Journey to the Time of the Dinosaurs

BOOM! The ground shakes. You look up in wonder. Staring down at you is an enormous creature. Its neck is 70 feet long—almost twice the length of your school bus. The beast takes a thundering step toward you. It feels like a mini earthquake.

This is one of the mighty titanosaurs (TY-tan-uh-sors). They are the biggest dinosaurs—and animals—to ever walk the planet. This one is taller than a seven-story building and longer than a basketball court.

The monster reaches its long neck toward you. Look out! But it’s just biting a branch off a leafy tree. Phew. You’re not on this creature’s dinner menu. Like many dinosaurs, this one’s an herbivore. It eats only plants.

You hear a terrifying Roar! in the distance. You’re not safe yet—not even close. You’re on Earth 66 million years ago. This is the time of the dinosaurs. 

BOOM! The ground shakes. You look up in wonder. A huge creature stares down at you. Its neck is almost as long as two school buses. The creature takes a step toward you. It feels like a mini earthquake.

This is one of the titanosaurs (ty-tan- uh-sors). They are the world’s biggest dinosaurs. (They’re also the world’s biggest animals!) This one is taller than a seven-story building. It’s longer than a basketball court.

The titanosaur moves toward you. Look out! But it’s just biting a branch off a leafy tree. You relax for a moment. You’re not on the titanosaur’s dinner menu. This dinosaur is an herbivore. Like many dinosaurs, it eats only plants.

You hear a scary Roar! in the distance. You’re not safe yet. Not even close. You’re on Earth 66 million years ago. This is the time of the dinosaurs. 

You take a deep breath of the hot, wet air. Brightly colored plants and thick green trees fill the land. There are no people around. Humans won’t appear on Earth for another 64 million years. Right now, giant reptiles called dinosaurs rule the planet. 

You pass through tall grass and enter the land that will become America. In the sky, a winged creature the size of an airplane flies by. It’s a type of pterosaur (TEH-ruh-sor), a group of flying reptiles. Whack! A pair of Triceratops lock horns in a fight over food. An Ankylosaurus with a club on its tail watches closely. 

You take a deep breath. The air is wet and hot. The land is filled with bright plants and thick trees. There are no people here. Humans won’t appear for millions of years. Giant reptiles called dinosaurs rule the planet right now.

You pass through tall grass. You enter the land that will become America. You see a creature high in the air. It’s the size of an airplane. The creature is a type of pterosaur (TEH- ruh-sor). Pterosaurs are a group of flying reptiles. Whack! A pair of Triceratops lock horns. An Ankylosaurus watches nearby. It has a club on its tail. 

You hear that terrifying Roar! again. But this time the sound is closer—much closer. You turn to find yourself face- to-face with the scariest creature of all: the Tyrannosaurus rex. This is one of the fiercest dinosaurs that ever lived. It flashes its 10-inch teeth at you.

But suddenly a loud Kaboom! fills the air. Chunks of burning rock fall from the sky. Dinosaurs run in every direction. A space rock called an asteroid has just hit the planet. Time to get out of here! 

You hear that loud Roar! again. This time the sound is much closer. You turn around. You’re facing the scariest creature of all: the Tyrannosaurus rex. It flashes its teeth at you. They are 10 inches long.

Suddenly, a loud Kaboom! fills the air. Pieces of burning rock fall from the sky. Dinosaurs run in every direction. A space rock called an asteroid has just hit the earth. It’s time for you to get out of here! 

The dinosaurs died after the asteroid hit Earth. The planet has changed a lot since then. Over time, new animals appeared. And 2 million years ago, the first humans did too!

Today, scientists search for clues to help them learn about dinosaurs. They hunt for fossils—the remains of bones, footprints, and plants. New fossils are discovered each year. And scientists say many more dinosaurs are out there, just waiting to be found. 

The dinosaurs died after the asteroid hit Earth. The planet has changed a lot since then. New animals appeared over time. Two million years ago, the first humans did too!

Today, scientists search for clues to learn about dinosaurs. They hunt for fossils. Fossils are the remains of bones, footprints, and plants. New fossils are discovered each year. And scientists say many more dinosaurs are out there. They’re just waiting to be found.