Introduction
Welcome! Have you ever wondered who the closest cousin to the T-Rex is? When you think about the T-Rex, who do you think is its' relative? Today, you are going to find out!
In this WebQuest, you are going to research who the closest relative to the T-Rex is. You are going to explore some interactive websites, define vocabulary terms relating to genetics, and read about other animals that have prehistoric relatives.
Grade Level: 6-8 Science
Now, let's get to researching!
Task
So here's the deal. The goal today is to discover WHO the relative of the T-Rex is. Now, you must be thinking... T-Rex have living relatives? They do!
Here's the steps...
1. Learn who the T-Rex is related to via interactive lesson. (What do you like to eat?)
2. Be able to recognize and define terms stated in the interactive lesson.
3. Read about other animals that have living descendants.
4. Watch a short video on T-Rex and their relative!
5. Be able to answer questions about T-Rex and its closest relative.
Process
Purpose: WHO is the T-Rex's closest RELATIVE?
Step 1
Let's do an activity to get this started. Check out the website https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/tours/Trex/index.html and click "STUDENT START"
This should take you through the lesson.
1. Read through the lesson carefully as evaluation questions may appear on the final part of the WebQuest.
2. Be sure to write down the PURPLE, underlined words and click on them to show their definitions. You will need to take note of these to complete your second task. Knock two 'BIRDS' out with one stone... If you think you missed any, click the underlined word and go to "Glossary List" it shows all the words and their definitions!
3. WHO is the T-Rex's closest relative?
4. What was your favorite folder of the lesson? Why? Be specific!
Step 2
1. Remember the terms you saw or wrote down in Step 1? If you wrote them down already, this task is finished!
2. If you did not write them down and define them in Step 1, go ahead and do so now! This is a simple Step to complete :). Do so with detail from what you learned in Step 1!
Step 3
1. So you now know the relative of the T-Rex. Ever wonder who else has a relative? Let's go to this site: https://www.bluereefaquarium.co.uk/hastings/blog/news/10-living-descendants-and-relatives-of-dinosaurs/
2. Let's answer some questions!
- Name 3 of the animals OTHER than the relative of the T-Rex and tell me how many years ago they were "around".
- Name the period that most of these animals' ancestors appeared in.
- What is your most surprising animal on this list? Why?
Step 4
1. Watch this video on T-Rex and their relative: https://youtu.be/_IEuRIgDfnU
2. Would you want to taste a T-Rex? Do you think it would taste good?
Step 5
Answer these questions:
- What do you think make the T-Rex relative and the T-Rex close in relativity? Describe their physical traits!
- What order does their relative and T-Rex have in common? Look at your vocabulary for this one...
- What was the most interesting part of this WebQuest for you?
Evaluation
For Evaluation, the student will be evaluated by this rubric. Your total score will be out of 16. Exemplary being the highest score you can get (4) with each going down by 1 point. Each question will be evaluated with the detail and correctness you put into your answer. I would recommend putting as much detail into your answers as possible to receive a 16 out of 16 points. You will not be graded on your willingness to try T-Rex meat in Step 4.
Conclusion
Now that you've learned about the closest living relative to the T-Rex, do you wonder what other animals could be descendants of your favorite animals. Maybe YOU are a descendant of a dinosaur!
If you would like to learn about more dinosaurs or the genetic makeup of your favorite animals, I am open for contact and have resources on how to learn about this. It would be interesting to see who our descendants are!
Teacher Page
This WebQuest was a way for you to learn about dinosaurs and who their descendants are. This would take students likely a class period to finish, and would be very simple to finish at home. It is recommended to finish this WebQuest on your own before you assign it to the class so you can efficiently answer questions.
I have included this source: https://evolution.berkeley.edu/what-are-evograms/the-origin-of-birds/. This may also be an effective lesson to understand since it directly relates to the topic at hand. Everything evolves!
Standards:
8.LS.2: Every organism alive today comes from a long line of ancestors who reproduced successfully every generation
8.LS.1 Diversity of species, a result of variation of traits, occurs through the process of evolution and extinction over many generations.