A Visit to a Welsh School to Teach About Dinosaurs

As the summer term progresses, so Everything Dinosaur team members continue to fulfil their commitments to schools across the country.  Lots of dinosaur themed and fossil workshops have been delivered by our enthusiastic team members so far this term, our most recent involved a trip to Wales to work with the children at Forden Church in Wales School.  As part of a series of extension activities we had planned in support of the teachers, we asked the mixed Year 3 and Year 4 class to have a go at writing letters to us about dinosaurs.  We challenged the budding young palaeontologists to send in questions about prehistoric animals.

Fossil Workshops

One of the Letters from the Year 3/4 Class at the School

An illustrated dinosaur letter.

Picture credit: Forden Church of Wales Primary School/Everything Dinosaur

Thank You Letters

We received lots of letters and there were some excellent examples of handwriting.  Well done to class Year 3/4.  We emailed over our answers to the teacher and provided other links and resources to help the children to research the answers to some of the questions that they had posed.

To contact Everything Dinosaur to enquire about our science outreach work: Contact Everything Dinosaur by Email.

Dan wrote in and like most of the children, he illustrated his dinosaur themed letter with a drawing.

Answering Questions Posed by Children (Forden Church in Wales School)

Ben wanted to know how many fossils we had found?

Picture credit: Forden Church of Wales Primary School/Everything Dinosaur

Which Prehistoric Animal is This?

Dan wanted to know the name of the prehistoric animal that he had enquired about.  We think it is a mosasaur, not a dinosaur but a reptile, an animal that would have used its powerful flippers and tail for swimming.

Dan Wanted to Know What Type of Animal is This?

Comparing different models of mosasaurs.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

It’s a super image.  These are models and replicas of an ancient marine reptile distantly related to snakes.  The models are mosasaurs.

To view models of mosasaurs and other prehistoric creatures: Prehistoric Animal Models.

The teacher emailed Everything Dinosaur to say:

“Once again a big thank you from all of us at Forden School.  Thank you for answering the children’s questions, I will print them out for them tomorrow and they can read your answers.  We are going to start our ‘design a dinosaur’ challenge tomorrow and I will send  you a selection of our dinosaur designs.  Thank you again for a fabulous morning.”

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s award-winning website: Everything Dinosaur.

Schoolchildren Send in Dinosaur Drawings and Letters

A very big thank you to all the children at Abercrombie Primary in Derbyshire, who sent in letters and drawings to Everything Dinosaur, after our dinosaur workshop at their school earlier this month.  During Everything Dinosaur’s visit to the school, based in Chesterfield, we conducted dinosaur and fossil themed workshops with both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  We set each class a number of follow up activities and the drawings and thank you letters we received were part of these teaching extensions.

Dinosaurs

Classmates Sent in Dinosaur Drawings to Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaurs drawn by schoolchildren.  This is a drawing of Owlasaurus.

Picture credit: Abercrombie Primary School/Everything Dinosaur

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s website: Visit Everything Dinosaur.

Dinosaurs – Non-Fiction Writing Exercise

We challenged the children to write thank you letters and our dinosaur expert informed them that he would be checking carefully for punctuation and spelling.  We received lots of letters and our team members enjoyed reading them all.  Some thank you letters contained questions and we endeavoured to email the class teacher with answers to help the children with their dinosaur and fossil studies.

A Thank You Letter from Cole Received by Everything Dinosaur

A thank you letter from a pupil at Abercrombie Primary.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The writing of these letters was a great way for Everything Dinosaur to support the scheme of work that had been devised by the teaching team.

Creative Dinosaur Designs

Many children were also asked to design their very own dinosaur.  We had some amazing creations such as “Jumbysaurus” from Rueben.  It looks like a very scary dinosaur indeed!

We challenged the children to consider what their dinosaur might eat and how it might survive in the Mesozoic.  We introduced ideas about camouflage and habitat and how these factors might affect the animal’s colouration.  These types of extension activities dovetail with the national curriculum for schools.

For further information on Everything Dinosaur’s work in schools and our science outreach: About Everything Dinosaur.

Providing feedback to Everything Dinosaur one of the teachers at the school commented:

“It was an excellent session, very engaging with excellent subject knowledge shown by the Everything Dinosaur team member.  Super resources used to wow the children, with very good use of repetition to encourage children to learn key vocabulary.”

Reading All the Letters

The Everything Dinosaur team members enjoyed reading all the letters from the children and we have posted up the colourful prehistoric animal drawings onto one of the walls in our warehouse.  Looking at them certainly brightens up our day and we had a great time working with all the classes leading the dinosaur workshops.

Abercrombie Primary School – Supporting Science Teaching

An eventful week this week for Everything Dinosaur team members.  Our busy schedule included a trip to Abercrombie Primary in Chesterfield (Derbyshire) to take part in two days of science themed teaching in support of the English national curriculum.  Everything Dinosaur had been invited to the school to delivery a dinosaur workshop.  Over the course of the eventful and exciting two days our dinosaur and fossil expert worked with the Key Stage 1 children (Year 2) and the whole of Key Stage 2 (Year 3, 4, 5 and Year 6).

Dinosaur Workshop

During the Interactive Workshops the Children Explored Extinction

Exploring dinosaur habitats.  Exploring dinosaur extinction.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The school is broadly average in size and is consistently rated as “Good” by Ofsted.  On the first day we worked with the younger pupils, the second day (the morning and part of the afternoon), was solely dedicated to Year 6.  During our time working with the upper Key Stage 2 children, we explored extinction, discussed whether life did originate on planet Earth, explored natural selection and adaptation, mapped prehistoric plants and proved that continents move.

Making the Woolly Mammoth De-extinct!

The Everything Dinosaur fossil expert showed Year 6 some Woolly Mammoth fossils that had been found not too far away from the school.  Tens of thousands of years ago, the Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) roamed this part of Britain, we speculated on what roles the children might have had if they had lived during the Stone Age and they had taken part in a Woolly Mammoth hunt.

What Role Would You Have Played in a Woolly Mammoth Hunt?

Neanderthals attacking a Woolly Mammoth.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture (above) was created using Papo prehistoric animal models.

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

Our fossil expert then explained what research is being undertaken to resurrect this extinct elephant.  The Year 6 children debated whether or not bringing back the Woolly Mammoth and making it de-extinct was a good idea.  There seemed to be a consensus amongst the students that the Dodo should be brought back as well.  However, the Year 6 pupils were disappointed to hear that Dodos, or as the Dutch sailors used to call it, the Doddaer, (Raphus cucullatus), was actually a giant, flightless pigeon.

A Teacher Comments after a Dinosaur Workshop

Commenting on the work undertaken by Everything Dinosaur Mrs Bradly (one of the teachers) said:

“I missed you at the end of the day and I’m not in tomorrow so I am emailing to say thank you for the workshops today.  The feedback from staff and children have been really positive.”

Mrs Harris (teacher Year 4) stated:

“An excellent session, very engaging with excellent subject knowledge and super resources.  Repetition was used well to encourage the children to learn key vocabulary.  A great session – thank you!”

Our two days working with the teachers and pupils at this primary school whizzed by, we even got the chance to see a partial lower jaw of a sheep that one of the children had found and the skull of a bird discovered whilst at Forest School.  It seems as we departed Derbyshire we left behind some happy teachers and happy pupils.  Our dinosaur workshop and other activities were extremely popular.

To see Everything Dinosaur’s user-friendly website: Everything Dinosaur.

A Thank You Note from Teacher

After a very successful couple of dinosaur workshops with the Year 2 classes at Great Wood Primary (Lancashire), we set the children some extension activities.  In addition, to our work whilst at the school, we promised to send the teaching team some additional prehistoric animal themed resources to support the term topic and to help enrich the scheme of work that had been carefully prepared.

A Dinosaur Workshop in Lancashire

With the school being located in Lancashire, we sent over some information on the famous anatomist and early palaeontologist Sir Richard Owen.  Sir Richard Owen was born in the county of Lancashire.  Naturally, we had to supply information on the very influential fossil hunter Mary Anning, along with a tongue twister or two.

The children sent in to our offices some wonderful prehistoric animal drawings and a set of thank you letters.  Along with all the fabulous examples of the children’s work, one of the teachers dropped us a note on behalf of the teaching team to thank us for all the extra support and assistance we had provided.

The Thank You Note from the Teacher

“The children really did have a fantastic morning.”

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Year Two teacher commented:

“The children were really enthused after your visit and learnt so much.”

 Everything Dinosaur and Thank You Letters

The children’s letters were brim full of dinosaur facts that they had learned and we did our best to email over answers to the many questions the children posed about prehistoric animals.

A Thank You Letter from Hannah (Year Two)

A thank you letter sent in by Hannah to Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Children Ask Questions About Dinosaurs

Caitlin told us her favourite dinosaur was Triceratops, whilst Wade asked “will you come again?”.  Alfie drew a wonderful picture of an armoured dinosaur and he informed us that his favourite dinosaur was Ankylosaurus.

For further information about Everything Dinosaur’s work in schools and to request a quotation: Contact Everything Dinosaur.  Our thanks to the teaching team and the pupils at Great Wood Primary.  We are glad that everyone enjoyed the dinosaur workshop in the school.

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s website: Visit Everything Dinosaur.

Wonderful Dinosaur Drawings and Letters from Year 2 Classes

After a dinosaur workshop at the school, (Great Wood Primary), Everything Dinosaur challenged the two classes of Year 2 with a number of extension activities and exercises.  For example, we asked the children to think about what a dinosaur might need to survive and then to have a go at designing their very own prehistoric animal.  We received some wonderful dinosaur drawings and very clever prehistoric animal designs.  For example, Lydia sent us in a very well labelled blue and yellow dinosaur with amazing armour. Aidan sent in a dinosaur drawing with a big nose horn.

Dinosaur Drawings

A Dinosaur Designed by a Pupil

Aidan (Year 2) designed a long-necked dinosaur.

Picture credit: Great Wood Primary School (Aidan)

We received lots of beautifully labelled dinosaur drawings and not just dinosaurs too.  Caleb for example, drew a picture of his favourite prehistoric animal – a giant sea monster!  The sea monster had giant flippers and enormous teeth. Our congratulations to Caleb.

A Letter Writing Exercise

Another extension activity we proposed whilst conducting our dinosaur workshops with the Year 2 classes was to have the children write thank you letters to Everything Dinosaur.  We received letters from all the children and just like the excellent dinosaur drawings, we have pinned them up on one of the walls in our warehouse.  They do make a colourful display.

One of the Letters Sent into Everything Dinosaur

A thank you letter sent into Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s website: Everything Dinosaur.

This exercise permitted the children to practice their handwriting skills as well as helping to reinforce learning with regards to the dinosaur term topic.  The children also had the opportunity to ask questions, as unfortunately, we could not answer all the questions during our visit to the school.  For example, Nathan asked were there lots of tall dinosaurs?  There were certainly lots of very tall dinosaurs, perhaps the tallest of all were those long-necked dinosaurs whose front legs were longer than their back legs.

Sauropod Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs like Brachiosaurus, Giraffatitan  or Lusotitan, whose fossils were found in Portugal, all had very long necks and would have stood very tall, perhaps as high as a five storey building.  Then there is the immense Mamenchisaurus from China.  This Chinese dinosaur had one of the longest necks of all the known dinosaurs.  The tall dinosaurs evolved so that they could feed off the tops of trees, the parts that other plant-eating dinosaurs could not reach. The children wanted to know about long-necked dinosaurs.

A Papo Brachiosaurus Dinosaur Model

In our studio – Papo Brachiosaurus. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view the range of Papo prehistoric animal models and figures: Papo Dinosaur Models.

For further information on Everything Dinosaur’s work in schools and to contact the company to request a quotation: Contact Everything Dinosaur

Once again, a very big thank you to all the children in Year 2 at Great Wood Primary school.  We really appreciate the letters and drawings and we are glad everyone enjoyed our dinosaur workshops.  Have fun with the rest of the dinosaur themed term topic.

Dinosaur Limericks and Poems

Today, May 12th, is regarded as “National Limerick Day”.  It is an annual celebration marking the anniversary of the birth of the English poet, author and illustrator Edward Lear.  It was Edward Lear who helped to popularise limericks and nonsense prose when he published his best-selling “Book of Nonsense” in 1846, a time when the public’s fascination with prehistoric animals and fossils was beginning to take hold.  Can team members at Everything Dinosaur write a dinosaur poem or limerick?

Teaching Idea

Here’s a suggestion for primary school teachers, to help them develop schemes of work encompassing creative fiction within a dinosaur term topic – why not challenge the class to a dinosaur poem writing competition?

Below is a picture sent into us by a teacher who had found a book of limericks and poems all about prehistoric creatures and she was using this book to help encourage her own class with creative, fiction writing.

Poems About Dinosaurs – Building a Fiction Writing Element into the Dinosaur Themed Term Topic

A poem about the hadrosaur Parasaurolophus.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Crested Dinosaur Parasaurolophus

Parasaurolophus was a duck-billed dinosaur, fossils of this herbivorous dinosaur have been found in North America. It is famous for having a very long crest.  It had been thought that these animals lived in lakes and swamps and that the crest served as some form of snorkel.  However, most palaeontologists now believe that these structures played a role in display and vocalisation – Parasaurolophus may have had a loud honk!  Parasaurolophus was scientifically described and named in 1922 following the discovery of an almost complete fossil skeleton in the Canadian Province of Alberta.

A Model of the Dinosaur – Parasaurolophus

A PNSO Wyatt the Parasaurolophus spotted going for a wander in one of Everything Dinosaur’s packing rooms.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view the range of PNSO dinosaurs in stock at Everything Dinosaur: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs Models.

Dinosaur Poems and Limericks

A dinosaur poem or limerick composition exercise can certainly be a fun and innovative way of helping to encourage the class to develop their skills in terms of word usage and creative writing.  Boys sometimes can be very unenthusiastic when it comes to writing stories.  However, with a focus on dinosaurs, even the most reluctant writer might be persuaded to compose a poem about a Tyrannosaurus rex!

With this in mind, here’s Everything Dinosaur’s contribution in honour of Edward Lear and National Limerick Day.  The limerick is called “Extinction”.

A Dinosaur Inspired Limerick

A limerick inspired by dinosaurs by Karen Costello-McFeat.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

We hoped you liked our dinosaur limerick.  What can you come up with?

Can the children in your class write a better limerick?  Can they think of words to rhyme with dinosaur, Tyrant King and Triceratops?  That’s a challenge for National Limerick Day!

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s award-winning website: Everything Dinosaur.