General Teaching

6 12, 2017

A Beautiful Plesiosaur Picture

By Mike|2024-05-10T06:58:39+01:00December 6th, 2017|Categories: General Teaching|Comments Off on A Beautiful Plesiosaur Picture

Plesiosaurus Picture

Our thanks to the young marine reptile fan who sent us a lovely thank you letter with a picture of a plesiosaur (Elasmosaurus). Everything Dinosaur had recently a school to spend a morning with the Year 5 children as the class was learning all about fossils and life in the past.

Plesiosaur Drawing

Thanks and Here is a Picture of a Plesiosaur (Elasmosaurus)

Elasmosaurus drawing. — *Reece and his Elasmosaur drawing.* Our thanks to Reece for his plesiosaur drawing.

Picture credit: Reece

For models and replicas of marine reptiles and other prehistoric animals: CollectA Prehistoric Life Models.

During the dinosaur workshop, we discussed the work of Mary Anning and we examined some of the fossils similar to those found by Mary on the beaches of Dorset. Mary Anning famously discovered marine reptile fossils. She did much to help Georgian and later, Victorian academics to understand the anatomy of these long extinct creatures.

Visit the user-friendly Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

16 11, 2017

Special Workshop Inspires a Special Dinosaur Poster

By Mike|2024-05-10T09:55:31+01:00November 16th, 2017|Categories: General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Special Workshop Inspires a Special Dinosaur Poster

Dinosaur Poster Created After Dinosaur Workshop

Our thanks to the pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 at Streethouse Primary (West Yorkshire), who sent into Everything Dinosaur’s office a wonderful set of posters and thank you letters after our recent dinosaur and fossil workshop at the school. There were some wonderful examples of cursive hand-writing amongst the letters and some stencil inspired prehistoric animal drawings.

Year 5 and Year 6 Pupils Inspired by Dinosaur Workshop

Beautiful dinosaur posters. — *Amazing dinosaur posters from Year 5/6.*

Picture credit: Streethouse Primary School

For prehistoric animal themed toys and games, perhaps inspiring dinosaur posters of your own: Prehistoric Animal Toys and Gifts.

Dinosaur Posters

Everything Dinosaur was invited into the school to work with the Key Stage 2 class for a morning. The workshop provided a provocation for the term topic and during the morning, we challenged the children to have a go at a variety of extension activities. It seems that our workshop was a great success, earning 5* stars from the teaching team and a comment on the poster, says it all, “it was awesome!” The prehistoric animal stencils have helped produce a variety of posters and some stencils were even used to illustrate the thank you letters we received.

Examples of Posters and Letters Sent into Everything Dinosaur

Prehistoric animal themed letters. — *A collection of correspondence from Year 5/6 pupils.*

Picture credit: Streethouse Primary School

The photograph above shows just some of the fantastic collection of letters and posters created by pupils in Year 5/6.

We are glad to have helped inspire the children and we wish them and their dedicated teachers every success with the term topic.

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

6 11, 2017

Why Do Asteroids Always Land in Craters? That’s a Great Question!

By Mike|2024-05-10T06:54:29+01:00November 6th, 2017|Categories: General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Why Do Asteroids Always Land in Craters? That’s a Great Question!

Why Do Asteroids Always Land in Craters?

With the need to work scientifically being emphasised in the national curriculum for England (science syllabus), Everything Dinosaur team members have been busy supporting teaching teams with their schemes of work. As well as providing all the usual assistance and support, staff at the Cheshire based company have just introduced a new pair of primary school lesson plan downloads to help support a dinosaur or space themed term topic. The lesson plan is entitled “Why do asteroids always land in craters?” The aim of this lesson plan is to challenge the Key Stage 1 children to create an experiment to test ideas about what happens when a space rock crashes.

Why Do Asteroids Always Land in Craters?

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A Simple Experiment to Encourage Working Scientifically

Two downloads have been created, one aimed at KS1, the second targeted at KS2. Both these lesson plans challenge children to work scientifically. For example, the Key Stage 1 download focuses on exploring the physical properties of materials and encourages the use of simple, comparative tests, whilst the Key Stage 2 download challenges older children to devise a suitable experiment to test this idea about asteroid impacts. A list of suggested resources is provided in both downloads and the photographs and bullet points provided help with tailoring the exercise to meet the specific learning needs of the class.

Free Download Linked to Space and Dinosaur Term Topics

Why do asteroids....? Lesson plan and teaching notes. — *PDF download of teaching notes/lesson plan is available from Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Teaching Notes and Extension Activities

The downloads are available free from Everything Dinosaur. These downloads are amongst a huge range of free dinosaur, fossil and prehistoric themed teaching resources available. All these materials have been checked, tested and approved by our own teaching team.

To contact Everything Dinosaur about the company’s science outreach work: Email Everything Dinosaur.

The “why do asteroids…” lesson plan includes helpful teaching notes with suggestions as to how to deliver this exercise. In addition, a series of extension ideas are listed, all designed to help teaching professionals differentiate and challenge more capable learners.

It seems when it comes to exploring how the dinosaurs died out, or learning about outer space, these handy downloads from Everything Dinosaur are going to have a big impact”.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

2 11, 2017

Spotting an Old Favourite

By Mike|2023-08-24T12:09:58+01:00November 2nd, 2017|Categories: Early Years Foundation Reception, General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Spotting an Old Favourite

Important Reading for Budding Dinosaur Experts

Team members at Everything Dinosaur find some dinosaur books for children on a school visit.

One of our sharp-eyed team members spotted several dinosaur books whilst at a school delivering a dinosaur and fossil themed workshop with two classes of Year 1 children. The teaching team had put together a collection of books in the school “dinosaur museum” area in a bid to enthuse and encourage young readers.

Dinosaurs Inspire Some Unusual Book Titles

Children Learn about the Stone Age. — “Stomp, stomp, roar”! Reception class make books about dinosaurs.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

We would like to congratulate the authors for their work. There are certainly some intriguing titles on display.

Dinosaur Books for Children

Whilst we would not like to comment too much about the scientific accuracy of these particular books, the teaching team with the help of the learning support assistant (LSA), had carefully compiled a range of fiction and non-fiction reading materials and allocated a quite area of the creative room at the school as a special reading area. The large, inviting, colourful mat and plenty of comfortable chairs were bound to attract keen readers. When we discussed these books with the teaching team, it turns out that one of these titles is an old favourite. It is nearly as popular with the teachers as it is with the children.

We are confident that this unusual fictional storybook about dinosaurs will inspire plenty of young readers.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

27 10, 2017

Dinosaur Models A Set of Prehistoric Animals

By Mike|2023-08-19T08:10:06+01:00October 27th, 2017|Categories: Early Years Foundation Reception, General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Dinosaur Models A Set of Prehistoric Animals

Prehistoric Animals Model Set – Large Dinosaur Models for School

Designed for robust, creative play, a set of twelve, super-sized prehistoric animal models which are ideal for school. Due to popular demand from teachers, teaching assistants and home schoolers, Everything Dinosaur has added a set of twelve prehistoric animal models to its product portfolio.

Great for Imaginative, Creative Play a Set of 12 Different Prehistoric Animal Models

Popular Christmas Gift – Dinosaurs in a Tin. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Tough, Plastic Dinosaur Models

This set of different dinosaur and prehistoric animal models make great teaching aids and props when introducing a term topic or scheme of work all about life in the past and dinosaurs. The set consists of prehistoric animals that lived in the Permian, Triassic as well as the Jurassic and Cretaceous geological periods. All the favourite dinosaurs have been included by the Everything Dinosaur team member, popular and well-known dinosaurs such as Diplodocus, Triceratops, Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex.

To view the set of prehistoric animal models and other teaching resources available from Everything Dinosaur: Educational Dinosaur Toys and Models.

A Set of Prehistoric Animal Models

Special “travel” dinosaurs. A set of prehistoric animal models. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture Credit: Everything Dinosaur

Prehistoric Animal Model Set Complete with Fact Sheets

The models are quite large, ranging in size from around 10 centimetres in length to more than 15 centimetres long. The figures are designed for children from three years and upwards and the set is supplied with prehistoric animal fact sheets written by the fossil experts at Everything Dinosaur.

A spokesperson for the Cheshire-based dinosaur company explained:

“We do understand the plight of teachers and their support staff when it comes to a dinosaur themed term topic such as the “Jurassic Forest”. Often the children can know more than the teachers, however, we supply this set with a fact sheet on every single prehistoric animal featured, we even provide a handy guide to pronunciation. It’s all about making it easier for teachers.”

The set of twelve prehistoric animals includes – Ankylosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Dimetrodon, Diplodocus, Pachycephalosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Plateosaurus, Stegosaurus, Styracosaurus, Triceratops and T. rex.

Prehistoric Animal Models on Display in a School

A dinosaur museum under construction. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

When it comes to supplying prehistoric animals, there are enough dinosaurs in this set for the classroom to be able to turn into the school’s very own “Jurassic Park”.

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

17 10, 2017

Frankfurter Buchmesse – A World of Learning

By Mike|2023-09-02T08:57:04+01:00October 17th, 2017|Categories: General Teaching|Comments Off on Frankfurter Buchmesse – A World of Learning

Frankfurt Book Fair – A World of Learning

The 2017 Frankfurter Buchmesse has proved once again that the publishing world is full of innovation, especially when it comes to engaging the next generation of young scientists. Figures released by the organisers of this internationally important event, suggest that some 7,300 exhibitors attended, representing 102 countries. Visitor numbers were around four percent up compared to 2016, in all some 286,000 people attended this five-day book extravaganza.

Educationalists, Lecturers and Teaching Professionals from All Over the World Attended the Frankfurter Buchmesse

Visitors to the trade fair. The Frankfurt Book Fair.

286,000 visitors attended the 2017 Frankfurter Buchmesse. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The International Education Sector was Prominent

At this year’s Book Fair, the international educational sector was very well represented with visitors flocking to Hall 4.2 to participate in the “World of Learning Lab”. As well as the more traditional educational materials, digital media and its use in the education sector was prominent. One exhibit that took the eye was the virtual dive on a coral reef using virtual reality (VR) goggles.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur who attended the Book Fair commented:

“The Frankfurter Buchmesse provided a one-stop shop for members of the teaching profession and school administrators. Some of the advances involving the use of digital media in schools are breathtaking. The effective use of these tools in conjunction with appropriate schemes of work and carefully thought out lesson plans can really help to engage pupils.”

The “Educational Hot Spot”

The dedicated area of the show known as the “Educational Hot Spot” provided a series of highlights for Everything Dinosaur team members. The latest whiteboard technology was on display and there were plenty of opportunities to practice on the Smartboards and other classroom accessories. Everything Dinosaur staff members came away with a number of new ideas on how to adapt scientific research and make it accessible to teachers and teaching professionals.

Education was Definitely in the Spotlight in the “Educational Hot Spot” Area

A section dedicated to the educational sector.

The “Education Hot Spot” area. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

For educational, dinosaur themed toys and games: Learning with Everything Dinosaur.

Sofa talks, workshops and interactive presentations were on offer, along with the chance to review some of the latest science orientated teaching publications. The primary schools sector was particularly strong with dozens and dozens of companies at the show which serve the primary school sector. There were also several seminars that visitors could attend, providing insights into the latest teaching methods, pedagogical trends and inspirational ideas to help support term topics.

Plenty of Time to take in Expert Opinion at the Frankfurt Book Fair

Visitors enjoy cosplay at the Frankfurter Buchmesse.

It really does take five days to cover the event, Everything Dinosaur team members felt that they had “hardly scratched the surface”, there was so much to see and do. We even found a few books on dinosaurs…

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

10 10, 2017

School Website Upgraded to HTTPS an Important Announcement!

By Mike|2024-05-09T14:45:15+01:00October 10th, 2017|Categories: General Teaching|Comments Off on School Website Upgraded to HTTPS an Important Announcement!

Website for Schools Upgraded to HTTPS

All of Everything Dinosaur’s websites including this website dedicated to schools, home tutors and educationalists, have been upgraded to https status. These changes, all part of our on-going commitment to protecting visitors to our websites, provide enhance visitor security. The acronym “https” stands for “Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure”. Information sent between the browser of a visitor to one of our websites and our on-line presence, is encrypted helping to protect that person’s data.

As Everything Dinosaur has upgraded to this new security status we are helping to protect your data from any third party that might want to acquire it.

Everything Dinosaur’s Websites have been Upgraded to HTTPS

HTTPS a secure website for Everything Dinosaur.

New security safeguards added to Everything Dinosaur’s website. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

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

Everything Dinosaur – Protecting Personal Data

Although this website does not collect and store personal data, we do have comments being posted up from our numerous blog articles as well as a lot of visitors downloading free teaching resources and other materials. With these changes, visitors to our websites can be assured that Everything Dinosaur is taking their personal data and security very seriously.

A spokesperson for the company that provides dinosaur and fossil themed workshops in schools explained:

“We meticulously follow guidelines when visiting a school to deliver a dinosaur themed workshop. We take safeguarding issues extremely seriously and it is only natural for us to show the same care and consideration for our virtual business elements too.”

For educational dinosaur themed products: Educational Dinosaur Toys, Gifts and Games.

5 10, 2017

Teaching Hot Spot at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2017

By Mike|2023-08-16T22:05:09+01:00October 5th, 2017|Categories: General Teaching|Comments Off on Teaching Hot Spot at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2017

Hot Spot Education Highlighted at the Frankfurter Buchmesse

One of the highlights at Frankfurt Book Fair which starts next week is the “Hot Spot Education” zone in Hall 4.2. This part of annual Frankfurter Buchmesse aims to bring education providers and prospective customers together, helping to showcase new developments in the fields of innovative teaching and learning tools. The focus will be on distance and e-learning but there will be more than “just a nod” to traditional teaching methods.

Promoting the Joy of Reading – Frankfurter Buchmesse 2017

Time for browsing at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Picture credit: Frankfurt Book Fair

Helping to Bring Educational Developments to the Forefront

The “Hot Spot Education” area will provide a one-stop shop for teachers, those who home school and educational professionals to catch up with the latest learning and teaching innovations. Everything from software and e-tools, to the latest digital whiteboards will be on display. If you ask nicely, you might even be given the chance to try out some of these exciting new classroom tools.

In addition, this part of the Frankfurt Book Fair will look at the role play and games can have in education. There will be information about serious games and some not so serious, but still very educational games. Schools have seen a greater focus on the use of digital technology both within the national curriculum and the cornerstones scheme of work. The “Hot Spot Education” zone provides exclusive access to digital providers and digital content aimed specifically at the education profession.

The Teaching Hotspot

Digital Meets Traditional Teaching at the Frankfurter Buchmesse

The “Education Hot Spot” area.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view the range of educational, dinosaur themed items available from Everything Dinosaur: Learning Gifts from Everything Dinosaur.

The talented organisers of the Frankfurter Buchmesse have listed the sort of product and topic areas that this zone will cover:

Developers and providers of innovative educational content such as interactive learning models and whiteboard software
Providers of innovative teaching and learning concepts such as online learning aids, mobile learning, e-learning models and web applications
Developer and publishers of games and gaming activities
Solution providers in the SEN (Special Educational Needs) sector
Technology provision for educational establishments from nursery to further education

For those members of the teaching profession heading to Frankfurt next week, this is one part of the enormous Frankfurter Buchmesse that they should definitely check out.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

4 10, 2017

Research Suggests Baby Ichthyosaurus Ate Squid

By Mike|2024-04-02T21:36:20+01:00October 4th, 2017|Categories: General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Research Suggests Baby Ichthyosaurus Ate Squid

Fossil of New-born Ichthyosaurus Reveals Last Meal

The fossilised remains of a baby Ichthyosaurus have revealed the last meal of this early Jurassic marine reptile. A group of UK-based researchers, including palaeontologists from the University of Manchester have identified the youngest fossil specimen of a species of Ichthyosaurus named Ichthyosaurus communis. The new-born, had dined on squid before meeting its demise. The scientists can’t be sure why the seventy-centimetre-long ichthyosaur died, but it’s short life (and death), have been preserved in the fossil record and its skeleton is helping palaeontologists to learn a little more about the habits of these beautifully adapted sea creatures.

Palaeontologist Dean Lomax Holds the Ichthyosaurus communis Marine Reptile Fossil

Dean Lomax holding the neonate Ichthyosaurus fossil.

Palaeontologist Dean Lomax holding the baby Ichthyosaurus fossil.

Picture credit: Manchester University/The University of Birmingham

The Last Meal of an Animal that Lived 200 Million Years Ago

Preserved in that part of the fossil where the animal’s stomach would have been, the scientists found lots of tiny “hook-like” structures. These hard, bony hooks come from the arms of squid and this suggests that this baby Ichthyosaurus had caught a squid and eaten it, shortly before it died. Palaeontologists know that some young marine reptiles liked to catch and eat fish, but this baby “Fish Lizard” dined on squid before meeting its own untimely demise.

An Illustration of the Baby Ichthyosaurus Attacking a Squid

The neonate Ichthyosaurus fossil on display.

Dean Lomax (left) and Nigel Larkin (right) in front of the Lapworth Geological Museum exhibit.

Picture credit: Julian Kiely

A spokesperson for Everything Dinosaur commented:

“Finding out about what extinct animals ate by studying things found where their stomachs would have been is very exciting for scientists. They can use this information to help build up a picture about food webs that existed millions of years ago.”

The baby Ichthyosaurus fossil is part of the University of Birmingham fossil collection and it is on display at the Lapworth Geology Museum.

A Replica of a Belemnite (CollectA Belemnite Figure)

CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Popular Size Belemnite model.

To view the CollectA Age of Dinosaurs model range: CollectA Prehistoric Life Models and Figures.

Visit Everything Dinosaur: Everything Dinosaur.

27 09, 2017

Countdown to the Frankfurt Book Fair

By Mike|2023-08-15T14:05:22+01:00September 27th, 2017|Categories: General Teaching|Comments Off on Countdown to the Frankfurt Book Fair

Excitement Builds as Frankfurter Buchmesse Approaches

The countdown has started, there are now just two weeks to go before the start of the annual Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse), the world’s largest event for the book industry and publishing. Running from Wednesday 11th October through to Sunday the 15th October, this year’s gathering of the great and the good in the publishing world promises to be bigger and better than ever.

The Frankfurter Buchmesse 2017

Frankfurter Buchmesse 2017.

Picture credit: Frankfurt Book Fair

Education and Teaching are Prominent at the Frankfurter Buchmesse

The publishing industry’s commitment to education and the next generation of learners is, once again, very prominent. Servicing the needs of the educational sector is one of the key aims of the Frankfurter Buchmesse and this year, over 240 exhibitors representing all aspects of education from preschool and nursery through to adult further education are going to be at this international event.

The majority of the education service and publishing providers can be found in Halls, 4, 5 and 6. There is an especially large number of exhibitors supporting the needs of the primary and elementary schools sector. Teachers, teaching assistants and those staff members tasked with improving literacy amongst children from ages five and upwards, have a wonderful opportunity to meet some of the leading suppliers, experts and consultants providing services to the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 cohorts.

Engaging Young Minds and Encouraging Life-Long Learning

The Educational Hot Spot at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

A focus on education at the Frankfurter Buchmesse.

Picture credit: Marc Jacquemin/Frankfurt Book Fair

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