Stegosaurus

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/stegosaurus

1. How many people live in Stegosaurus?
2. What is the scientific name?
3. What is the habitat?
4. What did the Stegosaurus's back plates look like and what might they have been used for?
5. How did the Stegosaurus defend itself against predators?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How many people live in Stegosaurus?Extinct; no current population
2. What is the scientific name?Stegosaurus
3. What is the habitat?Semi-arid plains and woodlands within the Morrison Formation of western North America
4. What did the Stegosaurus's back plates look like and what might they have been used for?The Stegosaurus had a double row of big, kite‑shaped plates along its back. Scientists think the plates helped it control body temperature and maybe showed its species or sex.
5. How did the Stegosaurus defend itself against predators?It had a tail with four sharp spikes called a thagomizer. These spikes could hurt predators like Allosaurus and are seen on Allosaurus fossils as healed wounds.

Osteoderms: Bony plates or deposits embedded in the skin, forming part of the exoskeleton.
Thermoregulation: The process by which animals maintain their body temperature within a certain range.
Morrison Formation: A significant geological formation in western North America containing abundant Late Jurassic dinosaur fossils.