Dimetrodon—the dinosaur that wasn't really a dinosaur! Explore the facts about an animal that lived before the Jurassic era with a fact-filled video from Brain Scoop. The narrator shows dimetrodon's characteristics, its common ancestry with dinosaurs and other reptiles, and the differences between ancient mammal-like species and the dinosaurs that followed. 

Concepts

paleontology, dinosaurs, phylogenetic trees, mammals, reptiles, animal anatomy, evolution, common ancestry

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Supplement a lesson on evolution, dinosaurs, or animal anatomy with the video
• Have the class research other ancient animals that are commonly mislabeled as dinosaurs

Classroom Considerations

• Discuss characteristics of mammals and reptiles before viewing the resource

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Highlights how common misconceptions in science are often perpetuated by science fiction
• The narrator gives a great explanation of the differences between dimetrodon and dinosaurs
  

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.6.2 SL.7.2 SL.9-10.2