A Komodo Dragon Drawing

Our thanks to young Caldey for sending into us a superb illustration of a Komodo dragon, the largest living lizard in the world today, with some individuals attaining lengths of around 3 metres and weighing as much as 75 kilogrammes.

An Illustration of a Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis)

Picture credit: Caldey

Komodo Dragon Described as a “Land Crocodile”

When first described by Europeans in the early years of the 20th century, this large lizard was thought to be a form of “land crocodile”.  Scientist now know that the Komodo dragon is a member of the monitor lizard family, although how it evolved is a bit of a mystery.

As it is restricted to a handful of islands in the Indonesian archipelago, it had been thought that a lack of other large carnivores in its habitat enabled this lizard to reach such a large size.  However, some scientists now think that the Komodo dragon is part of a long line of large, ground dwelling monitor lizards that inhabited south-eastern Asia and Australia for several million years.  If this is the case the Komodo dragon represents the last of this evolutionary line, “a dead clade walking”.

Caldey’s drawing was probably inspired by the Rebor Komodo dragon model.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view the range of Rebor models and figures in stock at Everything Dinosaur: Rebor Figures and Models.

Listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, its range has contracted due to human activity, but it has protected status within Indonesia and there are controversial plans to reduce the human population on Komodo by forcing villagers to locate elsewhere in order to protect this species.

Our thanks to Caldey for providing us with such a super Komodo dragon drawing.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

International Primary Curriculum “Footprints from the Past”

Plans are well advanced for dinosaur and fossil themed workshops to be delivered in the new academic year.  Team members are busy with their lesson planning and preparations including writing schemes of work to support the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) and the topic area “Footprints from the Past”.

Everything Dinosaur staff have prepared workshops for Foundation Stage classes through to Upper Key Stage 2, helping to enthuse and motivate, working with classes when the children will be investigating dinosaurs and fossils.

Dinosaurs and Fossils Provides Lots of Cross-curricular Learning Opportunities

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

We do a lot of work with schools and our workshops are built around the International Primary Curriculum aims and objectives including developing writing skills, aiding literacy, exploring ideas, problem solving, 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 our teaching team does, attempts to reinforce learning and help achieve the teaching outcomes required.

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Footprints from the Past

The “Big Idea” behind this element of the IPC curriculum entitled Footprints from the Past, is that nobody has ever seen a living a dinosaur and therefore how do we know so much about them?  This introduces the concept of “dinosaur detectives”, challenging the class to explore ideas and to work scientifically.

From a scientific perspective, dinosaurs are technically not extinct.  So, when working with Lower Key Stage 2 for example, we like to challenge their understanding of dinosaurs and extinction, develop some themes through the tactile, visual and kinaesthetic elements of the class workshop and then set the class extension activities based around exploring some of the ideas that we have covered.

Did an Extra-terrestrial Impact Wipe Out All the Dinosaurs?

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Everything Dinosaur

Everything Dinosaur is manned by teachers and real fossil experts and we visit schools to conduct dinosaur and fossil themed workshops whilst working with the learning objectives and intended outcomes as set by the teaching team.  We undertake a lot of work in support of the pupil premium in England.  We add into our workshops real aspects of palaeontology, enabling children to experience some of the science behind the study of dinosaurs, fossils and other extinct animals.  Our costs are made up of a subsidised amount for the teacher/palaeontologist’s time, plus travelling expenses and a small charge to cover the packing of fossils and any materials used.

It looks like our team members are going to have very busy autumn and spring terms.

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A Dazzling Diabloceratops Drawing

Our thanks to Caldey for sending into Everything Dinosaur a superb drawing of the horned dinosaur Diabloceratops. Knowledgeable dinosaur fans like Caldey, know that there were lots of horned dinosaurs (Ceratopsians), in fact, over seventy different species of horned dinosaur have been named to date, numerous new genera have been erected in the last twenty years or so.

Caldey’s Impressive Diabloceratops Drawing

 Picture credit: Caldey

Diablocertops eatoni

Diabloceratops is one of those genera of horned dinosaurs erected this century.  It was described and named in 2010 from fossilised skull material found in Utah (Wahweap Formation), back in 2002.  Although a member of the Ceratopsia, since it was classified as a member of the subfamily Centrosaurinae, Diabloceratops was only distantly related to the famous Triceratops.

We think the inspiration behind Caldey’s excellent drawing was the recently introduced Schleich Diabloceratops dinosaur model.

The Schleich Diabloceratops Dinosaur Model

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

View the Schleich prehistoric animal model range: Schleich Prehistoric Animal Models.

Our thanks to Caldey for sending into us this fabulous dinosaur drawing.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“It is always a pleasure to receive artwork from fans of dinosaurs.  Caldey’s attention to detail and careful illustration of the dinosaur is admirable.  It is a dazzling Diabloceratops drawing.”

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

A Schleich Plesiosaurus – A Flexible Friend

Schleich, the German-based model and figure manufacturer have added a Plesiosaurus to their range of prehistoric animals.  This little replica of an animal reminiscent of the legendary “Loch Ness Monster” measures a little over sixteen centimetres in length and it is great for creative, imaginative play.

The New for 2019 Schleich Plesiosaurus Marine Reptile Model

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Schleich Plesiosaurus – A Flexible Friend

The Plesiosaurus has a beautifully designed skin with very prominent scales, ideal for sensory play.  The figure has been designed for children from three years and older and it has been very skilfully painted.  Unlike most plastic prehistoric animal figures, this little plesiosaur has a flexible, bendy neck.  The head can be manoeuvred into lots of positions, it has certainly proved to be very popular with the budding, young palaeontologists who have had the chance to view this model already.

The Schleich Plesiosaurus Figure Used in a Prehistoric Landscape Display

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“Although Plesiosaurs are famous for their long necks and relatively small heads, the necks of these fish-eaters were not that flexible.  The very largest of the Plesiosauria had more than seventy neck bones (cervical vertebrae), that is ten times what we have in our own necks.  However, studies have shown that the necks of these Mesozoic marine reptiles were not bendy, they could not hold their head up in a “swan-neck” posture.  This anatomical detail notwithstanding, the Schleich Plesiosaurus is great for imaginative play and it will make a lot of young learners very happy.”

To view the new for 2019 Schleich Plesiosaurus and the other models and figures in the Schleich “Conquering the Earth” range: Schleich Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals.

Outlining the Six Stages of Play

As teachers, we know that creative, imaginative play is very important to help young minds develop.  Our congratulations to Safari Ltd for helping to promote the six stages of play as identified by the American sociologist Mildred Parten who defined six stages of play during her extensive research examining how children develop their social skills.

Helping to Educate and Inform about the Importance of Play

Picture credit: Safari Ltd

Play is Very Important

Researchers such as Dr Parten noted that as children develop, their style of play alters.  She identified six, distinct stages of play, the first four or which are focused around individual play.  As children grow-up the way that they play changes.  The latter stages (Associative and Co-operative), involve more complex play with much more interaction with other children.

The Second Set of Play Stages (Stage 4 to Stage 6)

Picture credit: Safari Ltd

The Stages of Play and their Importance in the Classroom

Teaching teams working with Early Years (EYFS), know the importance of play.  It is not just a way for children to have fun but it is extremely important to help them develop and practice personal and social skills.  When we visit schools, we observe many examples of creative play having been devised by the teachers and their teaching assistants.  Structured play helps young minds to mature and helps children to interact with others and the wider world.

Our congratulations to Safari Ltd for publishing helpful literature on this important subject.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

A New Book All About Theropod Dinosaurs

At Everything Dinosaur, we do all we can to encourage children with their reading.  Books open doors and in our job we get the opportunity to read and review a huge range of science books all about dinosaurs and prehistoric animals.  We occasionally get asked to review fictional tales about dinosaurs, especially ones aimed at young readers.  Recently, the publishing team at the Natural History Museum asked us to provide a precis and review of a new book all about dinosaurs entitled “The Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs The Theropods”.  This book was originally published in Spanish, but now it has been translated into a number of other languages.

The Front Cover of “The Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs – The Theropods”

Teaching About Dinosaurs

When team members visit schools to deliver dinosaur and fossil themed workshops to classes, we discuss our work and the contribution we make to the publishing industry.  The children are most excited about this, especially when we mention that we get lots of free books!

To read our review of “The Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs The Theropods”: A Review of the New Dinosaur Book (May 2019) “The Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs – The Theropods”.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

An Inspiring School Thought for the Week

Whilst on a visit to a primary school to deliver a series of dinosaur and fossil themed workshops, an Everything Dinosaur team member spotted an inspiring thought for the week, a quotation from Sir David Attenborough.  Recently, the nonagenarian, naturalist and broadcaster has done a great deal to highlight global warming and climate change and the potential impact on our own species.  Posted up around the school and present in all the classrooms our staff member visited, was this quotation, helping to focus minds and to raise awareness.

Sir David Attenborough Provides an Inspirational Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week

The quotation from Sir David reads:

“Cherish the natural world, because you’re a part of it and you depend on it.”

For the senior leadership team within a school, the publishing of a thought for the week, or even a thought for the day, should not become merely a routine.  Such a policy, at its best, should provide the starting point for debate and conversation, helping to trigger the pupil’s thinking processes and to permit reflection.  Staff too can play an important role as reflective practitioners helping to shape the debate and discussion.  Such inspirational thoughts can promote change and a re-thinking of attitudes.

Posting up comments from leading thinkers can provide the stimulus for conversations about fundamental issues affecting us all.  On this topic, one of our favourite quotations is from Nelson Mandela:

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Young activists such as Greta Thunberg are helping to change attitudes and to shape thinking.  The next generation has a key role to play in shaping our relationship with the natural world and the use of a thought for the week policy in the school brings issues to the fore and promotes involvement in the wider debate.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.