned to your team. Pay attention not only to the facts presented in the exhibit, but also HOW those facts are presented.

I. How do we know?
a. What are fossils?
b. What types of things become fossilized?
c. Did dinosaurs communicate with each other? How do we know?
d. Did dinosaurs care for their young? How do we know?
e. Did dinosaurs fight? How do we know?

II. Triassic Period
Describe conditions during the Triassic time period. (size and position of continents, seas, climate, plants, dinosaurs, and other animals)
a. land mass
b. climate
c. plants 
d. dinosaurs 
e. other animals 

III. Jurassic Period
Describe conditions during the Jurassic time period. (size and position of continents, seas, climate, plants, dinosaurs, and other animals)
a. land mass
b. climate 
c. plants 
d. dinosaurs 
e. other animals

IV. Cretaceous Period
Describe conditions during the Cretaceous time period. (size and position of continents, seas, climate, plants, dinosaurs, and other animals)
a. land mass/sea 
b. climate
c. plants
d. dinosaurs
e. other animals 

V. Extinction and the Movie
Many animals became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous time. 
a. What causes are given for dinosaur extinction?
b. Movie versions of several dinosaurs are presented, some with 'real-life' counterparts. (Stegosaurus, Compsognathus, Velociraptor) Choose one of these dinosaurs and compare the movie version with the real-life version. Tell what was similar and what was different. Why do you think changes were made for the movie version?

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Post-visit Activities

The Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park: The Lost World was produced by Dinosaur Exhibitions, LLC, under the direction of "Dino" Don Lessem, and in partnership with Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment. The exhibition was designed by Museum Design Associates. Jurassic Park and Lost World are trademarks of Universal City Studios and Amblin Entertainment.

Teachers Guide materials developed by San Diego Natural History Museum and used by permission. Some activities adapted or developed by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.