The Mesozoic Era
Place the three periods of the Mesozoic Era — Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous — in order and understand that different dinosaurs lived in different periods, not all at the same time
What a learner can do afterwards
- List Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous in the correct chronological order
- Assign at least one well-known dinosaur to the correct period
- Explain that millions of years separated these periods and different species lived in each
The lesson
Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for a very long time. Scientists split that huge stretch of time into three periods: the Triassic, the Jurassic, and the Cretaceous. Each period lasted for millions of years, one after the other, like three long chapters in one big book.
Stegosaurus lived in the Jurassic period, walking around with big plates on its back. Tyrannosaurus rex lived much later, in the Cretaceous period. By the time T. rex was alive, Stegosaurus had been gone for tens of millions of years. They never stood in the same forest.
When you hear about a dinosaur, ask yourself: which period did it live in? That question helps you remember that dinosaurs did not all live together at once.
The Mesozoic Era had three periods, Triassic, then Jurassic, then Cretaceous, and different dinosaurs belonged to different periods.
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Where it sits
Where this leads
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8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.