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THE AGE OF DINOSAURS

Welcome to the Age of Dinosaurs worksheet!
Here you’ll practice new dinosaur words, test what you’ve learned, and discover even more amazing facts. Let’s get started!

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How to Read Some of the Words in the Book

Reading the Words

Big Science / Time Words

  • Cenozoic → SEE-nuh-ZOH-ik
    The era after the dinosaurs, when mammals and humans lived.

  • Cretaceous → kruh-TAY-shus
    The last period of the dinosaur age, when many dinosaurs lived.

  • Discoveries → dis-KUV-er-eez
    New things that are found or learned for the first time.

  • Excavation → eks-kuh-VAY-shun
    Carefully digging to uncover objects from the past.

  • Extinction → ik-STINK-shun
    When all members of a group of living things die out.

  • Gondwana → gon-DWAH-nuh
    A giant ancient landmass made of continents joined together long ago.

  • Jurassic → juh-RASS-ik
    The middle period of the dinosaur age, when many large dinosaurs lived.

  • Laurasia → lor-AY-zhuh
    A large ancient landmass that later split into today’s continents.

  • Mesozoic → mez-uh-ZOH-ik
    The era known as the age of dinosaurs.

  • Observation → ob-zur-VAY-shun
    Watching something closely to learn more about it.

  • Paleontologist → pay-lee-on-TOL-uh-jist
    A scientist who studies fossils and ancient life.

  • Paleozoic → pay-lee-uh-ZOH-ik
    An era before dinosaurs, when early life spread on land.

  • Pangaea → pan-JEE-uh
    One huge landmass where all continents were once joined together.

  • Triassic → try-ASS-ik
    The first period of the dinosaur age, when dinosaurs first appeared.

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Mary Anning was a paleontologist who discovered the first complete Ichthyosaurus fossils.

Biology / Behavior Words

  • Adapt / adaptation → uh-DAPT / ad-ap-TAY-shun
    To change over time in order to survive in a new place.

  • Carnivore → KAR-nuh-vor
    An animal that eats meat.

  • Gastroliths → GAS-troh-liths
    Small stones that some animals swallow to help grind food.

  • Hatchlings → HACH-lingz
    Baby animals that have just hatched from eggs.

  • Herbivore → HER-buh-vor
    An animal that eats plants.​

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Triceratops was a herbivore. Herbivores eat plants.

Event & Disaster Vocabulary

  • Asteroid → ASS-tuh-royd
    A large rock from space that travels around the Sun.

  • Chicxulub → CHEEK-shuh-loob
    The name of a huge crater made by an asteroid that hit Earth.

  • Crater → KRAY-ter
    A large hole in the ground made by an impact.

  • Eruption → ee-RUP-shun
    When lava, ash, or gas bursts out of a volcano.

  • Impact → IM-pakt
    A strong hit or crash.

  • Tsunami → soo-NAH-mee
    A giant ocean wave caused by sudden movement of the Earth.

  • Volcano → vol-KAY-noh
    An opening in the Earth where lava, ash, and gas come out.

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Asteroid is a large rock from space that travels around the Sun.

Dinosaurs and Other Names

  • Allosaurus → AL-uh-SOR-us
    A large meat-eater from the Jurassic Period.

  • Ankylosaurus → AN-kih-loh-SOR-us
    A heavily armored plant-eater from the Cretaceous Period.

  • Apatosaurus → uh-PAT-uh-SOR-us
    A huge, long-necked plant-eater from the Jurassic Period.

  • Archaeopteryx → ar-kee-OP-tuh-riks
    A small dinosaur with feathers from the Jurassic Period.

  • Brachiosaurus → BRACK-ee-oh-SOR-us
    A very tall plant-eater that reached treetops in the Jurassic Period.

  • Coelophysis → see-LOF-uh-sis
    A small, fast meat-eater from the Triassic Period.

  • Dimorphodon → dye-MOR-foh-don
    A flying reptile that lived during the Jurassic Period.

  • Gallimimus → GAL-ih-MY-mus
    A fast-running dinosaur from the Cretaceous Period.

  • Herrerasaurus → huh-RAIR-uh-SOR-us
    One of the earliest meat-eating dinosaurs from the Triassic Period.

  • Ichthyosaurus → IK-thee-oh-SOR-us
    A fast-swimming marine reptile from the Mesozoic Era.

  • Iguanodon → ig-WAH-nuh-don
    A large plant-eater from the Cretaceous Period.

  • Leaellynasaura → lee-EL-in-uh-SOR-uh
    A small plant-eater that lived in cold regions during the Cretaceous Period.

  • Maiasaura → my-uh-SOR-uh
    A plant-eater known for caring for its young in the Cretaceous Period.

  • Plateosaurus → PLAT-ee-oh-SOR-us
    A large early plant-eater from the Triassic Period.

  • Plesiosaurus → PLEE-see-oh-SOR-us
    A long-necked marine reptile from the Jurassic Period.

  • Protoceratops → PROH-toh-SAIR-uh-tops
    A small plant-eater with a frill from the Cretaceous Period.

  • Quetzalcoatlus → kwet-sal-koh-AT-lus
    A giant flying reptile from the Cretaceous Period.

  • Shastasaurus → SHAS-tuh-SOR-us
    A huge marine reptile from the Mesozoic Era.

  • Spinosaurus → SPY-nuh-SOR-us
    A large meat-eater with a sail on its back from the Cretaceous Period.

  • Stegosaurus → STEG-oh-SOR-us
    A plant-eater with plates and spikes from the Jurassic Period.

  • Tyrannosaurus rex → tie-RAN-uh-SOR-us reks
    A huge meat-eater and top predator from the Cretaceous Period.

  • Triceratops → try-SAIR-uh-tops
    A large horned plant-eater from the Cretaceous Period.

  • Velociraptor → vuh-LOSS-ih-rap-ter
    A small, fast meat-eater from the Cretaceous Period.

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Spinosaurus had a large sail on its back.

Periods of Mesozoic Era

Periods of

Put the periods of the Mesozoic Era in the correct order. Write the numbers 1–3 next to each period. The first period of the Mesozoic Era should be number 1. 

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Jurassic Period

Triassic Period

Cretaceous Period

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True or False

True or False

Select True or False for each sentence.

1. Dinosaurs lived at the same time as humans.

2. The Mesozoic Era lasted millions of years.

3. All dinosaurs were huge and slow.

4. Some dinosaurs lived and traveled in groups called herds.

5. Marine reptiles were dinosaurs that lived in the ocean.

6. Fossils can include footprints, not just bones.

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Pick the Right Word

Right Word

Pick the correct words to complete the sentences.

Use these words:
fossils – herbivores – predators – extinction – Mesozoic

gastroliths – paleontologists – ecosystem

  1. Scientists who study dinosaurs are called 

  2. Plant-eating dinosaurs are called 

  3. Meat-eating dinosaurs are called 

  4. The age of dinosaurs is known as the                                        Era.

  5. Dinosaurs disappeared during a mass  

  6. Small stones swallowed to help grind food are called 

  7. Bones, footprints, and teeth preserved in rock are called 

  8. All plants and animals living together in one place form an 

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Glossary Match

Glossary Match

Find the correct meanings for the glossary words.

  • Era -

  • Period - 

  • Predator - 

  • Prey -

  • Fossil -

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Who Lived Where

Who lived where

Can you figure out who lived where?

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  1. Dinosaurs lived on the 

  2. Pterosaurs lived in the

  3. Marine reptiles lived in the 

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Dinosaur Life Check

life check

Pick the correct answers. 

  1. Dinosaurs were born from:
     

  2. Some dinosaurs protected their young by:
     

  3. Herbivores mostly ate:
     

  4. Predators helped ecosystems by:
     

  5. Dinosaurs are known from what scientists find, such as:
     

  6. The Mesozoic Era includes the Triassic, Jurassic, and:
     

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Did you have fun?
Then, don’t forget to check out the rest of the Dinosaur Series!

© Copyright Derya Dinç 2019
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