When Did Dinosaurs Live? A Timeline Guide

SciShow Kids

In this engaging episode of SciShow Kids, host Jessi and her friends Squeaks the Robot Mouse and Dino the Bird explore the vast concept of 'deep time' through the lens of dinosaur history. The video tackles the common misconception that all dinosaurs lived together simultaneously, explaining instead that the 'Age of Dinosaurs' was so long that species like Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex were separated by millions of years—more time than separates T-Rex from humans today. The video breaks down the Mesozoic Era into three distinct periods: Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous. To help young learners visualize these abstract timescales, Jessi introduces a kinesthetic learning model using the human body to map out history, from the soles of the feet (Triassic) to the chest (extinction event). It also introduces the concept of stratigraphy (rock layers) using a recycling bin analogy to explain how paleontologists determine the age of fossils based on their depth in the ground. This resource is highly valuable for early elementary science classrooms as it simplifies complex geological concepts into tangible, age-appropriate analogies. It provides excellent opportunities for active learning, allowing students to use their own bodies to understand timelines and everyday objects to understand fossil dating. The video seamlessly blends paleontology, math (timelines), and scientific modeling.