Children Draw Long-necked Dinosaurs

When visiting schools to conduct our dinosaur and fossil themed workshops we often get told about the children’s favourite dinosaurs.  Meat-eaters such as Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptor and Spinosaurus tend to be the most popular, but not too far behind come some of the iconic plant-eaters, especially the super-sized, long-necked giants like Apatosaurus, Brontosaurus, Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus.  It is a pleasure to receive pictures from children, who have taken the trouble to send in a drawing of their favourite dinosaur.

A Long-necked Dinosaur Drawing (Reception-aged Child)

A long-necked dinosaur with an egg.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Plant-Eating Dinosaurs Inspire Extension Ideas

During our dinosaur and fossil themed workshops, we take the opportunity to develop a number of ideas and activities that can be used as extensions to help support learning.  These extension ideas could involve a numeracy related activity, or have a literacy focus such as helping to develop the children’s vocabulary.  One of our favourites, is to propose a simple drawing activity which entails drawing a big long-necked prehistoric animal.  This dinosaur themed drawing exercise links to the expressive arts and design element of the curriculum, involving children exploring and playing using a wide range of materials and media.

These activities encourage young learners to share their feelings, thoughts and ideas via a variety of art themed exercises.

Dinosaurs Laid Eggs – An Idea Reinforced Through a Drawing Activity

A fossilised dinosaur egg (Theropoda). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture above shows a fossilised dinosaur egg.  During our dinosaur workshop, we showed the class pieces of fossilised dinosaur eggshell and explained that as far as we know, dinosaurs laid eggs, just like their close relatives the birds.   An extension activity involving a drawing exercise has helped reinforce this aspect of the term topic – that dinosaurs laid eggs.

An Illustration of a Brachiosaurus

The new for 2020 Mojo Fun Brachiosaurus dinosaur model measures around 25 cm long and that detailed head stands nearly 18 cm high. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture (above) shows a Brachiosaurus dinosaur model.  It is from the Mojo Fun model range.

View Mojo Fun dinosaur models: Mojo Fun Dinosaur Models.

Brachiosaurus “Arm Lizard”

Brachiosaurus “arm lizard”, is one of the most popular long-necked dinosaurs.  Children love the idea that a fully grown Brachiosaurus could see into the windows of a three-storey high building.  It’s all those amazing facts and figures, the budding palaeontologists seem to be able to absorb them like a sponge taking up water.

For further information about Everything Dinosaur’s work: Contact Everything Dinosaur.

Dinosaur Drawings from Clutton Primary School

Our thanks to the children in the mixed Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 class at Clutton Church of England Primary (Cheshire), who, with the support of their enthusiastic teacher, sent in some dinosaur drawings.  During our dinosaur and fossil workshop with the children, we challenged the class to have a go at designing their very own prehistoric animal.  We set this up as an extension activity to support the teaching team’s scheme of work.  From the drawings we received, it looks like the children had a really good time designing their very own dinosaur.

Dinosaur Drawings

A Dinosaur Design from Libby Complete with Labels

After a dinosaur workshop schoolchildren were invited to design their own dinosaur. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Clutton C of E Primary and Everything Dinosaur

Well done Libby!  We appreciate how hard you worked when it came to labelling your dinosaur.

For dinosaur and prehistoric animal themed gifts and toys: Dinosaur Themed Gifts and Toys.

A Design Your Own Dinosaur Teaching Extension Activity

A colourful dinosaur drawing. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Clutton C of E Primary and Everything Dinosaur

The picture above is of another dinosaur drawing sent in by the teacher on behalf of her class.  We think this drawing comes from Kyle.  It is a very interesting interpretation of the Dinosauria.  What a great name for a dinosaur “T. rex boon“.

Our thanks to all the children and to the teachers at Clutton C of E Primary who made us most welcome when we visited the school on the 10th of March to deliver a dinosaur themed workshop.  Hope the term topic goes well.

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

Dinosaurs Come to Clutton C of E Primary

It was a Jurassic themed morning for the budding, young palaeontologists in Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 at Clutton C of E Primary school.  The children had been learning all about dinosaurs and fossils under the guidance of the enthusiastic teaching team and to round off the week, a visit from an expert from Everything Dinosaur had duly been arranged.  Prior to the dinosaur and fossil themed workshop, the teaching team had time to show their visitor some of the excellent work that the children had been doing since they started the prehistoric animal themed topic two weeks ago.

What the Children Know About Dinosaurs

Using the KWL technique to start a term topic all about dinosaurs.

Picture credit: Clutton C of E Primary School/Everything Dinosaur

Lots of pre-knowledge was demonstrated by the children.  For example, Hayden commented that “a meteor crashed into the Earth and it caused tsunamis and the dinosaurs died”.  Well done Hayden, scientists think that a big rock from space did crash into the Earth some 66 million-years-ago and this may have been one of the key factors in the extinction of the dinosaurs.  Oliver stated that “T. rex ate the dinosaurs that had horns on their head”.  He is quite right, big meat-eaters like Tyrannosaurus rex did eat the plant-eating horned dinosaurs like Triceratops and Styracosaurus.

Tyrannosaurus rex An Extremely Dangerous Dinosaur

The Rebor GrabNGo 02 T. rex Type A in anterior view.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture (above) shows a Rebor GrabNGo T. rex dinosaur model.

To view the Rebor range: Rebor Prehistoric Animal Models and Figures.

Dinosaurs Roar

Abbie explained that dinosaurs could roar.  Some dinosaurs probably did make lots of noise, but other dinosaurs, especially some of the smaller ones, probably squeaked, squawked and may even have honked!  Esmé commented that dinosaurs hunt, the meat-eaters certainly did go hunting and in the workshop, the children learned how the colossal (good word Olivia), Ankylosaurus kept himself safe when a T. rex came into the forest.

During his visit, our dinosaur expert saw some amazing examples of the children’s work.  There was some super hand-writing on display and several beautiful dinosaur skeletons that had been made from tissue paper and glue.  The Foundation Stage and the Key Stage 1 pupils were certainly enjoying their dinosaur themed term topic.  We hope they enjoy the extension activities we provided and good luck with the dinosaur drawing exercise, remember to label those body parts including the skull!

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: The Everything Dinosaur Website.

A Day of Dinosaurs and Fossils

Situated in the heart of rural Wiltshire is the delightful village of Great Wishford.  Many of the rocks used as local building materials were laid down during the Jurassic geological period.  Children at Great Wishford Primary have just started learning about dinosaurs and fossils, quite appropriate really, when the school is situated in a part of the world renowned for its Jurassic marine fossils.  The children are living in their very own “Jurassic Park”.

A Dinosaur and Fossil Day

The children in the mixed Reception and Year 1 class had been challenged to build their own dinosaur over the half-term break.  The models made an excellent display in the classroom.  Lots of different materials had been used in the project, the children (and their grown-up helpers) can be very proud of their efforts.

Half-term Project Building Prehistoric Animal Models

Dinosaur and fossil models on display in a classroom. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Great Preparation for the Next Term Topic

An amazing collection of prehistoric animal models made by the children. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaur Workshops with Year5/6 and Reception/Year 1

The morning was spent working with the children in Upper Key Stage 2.  The focus was on developing the concept of working scientifically, using evidence to formulate ideas and theories.  Our lesson plan had been prepared with the aim of enriching the scheme of work that had been prepared by the dedicated teaching team.

Themes such as extinction, evolution, adaptation and natural selection were covered and the class was given the chance to look at a real palaeontological puzzle as they tried to work out, based on the fossil evidence, what a prehistoric fish had for its dinner!

What Had a Prehistoric Fish Had for its Dinner?

The Papo Otodus megalodon model in anterior view. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture above shows a Papo prehistoric shark model.

To view the range of Papo prehistoric animal figures: Papo Prehistoric Animal Models.

A Provocation Session

In the afternoon, it was the turn of the Reception and Year 1 children, an opportunity to provide a provocation session to kick-start the dinosaur themed term topic.  The enthusiastic children moved quietly through the forest and employed their super-power when a Tyrannosaurus rex was looking for something to eat.

They learned that most fossils feel cold when you first touch them and that some fossils can be big or even massive!  Over the course of the day we proposed a series of age-appropriate extension activities to help support the well-crated term topic plans of the teaching team.  The children in Year 5/6 were challenged to research the story of the Coelacanth and to look at the evidence that helps support the theory that the dinosaurs are not actually extinct.  The mixed Reception and Year 1 class were challenged to have a go a drawing their very own dinosaur, but they had to label the body parts including the skull.

A Scale Drawing of a Coelacanth

A scale drawing of a Coelacanth.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The well-organised and tidy classrooms were most impressive and the care and attention the school staff had taken to create exciting and rewarding learning environments was clearly evident.  Lots of different activities supporting the learning needs of the children had been prepared.  For example, in the Reception/Year 1 classroom the outline of a long-necked dinosaur (Sauropoda) had been created on the floor using masking tape.  The dinosaur’s tail stuck out into the corridor!  This simple exercise can help children to appreciate just how big some dinosaurs were as well as helping to reinforce differences between ourselves and animals.

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s website: Everything Dinosaur.