A 6th-grade informational reading and writing lesson where students learn to identify controlling ideas, distinguish significant from merely interesting details, and write a concise summary about how long dinosaurs ruled Earth.
Dino Deep Time • Informational Text & Visual Chronology Page 1 of 2
Summarizing Practice
Synthesizing Deep Time Evidence
Grammar & Summarizing Skills
Activity 1: Relevant vs. Merely Interesting Details
A summary only includes significant details that answer: When did dinosaurs live and how long did they exist? For each fact below, check whether it is Significant/Relevant (R) or Merely Interesting (I).
1. Dinosaurs roamed Earth for over 165 million years, spanning three geologic periods.
[ R ] Relevant [ I ] Interesting
2. Early Triassic dinosaurs were nimble bipeds roughly the size of a modern golden retriever.
[ R ] Relevant [ I ] Interesting
3. The dinosaur era concluded 66 million years ago when a massive asteroid struck Earth.
[ R ] Relevant [ I ] Interesting
4. Stegosaurus used bony defensive plates along its spine to intimidate Jurassic predators.
[ R ] Relevant [ I ] Interesting
Activity 2: Sentence Combining & Paraphrasing
Read the two source sentences below. Combine them into one concise paraphrased sentence without changing the factual meaning. Use connecting words like although, lasting from, beginning, or spanning.
Fact 1: Dinosaurs first emerged during the Triassic Period around 245 million years ago.
Fact 2: Their reign ended when an asteroid triggered extinction 66 million years ago in the Cretaceous.
Activity 3: 4-Point Summary Planning Organizer
Plan the 4 core chronological points needed for your summary before drafting your paragraph on the Exit Assessment.
1. Controlling Idea (Total Duration & Era)
2. Triassic Emergence (When It Began)
3. Jurassic Dominance (How It Continued)
4. Cretaceous End (When & How It Concluded)
Partner Check Question:"Does every sentence in your plan help explain when or how long dinosaurs lived?"
Verified
Dino Deep Time • Synthesis & Planning Organizer Page 2 of 2
Sentence Combining Benchmarks and Summative Rubric
Activity 2: Sentence Combining Models
Accept variations that maintain both time markers (~245 Mya and 66 Mya) in one coherent sentence:
Model A (Subordinating Conjunction):
"Although dinosaurs first emerged during the Triassic Period about 245 million years ago, their epic reign ended 66 million years ago following a devastating asteroid impact."
Model B (Participial / Prepositional Span):
"Spanning from their Triassic debut around 245 million years ago to their Cretaceous extinction 66 million years ago, dinosaurs dominated Earth across millions of generations."
Score 4: Exemplary Summary 63 Words
"Dinosaurs ruled the planet for approximately 165 to 180 million years throughout the Mesozoic Era. Their reign began in the Triassic Period around 245 million years ago with small bipedal reptiles. During the Jurassic Period, they achieved global dominance and enormous diversity. Finally, their extensive timeline concluded abruptly 66 million years ago in the Cretaceous Period due to an asteroid collision."
✓ All 3 periods named in chronological sequence.
✓ Both total span (165M yrs) and boundary dates included.
✓ Zero irrelevant trivia; completely paraphrased.
Score 2: Developing Summary Flawed
"Dinosaurs lived a really long time ago in prehistoric jungles. Stegosaurus had huge spiked plates on its back and T-Rex had sharp seven-inch teeth to bite prey. Then an enormous asteroid smashed into Mexico with giant explosions and wiped them all out."
✗ Fails to state total duration or Mesozoic Era name.
✗ Overloaded with merely interesting species trivia.
✗ Omits Triassic and Jurassic chronological timeline.
Informational Summary Analytic Rubric
Level
Controlling Idea & Duration
Chronology & Periods
Paraphrasing & Focus
4 - Exemplar
Accurately states ~165–180M duration and Mesozoic Era boundaries.
Chronologically sequences Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous.
Complete original phrasing; excludes all non-essential trivia.
3 - Proficient
Mentions total duration; may omit specific Mesozoic term.
Names at least two periods with approximate timeframe.
Largely paraphrased; may include one minor non-essential detail.
2 - Developing
Vague time claim ("lived for millions of years" without numbers).
Misses periods; collapses timeline into one general era.
Relies on copied text or focuses heavily on interesting dinosaur facts.
1 - Novice
Inaccurate time claims or omits duration entirely.
No chronological structure or periods identified.
Severe copying or unrelated narrative description.
Dino Deep Time • Teacher Answer Key & Rubrics Page 2 of 2
Checks Chronology
03
Trivia Removed?
Does every single sentence help explain time, or are there distracting dinosaur facts?
Checks Focus & Brevity
Now draft your summary paragraph on the Exit Ticket! Slide 5 of 5
