Educator's Guide - American Museum of Natural History

Educator’s Guide 

THE 

LARGEST 

WORLD’S 

DINOSAURS 

INSIDE: 

• Suggestions to Help You Come Prepared 

• Essential Questions for Student Inquiry 

• Strategies for Teaching in the Exhibition 

• Map of the Exhibition 

• Online Resources for the Classroom 

• Correlation to Standards 

• Glossary 

amnh.org/education/largestdinos

essential QUESTIONS 

For 140 million years sauropods — humongous plant-eating dinosaurs — roamed the planet. This exhibition 

explores how scientists study fossils and living animals to understand sauropod biology, and what we can 

learn from these extinct animals about what it means to be big. Use the Essential Questions below to 

connect the exhibition to your curriculum. 

What is a sauropod 

Sauropods were an extraordinarily successful group 

of dinosaurs notable for their enormous size. These 

herbivores were the biggest land animals ever. They 

inhabited every continent and lived from the Early 

Jurassic period, about 200 million year ago, until 65.5 

million years ago, when most dinosaurs became extinct. 

Over that period sauropods evolved a range of shapes 

and sizes, although all walked on four legs, were covered 

in small bumps and scales, and had small heads. Their 

brains were small relative to body size, but sauropods 

were smart enough to engage in social behaviors like 

herding. Like many modern reptiles, they reproduced 

by laying many eggs and left the young to fend for 

themselves. The biggest eggs were about the size of a 

volleyball. Hatchlings grew fast — gaining weight more 

quickly than any other land animal that’s ever lived. 

How do sauropods vary 

Like many groups of animals, sauropods came in different 

sizes and body shapes. Their average weight was a 

hefty 12 tons, with some dwarf species weighing only as 

much as a cow and Argentinosaurus tipping the scales at 

up to 90 tons (82,000 kg), which is 15 times heavier than 

the African elephant. Variations included: tail length, the 

relative proportion of hindlimbs to forelimbs, the shape 

of the skull and placement of teeth, and in a few cases, 

the presence of features such as scales and giant spikes 

down the neck. Teeth ranged from large spoon-shaped 

ones for biting branches to small pencil-shaped ones for 

raking and stripping leaves. Each species had only one 

type of tooth. 

How do sauropod bodies work 

While some structures in sauropods’ bodies look 

much like those in animals alive today, others are quite 

different. Many aspects of sauropod anatomy are key to 

their giant sizes. For example, a highly efficient breathing 

system enabled them to expend less energy breathing 

than other animals, including mammals. A system of air 

storage sacs ensured a constant flow of fresh air 

through the lungs. Today’s birds breathe the same way. 

Sauropods swallowed without chewing, so they could 

eat massive amounts rapidly. They processed the food 

in their enormous stomachs. Bacteria in these “fermentation 

tanks” took up to two weeks to break down 

tough plants and extract energy. Another adaptation 

was cavities in the bones of sauropod necks (cervical 

vertebrae), which made those necks lighter and easier 

to maneuver. And those long, flexible necks — as long 

as 40 feet (12 meters)! — allowed sauropods to stand 

in one place and eat a lot. Their large, powerful hearts 

beat very slowly to move massive amounts of blood up 

to their brains and around their huge bodies. 

How do scientists study 

sauropods 

To learn about ancient life, scientists study fossils. 

Finding these traces of ancient life takes time and 

experience. Paleontologists search carefully for bits 

of exposed bone, then typically transport the large 

piece of rock that contains the fossil back to the lab. 

Trackways provide some of the best clues about 

sauropod behavior. Studying living birds and other 

reptiles, which are related to dinosaurs, gives insight 

into behavior and biology. Paleontologists also turn 

to experts in other fields. For example, geochemists 

analyze fossil bones and teeth for clues about 

paleoclimate, while paleobotanists examine 

coprolites for the physical and chemical traces of 

ancient plants. Together, these scientists are filling in 

the picture of what these giant dinosaurs ate, how 

fast they grew, and how long they lived. 

To reach their massive sizes, sauropods grew 

faster than any known land-living 

mammal, bird, or 

other reptile. 

Mamenchisaurus 

weight gain

GLOSSARY 

coprolite: fossilized animal dung. 

Coprolites contain clues to what animals ate 

and how their digestive systems worked. 

fossil: remains or traces of ancient life 

— including bones, teeth, shells, leaf 

impressions, nests, and footprints — that 

are usually buried in rocks 

herbivore: an animal that eats only plants 

metabolism: the set of chemical processes 

within organisms that convert food into the 

energy necessary for life — everything from 

growing and moving to thinking 

paleoclimate: climate from the past, 

recorded in rocks, ice sheets, tree rings, 

sediment, corals, and shells 

paleontologist: a scientist who studies 

the fossil record in order to understand the 

history of life on Earth 

trachea: the tube that connects the nose 

and mouth to the lungs 

trackway: a series of fossilized footprints. 

Trackways provide clues to the animal’s size, 

speed, and behavior. 

vertebrae (singular: vertebra): the bones 

that form the backbone and give vertebrates 

their name. Sauropod necks have between 

ten to nineteen cervical vertebrae, whereas 

most mammals, including giraffes and 

humans, only have seven. 

A human baby doubles in weight 

in 5 months, but this took a 

sauropod only 5 days. 

At maturity (about age 20), 

a human is 17 times its weight at birth, 

while a mature sauropod (about age 30) 

weighed 10,000 times as much as it did 

as a hatchling. 

COME PREPARED 

Plan your visit. For information about reservations, transportation, 

and lunchrooms, visit amnh.org/education/plan. 

Read the Essential Questions in this guide to see how 

themes in The World’s Largest Dinosaurs connect to your curriculum. 

Identify the key points that you’d like your students to 

learn from the exhibition. 

Review the Teaching in the Exhibition section of this 

guide for an advance look at the specimens, models, and 

interactives that you and your class will be encountering. 

Review activities and student worksheets (coming soon). 

Designed for use before, during, and after your visit, these 

activities focus on themes that correlate to the NYS Science 

Core Curriculum: 

• K–2: Structures & Functions 

• 3–5: Observation & Evidence 

• 6–8: Body Systems 

• 9–12: Size & Scale 

Decide how your students will explore The World’s Largest 

Dinosaurs. Suggestions include: 

• You and your chaperones can facilitate the visit using the 

Teaching in the Exhibition section of this guide. 

• Your students can use the student worksheets to explore 

the exhibition on their own or in small groups. 

• Students, individually or in groups, can use copies of the 

map to choose their own paths. 

CORRELATIONS TO 

NATIONAL STANDARDS 

Your visit to The World’s Largest Dinosaurs exhibition can 

be correlated to the national standards below. See the end of 

this guide for a full listing of New York State standards. 

Science Education Standards 

All Grades • A2: Understanding about scientific inquiry 

K–4 • C1: Characteristics of organisms • C3: Organisms and 

environments 

5–8 • C1: Structure and function of living systems 

• C3: Regulation and behavior • C5: Diversity and adaptations 

of organisms • G2: Nature of science 

9–12 • C6: Behavior of organisms • G2: Nature of science

teaching in the EXHIBITION 

Size affects just about everything an animal does: eating, 

breathing, moving, and reproducing. This exhibition takes a look at 

how sauropods, the biggest land animals ever, pulled it off. You and your 

students will be exploring a large, open space surrounding a full-scale 

model of Mamenchisaurus, an exceptionally long-necked sauropod species 

that lived about 160 million years ago in present-day China. Use the 

Explorations below, which are organized around body systems, 

to guide your visit. Refer at any point to the Biology Theater in the 

center of the exhibition, where projections tie together all the processes 

that enabled sauropod dinosaurs to grow to enormous sizes. 

The Importance 

of Size 

In this introductory section 

students can compare skeletons 

representing the range 

of sizes of animals both living 

and extinct — from the tiny 

Rufous Hummingbird to the 

Argentinosaurus looming 

overhead. 

GUIDED EXPLORATIONS 

Teeth & Eating 

Touchable teeth and skulls: 

Invite students to touch the 

teeth at this table and compare 

their shapes and sizes. Ask 

them what these teeth might 

be good for, and how that 

would help a huge animal 

get enough to eat. 

(Answers may include: 

Sauropod teeth were made for 

The spoon-shaped tooth (left) 

belonged to Camarasaurus, 

the pencil-shaped one to 

Diplodocus. 

raking leaves or tearing branches, not for chewing. By 

swallowing whole, sauropods could consume very large 

quantities of food very fast.) 

Mamenchisaurus head and foliage: Look up! Tell 

students that sauropods were herbivores — they ate only 

plants. Have them observe the Mamenchisaurus’ head 

and neck, and ask how these body parts help the animal 

find and eat a lot of food. 

(Answers may include: Long necks could reach higher 

leaves. Small, light heads made long necks possible. 

Heads could be small because they didn’t need big 

muscles for chewing.) 

Check out the Stomach & Digestion section to learn 

more about sauropod diet and metabolism. 

Head, Neck & Movement 

Model of Diplodocus brain: Point out that despite 

having small brains relative to body size, this group 

of dinosaurs flourished on Earth for 140 million years. 

Have students look at this “big-enough” brain. Ask them 

to consider, as they go through the exhibition, what 

behaviors this brain made possible. 

Camarasaurus 

vertebra and vertebrae 

comparison interactive: 

Point out that cavities in 

sauropod vertebrae made 

necks light and easy to 

move, without sacrificing 

strength. Have students 

look at the vertebra and 

ask them what’s unique 

about these bones. 

(Answer: The architecture 

of the vertebrae allows 

them to be both light and 

strong, with large points for powerful muscles 

to attach.) 

Cavities and hollows in neck 

bones like this one gave 

Camarasaurus its name. It 

means “chambered reptile.” 

Ask what the advantage of having such a long, flexible 

neck might be. 

(Answers may include: Long necks gave them access to 

lots of vegetation without having to move the rest of 

their bodies.) 

Invite them to use the interactive to compare how much 

giraffe and sauropod vertebrae weigh. 

Sauropods probably farted a lot. 

They may have released around 

13 gallons (50 liters) of gas per day!

teaching in the EXHIBITION 

Heart & Circulation 

Model of sauropod heart: Tell students that the 

bigger the animal, the more powerful its heart has to be. 

Have students observe the heart model and describe the 

characteristics that help a sauropod heart pump 

oxygen-rich blood from head to tail. 

(Answer: Sauropod hearts were large and, like human 

and bird hearts, were four-chambered. Large hearts beat 

more slowly than smaller ones.) 

Pumping heart interactive: Invite students to 

determine how much effort it takes to circulate blood 

throughout a sauropod’s body, especially to its brain. 

Encourage them to experiment with other animals, like 

a giraffe. 

(Answer: A sauropod’s circulatory system was able to 

regulate blood pressure, whether the dinosaur’s head 

was up or down.) 

Lungs & Breathing 

Scale model of lung and trachea: Have students 

look closely at the model of a sauropod lung and 

compare it to the diagram of a mammal lung. Ask what 

the differences are, and what the effects might be. Point 

out that the sauropod lung was twice as efficient as a 

mammal lung. Why is this important 

(Answer: Sauropods expended less energy breathing 

than other animals. Living dinosaurs, today’s birds, 

breathe the same way. Big respiratory systems also made 

the animals’ bodies lighter.) 

Stomach & Digestion 

Column of leaves and 

metabolism interactive: 

Tell students that this case 

shows how much food this 

Mamenchisaurus might 

have had to eat in one 

hour. Invite students to use 

the interactive to learn 

about the relationship 

among body plans, food 

type, and energy requirements. 

Ask: What are 

some of the factors that 

influenced how much 

food the animal needed 

to consume 

(Answers may include: 

size, digestion period, time 

The tough but nutritious 

horsetail was a staple of the 

sauropod diet. 

of day or time of year, nutritional content of food, the 

animal’s energy requirements, and its age.) 

Eggs & Reproduction 

Display of model eggs: Have students look at a range 

of eggs laid by both living and extinct species. Ask them 

why the eggs of sauropods are similar in size to those of 

much smaller animals. Ask them to compare sauropod 

eggs to those of other dinosaurs, including birds. What 

do they observe 

(Answers may include: There are physical limits on egg 

size. The bigger the egg, the thicker the shell has to be, 

but the shell has to stay thin enough to allow oxygen to 

pass through pores to the developing embryo. The size 

of an egg is not necessarily proportional to the size of 

the animal that laid it. All species of sauropods, regardless 

of how big they were, laid eggs that were very 

similar in size.) 

Eggshell magnifier interactive: Have students use 

the magnifier to look at the pores, or tiny holes, of the 

eggshells of modern animals. Then invite students to 

look at the diorama and touch the fossil eggs to see the 

evidence for what sauropod nests, eggs, and embryos 

were like. 

A titanosaur 

hatchling gets ready to 

leave the nest. It’s on its own!

0.8 tons (725kg) 

Europasaurus holgeri 

13 tons (11,800 kg) 

Mamenchisaurus hochuanensis 

90 tons (82,000 kg) 

Argentinosaurus huinculensis 

WHAT DO FOSSILS TELL US 

How massive were sauropods 

Calculate weight and size interactives: Point out that scientists 

study living animals to understand the biology of extinct ones. Have 

students use both the computer interactive and the hands-on interactive 

to understand how scientists extrapolate the weight of an animal from a 

single bone. 

(Answer: They use mathematical equations, computer modeling, and 

comparisons of fossil bones with those of living animals.) 

What did sauropods look like 

Skin interactive: Ask students why it’s so challenging to determine the 

color and pattern of sauropod skin. 

(Answer: Dinosaur skin is rarely preserved, so we only have limited 

information.) 

How did sauropods behave 

Sauropod footprints and zoetrope: Guide students’ attention to 

the stickers on the floor that represent a series of life-size footprints, 

called a trackway. Ask them what kinds of clues to sauropod behavior 

are contained in trackways. 

(Answers may include: Trackways contain evidence of how fast sauropods 

might have moved, and suggest that herds included animals of 

different ages and species.) 

Invite them to spin the zoetrope for a 3-D image of what moving 

dinosaurs may have looked like. 

HOW DO PALEONTOLOGISTS EXCAVATE 

FOSSILS 

Dig pit: Have students look at the wall graphic surrounding the dig site 

to familiarize themselves with the kinds of bones they’ll be uncovering. 

Ask them to watch the video of paleontologists at work for a sense of 

what it’s like to be on a dig and to see the tools they use. Suggest that 

they think about how to uncover fossils without damaging them, and 

then try it themselves in the dig pit. Make sure each student collects a 

sticker on the way out. 

Have students go to 

amnh.org/ology/livinglarge 

to gather clues about sauropod fossils.

online RESOURCES 

The World’s Largest Dinosaurs 

amnh.org/wld 

Access featured content from the exhibition, including videos, 

interactives, fun facts, and behind-the-scenes photos. 

PaleontOLogy 

amnh.org/ology/paleontology 

Games, puzzles, and activities help kids explore fossils and the clues 

they provide about ancient life and Earth’s history. 

How Big Were Dinosaurs 

amnh.org/resources/rfl/pdf/dino_05_big.pdf 

Could all of your students’ footprints fit into that of an 

Apatosaurus Find out with this hands-on activity. 

Body and Trace Fossils 

amnh.org/resources/rfl/pdf/dino_15_body_trace.pdf 

What kind of fossil is a tooth How about a nest of eggs 

Examine the differences between body and trace fossils. 

Be a Sleuth: How Dinosaurs Behaved 

amnh.org/resources/rfl/pdf/dinoactivity_trackway.pdf 

Like today’s crime-scene investigators, paleontologists study clues 

left behind. See firsthand what trackways — fossilized footprints — 

can tell them about dinosaur behavior. 

Dinosaur Names 

amnh.org/resources/rfl/pdf/dino_04_names.pdf 

Some dinosaur names are short, while others are lengthy tongue 

twisters. But all are infused with meaning. Examine the linguistic 

roots of these terrible (deinos) lizards (sauros). 

Understanding Geological Time 

amnh.org/resources/rfl/pdf/dino_10_time.pdf 

How long have humans been on Earth compared to the length of 

time dinosaurs roamed the planet Gain a new understanding of 

time by mapping out Earth’s history. 

DID YOU KNOW 

The largest sauropod we know of 

is Argentinosaurus. The Museum’s 

fossil specimen is so big, and the rock 

around it so hard, that it’s taking years 

for scientists to excavate all of it from 

South America. 

Sauropods had the longest necks and 

longest tails of any known dinosaurs. 

The head of Diplodocus, a 13-ton 

(11,800-kg) sauropod, is the same size 

as the head of a half-ton (450-kg) 

horse. 

Many sauropods grew new teeth as 

often as once a month, as old ones 

wore out. 

Some titanosaurs, one family of 

sauropods, were covered with bony 

plates called osteoderms. 

Scientists think that sauropods might 

have been brightly colored, like many 

modern-day birds and reptiles. 

We know from trackway evidence, 

which shows smaller sauropods in the 

middle, that some sauropods traveled 

in herds. 

Will even bigger 

dinosaurs be discovered 

some day Probably! 

CREDITS 

The World’s Largest Dinosaurs is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, 

New York (www.amnh.org) in collaboration with Coolture Marketing, Bogotá, Colombia. 

The World’s Largest Dinosaurs is proudly supported by Bank of America. 

Photo Credits 

Cover: sauropod parade, © Raúl Martin; paleontologists at dig, © AMNH. 

Essential Questions: sauropod growth chart, © AMNH. Come Prepared: 

Howe Quarry chart, © AMNH/D.Finnin. Teaching in the Exhibition: teeth 

and sauropod nest, © AMNH/D.Finnin; vertebra, © AMNH/R.Mickens; 

horsetail, © J.S.Peterson/USDA; trackway illustration, © AMNH. Insert: 

Mamenchisaurus, © Raúl Martin. 

Additional support is generously provided by Marshall P. and Rachael C. Levine, 

Drs. Harlan B. and Natasha Levine, and Joyce and Bob Giuffra. 

Funding for the Educator’s Guide has been provided in part by the 

Louis and Virginia Clemente Foundation. 

© 2011 American Museum of Natural History. All rights reserved. 

Cert o. n XXX-XXX-XXXX 

XX%

MAP of the exhibition 

11 

> Exit 

KEY: 

touchable fossils 

& models 

hands-on and 

computer interactives 

video 

THE 

WORLD’S LARGEST 

DINOSAURS 

Size matters. It affects just about everything 

an animal does. As you move through the 

exhibition, examine Mamenchisaurus — an 

exceptionally long-necked sauropod species 

— for clues to a fascinating scientific 

question: What did it take to be so big 

1 

The Importance of Size 

6 

2 

3 

Teeth & Eating 

Head, Neck & Movement 

7 

9 

10 

5 

4 

5 

6 

Heart & Circulation 

Lungs & Breathing 

Stomach & Digestion 

4 

7 

Eggs & Reproduction 

8 

3 

8 

9 

10 

How massive were sauropods 

What did sauropods look like 

How did sauropods behave 

1 

2 

11 

How do paleontologists 

excavate fossils 

Look for these icons throughout the exhibition. 

ribs 

skull 

vertebra 

teeth 

thigh 

bone 

• Explore what these fossilized bones tell us about how 

sauropods lived and behaved. 

> 

Enter 

• Can you find any of these bones in the dig pit 

© 2011 American Museum of Natural History. All rights reserved.

What does it mean to be big 

Size affects just about everything an animal does. Small animals breathe faster than big ones, eat more 

relative to their size, and produce more offspring. Big animals are generally stronger, have fewer predators, 

and live much longer. If being big has such huge advantages, why are most animals so small Because when 

length doubles, weight is cubed (weight X weight X weight). And the more an animal weighs, the more 

energy it uses to move and the more it needs to eat. Sauropods were about as big as land animals can get. 

Oceandwellers have water to support their bulk, which is why blue whales are even more massive than 

sauropods. 

Small Heads 

Despite their massive bodies, sauropods 

had surprisingly small heads relative 

to body size. This had its advantages 

— sauropod heads were light enough 

for long necks to support. If your head 

were the same size relative to your body, 

it would be only a little bigger than a 

baseball! Sauropod brains were “big 

enough” for them to find food and 

herd young. 

Efficient Lungs 

Very different from mammal lungs, 

sauropod lungs worked like those 

of modern-day birds. Sauropods could 

extract more oxygen from each breath 

than humans can. Big lungs and multiple 

air sacs also reduced body weight. 

Tough Stomachs 

Sauropods had to eat enormous 

amounts every day, and swallowed food 

whole. Stomachs functioned like 

giant compost heaps, taking as long 

as two weeks to digest tough vegetation 

and releasing as much as 13 gallons 

(50 liters) of gas a day. Humans typically 

digest their food in about two days. 

Powerful Hearts 

The bigger the animal, the bigger this 

muscular pump needs to be. Sauropods’ 

strong hearts had four chambers, like those 

of living birds, crocodiles, and humans. 

The Longest Necks 

Long, flexible necks enabled sauropods to reach 

lots of food without moving, and air pockets in the 

neck bones kept them light. Sauropod species had 

between 10 and 19 cervical vertebrae, but giraffes 

have only 7 — just like you! 

Starting Out Small: Eggs and Hatchlings 

There are limits on how big eggs can get. Larger eggs require thicker shells, and if the 

eggshell is too thick, air can’t pass through to the developing chick. Even giant parents can’t 

lay giant eggs. Sauropod hatchlings generally weighed less than 11 pounds (5 kg), making 

them easy prey. Although they grew very fast — gaining as much as 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg) 

a year! — relatively few survived. Like other reptiles, sauropods laid many eggs to ensure that 

some reached adulthood. 

© 2011 American Museum of Natural History. All rights reserved.

THE WORLD’S LARGEST DINOSAURS Activities for Grades K–2 

Observe Giant Animals 

OVERVIEW 

Students will practice their observation skills by studying the largest land 

animals that ever lived. 

BACKGROUND FOR EDUCATOR 

NYS Science Core Curriculum 

LE 3.1a: Each animal has different 

structures that serve different 

functions in growth, survival, and 

reproduction. 

For 140 million years sauropods — a group of humongous plant-eating 

dinosaurs — roamed the planet. Now extinct, sauropods were notable for their enormous size; they were the biggest 

land animals ever. They all walked on four legs, were covered in small bumps and scales, and had small heads. Smaller 

ones weighed as much as a cow, while Argentinosaurus was 15 times heavier than the modern African elephant! 

All kinds of scientists use tools, and paleontologists (scientists who study ancient life) are no exception. To make sure 

their observations are accurate, paleontologists focus on details, take accurate measurements, and carefully document 

their findings. 

BEFORE YOUR VISIT 

In these activities, students will get clues about how sauropods grew so huge, 

and prepare tools for their expedition to the Museum. 

Activity: How Big Were Dinosaurs 

amnh.org/resources/rfl/pdf/dino_05_big.pdf 

Spark students’ curiosity about these massive animals. Have students estimate 

how many of their own footprints would fit inside one sauropod footprint and 

conduct an experiment to test their estimate. 

Activity: Prepare for an Expedition 

Part I: Make Your Own Paleontologist Viewfinder 

Students will make their own special tools in preparation for their visit to 

The World’s Largest Dinosaurs. Tell students that the scientists who study 

Plan how your students will 

explore The World’s Largest 

Dinosaurs using the group worksheets. 

Plan to have students work 

in small groups facilitated by a 

teacher/parent chaperone as they 

explore the exhibition. 

If possible, distribute copies of the 

worksheets to chaperones beforehand, 

and review them to make 

sure everyone understands the 

activities. 

ancient dinosaurs are called paleontologists, and that they use special tools to make and record their observations. 

Ask students: What is a tool Do you ever use tools What do they help you do Point out that tools — such as pencils 

and spoons, or hammers and wrenches — don’t need to be complicated to be useful. 

Materials: 

• Paper clips 

• Hole punch 

• Markers 

• One paper towel tube cut in half 

(or two toilet paper tubes) 

for each student 

• 2-foot yarn or thick string for 

each student 

1. Place the two tubes 

parallel to each other. 


amnh.org/wld


2. Clip the tubes together on both ends with paper clips. 

3. Use a hole punch to make two holes, 

one at each end of each tube. 

4. Loop the yarn through the holes and tie knots. 

Hang the viewfinders around each student’s 

neck, adjusting the length as necessary. 

Paleontologist 

5. Have students write their names on one of their 

two tubes, and the word “paleontologist” on the 

other. (You may need to write the word on the 

board.) Encourage students to decorate the 

tubes with drawings of plants and animals, 

since they’ll be using the viewfinders to spot 

animals during the expedition. 

Part II. Make Observations Using Viewfinders 

Students will pair off and practice using their tools to make observations 

about animals that may be unfamiliar to them. 

Materials: 

• Paleontologist toolkits for students 

• Pictures of dinosaurs (you can download illustrations at 

amnh.org/resources/rfl/pdf/dino_16_illustrations.pdf) 

• Stuffed animals or animal models 

Paleontologist Toolkit 

If possible, have each child also 

assemble a “paleontologist toolkit” 

in a backpack. Contents should 

include: their viewfinders, a 

flashlight, a ruler, and a handheld 

magnifier. 

© 2011 American Museum of Natural History. All rights reserved. amnh.org/wld


Hold up an example of each tool in the toolkit. Discuss what it is and how a paleontologist might use it. Tell students 

that before heading to the Museum, they will use their tools in the classroom. 

Split the class into pairs. Hang dinosaur pictures around the room, one for each student pair. Ask each pair to sit or 

stand 4-5 feet away from the picture. Taking turns, one student should illuminate the picture with the flashlight while 

his or her partner, using the viewfinders, makes observations about the dinosaur. (This may be more effective with the 

lights off.) Have students discuss their observations with each other, and if time allows, share their observations with 

the class. 

Next, give one stuffed animal or animal model to each pair. Have students use magnifiers and rulers to measure and 

make close observations about the animal. Ask students to identify different body parts and explain their purpose. How 

does this body part help this animal live/survive Is it different from the corresponding part of a human body How 

Have them discuss their observations with each other, and if time allows, share their observations with the class. 

DURING YOUR VISIT 

The World’s Largest Dinosaurs Exhibition 

4th floor (45 minutes) 

Have small groups of students, each with an adult chaperone, embark on their expedition to learn about sauropod 

dinosaurs. As the students make observations and discoveries, have chaperones record the group’s findings on the 

group worksheet. Encourage students to use their scientific tools to enhance their observations, and to be as detailed 

as possible in their descriptions. They can use their viewfinders and flashlights, as they did in the classroom, to study 

the huge Mamenchisaurus model. They can use magnifiers and rulers on the smaller touchable models and fossils, such 

as eggs and teeth. 

Akeley Hall of African Mammals 

2nd floor (20 minutes) 

Have students use the same methods to observe the elephant group in the center of the hall. Point out that while 

sauropods were the largest land animals that ever lived, elephants are the largest land animals alive today. Ask students 

to identify similarities and differences between sauropod bodies and those of these elephants. (Answers will vary but 

may include that elephants have smaller bodies, larger heads, smaller tails, larger ears, trunks, etc.) 

BACK IN THE CLASSROOM 

Activity: Sharing Observations & Recording Findings 

Have student groups present their paleontological findings. Post a large outline of a sauropod in front of the class. 

(You can draw your own using the sauropod outline on the next page.) 

Have groups come up one at a time and fill in the details by drawing features and labeling the pictures. They can 

refer to group worksheets. They should add other details, such as eggs and footprints, along with any corresponding 

measurements. If you have younger students, you may want to read findings aloud and label the diagram, and have 

students add color and other details. When identifying parts of the animal’s body, ask students how they helped the 

dinosaur live/survive; include this information on the outline. 

Activity: Sauropod Structures & Functions 

Distribute pictures of Barosaurus and/or Dipolodocus. (You can download pictures at amnh.org/resources/rfl/pdf/ 

dino_16_illustrations.pdf) Tell students to color their picture and draw a background scene based on what they have 

learned about sauropods. Have them label the parts of the dinosaur’s body and include what the dinosaur used those 

parts for. 


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THE WORLD’S LARGEST DINOSAURS 

Group Worksheet 

Grades K–2 

Instructions for the adult facilitator: 

1. Have students find models and images of sauropods in the exhibition and use their tools to help them focus on 

particular parts of the dinosaur. 

2. Have all the students in your group observe the same thing at the same time when possible. If students were not 

able to bring their own tools, encourage them to use the tools in the exhibition itself, e.g. the magnifiers in the egg 

section. 

3. Ask students to identify and describe what they are looking at. For large models and fossils, encourage them to 

use their flashlights to illuminate and viewfinders to isolate the part of the animal they are observing. For touchable 

objects and models, students should be encouraged to use their rulers and magnifiers to measure and observe details. 

4. Encourage students to be as descriptive as possible, and solicit contributions from all students. Count eggs as a 

body part too! 

5. Record as much as you can of what students observe, including the tools they used to make their observations. 

Body Part(s) Tools Used Observation / Description 

What does the sauropod 

use this body part for 

How does it help the sauropod 


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THE WORLD’S LARGEST DINOSAURS Activities for Grades 3–5 

Make Observations & Inferences 

OVERVIEW 

Students will use a variety of problem-solving skills to help them understand 

how scientists gather observations and make inferences about extinct species. 


In order to understand the biology of extinct organisms such as sauropods, 

scientists must make many types of observations, including studying fossils 

and living animals. Living birds are the only type of dinosaur alive today, and 


S2.1d: Use appropriate tools and 

conventional techniques to solve 

problems about the natural world, 

including: measuring, observing, 

describing, classifying, and 

sequencing. 

studying them gives scientists insight into the behavior and biology of extinct dinosaurs. Paleontologists (scientists who 

study ancient life) also turn to experts in other fields, such as engineers, to help them understand their observations. 

Together, these scientists are able to answer many types of questions, including what these dinosaurs ate, how fast 

they grew, and how long they lived. All kinds of scientists use tools, and paleontologists are no exception. In order to 

ensure that their observations are accurate, paleontologists focus on details, take accurate measurements, and carefully 

document their findings. 


These activities will introduce students to the work paleontologists do: search 

for, uncover, and study fossil remains, the evidence of prehistoric life. Explain 

to students that, like paleontologists, they will be making observations that 

lead to inferences about the biology of extinct animals. (Example: A snake 

skeleton observed in a fossilized nest may lead a paleontologist to infer that 

the snake was preying on the eggs.) 

Activity: Mystery Backpack 

Prepare a backpack with books and other items that can help students make 

inferences about the owner. For example, a paleontologist’s pack might 

contain magnifying glass, paint brush, ruler, sketch book, pencils, atlas/maps, 

fossil or dinosaur ID book, toothbrush, pick, goggles, sifter, sunhat, etc. 



Dinosaurs using the student 

worksheets. 

Distribute copies of the worksheets 

to students before coming to the 

Museum. You may want to review 

the worksheets with them to make 

sure they understand what they are 

to do. 

As the class examines the backpack and its contents, guide students through the following steps to help them make 

observations and inferences: 

1. Ask students: What do you observe 

2. Prompt students to describe the backpack and its contents (e.g. size, color, style, descriptions of objects as they 

are shown). 

3. Based on these observations what behaviors can they infer about the owner and how the contents might be used 

Write “observation” and “inference” on the board in the form of a T-Chart, and discuss these terms with students. 

(An observation is data that can be measured, observed, examined, and analyzed to support a conclusion. Inference is 

an explanation reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.) 

Ask students to share what they’ve observed about the backpack and its contents. (Answers will include descriptions of 

the bag and its contents.) 

Ask students to share information acquired during the backpack activity that is based on inference (ideas that are 

grounded in but extrapolate from direct observation). (Possible answers: Descriptions of the type of person who may 

own the bag and how he or she uses the objects found inside.) 


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Activity: Animal Puzzle 

In this activity, students continue using their observation skills to make inferences. 

Bring to class at least 10 photos of various animals (e.g. from magazines). Be sure to include habitat when available. 

Cut each photo into puzzle pieces, and place them in a manila envelope. You can make the activity more difficult by 

cutting each image into more, smaller pieces. 

Divide students into groups of two or three. Give each group an envelope and tell them to pull out one puzzle piece at 

a time. Have them guess which animal their envelope contains after they pull out each piece, and record each guess. In 

the process, they should also attempt to figure out some facts about the animal (where it lives, what it eats, etc.). Once 

students have identified their animal, have them write its name and pull out the rest of their pieces to check 

their answer. 

For added difficulty, mix two puzzles together. This simulates finding the fossilized remains of many different animals in 

one location. 




Begin the exploration by having students observe the full-scale model of Mamenchisaurus. Ask: If this giant dinosaur 

went extinct long before humans appeared on Earth, how can we know what it looked like or how its body functioned 

Then explain to students that they will use different scientific techniques to help fill in the picture of sauropod 

biology. Have them record their observations on worksheets, and draw on them to make inferences. 

Koch Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs & Wallach Orientation Center 


Students will examine teeth, trackways, and a model sauropod, and gather evidence about diet, movement, and 

body form. 

Koch Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs: Apatosaurus skeleton 

1. What do the teeth tell us 

Have students sketch the Apatosaurus skull and describe its teeth. Ask them what these observations suggest about 

what this dinosaur might have eaten, and how. If students are having difficulty, ask them to feel their own teeth with 

their tongue and explain how they’re different from those of the sauropod. For further exploration, have students 

examine the wall panel “Teeth & Diet” (adjacent to the T. rex skeleton across from “What Do the Trackways Tell Us”). 

There they can touch different types of teeth and gather more information about the sauropod diet. 

2. What do the trackways tell us 

Have students observe and sketch the trackways of the Apatosaurus mount. What types of information do they think 

the trackways contain What types of information is still lacking After this discussion, have students read the panel 

“What Do the Trackways Tell Us” (adjacent to the Apatosaurus mount) and discuss. 

Wallach Orientation Center: Barosaurus model 

3. What do we really know about what sauropods looked like 

Ask students what they think sauropods looked like. What color skin did they have Was it all one color or patterned 

Was their skin scaly or smooth Do they think that the model depicts Barosaurus accurately, or is it just an educated 

guess Have them supply the reasoning behind their answers. Do they think that there’s evidence to support their 

statements, or are they based on inference Have students watch the video “What do we really know about long 

extinct animals like Barosaurus” and revisit their answers. 


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Activity: Exhibition Wrap-Up 

Divide students into small groups to share their experiences at the Museum. Then have the whole class review the 

observations on their worksheets. Ask what new things they learned, and what surprised them the most. Find out 

whether any of the questions they came up with before their visit were answered at the Museum. Use new questions 

to guide further investigation. Then have students draw on what they learned in the Museum to create a picture of 

sauropods in their habitats. 

Activity: Create a Museum Exhibition 

Students can demonstrate what they’ve learned about sauropods by creating their own Museum exhibition. Have 

students work in small groups to research a topic of interest to them, such as fossil collecting, scientific illustration, 

or dinosaur features. Groups may want to make posters, models, dioramas, or charts. Have each group present its 

completed exhibition to the rest of the class. 

Activity: Observe a Dinosaur 

Students will observe living birds (a kind of dinosaur) and other reptiles (related to dinosaurs) to see how scientists use 

this information to learn about dinosaur biology and behavior. 

To find out how ancient dinosaurs moved and behaved, paleontologists look for clues in fossils, such as fossilized 

footprints, eggs, and even dung. They also observe and analyze the movement and behavior of living dinosaurs and 

other animals. These data help paleontologists interpret the fossil evidence. Tell students that they too can observe 

living dinosaurs, by watching birds in their natural habitat. (Or, direct students to watch bird videos, such as the Cornell 

Lab of Ornithology’s video gallery www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/VideoGallery.html). 

First, have students record information about the environment: 

• Date and time 

• Location and habitat 

• Weather and temperature 

Next, have students observe a bird and record: 

• How does the bird move 

• What does the bird eat 

• Is the bird alone or in a group 

• How does the bird behave with members of its species 

• How does the bird behave with members of other species 

Tips: Have students observe birds in different weather conditions and at different times of day. To collect good data, 

they should try to observe similar groups of birds on two or three different occasions. 

Finally, have students analyze their data: 

• What can you conclude about bird behavior 

• What clues to this behavior might be preserved in the rock record (e.g. footprints) 

As a wrap-up activity, have students compare the notes from this activity to notes taken during their Museum field trip. 

Encourage them to discuss problem-solving strategies used for both. 

ONLINE RESOURCES 

Living Large: The Secrets of Sauropods: amnh.org/ology/livinglarge 

Buried Bones: amnh.org/ology/buried_bones 

Going Gobi: amnh.org/ology/gobi 


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Student Worksheet 

Grades 3–5 

1. How do scientists know what sauropods ate, and how they fed 

Go to the “A Tale of Two Skulls” section. Look for the Diplodocus and horse skulls. Compare the jaws and 

teeth of the two skulls. Sketch each below. 

Diplodocus jaw & teeth 

horse jaw & teeth 

Based on your drawings, what information can the jaws and teeth tell us about sauropods 

What kind of inferences can you make Why 

What information can’t they tell us 

Go to the “Fuel” section. Check out the box of food to see how much sauropods had to eat every day, and 

what types of food they ate. 


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2. How do scientists know what sauropods looked like 

Observe the skin of the Mamenchisaurus model in the middle of the room. Then go to the “Camouflage and 

Attraction” section and look through the viewers. 

What evidence is there about sauropod skin 

What information can it tell us 


What information can’t it tell us 

3. How do scientists know the size of sauropods 

Go to the “Measure the Femur” Section. Use the sliding ruler to measure the juvenile sauropod femur. 

Record the length: _____________________ 

Record the weight calculation: _____________________ 





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Grades 3–5 

ANSWER KEY 

1. How do scientists know what sauropods ate, 

and how they fed 

Go to the “A Tale of Two Skulls” section. Look for the Diplodocus and horse skulls. Compare the jaws and 

teeth of the two skulls. Sketch each below. 

Diplodocus jaw & teeth 

horse jaw & teeth 

Based on your drawings, what information can the jaws and teeth tell us about sauropods 

(Answers may include: The shape of the teeth tells us that they ate plants. The Diplodocus jaw has no back 

teeth (molars) which means that it didn’t chew. The horse jaw contains back teeth (molars) which means that 

it did chew.) 


(Answers may include: Since Diplodocus didn’t chew its food and its teeth are pencil shaped, it probably 

stripped leaves off of branches quickly.) 

What information can’t they tell us 

(Answers may include: What types of plants they ate. How much they had to eat.) 

Go to the “Fuel” section. Check out the box of food to see how much sauropods had to eat every day, and 

what types of food they ate. 


amnh.org/wld


2. How do scientists know what sauropods looked like 

Observe the skin of the Mamenchisaurus model in the middle of the room. Then go to the “Camouflage and 

Attraction” section and look through the viewers. 

What evidence is there about sauropod skin 

(Answers may include: Skin can’t fossilize, but scientists have found fossil skin impressions.) 

ANSWER KEY 


(Answers may include: We can tell that sauropod skin had a bumpy texture/scales. Some sauropods, like the 

titanosaurs, had protective shells made of bony pieces, or osteoderms, that grew from within the skin.) 


(Answers may include: Other animals use skin color and patterns for camouflage or attraction, so sauropods 

may have as well.) 


(Answers may include: Scientists can only guess at skin color and the purpose of osteoderms.) 

3. How do scientists know the size of sauropods 

Go to the “Measure the Femur” Section. Use the sliding ruler to measure the juvenile sauropod femur. 

Record the length: _____________________ 

Record the weight calculation: _____________________ 


(Answers may include: We can use the femur length to figure out what the dinosaur would have weighed.) 


(Answers may include: The weight can tell us if it was a juvenile or adult.) 


(Answers may include: We still don’t know the sauropod’s height or how fast it grew.) 


amnh.org/wld


Investigate Body Systems 

OVERVIEW 

Students will investigate how aspects of their bodies function (digestive, 

circulatory, respiratory, and motor systems) and compare and contrast these 

body systems to those of sauropods. 


Dinosaurs have intrigued paleontologists since the first fossil finds in the 

19th century. Now other scientists, such as animal nutritionists and 

medical physiologists, are also shedding light on sauropod biology and the 

conditions that enabled their gigantic size. This exhibition shows how 

sauropod body systems worked and how they compare to those of humans 

and other animals. 

For a quick overview, read the article, “Living Large: How Did Sauropods 

Get So Big” (Rotunda, Spring 2011) 

amnh.org/join/rotunda/AMNH_RotundaSpring_2011.pdf 


In these activities, students will explore how their own digestive and circulatory 

systems work, and predict how they might have worked in sauropods, which 

ranged in size from almost one ton to ninety. 

Discussion: A Day in Your Life 

Begin the class by asking students to describe a day in their lives in terms of 

basic biological functions. Use the questions below as prompts. Divide 

students into discussion groups of four. Then ask a spokesperson to share 

some of each group’s ideas and record them on the board. 

• What do you eat on a typical day How often 

• When do you move the most 

• How does your heart rate change during the day How about 

your breathing 

Circulation Activity: How does movement affect heart rate 

Students will investigate their heart rate during different activities, and 

reflect the relation between size and circulation. 

Materials: 

• stop watches or clock with second hand visible to entire class 

Ask students to take their heart rate while (1) resting and (2) doing a simple 

activity (such as walking). Ask: What do you notice about your heart rate 

(Answers will vary.) Have students do five trials, record their findings on a 

chart, and calculate the group average. Then write the heart rates 

of a human newborn baby and an adult on the board (see the chart on the 

next page). Ask students to compare their numbers with those of a baby 

and an adult. Have students speculate about the differences. What can they 

infer about the relationship between heart rate and size (Answer: As size 

of an animal increases, the heart rate decreases.) 


LE.1.2a: Each system is composed 

of organs and tissues which perform 

specific functions and interact 

with each other, e.g. digestion, gas 

exchange, excretion, circulation, 

locomotion, control, coordination, 

reproduction, and protection from 

disease. 

The Jigsaw Method 

These activities use a cooperative 

learning strategy called Jigsaw. 

Students form home groups; each 

member joins a different expert 

group to learn about a specific 

subtopic; home groups then reassemble 

and members share what 

they’ve learned. 

• Before Your Visit: Divide the 

class into home groups of four 

students each. Assign each 

student in the home group to 

a different expert group (digestion, 

respiration, circulation, or 

locomotion). Distribute copies of 

the respective worksheets to the 

expert groups, and review them 

with students. 

• During Your Visit: Students 

work in expert groups to gather 

evidence about the digestion, 

respiratory, circulation, and 

locomotion of sauropods and to 

begin to reflect on what it means 

to live large. 

• Back in the Classroom: Students 

share what they learned with 

their home groups; the teacher 

facilitates discussion of how these 

systems work together. In addition, 

the whole class activity uses 

calculations to infer dinosaur size 

and stride and understand how 

scientists study extinct species. 


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Animal 

Human Newborn Baby 

Average Heart Rate 

110 beats per minute 

Make a statement about the relationship 

between heart rate and size. 

Human Adult 

70 beats per minute 

Digestion Activity: How long does it take to chew your food 

Materials: 

• bags of baby carrots 

• box of unsalted crackers 

• stop watches 

Crackers: Working in groups of four, have students chew two crackers for two minutes without swallowing. Ask 

them to think about how both the texture and taste of the crackers change as they chew. Have them record their 

observations. Then explain to them how the teeth and saliva work together to break down food. 

Carrots: Working in pairs, have each student chew two carrots for two minutes without swallowing. Ask each student 

to think about how the texture and taste change, and to record their observations. Have each partner observe the 

other’s chewed carrots and record his or her observations. 

Transition to having students reflect on how many carrots they think they would need to eat in a day to get the calories 

they need. Ask: If each carrot contains approximately 15 calories and a 13-year-old needs 2,200 calories a day, how 

many carrots would he or she need to eat to meet this daily requirement How long would it take What teeth is he or 

she using 

Bring the class together and have students share their results. Show a picture of a sauropod (a plant eater) and ask the 

students to draw upon what they’ve learned to imagine how chewing and digestion work in sauropods. 

Discussion: A Day in the Life of a Sauropod 

Have students make predictions about a day in the life of a 13-ton sauropod by reflecting on questions such as: What 

did they eat How much did they eat How many carrots would they need in a day How did their hearts work How 

fast Students will probably have lots of questions about other body systems. Make sure they record these questions. 

Divide the class into home groups of four, and then into four expert groups. Have each expert group write 10 questions 

about how that body system might function in sauropods. 

To build background knowledge, students can read short descriptions of the digestion and circulatory systems. (You can 

download readings from http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-body/) 


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Have expert teams use the student worksheets to explore and collect evidence about the four body systems (digestive, 

circulatory, respiratory, locomotion). 

Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs 


Have students examine the Apatosaurus skeleton. Ask them to count the number of vertebrae (in the neck, the tail, the 

body). Using their bodies as a ruler, have them estimate the length of the sauropod’s femur bone. Have students write 

five observations about the animal, and five inferences. 

Then, tell students that back in the classroom, each home team will create a story titled “A Day in the Life of a 

Sauropod” using evidence obtained in The World’s Largest Dinosaurs exhibition and in this fossil hall. Have students 

jot down notes, and use this time to decide a plot, the setting, and characters. 



Have students share their findings in their home groups. Encourage students to make connections to other body 

systems. Use these questions to facilitate the discussion: 

• How much am I like a sauropod How am I really different 

• How does size affect the way sauropods’ bodies work 

• Think about how long it took you to chew a carrot and how much food Mamenchisaurus ate in one hour. 

How does size affect the sauropod digestive system 

• How were sauropods able to extract so much oxygen from every breath 

• How does size affect heart rate 

• How does size affect how animals move, and how much they move 

• How are the body systems that each team member learned about connected 

Then, ask each home group to create a story about a day in the life of a sauropod. Remind them that their story needs 

to include information they learned at the Museum, along with a detailed drawing of the part of the animal, with 

important body system parts labeled. 

Activity: Locomotion/Skeletal System 

Using fossil evidence, studies of living animals, and their knowledge of biomechanics, scientists can make inferences 

about sauropods and other extinct organisms. In these two activities, students learn how size can be determined by leg 

length, and stride length can determine distance traveled. They will compare their results to what they learned in the 

exhibition about sauropod size. 

Materials: 

• measuring tapes 

• yardsticks 

• masking tape 

First, measure out an area in which students will take their measurements. 


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1. Calculate Stride 

Tell students that stride length is the distance covered in an average step, either from heel to heel or toe to toe. Using a 

ruler, have students measure each of their stride lengths and calculate the group average. Using that average, ask them 

to use the equation below to figure out the distance traveled in 5,000 steps. 

0.7 (length of stride in cm) x (number of steps) = X (meters) / 1000 (meter in a km) = X km 

For example if the average stride is 70 cm: 

0.7 (70 cm) x (number of steps) = X (meters) / 1000 (meter in a km) = X km 

2. Infer Height from Femur Length 

Tell students that the femur is the single large bone that extends from the hip socket to the kneecap. Have them work 

in pairs, and use a meter stick or measuring tape to determine the approximate length in centimeters of their partner’s 

femur. Use the following equation to estimate height: 

(length of femur in cm) x 2.6 + 65 = height in cm 

Then have students use a metric ruler to obtain their partner’s height in centimeters. (They can convert this metric 

measurement to inches by dividing by 2.54.) 

Finally, have students infer the relationship between stride length and femur length. (Answer: The longer the legs, the 

bigger the steps.) 


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Grades 6–8 

Circulation: Powerful Hearts 

1. Go to the “Beat” section to investigate and gather evidence about sauropods’ powerful hearts. 

Play the pumping heart interactive. Describe the difference between a human and an elephant heart. 

Record different animals’ heart rates in this chart. 

Animal 

deer mouse 

horse 

African elephant 

human 

Heart Rate 

(beats per minute) 


between body size and heart rate. 

What do you think pumping a sauropod’s heart would be like 

What evidence suggests that sauropods had a slow 

heart rate 

Sketch the Mamenchisaurus heart model 

and label the parts. 

Why do scientist think that sauropods had 

four-chambered hearts 

2. Visit the Body Theatre and watch the video. 

Listen to the heart rate of sauropods. Record notes about the circulation system. 


amnh.org/wld



Grades 6–8 

Respiration: Efficient Lungs 

1. Go to the “Lungs and Breathing” section to investigate and gather evidence about the efficient 

respiratory system of sauropods. 

Sketch and label the parts of the sauropod respiratory system. 

What is the purpose of the lungs 

Why is the sauropod lung more efficient than the human lung 


Observe how the lungs and air sacs worked in sauropods. Record notes about the respiratory system. 


amnh.org/wld



Grades 6–8 

Digestion: Tough Stomachs 

1. Go to the “Teeth” section to investigate and gather evidence about how sauropods ate. 

Describe how your teeth compare to sauropod teeth. 

Sketch sauropod teeth. 

What did their teeth allow sauropods to do 

2. Go to the “Fuel” section to investigate and gather evidence about what sauropods ate. 

How many calories did sauropods need to consume every day How does that compare to you 

How is human digestion different from that of sauropods 

What type of plants did sauropods eat 

Make a chart below of the pros (+) and cons (-) of at least two of these plants, and sketch them. 

Plant Pros (+) Cons (-) Sketch the plants 


Record notes about the digestive system and why scientists think sauropods had “fermentation tanks.” 


amnh.org/wld



Grades 6–8 

Skeletal/Locomotion: Necks and legs 

1. Go to the “Reach” and “How Big” sections to investigate 

and gather evidence about how sauropods moved. 

Sketch and label the structure of the 

sauropod vertebrae. 

Observe and lift the giraffe and sauropod vertebrae. 

How are they different How many vertebrae do giraffes have 

How many do sauropods have 

What did the long neck allow a sauropod to do 

2. Visit the “Femur station activity” to measure a sauropod femur and your weight if you were 

a sauropod. 

On the other side, measure your femur bone and calculate your height. (Ask a friend to help you.) 

Calculate and record your height based on the length of your femur. 

How do scientists predict the height and weight of sauropods 


Record notes about the sauropod skeleton, in particular its long neck. 


amnh.org/wld



Circulation: Powerful Hearts 

Grades 6–8 

ANSWER KEY 

1. Go to the “Beat” section to investigate and gather evidence about sauropods’ powerful hearts. 

Play the pumping heart interactive. Describe the difference between a human and an elephant heart. 

(Answer may include: It’s easier to pump the human heart. The elephant’s heart rate is slow. It takes some 

effort to get it to beat just once.) 

Record different animals’ heart rates in this chart. 

Animal 

deer mouse 

Heart Rate 

(beats per minute) 

(Answer: 400) 

horse (Answer: 38) 

African elephant (Answer:28) 

human (Answer: 72) 


between body size and heart rate. 

(Answers may include: The bigger the 

animal, the more powerful the heart has 

to be. The bigger the animal, the slower 

the heart rate). 

What do you think pumping a sauropod’s heart would be like 

(Answers will vary, but it would be hard because their hearts are big and big hearts take more time to fill and 

empty.) 

What evidence suggests that sauropods had a slow 

heart rate 

(Answer: It’s challenging to circulate blood 

throughout this massive body. Big hearts take 

more time to fill and empty.) 

Sketch the Mamenchisaurus heart model 

and label the parts. 

Why do scientist think that sauropods had 

four-chambered hearts 

(Answer: Crocodiles and living dinosaurs like birds 

have four-chambered hearts. A four-chambered heart 

holds oxygen longer and absorbs it more efficiently.) 


Listen to the heart rate of sauropods. Record notes about the circulation system. 


amnh.org/wld



Respiration: Efficient Lungs 

Grades 6–8 

ANSWER KEY 

1. Go to the “Lungs and Breathing” section to investigate and gather evidence about the efficient 

respiratory system of sauropods. 

Sketch and label the parts of the sauropod respiratory system. 

What is the purpose of the lungs 

(Answers may include: Lungs 

transfer oxygen from the air 

to the blood through their thin 

membranes. The lungs also 

remove CO 2 from the bloodstream.) 

Why is the sauropod lung more efficient than the human lung 

(Answers may include: In addition to lungs, sauropod bodies contained two sacs for holding air. Each breath 

stayed inside the sauropod’s body during a second inhale and exhale, allowing more time for oxygen to be 

extracted. Oxygenated air is always going through a sauropod lung. Large air-filled pouches would have 

made the animal a lot lighter.) 


Observe how the lungs and air sacs worked in sauropods. Record notes about the respiratory system. 


amnh.org/wld



Digestion: Tough Stomachs 

Grades 6–8 

ANSWER KEY 

1. Go to the “Teeth” section to investigate and gather evidence about how sauropods ate. 

Describe how your teeth compare to sauropod teeth. 

Sketch sauropod teeth. 

(Answers may include: Humans have different types of teeth for tasks 

like biting and grinding. Sauropods have only one kind of tooth, 

which resembles our incisors.) 

What did their teeth allow sauropods to do 

(Answers may include: Sauropods could scrape and rake leaves and snap 

branches. They could eat a great deal of vegetation very fast because 

they did not take the time to chew.) 

2. Go to the “Fuel” section to investigate and gather evidence about what sauropods ate. 

How many calories did sauropods need to consume every day How does that compare to you 

(Answers may include: A young adult sauropod needed up to 100,000 calories a day. Human teenagers need 

about 2,400.) 

How is human digestion different from that of sauropods 

(Answers may include: Human digestion begins in the mouth and continues in the stomach and intestines. 

Food passes through our digestive tracts within a few days. Sauropod stomachs functioned as fermentation 

tanks. Digestion could take as long as two weeks, allowing time for microbes to break down the cell walls of 

tough plant material.) 

What type of plants did sauropods eat 

(Answers may include: Ginkgo, horsetail, monkey puzzle, conifers, cycads, broadleaf trees, and grasses.) 

Make a chart below of the pros (+) and cons (-) of at least two of these plants, and sketch them. 

Plant Pros (+) Cons (-) Sketch the plants 

(Sample answer: 

Horsetail) 

(Sample answer: Very 

nutritious, digestible, 

accessible, plentiful) 


Hard to chew) 


Monkey puzzle 

tree) 


Nutritious, accessible to 

tall animals, plentiful) 


Difficult to digest, low 

protein content) 


Record notes about the digestive system and why scientists think sauropods had “fermentation tanks.” 


amnh.org/wld



Skeletal/Locomotion: Necks and legs 

1. Go to the “Reach” and “How Big” sections to investigate 

and gather evidence about how sauropods moved. 

Grades 6–8 

ANSWER KEY 

Sketch and label the structure of the 

sauropod vertebrae. 

Observe and lift the giraffe and sauropod vertebrae. 

How are they different How many vertebrae do giraffes have 

How many do sauropods have 

(Answers may include: Like most mammals, the giraffe had only 

7 vertebrae in its neck. Sauropods usually had between 10 and 

19 vertebrae in their necks.) 

What did the long neck allow a sauropod to do 

(Answers may include: Allowed the animal’s head to move 

up and down or side-to-side to access food.) 

2. Visit the “Femur station activity” to measure a sauropod femur and your weight if you were 

a sauropod. 

On the other side, measure your femur bone and calculate your height. (Ask a friend to help you.) 

Calculate and record your height based on the length of your femur. 

How do scientists predict the height and weight of sauropods 

(Answers may include: Using both fossil evidence and studies of living animals, scientist have developed 

several methods to determine how much a dinosaur might have weighed. Scientists measure the length and 

thickness of the thighbone, as well as use computer models.) 


Record notes about the sauropod skeleton, in particular its long neck. 


amnh.org/wld


The Science Behind Their Size 

OVERVIEW 

Students will explore what it means to be big and how an animal’s size affects 

just about everything it does. They will examine how body systems functioned 

in the biggest dinosaurs that ever lived, and how these sauropods ate, 

breathed, and reproduced. 



LE 1.2b: Humans are complex 

organisms. They require multiple 

systems for digestion, respiration, 

reproduction, circulation, excretion, 

movement, coordination, and 

immunity. The systems interact to 

perform the life functions. 

The fossil record indicates that many animal species got bigger over 

evolutionary time, and that the body systems of bigger animals function 

somewhat differently than those of smaller ones. Bigger animals are generally 

stronger than smaller animals, have fewer predators, and live much longer. However, there are disadvantages to being 

big. For instance, the more an animal weighs, the more energy it requires to move and perform other life functions. 

For more information on the world’s biggest dinosaurs read “Living Large: How Did Sauropods Get So Big” 

(Rotunda, Spring 2011), downloadable at amnh.org/join/rotunda/AMNH_RotundaSpring_2011.pdf 


Activity: Size Matters 

In this activity, students will explore the differences between big and small 

animals by charting how specific body systems are affected by body size. 

Tell students that size affects just about everything an animal does — from 

eating and producing waste to breathing and reproducing. (See Background 

paragraph, above). Have students use the information provided in the chart 

below to create one graph per set of data, plotting body weight as the 

independent variable on the x-axis, and each data set (body weight, daily 

food intake, heart rate, life span, birth weight) as the dependant variable on 

the y-axis. (Note: In the exhibition, students will collect data for sauropods.) 



Dinosaurs using the student 

worksheets. 

Distribute copies of the worksheets 

to students before coming to the 

Museum. You may want to review 

the worksheets with them to make 

sure they understand what they are 

to do. 

Species 

Adult Body 

Weight 

Daily Food 

Intake 

Heart Rate 

(beats per 

minute) 

Life Span 

(years) 

Birth weight 

or size of 

eggs 

A - Hummingbird 0.2 oz 0.4 oz 250 5-9 0.018 oz. 

B - African Elephant 

11,000 lbs 400 lbs 30 40 200 lbs 

C - Blue Whale 

D - Average Adult 

Human 

400,000 8,000 20 85 6,000 lbs 

150 lbs 4.7 lbs 72 

68 (world 

7 lbs 

average) 


amnh.org/wld


After students create their graphs, have them independently answer the following questions. Then use their answers to 

lead a class discussion: 

• Make predictive statements about the patterns you see in the graphs. For instance, as body weight increases, how 

are other variables affected How does daily food intake compare to body weight How do adult sizes compare to 

baby sizes 

(Answers may include: As body weight increases, daily food intake increases, heart rate decreases, and life span 

increases.) 

• Why might it be better for an animal to be bigger 

(Answers: Bigger is safer. Predators think twice about targeting the biggest animal in a group. If the biggest animal 

in a group is more likely to survive and reproduce, their offspring will grow larger as well. This is an example of 

natural selection favoring large size. An exception is the hummingbird, the smallest bird and living dinosaur.) 

• Are the individual cells in the body of a big animal the same size as those in a small animal 

(Answer: Yes, it’s just that big animals have many more cells. The amount of energy required to keep these cells alive 

is an organism’s metabolism, which varies across species. Smaller animals have higher metabolisms than larger ones, 

requiring them to consume more calories relative to their size. A tiny hummingbird must drink three times its own 

weight every day. Its metabolic rate is one of the highest of any animal.) 




As students explore the exhibition, have them use the student worksheet to collect observations about the body 

systems of extinct sauropods and their living relatives. They will use this evidence to determine how size affects body 

systems. 

Hall of Reptiles and Amphibians 

3rd floor (20 minutes) 

Have students visit two reptile dioramas: Defense & Feeding (diorama #4) and Komodo Dragon (diorama #10). As they 

explore each diorama, ask them: How do reptilian species use size for defense Is there an advantage to being small 

(Answers may include: Some reptiles may exaggerate their size to appear more aggressive and/or larger when threatened 

by a predator.) 



Have students add the sauropod data from their worksheets to the table provided in the Before Your Visit activity. 

Next have them plot the sauropod data on three graphs: Adult Body Weight, Daily Food Intake, and Heart Rate. 

Students should then independently answer the following questions, and share their answers in a class discussion. 

• How do sauropods fit into the predictive patterns you made before your visit 

(Answer: The sauropod had a very large body. Therefore, it ate more food and had a slower heart rate than the 

smaller animals.) 

• Based on these patterns and what you learned in the exhibition, can you hypothesize where sauropods fit on the 

other two graphs, Life Span and Size of Eggs 

(Answer: Sauropods probably lived longer and laid larger eggs than the smaller animals. Although the sauropod 

eggs would be bigger than the eggs of smaller animals, they were not as big as you might think relative to their size. 

After hatching, sauropods ate a lot and grew very fast.) 


amnh.org/wld



Grades 9–12 

The Science Behind their Size 

As you explore the exhibition, find the sections listed below and collect evidence about sauropods. 

Record your data on the chart. 

Section: Heart Beat 

Listen to the sound of the beating Mamenchisaurus heart. 

How many heart beats per minute to you hear 

How many chambers did the heart have 

List some living species that have the same number of 

heart chambers. 

Circle the best answers: 

The bigger the animal, the 

bigger / smaller and more / less 

powerful its heart has to be. 

Write down some reasons to support your 

answers: 


faster / slower 

the heart rate. 

Section: Breathe 

How many air sacs did the sauropod lung probably have 

List some living species that breathe the same way. 

Section: Fuel 

How much food did this sauropod have to eat every day 

How long did it take to digest its food 



more / less 

energy it uses. 


answers: 


more / less 

it needs to eat. 



Section: Babies 

Find the magnifying station and push the button to see 

the chicken and Yacaré caiman eggs. Which eggs have 

bigger pores 

Eggs with bigger pores are found in which environment 


The bigger the eggs, the 

thicker / thinner 

the shells have to be. 


answers: 

The wetter the environment, the 

larger / smaller 

the eggs’ pores. 

Section: Size 

Based on the length of the adult Apatosaurus femur, 

calculate its weight in pounds. 

Now measure your own femur using the ruler provided. 

How much would you weigh if you were a sauropod 




Grades 9–12 

The Science Behind their Size 

As you explore the exhibition, find the sections listed below and collect evidence about sauropods. 

Record your data on the chart. 

Section: Heart Beat 

ANSWER KEY 

Listen to the sound of the beating Mamenchisaurus heart. 

How many heart beats per minute to you hear 

How many chambers did the heart have 

List some living species that have the same number of 

heart chambers. 



bigger / smaller and more / less 

powerful its heart has to be. 


faster / slower 

the heart rate. 

(Answer: 5) 

(Answer: 4) 

(Answer: humans, birds, crocodilians) 


answers: 

(Answers may include: Size of the heart 

will usually be relative to body size, and 

in bigger animals the heart needs to be 

more powerful to pump blood throughout 

the body. The heart rate is slower, or beats 

fewer times per minute, in bigger animals 

than in smaller ones.) 

Section: Breathe 

How many air sacs did the sauropod lung probably have 

List some living species that breathe the same way. 

(Answer: 2 – rear and front) 

(Answer: birds) 

Section: Fuel 

How much food did this sauropod have to eat every day 

How long did it take to digest its food 



more / less 

energy it uses. 


more / less 

it needs to eat. 

(Answer: 1,150 lbs; 100,000 calories) 

(Answer: about 2 weeks) 


answers: 

(Answers may include: The bigger the 

animal the more energy is required to move 

and perform other life functions. That’s 

why bigger animals need to eat more than 

smaller ones.) 



Section: Babies 

Find the magnifying station and push the button to see 

the chicken and Yacaré caiman eggs. Which eggs have 

bigger pores 

Eggs with bigger pores are found in which environment 


The bigger the eggs, the 

thicker / thinner 

the shells have to be. 

The wetter the environment, the 

larger / smaller 

the eggs’ pores. 

(Answer: Yacaré caiman) 

ANSWER KEY 

(Answer: In wetter environments, or those 

in which eggs are covered for protection 

against predators. Bigger pores help the 

embryo breathe.) 


answers: 

(Answers may include: Bigger eggs need 

thicker shells so they don’t crack. When 

eggs are laid in a wet environment (e.g. 

covered by vegetation or in particularly wet 

mud), they have reduced air flow. Thus the 

pores must be bigger to accommodate the 

reduced amount of air available.) 

Section: Size 

Based on the length of the adult Apatosaurus femur, 

calculate its weight in pounds. 

(Answer: 42,885 lbs) 

(Answers will vary.) 

Now measure your own femur using the ruler provided. 

How much would you weigh if you were a sauropod 


The Worlds Largest Dinosaurs • New York State Science Core Curriculum 

Elementary School 

Standard 

LE 4 

Major 

Understandings 

3.1c: In order to survive in 

their environment, plants 

and animals must be 

adapted to that 

environment.... animal 

adaptations include 

coloration for warning or 

attraction, camouflage, 

defense mechanisms, 

movement, hibernation, 

and migration. 

1.2a: Living things grow, 

take in nutrients, breathe, 

reproduce, eliminate 

waste and die. 

3.2b: Extinction of a 

species occurs when the 

environment changes and 

the adaptive 

characteristics of a 

species are insufficient to 

permit its survival. 

Extinction of species is 

common. Fossils are 

evidence that a great 

variety of species existed 

in the past. 

Introduction 


Meet Mamenchisaurus 

Eating 

Brain 

Neck & Biomechanics 

Size of Sauropods 

Reproduction 

Skin 

Trackways 

Metabolism 

Biology Theater 

Circulation 

Respiration 

Dig Pit 

Epilogue 

X X X X X X X X 

X X X X X X X X X 

X X X X X X X X

Middle School 

Standard 

Major 


Introduction 



Eating 

Brain 



Reproduction 

Skin 

Trackways 

Metabolism 


Circulation 

Respiration 

Dig Pit 

Epilogue 

LE 4 

3.2c: Many thousands of 

layers of sedimentary rock 

provide evidence for the 

long history of the earth 

and for the long history of 

changing life forms whose 

remains are found in the 

rocks. Recently deposited 

rock layers are more likely 

to contain fossils 

resembling existing 

species. 

3.1b: Changes in 

environmental conditions 

can affect the survival of 

individual organisms with 

a particular trait. Small 

differences between 

parents and offspring can 

accumulate in successive 

generations so that the 

descendants are very 

different from their 

ancestors. Individual 

organisms with certain 

traits are more likely to 

survive and have offspring 

than individuals without 

those traits. 

1.2a: Each system is 

composed of organs and 

tissues which perform 

specific functions and 

interact with eachother, 

e.g., digestion, gas 

exchange, excretion, 

circulation, locomotion, 

control, coordination, 

reproduction and 

protection from disease. 

1.1H: Living things are 

classified by shared 

characteristics in the 

cellular and organism 

level. In classifying 

organisms, biologists 

consider details of internal 

and external structure . 

Biological classification 

systems are arranged 

from general (kingdom) to 

specific (species). 

X X X X X X 

X X X X X 

X X X X X x X X X X X X X 

X X X X X X X X X X X X

High School 

Standard 

Major 


Introduction 



Eating 

Brain 



Reproduction 

Skin 

Trackways 

Metabolism 


Circulation 

Respiration 

Dig Pit 

Epilogue 

LE 4 

1.2 a: Important levels of 

organization for structure 

and function include 

organelles, cells, tissues, 

organs, organ systems, 

and whole organisms. 

3.1g: Some characteristics 

give individuals an 

advantage over others in 

surviving and reproducing, 

and the advantaged 

offspring, in turn, are more 

likely that others to survive 

and reproduce. The 

proportion of individuals 

that have advantageous 

characteristics will 

increase. 

1.2 b: Animals are 

complex organisms. They 

require multiple systems 

for digestion, respiration, 

reproduction, circulation, 

excretion, movement, 

coordination, and 

immunity. The systems 

interact to perform the life 

functions. 1.2c: The 

components of the animal 

body, from organ systems 

to cell organelles, interact 

to maintain a balanced 

internal environment. To 

successfully accomplish 

this, organisms possess a 

diversity of control 

mechanisms that detect 

deviations and make 

corrective actions. 

3.1L: Extinction of a 

species occurs when the 

environment changes and 

the adaptive 

characteristics of a 

species are insufficient to 

allow its survival. Fossils 

indicate that many 

organisms that lived long 

ago are extinct. Extinction 

of a species is common; 

most of the species that 

have lived on earth no 

longer exist. 

X 

X X X X X X X X X X X 

X X X X X 

X X X X X X X X X X X X X 

X

Educator's Guide - American Museum of Natural History

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