It was clear from the beginning of the school year that some students had a love for dinosaurs. And throughout the year we observed many students diving into activities on their own that helped us create a unit of study called, "We Dig Dinosaurs!".
The pictures below show what the students were doing on their own in the class and on the playground. They were showing a natural tendency to explore and learn about their environment. We organized lessons and centers to spark learning, development, and have fun at the same time.
The pictures below show what the students were doing on their own in the class and on the playground. They were showing a natural tendency to explore and learn about their environment. We organized lessons and centers to spark learning, development, and have fun at the same time.
Reading
Sharing a story
Sharing our own collection of fossils from home
Considering illustrations
Playing with puzzles as a team
Making nests in the sandbox together. Did you know some dinosaurs lay eggs? What other animals lay eggs?
Team work
Using tools in the sandbox
Gathering data
Digging
How do we know about dinosaurs, plants and animals that lived long ago?
Paleontologists are scientists who study animals and plants that lived long ago. They study things that are fossilized. Let do what we love and be a paleontologist?
Paleontologists are scientists who study animals and plants that lived long ago. They study things that are fossilized. Let do what we love and be a paleontologist?
Dig Deeper:Inquire Further
Literacy and fine motor practice | After reading, Fossils Tell of Long Ago by Aliki student made fossils. |
Students made a model of imprint fossils using clay, plastic dinosaurs and plastic fern plants.
DinoEgg Recipe
1 cup coffee grounds
1 cup flour
1 cup sand
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup of salt
mix & mold
let dry for 3 days
1 cup coffee grounds
1 cup flour
1 cup sand
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup of salt
mix & mold
let dry for 3 days
After observing materials from the DinoEgg recipe. Students followed a written recipe. They took turns measuring ingredients and mixing it all together. They practiced Following directions and taking turns. They mixed and molded with their hands to form an oval. Then placed a plastic little dinosaur in the middle. We talked about recipes, measuring cups, and the shape of an oval. When they finished making a DinoEgg they illustrated and labeled in their journal. |
DinoCount/ Center Time
Students taking turns rolling a number cube and choosing pieces of fossil bones to create an animal skeleton from long ago.
Students taking turns rolling a number cube and choosing pieces of fossil bones to create an animal skeleton from long ago.
Comparing the size of our footprint to the size of a T-Rex/ Morning Circle Time. The students had their footprints traced, and then using a measuring tape, they measured how many inches long their footprint was compared to the size of a T-Rex. We learned that a T-Rex footprint was bigger than our own. We then created a graph using the information we gathered from the length of our footprints to display the data in a different way.
| Block creations during Center Time. DinoZOO & DinoCastles |
Comparing our teeth to DinoTeeth with Mrs. Sheppard.