Science Lesson Plan · Grades 3-6

Dinosaur Herbivores Lesson

Teach students about herbivore dinosaurs — the plant-eaters of the Mesozoic Era. The lesson covers major herbivorous dinosaurs including Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus, Pachycephalosaurus, and Stegosaurus, describing their physical features, habitats, and diets. Includes comprehension questions and answer key.

Lesson Overview

Plant-Eating Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs lived about 200 million years ago and went extinct 65 million years ago. Among the hundreds of dinosaur species, herbivores were the plant-eaters. These dinosaurs ate leaves, ferns, and other vegetation rather than hunting prey. Herbivores like the Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus were among the largest animals that ever lived on Earth.

This six-page lesson profiles several plant-eating dinosaurs and includes comprehension questions with an answer key. Students learn how herbivore dinosaurs are identified, where major species lived, and what physical features helped them survive.

How to Use This Lesson

1. Read the passage together or have students read silently. Ask students what an herbivore is and name animals today that are herbivores.

2. Compare two or three of the dinosaurs described in the lesson. Have students identify one physical feature of each dinosaur that helped it survive.

3. Assign the comprehension questions independently. Review answers using the key.

Printable Resource

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