Exploring the Dino World: Pre-K Dinosaur Science Unit

I love teaching science! Now don’t get me wrong, teaching literacy will always have my heart and math can be pretty great too, but there’s just something about science. I think it’s the way the kids’ faces light up when they explore something new and exciting. Or how we can engage even the trickiest of learners in hands-on science activities. This Pre-K Dinosaur Science Unit is packed full of engaging lessons to inspire our youngest learners.

Most pre-k teachers don’t have a school-provided science curriculum, so we’re left to find and plan our own materials. If you are a teacher that does have a provided science curriculum, chances are it might not be the most intriguing, so you’re looking to supplement anyway. 

This is why we have spent so much time creating engaging and enriching science materials. We can dive into physical science with this Matter Science Unit and read our favorite books about matter. We explore earth science with our Space Science Unit and decorate our room with this foil-printed moon craft. We also have a whole year’s worth of science experiments that are perfect for fun Fridays or even for at-home activities with your own children. 

We have digital science games like this five senses activity or this apples digital activity. We also have created more than 50 animal study science units to engage our student in hands-on learning and exploration about their favorite animals, like this Polar Bear Animal Study or this Bats Animal Study. We even have a whole unit dedicated to teaching our young learners about science itself and being a scientist. 

When we create science units, we’re always brainstorming ideas that support your curriculum and meet the standards, all while being fun so your students are learning without even realizing they’re learning. That is why we created this Pre-K Dinosaur Science Unit that teachers and kids alike will adore.

Pre-K Dinosaur Science Unit

This unit is full of dinosaur science resources for teachers to use with their students. You’ll have everything you need to teach successful dinosaur-themed science lessons and your students are guaranteed to be the most enthusiastic they have ever been about learning and science. Add these pre-k dinosaur learning activities to your science curriculum today. You’ll be glad you did!

Inside You’ll Find:

• Unit Overview
• Lesson Plans
• Teacher Guide
• Home Letter
• Science Center Instructions
• Science Questions
• Book, Video, and Song Lists
• Dinosaur Posters
• 5 Emergent Readers
• PowerPoints
• Fingerplays
• Cookie Excavating Activity
• If Dinosaurs Came Back Writing
• Writing Center Materials
• Definition Posters
• Skeleton Sensory Directions and Posters
• Hook Activity
• Word Wall Cards
• Build a Dinosaur Craft
• Circle Maps
• Dinosaur Bingo
• Label a Dinosaur Activity
• Salt Dough Recipe
• Dinosaur Egg Experiment
• Dinosaur Stem
• Sensory Bin Ideas

Materials Needed

• Copy Paper 
• Colored Copy Paper
• Construction Paper
• Laminator and Laminating Sheets
• Coloring Tools
• Scissors
• Glue

Using the Pre-k Dinosaur Science Unit

After you purchase and download the unit, we recommend reading through the unit overview to see all that is included. Check out the dinosaur lesson plans and see if you want to follow them or make your own plan for the week. Make a list of what you need to print and copy so you are ready whenever you have time! We highly recommend laminating items such as posters and writing cards to use for many years to come. This Pre-k Dinosaur Science Unit will quickly become one of your favorite teaching resources.

Dinosaur Lesson Plans

We’ve taken this pre-k dinosaur curriculum and split it up into a neat 5-day lesson plan. But let’s face it, most of you don’t have time to do science every day, so use our plans as a guide and fit in the activities wherever you can in your own schedule.

At-Home Letter

Families love to be involved with what their child is learning at school. Send this letter home to engage families and help them continue the dino science at home!

Teacher Guide 

Since you may or may not be a dinosaur expert already, we’ve put together some basic and some not-so-basic facts and information about dinosaurs for you. This way when your little learners ask you those hard-hitting questions about these prehistoric creatures, you’ll be prepped and ready to answer!

Science Center

Use this idea and instruction sheet for building an engaging science center for your students to participate in hands-on dinosaur science!

Dinosaur Questions

Asking our students questions helps them to use their critical thinking skills. This is so important for our young learners! That’s why we’ve created a list of dinosaur-specific questions to use with your students, plus general science questions to keep on hand.

Book, Video, and Song Lists

You never know when you’ll need to pull out a story, play a video, or listen to a song! Use our curated lists to enrich the rest of this pre-k dinosaur curriculum.

Dinosaurs PowerPoint and Posters

Full of interesting and fun dinosaur facts for young children, you can present this PowerPoint at the start of the unit and continue to refer back to it throughout the week. You’ll also receive a set of printable posters that match the PowerPoint to use as a visual in your classroom or in your science center.

I See Dinosaurs Emergent Reader

This unit is full of interactive dinosaur activities for pre-k students like this “I See Dinosaurs” emergent reader. Students can work on one-to-one correspondence while also practicing their colors with this reader. I make a copy for each student and also place one in my reading center for extra practice. 

Types of Dinosaurs Posters

Soon after you start this unit, your students will be asking about specific dinosaurs they’ve already heard about. Since we don’t expect you to know all the facts about triceratops and velociraptors, we’ve made this set of printable posters to display in your classroom and use with your students.

What Dinosaurs Eat Menu

Throughout the unit, you can introduce herbivores and carnivores to your students and discuss which dinosaur ate what. This menu worksheet gives students the chance to show what they’ve learned about what a specific dinosaur would’ve eaten. 

Paleontologist PowerPoint

Trust me, after this unit, you’ll have tons of students ready to sign up to become paleontologists! Teach them all about the profession with this PowerPoint that includes real-world pictures and age-appropriate language. 

Cookie Excavating

This dinosaur-themed science unit includes a few fossil discovery activities for pre-k students, but this cookie excavation activity is one of my favorites! After reading the story “Digging Up Dinosaurs” use this excavating worksheet and activity to engage your students in hands-on science exploration.

If Dinosaurs Came Back Writing Activity

Help your pre-k students make some text-to-self connections with this writing activity. After reading the story “If the Dinosaurs Came Back”, discuss with your students what it would be like if dinosaurs were here today. Have students draw and/or write what it might look like to have dinosaurs here with us. 

Dinosaur Fingerplay

My pre-k students enjoy singing songs, chants, and dancing together as a class. Use this dinosaur fingerplay to transition throughout the unit or just as a fun activity. Put a copy in the library center for students to follow along and practice with.

Writing Center Materials

Using the provided dinosaur writing cards and writing or drawing papers, your writing center will be a huge hit throughout this unit! Students will get to use their imagination, along with the provided materials, to create drawings and stories about dinosaurs.

Skeleton Posters

These printable posters give students an up-close look at what dinosaur bones and skeletons looked like. Print and laminate these posters to save them for years to come as a reference when teaching this pre-k dinosaur science unit.

Hook Decor

Use this poster and footprint template to kick off your unit. Your students will be more than intrigued to discover what they’re learning about when they come into the classroom to see dinosaur footprints on the floor!

Definition Posters

Use these printable posters to teach students the dinosaur vocabulary that comes up throughout the unit. Hang these in your classroom or keep them close by so that you can refer back to them whenever you need to remind students of the vocabulary.

I Can Count Emergent Reader

Add a little math to your science lessons with this “I Can Count Dinosaurs” emergent reader. Students can follow along with the words while also recognizing numbers and counting. This reader is a great way to carry what you’re teaching and learning in science into other aspects of the curriculum. 

Word Wall

These word wall cards match up with the definition posters and can be used in your writing center or word wall during and after the unit. Choose between lowercase or uppercase word cards to best suit your students’ needs. 

What am I? Emergent Reader

This easy reader gives students hints and asks questions to get them thinking and wondering what kind of dinosaur the book is talking about. This reader is great to use in a small group or to add to your reading center.

Dinosaur Bingo

Everyone loves a good game of bingo! This dinosaur bingo comes with a set of bingo cards in both color and black & white, plus calling cards for the teacher to use. Use this pre-k dinosaur game as a way to celebrate all the learning the students did throughout the unit and to practice dinosaur vocabulary.

Label a Dinosaur

After learning about the many types of dinosaurs, students can trace and label the different parts of some of the most common creatures. 

I See a Dinosaur Emergent Reader

This “I See a Dinosaur” emergent reader works great as a whole-class or small group activity. This reader can be placed in your reading or library center for extra practice or sent home with your students for them to share with their families.

Build Your Own Dinosaur Craft 

If you’re looking for an easy dinosaur craft for pre-k students, look no further than this “Build your own Dinosaur”. To simplify this craft for your students, print the shapes onto colored copy paper and pre-cut the pieces for them. Then provide the students with a piece of construction paper and challenge them to create their own dinosaur. 

Dinosaur Circle Maps

Use these circle maps for whole group or independent student work. They can be used prior to introducing something new to see what students already know, or after teaching so that students can draw pictures of what they’ve learned. These circle maps are a fantastic way to support your student’s pre-k dino exploration.

Salt Dough Recipe

Use the provided salt dough recipe to make dough for your students to create “dinosaur fossils” with. Using salt dough is a hands-on way to engage in dinosaur sensory play for young kids.

Dinosaur Egg Experiment

This science unit wouldn’t be complete without a pre-k dinosaur science experiment! Using basic materials and supplies that you probably already have on hand, your students will love partaking in this dinosaur-themed science project for pre-k. 

Download the Pre-k Dinosaur Science Unit today!

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We know that you and your students will have a “roar-some” time using this hands-on Pre-K dinosaur science unit!

Want more science units to use with your pre-k students?

Dive into the exciting world of dinosaurs with our hands-on Dinosaur Activities for Pre-K, featuring engaging lessons to inspire young learners.