Back to School with Everything Dinosaur

It is the start of the new academic year and Everything Dinosaur team members like lots of teachers and teaching assistants, are busy finalising plans for the upcoming autumn term.

Many primary schools are kicking off their Reception (Foundation Stage Two) and Key Stage One schemes of work with a dinosaur themed term topic.  Topic areas such as “Jurassic Forest” and “Dinosaur Planet” can be linked to core elements of the national curriculum such as English to help the pupils develop an understanding of non-chronological reports and non-fiction writing, whereas, in science, the topic area can link to work exploring carnivores, herbivores, omnivores and food webs.

Everything Dinosaur Making Preparations for the Autumn Term

Dinosaur fossils have been found all over the world, studying prehistoric animals can assist with the children learning about the world’s continents and oceans, helping to support geography teaching in schools.

The Art and Design element of the curriculum can be included by challenging the children to use drawings and paintings of prehistoric animals to help them develop their imagination and to share their ideas.  Lots of different resources such as pasta shapes, straws, stencils and charcoal can be used in creative art and design projects to help the children learn more about the properties of different materials.

Prehistoric Animals Helping to Support the Art and Design Elements of the Curriculum

Picture Credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Creative Curriculum – History

Learning about events beyond living memory by studying the time of the dinosaurs – the Triassic, Jurassic and the Cretaceous geological periods.  The science element can further be supported by incorporating how and why palaeontologists study fossils.  Learning about fossils can provide a real sense of discovery at the heart of the term topic.

Historical figures can be introduced, such as learning about the life and contribution to science made by Mary Anning, a fossil collector and amateur palaeontologist from Dorset (southern England).

Studying the Life and Works of Mary Anning Dove-tails into the History Section of the National Curriculum

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaurs as a term topic provides lots of important “touch points” to the curriculum.  Furthermore, such an exciting and challenging topic area can really help young learners to settle down and to make good progress as they start the new school year.

For further information about Everything Dinosaur’s work in schools and outreach work: Email Everything Dinosaur.

Please remember to include the name and postcode of your school, plus, it would be helpful if you could let us know the age of the children.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

Dinosaur Drawings By William

Our thanks to young dinosaur fan William who kindly sent in a drawing of two of his favourite dinosaur models.  At Everything Dinosaur, we get sent lots of dinosaur and prehistoric illustrations and we like to post these up in our warehouse.  William wrote to thank Everything Dinosaur team members for supplying the dinosaur figures.

A Young Dinosaur Fan (William) Draws Prehistoric Animals

Picture credit: William

Not only has William chosen to illustrate some dinosaurs for us, but he also sent to us a lovely copy of our company logo, a large letter “e” that represents a three-toed dinosaur footprint as well as the first letter of our company’s name.  Congratulations to William, for the drawings and for the clear and well-spaced writing.

Dinosaur Drawings from Children

Lots of children are fascinated by dinosaurs and many schools utilise this love of all things dinosaur as they deliver dinosaur-themed term topics.  Learning about ferocious and thankfully, extinct creatures from the past can really help to motivate and enthuse young learners when it comes to gaining confidence with numbers and improving writing skills.  William for example, as chosen to illustrate one of his favourite dinosaur models – Ankylosaurus.  It we compare William’s drawing to a model of this armoured dinosaur, it is clear that William has taken great care over his work.

William Draws an Ankylosaurus

Picture credit: William/Everything Dinosaur

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

William Draws the Fearsome Mapusaurus

In addition, to his armoured dinosaur illustration, William chose to draw a picture of a Mapusaurus.  Mapusaurus, (as we are sure William will know), was a large, carnivorous dinosaur, fossils of which come from Argentina. It was probably the largest predator in its environment, with some palaeontologists estimating that Mapusaurus weighed around six tonnes and measured more than twelve metres long.

William Draws Mapusaurus

Picture credit: William/Everything Dinosaur

Once again, we congratulate William on the accuracy of his drawing, team members at Everything Dinosaur were able to recognise that this was an illustration of the CollectA Mapusaurus dinosaur model.

Our thanks to William for his drawing and to his kind mum Anna who gave it to us.  We hope you liked the fact sheets that accompanied the models that we supplied.

We noted the suggestion for CollectA to produce a model of a Sabre-tooth Cat cub, this suggestion along with the illustration will be forwarded onto our chums at CollectA.

The CollectA range of prehistoric animal figures that helped inspire William can be viewed here: CollectA Prehistoric Life Models.

Everything Dinosaur Issues a Warning About Dangerous Cliffs

This weekend, it is the August Bank Holiday here in the UK.  This is the last national Bank Holiday before Christmas, a sobering thought, but with lots of families heading to the beach to make the most of the summer weather, team members at Everything Dinosaur have issued a warning about dangerous cliffs on many of the UK’s coasts.

Dangerous Cliffs

Families will be visiting the seaside for lots of reasons, some might even be amateur fossil collectors, keen to find a few choice specimens before the autumn weather rolls in.  However, the exceptional hot, dry spells that much of the country has experienced over the last three months or so has left many of the cliffs overlooking beaches even more dangerous than ever.

A Recent Cliff Collapse at Happisburgh Beach on the Norfolk Coast

 Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Sandstone and chalk cliffs are particularly vulnerable.  These cliffs have become increasingly dry over the summer and when it does rain, the water can make overlying rocks heavier and these overhangs can collapse.  The dry weather followed by sudden downpours makes cliffs very unstable and rock falls are more likely to occur.

Stay Away from the Clifftops and the Base of the Cliff

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We want everyone to have a great time if they are planning on a visit to the coast during the holiday period.  However, we would strongly advise that anybody visiting the beach at this time stays away from the cliffs and avoids the clifftops too.”

Would-be fossil hunters should take care to avoid getting to close to the base of cliffs, there are probably plenty of fossils to find further down the beach away from any potential landslips or rock falls.

It is advisable to heed warnings and to listen to advice from the local coastguard.

Instead of visiting the dangerous cliffs, visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

A Stunning 1:20 Scale Edaphosaurus Model

Our thanks to prehistoric animal model fan, Elizabeth, who sent us in this wonderful replica of an Edaphosaurus, a reptile that lived many millions of years before the dinosaurs evolved but is often mistaken for a dinosaur.

A Beautiful 1/20th Scale Replica of a Edaphosaurus

Picture credit: Elizabeth

The figure is part of the CollectA Deluxe prehistoric life model series. It has been customised and provided with a display base.

To view the CollectA Deluxe range: CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric Animal Models.

Edaphosaurus is not a Dinosaur

Edaphosaurus, like Dimetrodon, is sometimes referred to as a “sail-backed reptile”. It is sometimes included in dinosaur model sets.  However, Edaphosaurus was not a dinosaur.  This reptile was a synapsid, a member of a group of reptiles that has a single opening (fenestra) just behind the eye socket in the skull.  Dinosaurs, along with lizards, crocodiles, Aves (birds) and marine reptiles such as the Plesiosauria, were diapsids.  Diapsids have two holes on each side of the skull.  Mammals are also synapsids, so Edaphosaurus was ironically more closely related to mammals like us than to the Dinosauria, although the term “mammal-like” reptile that is often applied to this ancient reptile is very misleading and not accurate.

Edaphosaurus Lived During the Permian Geological Period, Long Before the First Dinosaurs

Picture credit: Elizabeth

Our thanks to Elizabeth for sending in to us some photographs of her fabulous Edaphosaurus diorama.

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

Dinosaur and Fossil Workshop Success

Recently, Everything Dinosaur team members were invited up to the beautiful Beacon Museum at Whitehaven, Cumbria, to participate in the Museum’s “Dino Fest”, a weekend of activities focusing on all things dinosaur.  The Beacon Museum is holding a dinosaur inspired exhibition for the summer months with lots of family friendly activities.  On the Friday afternoon, Everything Dinosaur hosted a special meeting of the Museum’s “Quantum Leap” club.  We looked at fossils including dinosaur bones and the children got the chance to find and take home their own fossils, including pieces of fossilised dinosaur bone.

Everything Dinosaur and Fossil Workshops

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Fossil Casting

During our work with the enthusiastic “Quantum Leap” club members we got the budding young scientists to have a go at casting their own museum quality replicas.  Over the course of the weekend, we held a number of dinosaur and fossil workshops and lots of fossils were found and some amazing casts were made.

Fossil Casts on Display

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

For replicas of iconic animals from the fossil record: Replicas of Iconic Fossil Animals and Dinosaur Toys and Games.

Well done to Joe and Tom for making such a superb cast from one of our Late Cretaceous ammonite fossils from Canada.

Fossil Casting Workshops

In total, Everything Dinosaur held three two-hour long fossil workshops and numerous, shorter fossil hunting activities.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur, who participated in the weekend of dinosaur-themed activities commented:

“It was great to meet all the eager and enthusiastic, young dinosaur fans at The Beacon Museum over the weekend.  We all had a great time hunting for fossils, helping to make fossil casts and answering all their questions about dinosaurs.”

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

Lots of Teachers Already Preparing for the New Academic Year

For many schools in England and Wales, the long summer holidays are about to start.  Although many teaching staff will be taking a deserved vacation, we note from the number of emails, phone calls and general enquiries that we have received that lots of dedicated teaching professionals are well advanced with their planning for dinosaur and fossil teaching the start of the next academic year.

September will soon come around and teachers supported by teaching assistants and other learning support providers will be busying themselves making preparations for the challenges that a new academic year brings.  From the enquiries that we have received so far this month, it seems that the Cornerstones Curriculum “Dinosaur Planet” and the term topic “Jurassic Forest” are going to be popular choices when it comes to Key Stage 1 and Reception term topics.

Lots of Schools are Planning Term Topics Focused Around Dinosaurs and Fossils

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Preparing Prehistoric Themed Schemes of Work

As always, our dedicated teaching team are on hand to provide advice and assistance.  There are numerous downloadable resources available from Everything Dinosaur’s dedicated teaching website, all provided free of charge.  Our handy lesson plans, resource packs, teaching suggestions and information sheets have been downloaded by teachers, educationalists, museums and other institutions hundreds of times.  We are happy to help and we get a large amount of emails from teachers asking for specific information, these are all responded to and we do our best to assist and advise where we can.

For Everything Dinosaur’s educational themed items including toys and games: Dinosaur Toys and Games.

Lesson Plans Helped to Inspire a Poster Making Exercise

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaur and Fossil Workshops in School

Our dinosaur and fossil workshops in schools are booking up fast, we already have bookings for the summer term of 2019 and enquiries for the 2019/20 academic year.  We conduct a lot of work with schools and our workshops are built around curriculum teaching aims and objectives including developing writing skills, aiding literacy, exploring ideas, problem solving, working scientifically, building confidence and encouraging an understanding of materials and the wider world.

There is certainly a big “wow” factor with a visit from ourselves but everything we do attempts to reinforce learning and help achieve the teaching outcomes required by the school.  Dinosaurs as a teaching theme lends itself to all sorts of ideas and extension activities and we often provide additional resources to help support the school’s scheme of work.

For further information about our dinosaur workshops in schools and to request details of our science outreach work: Contact Everything Dinosaur.

Our hard-working team members will do all they can to accommodate teaching needs, but, spaces are getting booked up fast.

Thank You Letters Received After Another Successful Dinosaur Workshop

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

A Very Big Trilobite

The Wren’s Nest/Castle Hill site near Dudley in the West Midlands is one of the most important sites anywhere in the world for Silurian fossils.  At this location there are superb exposures of Middle Silurian strata (Wenlock and lower Ludlow series).  Coal seams in the surrounding hills date from the later Middle Carboniferous.  The lime and coal at this location made this part of England a focal point for the industrial revolution.

There are lots of fossils to be found too, including trilobites.

A Commemorative Plaque Recognising the Significance of Wren’s Nest

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

For models and replicas of iconic animals from the fossil record including trilobite models: Learning – Replicas of Fossils and Models of Prehistoric Animals.

Part of the motif is an inscription it reads:

“Scour the ground for geological litter my feet drenched in an ancient sea.”

The fossils preserved at Wren’s Nest represent marine life on an ancient reef system which is around 420 to 425 million years old.  This an amazing (and free) place to visit, a beautiful nature reserve that was designated Britain’s first National Nature Reserve for geology back in 1956.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

Delicious Dinosaur Birthday Cake

Our thanks and best wishes to Athina and Peter who contacted Everything Dinosaur recently to ask advice when choosing some dinosaur and prehistoric animal models to feature on their grandson’s birthday cake.  The grandparents emailed us to say thank you for our assistance and included a picture of the magnificent birthday cake that had been baked and decorated with dinosaurs in honour of young Luca’s birthday.

A Dinosaur Birthday Cake

What a Magnificent Dinosaur Birthday Cake!

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Athina commented:

“The cake was a big success, thanks for your help.”

What a wonderful cake!  Team members at Everything Dinosaur are always intrigued to find out how our dinosaurs and prehistoric animals are used by our customers.  One question remains, how are Athina and Peter going to top this wonderful confectionery creation when it comes to Luca’s 5th birthday?

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

In Praise of the Museum of Natural History (Oxford)

Oxford as the county town of Oxfordshire (England), has many attractions.  It is of course, famous for its distinguished and highly respected university.  It is one of the oldest seats of learning (alongside Paris and Bologna), in the western world.  The Victorian poet Matthew Arnold (1822-1888), coined the phrase “the city of dreaming spires”, it is indeed a very awe-inspiring place with its beautiful architecture and stunning university colleges and buildings.

Oxford Museum of Natural History

However, Oxford should not necessarily just be the haunt of academics and students.  For families, there is much to see and do in this historic part of England.  Take for example, the Museum of Natural History, it is free to enter (donations are suggested) and it provides a fantastic day out for young and old alike.

A View of the Ground Floor of the Natural History Museum (Oxford)

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The image (above) shows marine reptile fossils on display.

For models and replicas of marine reptiles and other prehistoric creatures: Prehistoric Animal Models and Figures.

Oxford Stunning Architecture

The museum acts as a centre for scientific study for the University of Oxford.  It houses the University’s collection of palaeontological, geological and zoological specimens, including some of the very first dinosaur bones to be scientifically studied.  This collection is housed in a stunning example of neo-Gothic architecture, the ornate columns and use of copious amounts of glass provides a wonderfully spacious and well-lit learning area.  With visitor numbers estimated to be around 700,000 people a year, this well-laid out and beautifully appointed museum can get quite busy at times, but please note, the Natural History Museum (London), attracts approximately 5,000,000 visitors per annum.  The London museum can get extremely congested, in contrast, the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH), especially shortly after opening at 10 am tends to be much quieter.

Founded in 1860

Founded in 1860, that’s twenty-one years before the Natural History Museum (London) opened its doors, the OUMNH has maintained its strong tradition to inform and educate and helps to underpin a varied programme of scientific research as well as playing a significant role in teaching.  The Museum provides an extensive array of family orientated activities and if over the course of the summer holidays, you have a few hours to spare this museum is well-worth a visit.

Look out for the cast of a male Tyrannosaurus rex, a life-sized model of a Coelacanth, some amazing fossil specimens, live insects and of course, arguably the OUMNH’s most famous resident – the remains of a Dodo.

In the meantime, visit the award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.