Vocabulary
Use the glossary in your book to define:
MASSIVE
Something that is very large and heavy.
What if it were possible to build a _____________________ that would let you take photos of Earth in the distant past? What might you see?
Use the glossary in your book to define:
OBSTACLES
Things that get in your way when you are going somewhere or trying to reach a goal.
What is a paleontologist?
(p. 678-679)
Paleontologists are scientists that study bones and fossils to learn about the past.
How does the writer/poet make this narrative poem sound like a song?
By using rhythm and rhyming words.
Use the glossary in your book to define:
EERIE
Something that is strange and makes people feel afraid.
You would probably see that most of Earth’s surface was _____________________ under a single ocean. Some scientists believe that all of the continents were once joined as a giant supercontinent.
SUBMERGED
Use the glossary in your book to define:
ROAMED
to wander around somewhere.
Give two examples of mythical creatures from the passage.
(p. 674-675)
Possible Answers:
Dragons, Sea Monsters, Griffins, Giants
What can you infer about the meaning of the phrase “put up their feet”?
(page 689)
It means "to die"
Use the glossary in your book to define:
SUBMERGED
Something that is beneath the surface of a body of water.
You might find it __________________ to look in on such a different Earth.
EERIE
Use the glossary in your book to define:
ELEGANT
Something graceful and pleasing to look at.
Where does the word “dinosaurs” come from?
(p. 676-677)
"Dinosaurs" is Greek for Terrible Lizard
What can you infer about "the late Cretaceous”?
(page 689)
Use the glossary in your book to define:
CONTRAPTION
A strange-looking machine or device.
However, paleontologists and other scientists would be delighted to be able to see the prehistoric landscape and the creatures that ___________________ across it.
ROAMED
Perhaps some of these creatures looked quite _________________.
MASSIVE
What has revealed that the position of Apatosaurus neck bones would have prevented them from raising their heads any higher than about 12 feet?
(p. 680-681)
Computer modeling has revealed that the positioning of their neck bones would have prevented them from raising their heads any higher than 12 feet.
What did the writer/poet mean by saying “They're still asleep, snoring deep in the swamp.”?
(page 689)
The writer/poet means their remains (fossils) are still there.
Use the glossary in your book to define:
COMPLICATED
Something that has many parts that are connected in ways that make it hard to understand.
Modern scientists face _________________ when they try to make models of extinct animals. They cannot be certain about details such as color, shape, and skin type.
OBSTACLES
With a camera to look back across time, scientists would have a simple way to find answers to __________________ questions about prehistoric times. Sadly, such a camera exists only in the imagination.
What is peculiar about Tyrannosaurus rex’s brain?
(p. 684)
Nearly half of the T-rex's brain was used for smelling.
What can you infer about the meaning of “prehistoric”? (page 689)