I have a dino lamp, dino pj’s, and dino toys. My name is Alex, and I love dinosaurs. ROAR!
T. rex is my favorite. It has sharp teeth. But it also has funny little arms.
PAUSE AND THINK: Why does Alex want to dig in the yard?
Art by Jeff Harter
My Big Dino Dig
Enjoy a Storyworks original about fossil hunting.
By Rheka S. Rajan
From the March/April 2025 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will read a fiction story and compare it with a nonfiction text.
My dad got me a book on fossils. Some fossils are old dinosaur bones!
“Look,” Dad says. “Scientists found these dinosaur fossils in the ground.”
“I want to dig for fossils too!” I say.
“Maybe you will one day,” Dad says with a smile.
The next day, I get my shovel. I am going to dig for
T. rex bones.
WOOF!
That is my dog, Rocky. He is good at digging.
We start by my swing set. No fossils here. Just dirt.
I am going to try another spot.
Next we try by the big tree.
We dig hole after hole. There must be a T. rex somewhere.
WOOF! Rocky is in the tomato garden. He is barking and wagging his tail.
I think he found something. Could it be a dino bone?
We dig. Rocky sticks his face into the hole and pulls something out. It is a bone!
“Give me that, Rocky,” I say.
“That is my dinosaur bone.”
Rocky runs and I chase him.
Finally, Rocky sits down with the bone in his mouth. I slowly walk over. That is not a dinosaur bone! That is Rocky’s dog treat. He hides them in the backyard.
Dad does not like when Rocky digs too many holes.
Just then, Dad comes outside. “Alex! What did you do?”
Uh-oh. There sure are a lot of holes in the yard.
“I was digging for fossils,” I say, “like we read about in the book.”
Dad takes a deep breath. “OK, Alex. Do you want to see dinosaur bones? I know where to find some. But first you need to fill up all these holes.”
It takes a long time to put all the dirt back. But it is worth it because . . .
We get to spend the afternoon at the museum.
Rocky stayed home with his dog treat.
video
(1)
Activities
(2)
Skills Activities
Answer Key
(1)
About the Story
English Language Arts Focus
Comparing texts
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Implementation
- Whole group
Pairings and Text Connections
- In this issue: “Background Builder: Fossil Facts”; “Big Read-Aloud: The Bonehunter”; “Read and Do: The Secret to Drawing a T. Rex”
- Suggested books: The Lost Dinosaur Bone by Mercer Mayer
Before-Reading Resources
- Video: Fiction and Nonfiction (5 minutes) Use this video when pairing this article with the Big Read-Aloud.
Suggested Reading Focus
Comparing fiction and nonfiction (20 minutes)
- For the first reading, focus on comprehension and enjoyment. Read the story aloud while students follow along in their magazines. Model summarizing each section and asking comprehension questions at each Pause and Think. Summarize the central message of the story.
- For the second reading, encourage students to think about what makes “My Big Dino Dig” similar to and different from “The Bonehunter.” When you’re done reading, compare the two stories. What are the two texts about? What do they tell us about fossils? What makes a fiction story like “My Big Dino Dig” different from a nonfiction article like “The Bonehunter”?
After-Reading Skills Practice
- Skills: comparing texts; sequencing (15 minutes)
Text-to-Speech