Springbrook Pupils Discuss Dinosaurs

This morning a team member from Everything Dinosaur visited Springbrook Primary school and met some of the young dinosaur fans who had been learning all about dinosaurs and fossils with their teacher.  Together we looked at just how big some dinosaurs were and the rib bone that we showed the class reminded Liam of a “golf club”.  Abu and Ethan were very good at pronouncing the name of dinosaurs and Miss Foxcroft joined in too.

Young Dinosaur Fans

Luke remembered what needed to be done when it came to pouring the casting mixture into the moulds and he was able to guide his chums as they cast their replica fossil.  Kyle said that his favourite dinosaur was Tyrannosaurus rex and he explained that T. rex was a carnivore and that it ate other dinosaurs.  Kyle had even made a model of this fearsome meat-eater and our dinosaur expert took a picture of it.

Model of a Tyrannosaurus rex

Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur model.

Picture credit: Kyle/Everything Dinosaur

Kyle then went on to explain that although Tyrannosaurus rex had short arms they were very strong.

With the enthusiastic Miss Caines and Mrs Makin helping, one of the walls in the classroom had been decorated with a colourful T. rex and a brown painted Triceratops, lots of words had been stuck up onto the dinosaur scene so that the children could refer to the wall poster when writing about dinosaurs in their work books.  The wall poster is a great way to help with the teaching about dinosaurs in school.

Big Dinosaurs Feature on a Big Wall Poster in the Classroom

Colourful dinosaurs lurking behind a tree.

Picture credit: Abu, Ethan, Liam, Luke and Kyle

T. rex Teeth

Abu, Liam and Luke said that the teeth of T. rex were the size of a banana, what a wonderful description. Perhaps the teaching team could help the children measure some bananas so the fruit can be compared to a dinosaur’s tooth.

When it comes to measuring, the dinosaur footprint diagrams that Everything Dinosaur sent over as part of the follow up from the dinosaur workshop in the school, might help the children too.  They could measure the footprints and then compare the footprint’s made by a dinosaur to the size of their own feet.  Perhaps if the teaching team could find a tape measure, then maybe Ethan could measure around his chest to see if  his rib bones are bigger or smaller than the “golf club” shaped dinosaur rib bone he saw earlier.

To view the range of prehistoric animal toys and gifts available from Everything Dinosaur: Dinosaur Toys, Models and Gifts.

Year Two Pupils at Anfield Infant and Early Years School Get to Grips with Dinosaurs

Year Two pupils returning to school after the half-term holiday started a new topic today.  For the next few weeks the children will be learning all about dinosaurs, fossils and other prehistoric animals.  A team member from Everything Dinosaur was invited to visit the school to help launch the topic and to meet all the budding young palaeontologists.  Whizz Kids, High Flyers and Bright Sparks  were very enthusiastic and there were some  wonderful questions asked, such as how did dinosaurs get their name?  How big were the teeth of dinosaurs?  Why did the dinosaurs go extinct?

Study Dinosaurs

All the questions asked on the day were answered.  It was great to see how much prior knowledge many of the children had and we are looking forward to seeing examples of their creative writing and reading through the questions that they will prepare over the next couple of weeks and send in to us either by email or by letter.

High Flyers along with Miss Ross and Miss Colebourne created a giant picture of a meat-eating dinosaur, as it had three fingers on its hand, we did not think this was a Tyrannosaurus rex, with its three-fingered hand perhaps it could have been a Giganotosaurus!

Impressive Artwork Created by Year Two Pupils

A splendid meat-eating dinosaur. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Teaching About Dinosaurs

Teaching about dinosaurs in school can be a very rewarding experience.  Dinosaurs as a term topic can help children to become passionate readers, develop vocabularies and can give them an outline of some simple scientific principles such as evaluating information and formulating ideas.  There is some wonderful artwork on display around the school to help inspire the pupils, including an amazing 3-D dinosaur scene featuring several beautifully painted prehistoric animals, even a flying reptile (Pteranodon).

Anfield Infants and Early Years School Dinosaur Artwork

Fantastic dinosaur artwork. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

What super artwork!  We will have to post up some more pictures onto the Everything Dinosaur Facebook page so that our Facebook fans can see these pictures too.  It seems that when it comes to teaching about dinosaurs in school, here is one set of teachers with their support team who have made it a “roaring” success.

Everything Dinosaur stocks a wide range of informative and educational dinosaur themed games and toys including replicas of iconic prehistoric animals: Dinosaur Toys and Replicas of Iconic Prehistoric Animals.

Year 1 and Reception Explore Dinosaurs

Children in Year 1 and Reception at Navigation Primary School had the chance to explore dinosaurs and fossils when an expert from Everything Dinosaur was invited to their school.  As part of a day of dinosaur themed teaching activities that had been planned by the teachers and the school’s hard-working support staff, the children were given the opportunity to make their own comic strips, design prehistoric animals, create giant dinosaur themed art as well as to get up close to fossils.

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs as a topic can really help young children develop a keen interest in reading and the children were enthusiastically showing all the books that they had been studying about dinosaurs, one little boy even brought a book from home to show our dinosaur expert.

When it comes to developing an extensive vocabulary the children were quick to help out with lots of adjectives and having seen the long list of questions that Miss Carney and Miss Bolchover had compiled with the help of the children, it was clear that the dinosaur workshop had fired young imaginations.

Lots and Lots of Questions About Dinosaurs Generated

Dinosaur day inspires young, creative minds.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture above shows some of the questions that the children in Year 1 came up with.  There were some amazing and thoughtful questions asked by the children, Miss Johnston’s favourite was why do dinosaurs go “grrr”?

Dinosaur Term Topic

As a topic, whether just for a day, as in the case of Navigation Primary or for a whole term, dinosaurs enthuse both girls and boys and really get them to engage with creative writing activities as well as helping to underline important teaching aims related to literacy, numeracy and simple scientific fundamentals.  For example, Emma showed our dinosaur expert part of a comic strip that she had started to create.  She had taken a great deal of care over the selection of her characters for her story, no doubt inspired by some of the fossils she and her class mates got the chance to handle.

Miss Sugden commented on how excited all the children were, she also mentioned that the teaching staff were also very keen to learn all about dinosaurs.

The Start of Emma’s Dinosaur Comic Strip

Dinosaur comic strip.

Picture credit: Emma/Everything Dinosaur

We look forward to hearing more about how Emma and her friends develop their comic strips.

Marine Reptiles

Tyler was delighted to learn that there was a large and fearsome marine reptile that had a name similar to his own (Tylosaurus).  Alex’s favourite dinosaur was Spinosaurus and we were happy to help Alex appreciate just how big this carnivorous, African dinosaur actually was.

School Children Draw Flying Reptiles

Which flying reptile am I?

Picture credit: Dylan/Everything Dinosaur

Flying Reptiles

Young Dylan was inspired to draw a flying reptile (pterosaur), he challenged our dinosaur expert to have a go at identifying which one it might be.  With something like 130 different species of pterosaur now described it was quite a challenge working out which flying reptile Dylan had illustrated, we might have to ask Mrs Grosscurth (one of the teaching support staff at the school), to help us out.

During the dinosaur themed day, the teaching team had come up with lots of creative, hands-on activities for the children to try.  Young Freddie created his very own “Jurassic Park” scene on one of the classroom’s computers.  If there was a competition for the most amount of dinosaurs squeezed into a single picture then we think Freddie’s colourful  illustration would win.

Dinosaur Scene Created after Dinosaur Workshop

School children create dinosaur scenes.

Picture credit: Freddie/Everything Dinosaur

Teaching about dinosaurs in schools can lead to all sorts of extension activities.  Everything Dinosaur challenged the Reception and Year 1 children to have a go at designing their very own dinosaur.  They were asked to label the body parts and to think of a name for their prehistoric beast.  We saw some amazing and very imaginative dinosaurs, one of the best we saw was young Henry’s contribution.  Not sure what name Henry will give his multi-coloured dinosaur but “Rainbowsaurus” was suggested.

Designing a Dinosaur

Dinosaur drawings in school.

Picture credit: Henry/Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaur Drawings

A lot of work had gone into planning the day and it was nice to explain to Mr Harrison, that, just like Tyler there was a prehistoric animal that shared a similar name – Scelidosaurus harrisoni and it was an English dinosaur too.  It was a pleasure visiting the school to teach about dinosaurs and our thanks to all the teachers and staff who helped make the children’s day so special.  Unfortunately, a couple of the teachers were unable to attend, but not to worry, we are confident that Mrs Mykoo, Mrs Fisher and  the rest of the staff can fill them in about all things Dinosauria.

Miss Johnston and Miss Bolchover had even made a large, outline sketch of the dinosaur.  The children were encouraged to use their thumb prints to make the scales of the classroom’s very own dinosaur.  Our dinosaur expert was not sure what name the children would come up for their very own prehistoric monster, but we look forward to hearing what they came up with.

Year 1 Create a Classroom Dinosaur

A colourful dinosaur created by Year 1 children.

Picture credit: Year 1/Everything Dinosaur

Young Rosie, amazed us when she explained all about the armoured dinosaur Ankylosaurus and Nora learned that there were some fantastic dinosaurs whose fossils have been found in Spain.

Teaching about dinosaurs in primary schools can help young minds to gain an appreciation of quite challenging concepts such as deep time, extinction,  how fossils are formed and evolution.  Looks like Navigation Primary School are helping to produce the next generation of scientists.

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s website to view their range of prehistoric animal themed toys and games: Prehistoric Animal Models, Toys and Gifts.

Primary School Children Get to Grips with Writing Thanks to Dinosaurs

Team members at Everything Dinosaur have received reports from Yeading Infant and Nursery School that a strange object has been found in the school’s discovery play area.  A number of children examined the large, white object with the help of their enthusiastic teachers and it has been decided that a dinosaur could have built a nest and laid an egg in the school grounds.

Dinosaur Egg Discovery

Encouraged by their school’s literacy co-ordinator Mrs Siyani, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils wrote letters to our dinosaur experts inviting one of our team members to visit the school to teach about dinosaurs and to help with a programme of creative writing that had been inspired by the discovery.

Could This Be a Dinosaur Egg?

Dinosaur egg helps with creative writing week.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaurs

Everything Dinosaur received lots of letters from school children inviting one of the company’s experts to visit the school, our thanks to Tiya, Jeevan, Amani, Shanaiya, Habib, Praveen, Zara, Arham, Hanan and all their chums for writing to us.  Tiya even drew a picture of the object and sent it into us, with her letter.  Tiya and her friends measured the egg and discovered that it was approximately 35 centimetres long.

Tiya’s Sketch of the Strange Object Found in the School Grounds

Tiya, sketches the egg.

Picture credit: Tiya

A Dinosaur Workshop

A source close to the school stated that there had been reports of a dinosaur being sighted in Hayes Town Centre, although the team member from Everything Dinosaur despatched to investigate was unable to confirm whether or not a dinosaur had been spotted in this part of the London area.

Praveen Writes to Everything Dinosaur

Praveen’s letter to Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Praveen

Helping the Teaching Team

The teaching team are using the discovery as part of a week of themed writing activities with Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes.  The boys and girls at the school are being encouraged to write about dinosaurs and other amazing prehistoric creatures and the teachers have prepared an innovative and “egg-citing” range of activities including Year 2 children researching about their favourite dinosaurs and creating fact sheets about them.

The Everything Dinosaur team member who visited the school was most impressed with the children’s knowledge about dinosaurs.  He promised to send to the teachers some more information and resources to help with the intended scheme of work, as well as encouraging the children to write about their dinosaur egg and what might happen if the egg hatched.

Shanaiya Invites Everything Dinosaur to Visit the School

Everything Dinosaur invited to visit school.

Picture credit: Shanaiya

Everything Dinosaur

As part of a number of dinosaur workshops held throughout the day, children got the chance to get up close to some real fossils and they learned some amazing dinosaur facts.  The Everything Dinosaur expert challenged the children to include some of the facts that they had learned in their stories and writing exercises.   He even promised (with the support of the teaching team), that some of the children’s work might even get onto this web log.  In this way, the children’s stories, fact cards and posters could be published just like a real scientist’s.

For information about Everything Dinosaur’s outreach work: Email Everything Dinosaur.

Dinosaur Discovery Helps to Inspire and Enthuse Young Writers

Dinosaurs inspire young children to write.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Perhaps the reception children, with the help of their teacher could compose a thank you letter.  Could the children have a go at designing their own dinosaur with some of the materials supplied by Everything Dinosaur?  We look forward to hearing more about the children’s work on dinosaurs and discovering what ideas the staff have had after our visit with regards to teaching about dinosaurs in schools.

For educational dinosaur toys, crafts and models: Everything Dinosaur.

A Colourful Camarasaurus Collage

Whilst working with Key Stage 1 children carrying out a dinosaur workshop in school, one of our dinosaur experts was shown this lovely collage of a colourful sauropod by an eager, young dinosaur fan.  The dinosaur featured is a Camarasaurus (C. supremus for example).  It is certainly a very colourful collage.

Dinosaur Artwork

A Colourful Camarasaurus Collage

Colourful Camarasaurus collage.

Picture credit: Nithilea/Everything Dinosaur

The artwork was produced by Nithilea, as part of term topic in which the children learn all about dinosaurs in school.  We loved the idea of using bright and colourful tissue paper to create a very funky looking dinosaur.  Camarasaurus was a long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur.   Palaeontologists have estimated that this creature which was related to the brachiosaurs (member of the Macronaria) and it could reach lengths of up to 20 metres.

Our dinosaur experts were most impressed with the dinosaur artwork on display in the school.

To learn more about Everything Dinosaur’s range of dinosaur themed gifts and toys: Prehistoric Animal models and Toys.

Reception Class Sends in Thank You Note To Everything Dinosaur after Dinosaur Workshop

Everything Dinosaur team members are busy visiting schools all over the UK at the moment.  We need to become as fast as a speedy Struthiomimus in order to keep up with all our other duties at this time of year.  However, we do try and respond to every email, letter, drawing sent in and such like, especially from young dinosaur fans and budding palaeontologists.

Everything Dinosaur

After a school visit to work with some children in reception classes (aged 4-5) years, we received a thank you letter from class RJ.

Class RJ Say Thanks for the Dinosaur Workshop

Class RJ’s letter.

Picture credit: Class RJ

Thank You Note

Miss Jones, (the teacher) emailed to say how much the children enjoyed learning about dinosaurs.  She went onto add that the children came up with the letter and helped to write the words.  Always a pleasure to hear from school children and we encourage such imaginative writing in reception classes, they can really help young children with their sentence construction and appreciation of grammar.  Naturally, we took time out of busy schedule to compose a reply and to email it over to the school.

Saying Thank You for the Thank You

Thank you for your kind letter.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The children under the expert guidance of their teachers and the support staff had prepared lots of questions in time for our visit to the school.  A number of classes had thought about the sort of questions they would like answered and then these were written down with the help of the teacher, we did our best to answer them all.

School Children Prepare Lots of Questions

Lots of questions prepared by school children.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

So many questions, the children were very enthusiastic and we were really impressed with their knowledge about prehistoric animals.  We were so pleased that these budding scientists enjoyed looking at the dinosaur bones.

When conducting dinosaur workshops for reception, it is important to consider extension activities that can take place once the visit is over to help reinforce learning and to check understanding.  In this way, Everything Dinosaur team members can further support the work of the teachers in the school.

To view the range of informative, education dinosaur toys and games in stock: Dinosaur Gifts, Models and Toys.