Simple Dinosaur Themed Ideas to Encourage Writing

During our dinosaur workshops in schools, Everything Dinosaur team members get asked by teaching teams for advice on how to develop extension activities.  We are happy to help and to assist where we can.  Dinosaurs as a teaching topic in schools does not just allow teachers to explore science, geography and history, but there is also enormous scope to cover numeracy and literacy subject areas too.  During our school visits we are often amazed at the variety of writing and reading themed topic ideas that teaching teams come up with.  Many of these make wonderful classroom displays on the “Wow Wall”.

Dinosaur Topic Extension Ideas

Classroom Display That Demonstrates Writing (FS2)

FS2 children draw prehistoric landscapes.

Drawings of a prehistoric landscape by FS2 children.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To read a recent blog post about Everything Dinosaur’s work with a Year 1 class: Year 1 Become Dinosaur Detectives.

Five Easy to Use Dinosaur Themed Writing Exercises

To assist teachers and teaching assistants, here are five exercises that involve researching and writing about dinosaurs.  We have listed them so that less confident learners can have a go at the first items listed, whilst more capable learners can try the other ideas listed.

  1. Find out about the terms “herbivore”, “carnivore” and “omnivore”,  Can you explain what these terms mean?  Can you name three dinosaurs, a herbivore, a carnivore and one that is an omnivore?  Can you think of animals alive today, that are either herbivores, carnivores or omnivores?  How would you describe people?  Are people herbivores, carnivores or omnivores?
  2. Learn about your favourite dinosaur and talk about it in front of your class without stopping or repeating yourself for one minute.  What facts can you find out?
  3. Can you find a dinosaur starting with each letter of the alphabet?  Write your list in alphabetical order.  Can you do the same but this time for animals that are alive today?
  4. Read a book (fiction or non-fiction) about dinosaurs and write a book review about it.
  5. Imagine you could go back in time and meet dinosaurs.  Write a story about your dinosaur adventure.

Dinosaur Topic Extension Ideas for Teachers

These simple ideas are easy to implement and Everything Dinosaur team members are happy to help out by supplying free downloads of dinosaur fact sheets, games and other teaching resources.

For further information on our science outreach work: Contact Everything Dinosaur.

Musical and Poetic Dinosaurs

Here is a further extension exercise, perhaps this can be conducted as part of small group work.

Can you write and perform a dinosaur rap?  Make up a song or write a poem about dinosaurs.  Are you brave enough to perform your rap or say your poem in front of the class?

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s Website: Everything Dinosaur.