How one boy grew up to help discover Earth's biggest dinosaur
Learning Objective: With the assistance of various text features, students will learn how scientists discovered fossils from the largest dinosaur that ever lived.
Characters
Choose the character you will play.
*indicates a larger speaking role
Choose the character you will play.
*indicates a larger speaking role
*Narrators 1, 2, and 3 (N1, N2, N3)
*Diego Pol, a paleontologist
Eva, Julian, and Roberto, Diego’s friends
*Olivia, Diego’s best friend
*José Luis Carballido, a paleontologist
*Narrators 1, 2, and 3 (N1, N2, N3)
*Diego Pol, a paleontologist
Eva, Julián, Roberto, and *Olivia, Diego’s friends
*José Luis Carballido, a paleontologist
*Oscar Mayo, a ranch owner
Aurelio Hernández, the ranch worker who first finds the bone
Elena, a paleontologist
Isabel, a young girl
Oscar Mayo, a ranch owner
Elena, a paleontologist
Aurelio Hernández, a shepherd
Isabel, a visitor at the American Museum of Natural History
Scene 1
1982
Argentina, South America
Argentina, South America
1984
FRANKIE BRADSHAW/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
N1: A group of kids play soccer on a sunny beach.
Eva: There’s no one guarding the goal!
N2: Julian passes her the ball.
Julian: Go, Eva, go!
N3: She shoots . . .
Julian: GOAL!
N1: On the other team, Olivia and Roberto are not happy.
Olivia: Where is our goalie?!
Roberto: Digging in the sand. Again.
N2: Olivia runs over to Diego Pol, her best friend.
Olivia: You lost the game for us!
Diego: Oh no, I’m sorry. But check this out!
N3: Diego hands her a small sandy object.
Olivia: You left the game for a shell?
Diego: It’s a fossil—the remains of an animal that lived millions of years ago.
Olivia: Come on. We need our goalie back!
N1: Diego sighs and puts the fossil in his pocket.
N1: A group of 10-year-old kids is on a beach playing soccer.
N2: Or, as it’s called in Argentina, fútbol.
Eva: Pass, Julián! There’s no one guarding the goal!
N3: Julián passes her the ball.
Julián: Go, Eva, go!
N1: She shoots, and . . .
Julián: ¡GOOOOOLLLL!
N2: Eva and Julián high-five.
N3: On the other team, Olivia and Roberto aren’t happy.
Olivia: Where is our goalie?!
Roberto: Where do you think? Digging in the sand. Again.
N1: Olivia runs over to her best friend, Diego Pol.
Olivia: ¡Amigo! You lost the game for us! Diego: I know, I’m sorry. But check this out!
N2: He hands her a small rocky disc.
Diego: It’s a sand dollar. Look at the star on this side.
Olivia: You lost the game . . . for a shell?
N3: Olivia raises an eyebrow. Diego tries again.
Diego: It’s a fossil—remains of an animal that lived millions of years ago. Isn’t that cool?
Olivia: I mean . . . I guess?
N1: Diego takes it back and sighs.
Olivia: Come on. We need our star goalie back.
N2: Diego watches Olivia run to the team, then slips the fossil into his pocket and follows her.
JIM MCMAHON/MAPMAN®
Scene 2
1999
American Museum of Natural History, New York City
N2: Diego is now 25. He’s studying to become a paleontologist—a scientist who studies fossils.
N3: He’s also working at a famous museum: the American Museum of Natural History.
N1: Olivia is visiting Diego from Argentina.
N2: Amazing bones from dinosaurs and other animals are everywhere.
Diego: I’m so excited to show you my favorite fossils!
Olivia (smiling): You and your fossils, Diego.
N3: Olivia looks at a Tyrannosaurus rex. Olivia: Look at those teeth—they’re the size of bananas!
Diego: This T. rex was discovered by a fossil hunter named Barnum Brown. He found the first T. rex skeleton. People call him Mr. Bones.
Olivia (laughing): That’s quite a nickname.
Diego: Without Mr. Bones, we might not know about the T. rex!
Olivia: That is pretty cool. Diego: I hope I dig up something this important one day.
Olivia: I know you will. I bet they’ll show it here at this museum!
Diego: Maybe . . .
American Museum of Natural History, New York City
1999
N3: Diego, now 25, is studying to become a paleontologist—a scientist who studies fossils.
N1: In the meantime, he also does research at the American Museum of Natural History.
N2: He gives a tour to Olivia, who’s visiting from Argentina. 0 100 MI
Diego: I want to show you my favorite fossils.
Olivia (smiling): You and your fossils, Diego.
Diego: ¡Lo sé! But I promise the ones here are way more impressive than that sand dollar I showed you all those years ago.
N3: The friends smile at each other as they enter the Hall of Fossils.
N1: Amazing bones from dinosaurs and other animals are everywhere.
N2: Olivia looks at a T. rex.
Olivia: Look at those teeth—they’re the size of bananas!
Diego: This T. rex was discovered in 1902 by the fossil hunter Barnum Brown— also known as Mr. Bones.
Olivia (laughing): That’s quite a nickname.
Diego: You laugh, but without him, we might not know about the T. rex at all. He found the very first T. rex skeleton!
Olivia: OK, that is pretty cool.
Diego: I hope I dig up something that important one day. Something that changes how the world thinks about dinosaurs.
Olivia: I know you will. And I’d better be the first person you tell when you do!
Diego (smiling): Sí, of course!
N3: Olivia puts her arm around her friend as they walk into the next room.
Olivia: How cool would it be to see a dinosaur you’ve helped discover in this museum?
Diego (sighing): That would be an amazing honor.
N1: Diego keeps smiling, but he wonders—will he ever make a discovery important enough to end up in this museum?
FRANKIE BRADSHAW/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
DIGGING FOR DINOSAURS
Scientists use different tools to uncover fossils. The tools can range from giant hammers to tiny toothbrushes.
Scene 3
2012
Museum of Paleontology, Argentina
N1: Diego is now a paleontologist in Argentina.
N2: He walks into the museum where he works. He looks upset.
N3: Another paleontologist named José Luis Carballido looks up.
José: What’s wrong?
Diego: Another wasted trip! A woman called and told me she had found a dinosaur egg. But it was just a rock.
José: Don’t worry. I bet an important discovery is coming soon.
N1: There’s a knock on the door. A man enters the room.
Oscar: Hi! My name is Oscar Mayo. I own a ranch. One of my workers found something you might be interested in.
José: What is it?
Oscar: Based on what’s in this museum, I think it’s a dinosaur bone. But it’s bigger than anything here.
Diego (excited): How much bigger?
Oscar: Come out to the ranch. I’ll show you.
Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio, Argentina,
2012
N2: José Luis Carballido examines some fossils in the museum lab.
N3: Diego—now a paleontologist— bursts in, sweaty and frustrated.
Diego: The “dinosaur egg” that woman said she found? Another rock.
José: Sorry to hear it. But it’s always worth a try.
Diego: Is it? These calls result in nothing but wasted gas and miles on the car.
José: All it takes is one discovery to change everything, amigo—just one
N1: There’s a knock on the door, and a stranger pokes his head in.
Oscar: Hola. Are you the paleontologists?
José: Sí. What can we do for you?
Oscar: My name is Oscar Mayo. I live out in the desert. A shepherd found something on my ranch you might be interested in.
Diego (under his breath): Not another one.
José: What is it?
Oscar: Based on what I saw here in your museum, I think it’s a dinosaur bone. But it’s much bigger than any of these.
N2: Diego perks up.
Diego: How much bigger?
Oscar: Come out to the ranch and I’ll show you. N3: José puts his hand on Diego’s shoulder.
José (smiling): One, amigo. That’s all it takes.
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
This is part of La Flecha Ranch, where the titanosaur fossils were found.
How a Fossil Forms
Step 1:
A dinosaur or other animal dies.
Step 1:
A dinosaur or other animal dies.
Step 2:
Over time, its skeleton gets buried under water, rocks, and mud, and hardens into a fossil.
Step 2:
Over time, its skeleton gets buried under water, rocks, and mud, and hardens into a fossil.
Step 3:
After more time passes, the water dries up. Some of the dirt wears away. People can now find the fossils!
Step 3:
After more time passes, the water dries up. Some of the dirt wears away. People can now find the fossils!
Scene 4
A few days later
La Flecha Ranch, Argentina
N2: Oscar’s ranch is covered in red dirt, dust, and rocks.
José: It’s hard to believe that 100 million years ago, this was all a huge forest.
N3: José and Diego meet Aurelio Hernández, the worker who found the bone.
Aurelio: Here it is!
N1: They all look at the brown object poking out of the rock.
N2: Diego is shocked.
José: It’s definitely a dinosaur fossil.
Diego (whispering): The rest of the bone must be huge.
N3: Diego and José gather a team.
N1: They dig and dig.
N2: Finally, they uncover the biggest bone they’ve ever seen.
Diego: This is a titanosaur [TY-tan-uh- sor]. Don’t you think, José?
Aurelio: What’s that?
José: Titanosaurs were a group of giant long- necked dinosaurs . . . the biggest dinosaurs that ever lived!
N3: Diego lies down next o the bone.
José (laughing): I think that bone is taller than you! It looks like a leg bone.
Diego: We’re going to need more help. Let’s find out just how huge this dinosaur was.
La Flecha Ranch, Patagonia, Argentina
A few days later
N1: José and Diego drive out to Oscar’s ranch.
N2: There, they meet Aurelio Hernández, the shepherd who found the bone.
N3: The ranch is covered in red dirt and rocks. N1: But 100 million years ago, it was a forest.
Diego (out of breath): Are we there yet?
Aurelio: Just up this hill. Over here!
N2: They look at a brown object poking out of the rock.
Aurelio: Well?
N3: Diego is so astonished he can barely speak. José: It’s definitely a dinosaur fossil. And what we’re looking at is just a small part of it.
Diego (whispering): The rest of the bone must be huge. This could be . . .
José: The one!
N1: Diego and José gather a team and return to the ranch.
N2: Using pickaxes and brushes, they dig—and dig and dig.
N3: Finally, they uncover the biggest bone they’ve ever seen.
Diego: This is a titanosaur [tye-TAN-uh-sor].
Aurelio: What’s that?
José: Titanosaurs were a group of giant dinosaurs with really long necks.
N1: Diego lies down next to the bone.
José (laughing): It’s taller than you are! It looks like a leg bone.
Diego (jumping up): We need a bigger team! Let’s try to find more bones and see if we can figure out just how big this dinosaur was.
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Diego and the leg bone
Scene 5
Weeks later
La Flecha Ranch, Argentina
N1: The site is filled with energy. Paleontologists, volunteers, and students chip away at red stone.
N2: They’ve found dozens of bones so far.
N3: But an arm bone has everyone’s attention. A paleontologist named Elena is digging it out.
N1: The team gathers to watch as she chips off the last pieces of rock.
Elena: If we measure this arm bone, we can figure out the dinosaur’s size.
N2: Diego bends down to measure the bone.
N3: The team holds its breath.
N1: Diego quickly writes down some numbers.
Diego: This titanosaur weighed . . . 70 tons.
Elena: That’s as heavy as four school buses!
José: That means this titanosaur is the biggest dinosaur ever discovered!
N2: The workers high-five and hug each other.
N3: Diego can’t stop smiling.
La Flecha Ranch, Patagonia, Argentina
Weeks later
N2: The dig is bustling.
N3: Paleontologists, volunteers, and students have uncovered dozens of bones so far.
N1: But everyone is focused on the arm bone that a paleontologist named Elena is digging out.
N2: The team gathers to watch as she chips off the last pieces of rock.
Elena: If we measure this bone, we can figure out the dinosaur’s size. Diego, would you like to make the measurement?
N3: Diego nods eagerly. As he wraps a measuring tape around the bone, his hands shake.
N1: This moment could change his life.
N2: He scribbles calculations on a piece of paper.
N3: The team holds its breath.
Diego: This titanosaur weighed . . . 70 tons.
Elena: That’s . . . as heavy as four school buses!
José: If your calculations are correct, this is the biggest dinosaur ever discovered.
N1: Cheers erupt. Dig workers high-five and hug.
N2: Diego can’t stop smiling.
FRANKIE BRADSHAW/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
This is what a titanosaur may have looked like.
Scene 6
2016
American Museum of Natural History, New York City
N1: The new titanosaur is on display. A crowd gathers around it.
N2: Diego and Olivia smile and watch the crowd.
Olivia: You did it! I’m so proud of you.
N3: They hear a girl talking to her family.
Isabel: . . . and after they dug it out of the desert, it took the team more than 40,000 hours to put the whole skeleton together!
N1: Isabel stares up at the dinosaur.
Olivia: Pretty amazing, isn’t it?
Isabel: Did you know that this titanosaur is an entirely new type of dinosaur?
Diego (smiling): You like dinosaurs, huh?
Isabel (proudly): I’m going to be a paleontologist someday. I want to dig up a dinosaur just as important as this one.
Diego: That’s a great dream to have.
Isabel: But what if everything has already been discovered? What if the biggest dinosaur has already been found?
Diego: I’m sure there’s an even bigger one out there somewhere! Maybe you’ll be the one to find it.
N2: Isabel smiles and looks back at the titanosaur.
Isabel (whispering): An even bigger one . . .
New York City
2016
N3: Crowds circle the titanosaur on display.
N1: Diego walks among the visitors, enjoying their excitement. Then he hears a young girl talking to her family.
Isabel: . . . it took the team more than 40,000 hours to put the whole skeleton together!
N2: Isabel looks up at the dinosaur.
Diego: Pretty amazing, isn’t it?
Isabel: Did you know that this titanosaur measured 122 feet long? And that it was an entirely new species?
Diego: You like dinosaurs, huh?
Isabel (proudly): I’m going to be a paleontologist someday.
Diego: I think that’s a great dream.
N3: Isabel looks at Diego, suddenly worried.
Isabel: Do you think so? What if everything has already been discovered? Like, what if the biggest dinosaur has already been found?
Diego: I’m sure there’s an even bigger one out there! Maybe you’ll be the one to find it. It’s worth a try.
N1: Isabel thinks about this for a second, then smiles and looks back at the titanosaur.
Isabel (whispering): An even bigger one . . .
N2: As Diego walks away, he pulls out his phone, takes a picture of the crowd, and texts it to Olivia, writing: ¡Hola, Olivia! Remember when you said I should tell you when I dug up something important? Well . . .
THINK AND WRITE
Select one text feature from the play. Write a paragraph explaining what is interesting about this text feature and how it helps you understand the play.
Can't Miss Teaching Extras
Meet another paleontologist in our October/November 2017 article, “The Amazing Secrets of Dinosaur Poop,” and learn about the special type of dinosaur fossil that Karen Chin studies.
This issue’s Time Machine article, “Journey to the Time of the Dinosaurs,” makes a great pairing with the play.
Visit the American Museum of Natural History’s Museum Paleo Prep Lab in the 32-minute “Google Field Trip: Dinosaur Fossils at the Museum” and learn how paleontologists look for and work with dinosaur fossils.
Table of Contents
5. Differentiate and Customize
Struggling Readers, Multilingual Learners, Advanced Readers, Independent Learning
1. Preparing to Read
Set a Purpose for Reading/Preview Text Features (15 minutes)
Have a volunteer read aloud the title and subtitle on pages 16-17. Point out the central image on page 17. Then ask students to identify the topic of the play.
Introduce Vocabulary (15 minutes)
Vocabulary words: paleontologist, fossil, ranch, uncover, energy, skeleton, and site.
2. Close Reading
Focus on Fluency
Remind students that the stage directions tell a reader or actor how to say a line or perform an action in the play. Direct students to page 18. Point to the word smiling in column 2. Read the dialogue aloud with appropriate expressions or actions. Ask students to repeat after you.
Project, distribute, or assign the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions to the class. Preview them together. Ask students to read the play again and answer the questions as a class or in pairs. (Alternatively, assign all or part of the Learning Journey Slide Deck, which contains the questions as well as other activities from this lesson plan and a link to the stories.)
Follow up with the SEL Focus activity.
Close-Reading Questions (30 minutes)
Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)
3. SEL Focus
Teamwork
This play demonstrates the incredible power of teamwork. All of the scientists, volunteers, and students spent more than a combined 40,000 hours putting together the whole skeleton that is now featured at the American Museum of Natural History. Ask students to think of a time when they accomplished a goal or solved a problem with the help of a team. Why was it important to work together? What were they able to accomplish with others that they could not accomplish alone
4. Skill Building and Writing
Featured Skill: Text Features
Differentiate and Customize
Each scene of the play takes place during a different time in Diego’s life, which could make the timeline challenging for some readers to follow. Before assigning roles and doing a group read, read the play to your students, pausing after each scene to create a timeline of events. On the timeline, make sure to note where and when each event occurs.
Read aloud or have students listen to the audio version of the play while they follow along. Ask students to find and underline or highlight the names of the dinosaur (Tyrannosaurus rex) and the dinosaur species (titanosaur) mentioned in the play. These names may be unfamiliar to your students and, therefore, challenging to pronounce at first. As a group, practice saying them correctly. You might also want to use the pronunciation guide in the Learning Journey Slide Deck.
Have students read the Storyworks version of the play and look for details in both the text and text features that tell about the scientific team’s discovery. Ask students to imagine they are newspaper reporters and come up with three questions they would ask a member of the team about the search for the fossils. After, students should swap their questions with a partner and answer their partner’s questions based on information from the play.
Ask students to imagine they were with the group of scientists at La Flecha Ranch in 2012. Have them write a letter to a friend or family member explaining what it is like at the site and how exciting it was to find the fossils. Encourage students to use the text features as inspiration for descriptive details to include in their letters.
