General Teaching

24 04, 2018

Palaeontology in a Plastic Tub

By Mike|2023-10-10T10:47:36+01:00April 24th, 2018|Early Years Foundation Reception, General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Palaeontology in a Plastic Tub

Mum Creates Mini Fossil Dig Site

Mother creates palaeontology in a plastic tub for her children.

We are always impressed by the efforts of parents, grandparents and guardians who do so much to help encourage and inspire their young charges. This week, whilst visiting a primary school to conduct a series of workshops with Year 2 children, we were given a tour of the classrooms and shown some of the amazing dinosaur and fossil themed crafts and activities created by the children and their grown-up helpers.

Amongst the numerous posters, dinosaur models and prehistoric dioramas that had been made, we spotted one enterprising family’s contribution. Mum had created a mini fossil dig for her child, a very clever idea indeed.

A Mini Fossil Dig Site Created as Part of a Term Topic Learning About Dinosaurs

palaeontology in a plastic tub. — *Digging away. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

For fossil dig kits and other prehistoric animal themed activities, visit the Everything Dinosaur website.

Take a look at this section of our website here: Prehistoric Animal Models and Educational Toys and Games.

Palaeontologists do use brushes when working on a fossil excavation. The general rule is, the closer you get to the fossil material the smaller the tools you use. For example, when removing the surrounding matrix from a fossil bone in the field, we use small brushes and tiny dental picks, to take away the surrounding rock, one grain at a time. In this way, progress may be very slow but at least the fossil is protected and not likely to be damaged.

To create her “palaeontology in a plastic tub”, the mum made salt dough fossils and rolled up pieces of white paper to represent bones. An old paint brush makes an ideal tool for brushing off the dirt, so this budding young scientist can find and identify the fossils.

What a simple, but very effective idea!

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

21 04, 2018

Exclusive Dinosaur and Fossil Themed Extension Resources

By Mike|2024-05-10T19:01:33+01:00April 21st, 2018|Early Years Foundation Reception, General Teaching|Comments Off on Exclusive Dinosaur and Fossil Themed Extension Resources

Dinosaur and Fossil Themed Extension Resources

Prior to starting a day of dinosaur workshops with Foundation Stage 2 children there was time to discuss the additional teaching resources that our dinosaur and fossil expert had brought with them. When Everything Dinosaur team members visit schools, they always bring extra teaching aids to help support the school’s scheme of work.

For dinosaur models and prehistoric animal figures: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Models.

Dinosaur Themed Teaching Resources for Schools

Everything Dinosaur teaching resources — *Fossils, books, puzzles and games for schools. Everything Dinosaur supplies an extensive range of prehistoric animal themed resources. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaur and Fossil Themed Teaching Resources

Learning about dinosaurs is a great topic for Reception and Key Stage 1 children. Many pupils already have quite a lot of pre-knowledge and learning about life in the past has plenty of touch points for cross-curricular activities, linking with literacy, numeracy, history, geography, exploring the properties of materials and introducing the idea of working scientifically. The teaching resources we had prepared for the reception class included a dinosaur “hokey cokey”, a measuring exercise comparing the hands of the children to the footprints of dinosaurs and an exercise linked to exploring locations in the British Isles following the adventures of a baby Diplodocus.

Everything Dinosaur supplies numerous lesson plan ideas and teaching resources. These items are available free and can be downloaded from several websites.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

We also supplied a handy pronunciation guide as we do appreciate that some teachers and learning support assistants can struggle with all the long dinosaur and prehistoric animal names. In addition, we also supplied some tridactyl (three-toed) dinosaur footprints that can be used in a simple writing exercise to help improve hand-eye co-ordination and motor skills.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“Learning about dinosaurs and fossils can provide a very rewarding and stimulating topic area, that dovetails nicely into a subject that many children are enthusiastic about. Children as young as three, seem to pick up facts and awareness about dinosaurs and they love to demonstrate their knowledge and learning.”

We look forward to seeing pictures of the children’s work including their dinosaur drawings with lots of lovely labelling, a challenge we set the children during our dinosaur and fossil themed workshops.

29 03, 2018

Everything Dinosaur Working Towards Important GDPR Compliance

By Mike|2024-05-10T18:31:51+01:00March 29th, 2018|General Teaching|Comments Off on Everything Dinosaur Working Towards Important GDPR Compliance

Everything Dinosaur and GDPR

The deadline for compliance with regards to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is fast approaching. GDPR is the European Union’s (EU) binding legislation for the protection of personal data. The regulation will come into effect on May 25th, 2018 and Everything Dinosaur team members are making sure that we will be compliant by the due date.

Data Protection and GDPR

Our plans are well advanced, having started our journey towards meeting these new requirements back in the autumn of last year. We have also had a bit of a head start compared to many other organisations as Everything Dinosaur is already registered under the UK Data Protection Act. We have always put our customers front and centre when it comes to our organisation and designing our business policies, this includes providing assurance and protection for data subjects, to use the vernacular, or as we say at Everything Dinosaur – people.

Sorting Out Consents to Meet GDPR Standards

Data protection and GDPR. — *Data flow map at Everything Dinosaur. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The first tangible changes have been prepared and embedded into our working practices. Soon all the websites will be amended, but it is not just digital information that comes under this new regulation, good old-fashioned paperwork is covered too.

For further information and advice contact Everything Dinosaur: Email Everything Dinosaur.

Take for example, our dinosaur workshop feedback form (see above), it has been changed to provide a positive, affirmative opt-in and it requests for consent in a specific and unambiguous way. Under GDPR, permission for use of personal data such as identifiers like an email address or name has to be consented to. This consent must be freely given, hence the changes to our feedback form.

A Positive Opt-in Consent for Use of Data

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

New Feedback Forms

The new feedback form explains how this data will be used by Everything Dinosaur.

The regulation will be in effect on the 25th May 2018 and it has been designed to deal with the inconsistencies within the current data protection laws that exist throughout the European Union. GDPR aims to facilitate the secure, free-flow of data and provide enhanced protection for data subjects (individuals whose data is managed, processed, handled and stored). It is very likely that the UK will enshrine the GDPR regulation into its own legislation. Schools and other institutions will also have to ensure compliance, we suspect that many organisations will be working extremely hard to try and meet the May 25th deadline.

Visit the award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

5 03, 2018

Fascinating Facts About Dinosaurs

By Mike|2024-05-04T18:01:49+01:00March 5th, 2018|General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Fascinating Facts About Dinosaurs

Dinosaur Facts

A visit to a school in the chilly south of the country to work with four groups of Year 4 children who have just started their topic for the second half of the Spring Term. The spacious and well-appointed classrooms already had some dinosaur themed work on display. Our fossil expert spotted a display board with some A4-sized print outs that had been posted up. One of the Learning Support Assistants (LSA’s), explained that the facts had been pinned up in a diagonal shape, this would permit the children to look at the published facts, research whether they were accurate or not and post up their own findings either above or below.

Testing Dinosaur Facts (Published Facts About Dinosaurs)

A Colourful Dinosaur wall display. Facts about dinosaurs. — Everything Dinosaur team members are always impressed by school displays that feature dinosaurs and fossils. For example, these pupils produced a colourful dinosaur wall display during their term topic studying prehistoric animals. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/LHPA

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

Encouraging Independent Enquiry

The children were being challenged to conduct their own independent research to test the validity of the statements on the print outs. Could they uncover evidence to either support or refute the statements (facts)? The eager, young palaeontologists could then post up their responses either above or below the statements, the position on the wall indicating how much they agreed with the statement or how much they disagreed with the statement following their independent enquiries. This would provide a visual display as well as giving a valuable lesson in working scientifically.

The Year 4 classes were being challenged to look for evidence, assess the validity of the evidence and either to support or refute the statements that had been posted up.

Facts About Dinosaurs

We wish the young scientists well with their endeavours, our fossil expert chatted to many of the children over the course of the day. They were all enjoying their dinosaur and prehistoric animal term topic and many of the children already possessed a lot of knowledge about dinosaurs. One confident learner explained in remarkable detail how the dinosaurs (non-avian dinosaurs), became extinct.

An eager dinosaur fan even asked could we come back when she was in Year 5?

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

4 03, 2018

Celebrating 300 Unique School Blog Posts

By Mike|2024-05-04T17:54:10+01:00March 4th, 2018|General Teaching|Comments Off on Celebrating 300 Unique School Blog Posts

Everything Dinosaur Celebrates 300 School Blog Posts

Everything Dinosaur team members have posted up 300 articles onto their school blog! Since we started this special “dinosaurs for schools” blog site, highlighting examples of excellent teaching and helping schools deliver lessons about dinosaurs, fossils, extinction and life in the past, we have steadily built up our collection of blog posts. Today, we mark reaching the achievement of posting up number 300!

Everything Dinosaur Team Members Celebrate the Achievement of Reaching Blog Post Number Three Hundred

Everything Dinosaur dinosaur themed educational resources. — *Teaching tips, articles, resources and free downloads. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A Thank You from Everything Dinosaur

A special thank you to all the contributors who sent letters, drawings and other amazing prehistoric animal-themed items into our offices. A big thanks to all the teachers, learning support assistants, senior leadership team members and parents who gave their permission for us to post up examples of children’s work. We look forward to posting up another 300 articles featuring the various activities and extensions that come out of our dinosaur and fossil workshops. A big thank you to all our “dinosaurs for schools” blog readers too, we really do appreciate all the feedback and comments that we receive and yes, we do read them all and we respond to all those that require a reply.

Next week, we have more dinosaur workshops to deliver and our team members have volunteered to answer questions about dinosaurs compiled by children in a Reception class located in North Wales, it should be another exciting and fascinating week at Everything Dinosaur.

Visit the award-winning, user-friendly Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

2 03, 2018

What’s Your Favourite Dinosaur Book? A Great Question

By Mike|2024-05-04T18:02:44+01:00March 2nd, 2018|General Teaching|Comments Off on What’s Your Favourite Dinosaur Book? A Great Question

What is Your Favourite Book About Dinosaurs?

Writing about our favourite dinosaur book.

Yesterday, was World Book Day, an opportunity to celebrate books, authors, illustrations and the joy of reading. For part of the day team members were tweeting and re-tweeting the various pictures put up on social media that highlighted the numerous activities taking place at schools that we had recently visited to deliver dinosaur workshops. We received lots of emails and we responded to all those that required a reply, praising the efforts of the children, teachers and other grown-ups who had worked so hard to make World Book Day memorable.

In one of the email that we received, we were asked to nominate our favourite book about dinosaurs.

Our Nominated Favourite Dinosaur Book (Childhood Favourite)

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Favourite Dinosaur Book

Choosing a favourite dinosaur book from our substantial collection was quite hard. However, after much deliberation we chose “Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Reptiles”. This publication was first put into print in the mid 1960’s, the text by Jane Werner Watson guides the reader through geological time and focuses on the rise of the dinosaurs. The illustrations are by Rudolph F Zallinger and they are beautiful, although like the few facts in this book, they are now hopelessly inaccurate and out of date. Zallinger painted wonderfully detailed landscapes, populated by dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures.

We love the small details in Zallinger’s paintings, the tiny mammal appearing next to the giant Triceratops, the beautifully crafted plants and the woodland that forms the backdrop to a dramatic illustration of Ornitholestes attempting to catch Archaeopteryx. We know that Ornitholestes and Archaeopteryx lived in different parts of the world, but as children this book really captured our imaginations and helped to fuel a life-long fascination with ancient animals, fossils and life in the past.

The Joy of Reading – Browsing Books

Picture credit: The Frankfurt Book Fair Press

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

23 02, 2018

Hatching Chicks During a Special Dinosaur Workshop

By Mike|2024-05-04T18:26:32+01:00February 23rd, 2018|Early Years Foundation Reception, General Teaching|Comments Off on Hatching Chicks During a Special Dinosaur Workshop

Hatching Chicks During EYFS Dinosaur Workshop

Whilst delivering a series of tactile and kinaesthetic dinosaur themed workshops with children in Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), we were joined by some very special visitors to the school. As part of a rich, diverse and highly creative curriculum, the Foundation Stage children had the opportunity to watch hatching chicks. The incubator had been placed on a unit top allowing the children a perfect view, permitting them to observe the chicks hatching.

Special School Visitors – Hatching Chicks

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Birds are Dinosaurs

Our dinosaur expert explained that birds were actually dinosaurs and that the Dinosauria was classified into two groups, the non-avian dinosaurs such as Triceratops, Stegosaurus and Apatosaurus and the avian dinosaurs which includes all birds (Aves) living today. Some of the children even got to hold a cast of Tyrannosaurus rex toe bones and have their picture taken by the incubator.

For dinosaur themed education toys and games: Educational Prehistoric Animal Gifts.

Incorporating the Hatching Chicks into the Lesson Plan

The Everything Dinosaur team member explained how birds are very similar to dinosaurs and like T. rex, most birds walk on three toes. The similarities between the chicks and Tyrannosaurus rex were explained and highlighted, the photographs that had been taken by the teaching team would help to prompt the children’s thinking in a follow up activity. Can the children remember the similarities between dinosaurs and birds? What are the differences?

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

20 02, 2018

Helping Out Year 6 on Twitter

By Mike|2023-09-16T15:40:09+01:00February 20th, 2018|General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Helping Out Year 6 on Twitter

Working with Year 1 Helping Year 6

Another school workshop successfully conducted, this time working with a class of Year 1 children over the course of a morning as they began their term topic all about dinosaurs. The workshop acted as a provocation to launch the new scheme of work after half-term, it enthused the children and our dinosaur expert was able to provide teaching resources and extension activities to support the teaching team. The Year 6 students at the school had been tasked with managing the school’s Twitter feed. We were happy to give our permission (with the school’s blessing), for some pictures of the morning’s activities to be posted up on-line.

During the course of the morning, the Everything Dinosaur team member took a photograph of a piece of artwork on display. This image was then “tweeted” to the Year 6 children and they were challenged to turn detective to see if they could work out where the photograph had been taken.

Helping to Support Year 6 on Twitter

Foundation Stage Dinosaur Display photographed by Everything Dinosaur. — *The Foundation Stage “wonder wall” full of dinosaur facts and information (Carlton Primary School). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Twitter is Useful for Parents, Guardians and Grandparents

Twitter can be very useful for schools. It allows parents, guardians and grandparents almost instant access to information about what the children at the school have been doing. Examples of work can be demonstrated, a well-written story can be featured, preparations for a school event such as a Summer Fayre can be highlighted. Social media such as Twitter can provide parents, grandparents and guardians with a sense of engagement. Good luck to Year 1 with their dinosaur studies and best wishes to Year 6 as they maintain and grow the school’s presence on Twitter.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

5 02, 2018

Beautiful Salt Dough Fossils Spotted in School

By Mike|2024-05-08T20:25:37+01:00February 5th, 2018|Early Years Foundation Reception, General Teaching|Comments Off on Beautiful Salt Dough Fossils Spotted in School

Spotting Salt Dough Fossils in the Staff Room

Whilst on a school visit to conduct two dinosaur workshops with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) classes at our school in Yorkshire, our sharp-eyed dinosaur expert spotted some super salt dough fossils made by the Reception-aged children.

Salt Dough Fossils on Display

*Dinosaur salt dough fossils spotted at a school. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

For dinosaur themed toys and games: Dinosaur Toys, Games and Gifts.

Toy Dinosaurs Used to Make Salt Dough Fossils

Salt dough is made by combining plain flour with salt in a ratio of 2.5 to 1 (two and a half cups of flour to a one cup of salt), place the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and combine using a little water until a doughy consistency is created.

Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it until it is very pliable then push a dinosaur model into the salt dough to create an impression of the prehistoric animal. These can be placed onto a baking tray and baked at 180 degrees Celsius (gas mark 4), for a few minutes to permit the dough to dry out. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling tray, perhaps they can be left overnight.

Children can then collect their own fossil, which can be marked with their name using a felt pen, these make a fantastic display in an impromptu dinosaur museum that has been set up in the classroom.

Our congratulations to Royal and Supreme classes for their beautiful fossils.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

3 02, 2018

Everything Dinosaur Helps School on Twitter with Special Tweets

By Mike|2024-05-10T07:34:36+01:00February 3rd, 2018|General Teaching|Comments Off on Everything Dinosaur Helps School on Twitter with Special Tweets

Little Leigh Primary Sets Up a Twitter Feed

Whilst on a school visit to a primary school in Cheshire, Everything Dinosaur team members spotted a dinosaur museum. The museum had been erected in one of the classrooms to help inspire the children with their term topic.

Everything Dinosaur provided a dinosaur workshop for the Year 1 class at Little Leigh Primary (Cheshire). Prior to our workshop with the eager, enthusiastic children, we had a short meeting with the class teacher. Being briefed by the teacher on the learning objectives helps our dinosaur expert to tailor the session to meet the learning needs of the children. We were informed that the school had recently created their own Twitter feed. As part of our support for the Little Leigh Primary, we volunteered to take some photographs of the various dinosaur and prehistoric animal displays around the school and then we could “tweet” these pictures to show parents, guardians and grandparents, what the children had been studying.

The Little Leigh Primary Dinosaur Museum

A dinosaur museum at a primary school (Little Leigh, Cheshire). — *A dinosaur museum spotted at a school.*

Picture credit: Little Leigh Primary/Everything Dinosaur

Involving Parents, Grandparents and Guardians with the Dinosaur Museum

By posting up information about the children’s activities on Twitter, mums, dads, guardians, carers and grandparents can gain almost instant access to the children’s work and see what their charges have been up to throughout the day. We posted up pictures of the dinosaur museum. Using social media in this way can help parents, grandparents, guardians and so forth to feel involved and to help them stay connected to the school. We “tweeted” a picture of the dinosaur museum that had been created in the Year 1 classroom. The dinosaur museum area will provide an excellent facility, enabling lots of topic work to be displayed.

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s award-winning and child-friendly website: Everything Dinosaur.