Take your advanced students on a simulated dinosaur dig and hone the analytical skills required to think like a paleontologist!Designed to meet the needs of gifted students in grades 5-6, this award-winning curriculum unit consists of 30 lesson plans structured around an included 26-chapter novel. Based on the author's real-life experiences, your students will join Dorian as he travels from New York City to Montana to participate in a paleontological dig. Employing problem-based learning and Socratic seminars, these engaging lessons give students the space to choose which parts of the lessons they'd like to explore further while encouraging them to investigate change over time, from the age of the dinosaurs to the modern era.With opportunities for student choice and targeted social-emotional learning discussions embedded throughout, this award-winning unit is a must-have for gifted educators seeking to facilitate active student engagement while integrating an exciting, problem-based learning unit into their curriculum.