Teaching - Part 12

4 05, 2019

Everything Dinosaur Gets a New Trade Mark

By Mike|2023-12-05T10:59:19+00:00May 4th, 2019|Categories: General Teaching|Comments Off on Everything Dinosaur Gets a New Trade Mark

Everything Dinosaur Gets a Trade Mark

The Everything Dinosaur company has been granted a trade mark for its brand. The granting of this trade mark status has meant that team members have had to update a number of images used on the Everything Dinosaur websites and social media pages. For example, the company logo featured in the header area of this dinosaurs for schools site now has the symbol ® attached to it. An image of the Everything Dinosaur trademark has been reproduced below.

Everything Dinosaur Has Successfully Applied for a Trade Mark

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

What is a Trade Mark?

What is a trade mark? How does this affect a company? A trade mark is a sign that helps to distinguish the origin of goods and services from those of other companies. For example, the logo demonstrates that the sales related to prehistoric animals and such like, that are the core business activities of Everything Dinosaur, come from this organisation. A trade mark can take a variety of forms, it can be symbol, it can take the form of words, smells, logos, sounds, colours or a combination of the above. However, the trade mark needs to be distinctive and acceptable. The Everything Dinosaur trade mark is yet another indication of our long-term commitment to the market place.

The Everything Dinosaur Trade Mark

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“As a small, British company getting trade mark status is important to us, it provides a degree of protection for our business as well as providing assurance to our customer base with regards to our commitment to the market.”

Visit the award-winning and trade marked Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

1 05, 2019

The Start of a Dinosaur Inspired Term Topic

By Mike|2023-12-08T09:05:40+00:00May 1st, 2019|Categories: Early Years Foundation Reception|Comments Off on The Start of a Dinosaur Inspired Term Topic

Starting a Dinosaur Inspired Term Topic

Children in the Foundation Stage at Almondbury Community School have started a term topic all about dinosaurs and prehistoric animals. The budding young palaeontologists in the Nursery and Reception classes took part in some dinosaur-themed workshops today to help kick-start their summer term topic.

The walls of the well-appointed and tidy classrooms at the Greenside Centre were already crammed full of lots of colourful and creative artwork. Our dinosaur expert who visited the school, spotted some beautiful drawings of monsters that had been created by the Foundation Stage 2 children. There was some very imaginative artwork on display and many of the drawings were accompanied by a sentence or two. The vibrant posters highlighted the children’s development of fine motor skills, they must have had lots of practice holding pencils and forming recognisable letters and words.

Spotting Drawings of Monsters in the Foundation Stage Classrooms

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaur Drawings

As part of the work with the children, our dinosaur expert set a challenge – could they draw him a dinosaur? As a further extension for the Reception-aged children, could they label the body parts of their dinosaur including its skull? During the workshop with the Reception class, it was explained that palaeontologists call your head a skull and when working with the Nursery children, the eager, young learners confidently asserted that the helmet that a palaeontologist wears fits on their head!

At this school, there is a strong emphasis on giving every pupil access to a stimulating and balanced curriculum, lots of tactile activities were being prepared for the children by the dedicated teaching team. In one part of the spacious classroom, a cargo net had been brought in and facts about dinosaurs posted up on the walls, as this area was soon to be turned into a “dinosaur den” for the children to explore.

All Set to Build a “Dinosaur Den” in the Classroom

*Dinosaur drawings feature in the dinosaur den. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaur Footprints and a Dinosaur-themed “Hokey Cokey”

The Foundation Stage wing of the Greenside Centre was very busy with lots of activities for the children set out and the during the workshops the pupils demonstrated some super listening skills and they were very enthusiastic ammonites catching fish. When pretending to be a giant, armoured dinosaur moving through the forest, our dinosaur expert witnessed super-sized steps, but slow moving dinosaurs keeping very quiet in case a hungry Tyrannosaurus rex came by.

The handy pronunciation guide we provided for the teachers should help with the scheme of work, along with the dinosaur footprints to measure and a special prehistoric animal-themed “hokey cokey” song for the children to learn. Can they remember how many figures T. rex had? How did a T. rex move its arms?

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

30 04, 2019

A Late Cretaceous Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Diorama

By Mike|2023-12-05T10:38:16+00:00April 30th, 2019|Categories: General Teaching, Key Stage 3/4|Comments Off on A Late Cretaceous Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Diorama

Late Cretaceous Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Diorama

Our thanks to Robert who sent in to us a photograph of the dinosaur and prehistoric animal landscape that he had created. He has built a huge prehistoric landscape, complete with authentic Mesozoic vegetation, dinosaur footprints, flying reptiles and a watering hole. The talented model maker then created his very own Late Cretaceous prehistoric scene using his large collection of dinosaur and prehistoric animal models.

A Late Cretaceous Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Diorama

*An ancient Late Cretaceous landscape.* *A Late Cretaceous diorama.*

Picture credit: Robert

We think you will agree the results are very impressive.

A Creative and Imaginative Prehistoric Scene

A lot of care and thought has gone into making this creative and imaginative scene. Robert has been careful to research the prehistoric animals that his model collection represents and he has only featured models of prehistoric animals that would have lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous. The diorama features such famous dinosaurs as Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Styracosaurus and the armoured giant Ankylosaurus.

The prehistoric scene also features a large pterosaur replica. The pterosaur (Pteranodon sternbergi), has swooped down to the watering hole to take a drink, but it had better watch out as a large predator (Albertosaurus), is stalking it. On the ground, this flying reptile would have been vulnerable to attack from tyrannosaurids, let’s hope that it spots the danger in time and is able to take flight.

The Pteranodon is Being Stalked by an Albertosaurus

Pteranodon stalked by Albertosaurus. — *A resting pterosaur is stalked by Albertosaurus.*

Picture credit: Robert

A Late Cretaceous Diorama

Our congratulations once again to Robert, for creating such a wonderful prehistoric animal diorama and that is a wonderful collection of dinosaur and prehistoric animal figures that you have got there.

For dinosaur and prehistoric animal models: Prehistoric Animal Models and Figures.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

25 04, 2019

Questions and Answers with Year 2

By Mike|2023-12-05T09:29:24+00:00April 25th, 2019|Categories: Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Questions and Answers with Year 2

Dinosaur Themed Questions and Answers

Following a morning of delivering dinosaur and fossil themed workshops with two classes of Year 2 children at Great Wood Primary (Morecambe, Lancashire), the children had prepared some fantastic questions and after packing away his equipment our dinosaur expert was invited into the classroom for a question and answer session.

Prior to his visit, the children had been introduced to the term topic and the teaching team had used the K.W.L. technique to tease out from class what they thought they knew about dinosaurs and what they would like to learn about. From this group brainstorming session, the children used post-it notes to jot down questions that they would like to put to the visitor from Everything Dinosaur.

An Amazing Collection of Questions Compiled for Everything Dinosaur

Questions all about dinosaurs. — *All about dinosaurs. Compiling questions about dinosaurs. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Questions About Dinosaurs (K.W.L. Teaching Technique)

The K.W.L. acronym stands for what you KNOW, WHAT you would like to know and at the end of the teaching programme – what you have LEARNED. This teaching method aids teachers and helps them to plan a topic area and to check understanding and learning. It consists of three phases, firstly, the children brainstorm and say what they think they know about prehistoric animals. During the brainstorming session, the children will make statements and assertions that provide the teaching team with details as to what the children would like to find out about dinosaurs. The third part of the technique, which is conducted at the end of the term topic or period of learning, highlights what the children have learned. This third phase permits the teaching team to check understanding and gives them the opportunity to reinforce leaning if required, for example, if any weak areas are identified.

Posted Up on the Classroom Wall – Lots of Questions About Dinosaurs

Children prepare questions about dinosaurs. — *Dinosaur day inspires young, creative minds. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

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

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

22 04, 2019

Preparing and Extension Activity for Key Stage 1

By Mike|2023-12-05T08:53:04+00:00April 22nd, 2019|Categories: General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Preparing and Extension Activity for Key Stage 1

Dinosaur Themed Extension Activity for Key Stage 1

Everything Dinosaur team members are getting ready for the start of the summer term (UK). Staff have a lot of dinosaur and fossil themed workshops and other activities to prepare. For example, in a few days, a team member is visiting a school to conduct some dinosaur workshops with Year 2 classes and once the workshops have been concluded they have been invited to a question and answer session with two classes of Year 2.

As part of our extension activities to help support the teaching team’s scheme of work, we have developed a lesson plan based around answering the question how did dinosaurs keep themselves clean?

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

A Helpful PDF – Dinosaur Extension Activity for Key Stage 1

To assist the teaching team, we have developed a lesson plan outlining the learning aims and objectives. Fossil bones and teeth help scientists to work out what extinct animals looked like, what they ate and how they moved, but evidence from fossils can’t tell palaeontologists much about the way that prehistoric animals behaved.

Trace fossils such as trackways and burrows can provide some evidence, but in order to answer questions about Dinosauria hygiene, scientists have to study animals alive today in order to get some clues. By studying living creatures palaeontologists can make educated assumptions about how extinct animals kept themselves clean.

Did Some Dinosaurs Roll Around in the Dust to Help Keep Themselves Clean?

Dinosaur extension activity for schools. — *An extension activity for schools. How did dinosaurs keep clean? Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“When we visit schools, we like to provide additional resources to help support the topic area. We are happy to provide lots of free information including prepared lesson plans and lesson guides. It is all part of our extensive programme of dinosaur and fossil themed workshops in schools.”

For further information about the range of science outreach offered by Everything Dinosaur: Email Everything Dinosaur.

19 04, 2019

The New Edition of the Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs

By Mike|2023-12-05T08:24:53+00:00April 19th, 2019|Categories: General Teaching|Comments Off on The New Edition of the Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs

A New Book About Dinosaurs – “Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs”

Everything Dinosaur has been sent a new book about prehistoric animals for them to review. The book is entitled “Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs – The Theropods”. Written by Rubén Molina-Pérez and Asier Larramendi, the book focuses on the Theropoda, a suborder of the Dinosauria, perhaps the most diverse and speciose of all the dinosaur suborders.

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

Picture credit: Natural History Museum (London)

The Theropoda (Beast Feet)

In this beautifully illustrated book, the focus is very much on the Theropoda (beast feet). Theropod dinosaurs ruled the planet from millions of years, ranging from the some of the smallest dinosaurs known to science to the mighty carnivores such as Allosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex. Crammed full of colour reconstructions and illustrations with vivid, user-friendly graphics and text, this book is a great addition to the book collection of dinosaur fans. Published by the Natural History Museum, we have received an advance copy of this book so we can produce a review of this new publication.

Described as a stunningly illustrated guide packed with everything you could ever wish to know about the Theropoda, this new dinosaur book is aimed at academics as well as the general reader.

“The Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs – The Theropods”

Title: “Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs – The Theropods”
Price: £30 (hardback format)
Size: 288 pages with colour illustrations throughout
Publication date: May 2019
ISBN: 978 0 565 09497 3

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

19 04, 2019

Preparing for a Question and Answer Session with Year 2

By Mike|2023-12-05T07:27:59+00:00April 19th, 2019|Categories: Adobe CS5, Educational Activities, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page, Teaching|0 Comments

Preparing for a Question and Answer Session with Year 2

This week, sees the beginning of the summer term for schools in the UK. Everything Dinosaur team members have a very congested programme of dinosaur and fossil workshops to look forward to over the next few weeks and in a few days a member of staff will be visiting a school in Lancashire to conduct a series of workshops with Year 2 classes.

As part of a busy morning of dinosaur and fossil themed activities, the teaching team have requested that we participate in a question and answer session with the budding, eager palaeontologists. The children will, no doubt, pose some challenging and intriguing questions to our dinosaur expert, however, we have prepared a special question just for them as part of our programme of suggested extension activities.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

Our question for the Key Stage 1 children (Year 2) – how did dinosaurs keep themselves clean?

Did Dinosaur Preen their Feathers just like Birds?

Mei long illustration. — *Did dinosaurs preen their feathers like modern birds? If many dinosaurs were feathered, how did they keep their feathers clean?*

Everything Dinosaur Providing an Extension Activity

Fossil bones and teeth can provide palaeontologists with lots of information about extinct animals, but evidence from body fossils can’t tell us much about how animals that lived in the past behaved. Trace fossils preserve evidence of the activity of animals, such as tracks, burrows, trails and borings. From this data, scientists can infer behaviour such as dinosaurs moving in a herd, based on fossilised footprints indicating the same type of animals all moving at the same pace in the same direction. However, there is very little evidence preserved in the fossil record about how extinct animals kept themselves clean.

Did Sauropod Dinosaurs Wallow in Mud Like Some Large Mammals?

How did dinosaurs keep themselves clean? — *If large mammals like extant elephants wallow in mud then perhaps large sauropod dinosaurs behaved in a similar way.*

Our Challenge to the Year 2 Classes

In order to answer some of these questions about the behaviour of dinosaurs, palaeontologists examine the behaviours of animals alive today that are related to the Dinosauria. By observing how birds and reptiles keep themselves clean, then perhaps the likely behaviours of dinosaurs can be deduced or inferred.

Can the Year 2 children conduct research into how living animals keep themselves clean? Can they transfer this knowledge to the extinct members of the Dinosauria and suggest ways that different dinosaurs such as Apatosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex kept clean?

Extensions

As with all our dinosaur and fossil workshops in school, we like to provide lots of extension ideas to the teaching team.

What can the children do to help the animals that live around the school to help them keep clean? For example, providing a shallow tray filled with water to make a bird bath – linking to the English national curriculum science syllabus – living things and habitats.
Why do we need to keep clean? Why is it important to brush our teeth? A link to hygiene and personal development.

For further information about the outreach work conducted by Everything Dinosaur team members: Contact Everything Dinosaur.

17 04, 2019

Symbiosis in the Dinosauria

By Mike|2023-12-05T08:22:54+00:00April 17th, 2019|Categories: General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2, Key Stage 3/4|Comments Off on Symbiosis in the Dinosauria

Symbiosis in the Dinosauria

Some animals alive today relay on the assistance of other animals to help them keep clean and tidy. Tropical fish on coral reefs deliberately visit areas where “cleaner fish” congregate and they patiently wait whilst these fish clean them and remove dead skin and parasites. In Africa, the Oxpecker (Buphagus spp.), a type of starling, regularly hitch a ride on the back of a large mammals, such as elephants and pick dead skin and parasites from their host’s hide. These birds also catch insects disturbed as the large animals move through the scrub and bush.

Symbiosis in the Dinosauria

It is very likely that these sorts of mutually beneficial relationships between different species occurred in the past and with dinosaurs.

The Megalosaurus dinosaur at Crystal Palace Park. — The Megalosaurus statue at Crystal Palace a dinosaur from 1854. Since the nascent days of palaeontology, scientists have speculated about symbiosis within the Dinosauria. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

Symbiosis – Classroom Extension Ideas

Mutually beneficial activities are termed symbiotic relationships by scientists. In the picture (above), a statue of a large theropod dinosaur (Megalosaurus) is shown. Since the early days of studying dinosaur bones, symbiosis within the Dinosauria was suspected. Symbiosis is the term used to describe an interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association to the benefit of both.

Can your class find examples of mutual co-operation (symbiosis) in the natural world?
Can the class consider ways that pupils and staff at the school co-operate together?

For further information contact Everything Dinosaur: Email Everything Dinosaur.

9 04, 2019

A Colourful and Beautiful Dinosaur Themed Display

By Mike|2024-05-11T16:53:44+01:00April 9th, 2019|Categories: Early Years Foundation Reception, General Teaching|Comments Off on A Colourful and Beautiful Dinosaur Themed Display

A Colourful Dinosaur Themed Display

A very colourful and informative dinosaur and prehistoric animal display created by the Reception class at Micklehurst All Saints Primary school. When visiting a school to conduct a series of dinosaur workshops with the Foundation Stage classes, our team member delivering the workshops, spotted a super, prehistoric animal themed display on the wall of a classroom “dinosaur den”.

A Colourful Dinosaur Themed Display Spotted in the Classroom

A dinosaur display in the children's dinosaur den. — *A dinosaur display in the children’s dinosaur den. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A spokesperson for Everything Dinosaur commented:

“It was such a beautiful dinosaur display in the classroom, we asked permission of the teaching team so that we could take a photograph of the children’s work.”

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

2 04, 2019

Mei long – The Sleeping Dragon

By Mike|2023-11-30T21:47:20+00:00April 2nd, 2019|Categories: General Teaching|Comments Off on Mei long – The Sleeping Dragon

Mei long – The Sleeping Chinese Dragon

The beautifully preserved fossils of a small, Chinese dinosaur have provided scientists with an insight into how some types of dinosaur might have slept. Fossils of the little Chinese theropod dinosaur known as Mei long reveal that it coiled up in a sleeping posture with its head tucked under its arm and its tail wrapped around its body. This sleeping posture preserved in a number of M. long specimens is very similar to the sleeping postures of many living birds.

A Life Reconstruction of the Little Chinese Feathered Dinosaur Mei long

Paleo-Creatures Mei long. — *The Paleo-Creatures Mei long figure. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Chinese company PNSO have a replica of this dinosaur in their range of figures.

To view the PNSO range of models: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs Models.

The fossils of Mei long come from north-eastern China. These unfortunate dinosaurs were buried by hot volcanic ash as they slept. Their fossils have been preserved in three-dimensions, helping palaeontologists to learn more about the resting and sleeping postures of theropod dinosaurs.

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