Name: Date: WALKING WITH DINOSAURS Part One Making Observations We will walk through the dinosaur trackway together. There are two different scenes. List observations of what you see in the boxes below. How many different types of tracks are there? What are the relative sizes and shapes of the tracks Are the toes pointy or rounded? Are the large or small? How many feet does each dinosaur appear to have? Are all the footprints the same size? What is the pattern of the tracks? What happens when more than one type of tracks come together in the same area? You may want to include a sketch. Which way was the dinosaur moving? Are the tracks close together or far apart? Make a sketch of each different type of footprint in each scene. SCENE ONE Trackway in road parallel to tennis courts Observations Sketch each type of footprint
SCENE TWO Trackway on hill & crossing road towards tennis courts Observations Sketch each type of footprint
Part Two Measuring Footprints Complete the charts below by following these steps. The number of the step matches the number of the column. 1. Decide whether each dinosaur walked on two feet (biped) or four feet (quadruped). Record your inference in column 1. 2. Measure the length from heel to toe of the longest part of each type of footprint. Refer to the diagram on the right to see how to measure a footprint. If the dinosaur was a quadruped, measure the REAR footprint. Record footprint length in centimeters (cm) in column 2. 3. Identify the type of dinosaur using the information on the Dinosaur Fact Sheet. The length of the footprint, shape of foot and whether it was a biped or quadruped will help you identify the dinosaur. Choose from names in BOLD on the fact sheet. Record the name in column 3. *Hint: The smallest tracks in Scenes 1 and 2 are from the same type of dinosaur. Scene One Dinosaur A Column 1 Biped or Quadruped? Column 2 Footprint Length, cm Column 3 Dinosaur Name (largest tracks) Dinosaur B Dinosaur C (smallest tracks) Scene Two Dinosaur D Column 1 Biped or Quadruped? Column 2 Footprint Length, cm Column 3 Dinosaur Name (large tracks) Dinosaur E (small tracks)
Part Three Measuring Stride A stride is the distance from one left footprint to the next left footprint (or right to right). Refer to the diagrams below to see how to measure stride length. Always measure from the same place on each print same toe to same toe (or heel to heel). Record stride in centimeters. If you measure stride in meters, multiply by 100 to convert to centimeters. Measure each dinosaur s stride length. Record data in the chart below. Dinosaur Letters (A, B, etc.) refer to the same dinosaurs as in Part Two. Scene One Stride Length (cm) (# meters x 100 = # centimeters) Dinosaur A (large, 3-toed biped) Dinosaur B (smaller, 4-toed quadruped; measure before jumble) *You do not need to measure the stride for Dinosaur C in Scene 1. Scene Two Stride Length (cm) Dinosaur D (very large, 4-toed quadruped) *Dinosaur E 1 st set (small, 3-toed biped, closely spaced, at top of hill) *Dinosaur E 2 nd set (small, 3-toed biped, larger spaced, at top of hill) (# meters x 100 = # centimeters) *Near the top of the hill, there are two different stride lengths for the small dinosaur (Dino E). Measure and record BOTH stride lengths. Check with a teacher that you completed the measurements in Parts Two and Three correctly. Then ask for Part Four to complete the lab.
Name: Walking with Dinosaurs (continued) Part Four Determining Dinosaur Size & Behavior Date: A dinosaur s size (hip height and head-to-tail length) and behavior can be estimated from its footprint and stride lengths. Complete the chart below by following these steps. Column numbers in the chart correspond to the step numbers. 1. Copy the dinosaur names from the chart in Part Two. 2. Copy the footprint lengths from the chart in Part Two. 3. Calculate the head-to-tail length of each dinosaur. 4. Calculate the hip height of each dinosaur. 5. Copy the stride lengths from Part Three. 6. Calculate Stride Length / Hip Height. There are no units for this answer. 7. A dinosaur s behavior is inferred from the relationship between stride length and hip height. Use the key below to infer each dinosaur s behavior. Behavior Key: < (less than) 2.0 WALKING 2.0-2.9 TROTTING > (greater than) 2.9 RUNNING Scene One 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dinosaur Name A Footprint length (cm) Head-to-tail length = 10 x footprint length (cm) Hip height = 4 x footprint length (cm) Stride length (cm) Stride Length Hip Height = Col. 5/Col. 4 (no units) Behavior (walk, trot or run) (See Key) B Scene Two D *E (1 st stride from Part 3) *E (2 nd stride from Part 3)
Summary and Conclusions Select ONE of the two footprint scenes. In the space below neatly write a summary about that scene. Include the following information in your summary. Which scene are you describing? What types of dinosaurs where present? Name them. Based on the EVIDENCE you recorded (observations, measurements and calculations), make a hypothesis about what you think happened in the scene. Describe your hypothesis. Describe at least two pieces of evidence (observations, measurements and calculations) and explain how the evidence supports your inferences.