Teaching - Part 22

20 02, 2018

Helping Out Year 6 on Twitter

By Mike|2023-09-16T15:40:09+01:00February 20th, 2018|Categories: General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Helping Out Year 6 on Twitter

Working with Year 1 Helping Year 6

Another school workshop successfully conducted, this time working with a class of Year 1 children over the course of a morning as they began their term topic all about dinosaurs. The workshop acted as a provocation to launch the new scheme of work after half-term, it enthused the children and our dinosaur expert was able to provide teaching resources and extension activities to support the teaching team. The Year 6 students at the school had been tasked with managing the school’s Twitter feed. We were happy to give our permission (with the school’s blessing), for some pictures of the morning’s activities to be posted up on-line.

During the course of the morning, the Everything Dinosaur team member took a photograph of a piece of artwork on display. This image was then “tweeted” to the Year 6 children and they were challenged to turn detective to see if they could work out where the photograph had been taken.

Helping to Support Year 6 on Twitter

Foundation Stage Dinosaur Display photographed by Everything Dinosaur. — *The Foundation Stage “wonder wall” full of dinosaur facts and information (Carlton Primary School). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Twitter is Useful for Parents, Guardians and Grandparents

Twitter can be very useful for schools. It allows parents, guardians and grandparents almost instant access to information about what the children at the school have been doing. Examples of work can be demonstrated, a well-written story can be featured, preparations for a school event such as a Summer Fayre can be highlighted. Social media such as Twitter can provide parents, grandparents and guardians with a sense of engagement. Good luck to Year 1 with their dinosaur studies and best wishes to Year 6 as they maintain and grow the school’s presence on Twitter.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

19 02, 2018

Special Dinosaur Poems Helping Children Develop their Vocabulary

By Mike|2024-05-04T18:27:34+01:00February 19th, 2018|Categories: Dinosaur Fans, Educational Activities, Main Page, Teaching|0 Comments

A Poem About Parasaurolophus

Whilst delivering a dinosaur and fossil workshop with a Year 1 class, we were asked to help inspire the children by providing some inspirational poems about prehistoric animals. The class had been looking at poetry and its rhythmic qualities, writing poems about animals that lived close to the Poles when they were studying “life in the freezer” during the first part of the Spring Term. The teacher wanted to reintroduce this exercise, but this time to tie it in with the topic for the remainder of the Spring Term – dinosaurs.

A Poem About Parasaurolophus

Parasaurolophus poem. — *A poem about the hadrosaur Parasaurolophus. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Poems in the Dinosaur and Fossil Workshop

Fortunately, the Everything Dinosaur fossil expert had spotted numerous dinosaur and fossil themed poems during his many school visits and he was able to share some of these resources with the teaching team. Our team member had even come across a short piece of prose dedicated to the Late Cretaceous duck-billed dinosaur Parasaurolophus, a plant-eater with a bizarre head crest.

The Duck-billed Dinosaur Parasaurolophus

Mojo Parasaurolophus dinosaurs. — *The Mojo Parasaurolophus dinosaur models (biped and quadruped). Note the bizarre head crest.*

The models in the image (above) can be found in the Mojo Fun models range.

To view this range: Mojo Fun Prehistoric and Extinct Figures.

Poetic Parasaurolophus

The role the crest played is debated by palaeontologists. It may have had a flap of skin, attaching the crest to the back of the neck and this might have been brightly coloured, allowing the crest to be used as an effective device for visual communication. The crest itself, could have played a role in signalling, perhaps its size and length demonstrated maturity or fitness for breeding. The dinosaur’s nostrils were connected to the crest by a series of complicated hollow tubes.

Some palaeontologists have speculated that the crest could have acted as an amplifier or resonating device giving these dinosaurs very distinctive calls.

Whatever the purpose of that head crest, it was good to find a poem about a “tooting” Parasaurolophus!

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

5 02, 2018

Beautiful Salt Dough Fossils Spotted in School

By Mike|2024-05-08T20:25:37+01:00February 5th, 2018|Categories: Early Years Foundation Reception, General Teaching|Comments Off on Beautiful Salt Dough Fossils Spotted in School

Spotting Salt Dough Fossils in the Staff Room

Whilst on a school visit to conduct two dinosaur workshops with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) classes at our school in Yorkshire, our sharp-eyed dinosaur expert spotted some super salt dough fossils made by the Reception-aged children.

Salt Dough Fossils on Display

*Dinosaur salt dough fossils spotted at a school. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

For dinosaur themed toys and games: Dinosaur Toys, Games and Gifts.

Toy Dinosaurs Used to Make Salt Dough Fossils

Salt dough is made by combining plain flour with salt in a ratio of 2.5 to 1 (two and a half cups of flour to a one cup of salt), place the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and combine using a little water until a doughy consistency is created.

Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it until it is very pliable then push a dinosaur model into the salt dough to create an impression of the prehistoric animal. These can be placed onto a baking tray and baked at 180 degrees Celsius (gas mark 4), for a few minutes to permit the dough to dry out. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling tray, perhaps they can be left overnight.

Children can then collect their own fossil, which can be marked with their name using a felt pen, these make a fantastic display in an impromptu dinosaur museum that has been set up in the classroom.

Our congratulations to Royal and Supreme classes for their beautiful fossils.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

3 02, 2018

Everything Dinosaur Helps School on Twitter with Special Tweets

By Mike|2024-05-10T07:34:36+01:00February 3rd, 2018|Categories: General Teaching|Comments Off on Everything Dinosaur Helps School on Twitter with Special Tweets

Little Leigh Primary Sets Up a Twitter Feed

Whilst on a school visit to a primary school in Cheshire, Everything Dinosaur team members spotted a dinosaur museum. The museum had been erected in one of the classrooms to help inspire the children with their term topic.

Everything Dinosaur provided a dinosaur workshop for the Year 1 class at Little Leigh Primary (Cheshire). Prior to our workshop with the eager, enthusiastic children, we had a short meeting with the class teacher. Being briefed by the teacher on the learning objectives helps our dinosaur expert to tailor the session to meet the learning needs of the children. We were informed that the school had recently created their own Twitter feed. As part of our support for the Little Leigh Primary, we volunteered to take some photographs of the various dinosaur and prehistoric animal displays around the school and then we could “tweet” these pictures to show parents, guardians and grandparents, what the children had been studying.

The Little Leigh Primary Dinosaur Museum

A dinosaur museum at a primary school (Little Leigh, Cheshire). — *A dinosaur museum spotted at a school.*

Picture credit: Little Leigh Primary/Everything Dinosaur

Involving Parents, Grandparents and Guardians with the Dinosaur Museum

By posting up information about the children’s activities on Twitter, mums, dads, guardians, carers and grandparents can gain almost instant access to the children’s work and see what their charges have been up to throughout the day. We posted up pictures of the dinosaur museum. Using social media in this way can help parents, grandparents, guardians and so forth to feel involved and to help them stay connected to the school. We “tweeted” a picture of the dinosaur museum that had been created in the Year 1 classroom. The dinosaur museum area will provide an excellent facility, enabling lots of topic work to be displayed.

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s award-winning and child-friendly website: Everything Dinosaur.

2 02, 2018

Key Stage 2 Showcase Their Amazing Science Skills

By Mike|2024-05-08T20:27:13+01:00February 2nd, 2018|Categories: Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Key Stage 2 Showcase Their Amazing Science Skills

Year 5/6 Showcase Their Science Skills

Children in Year 5 and Year 6 at Carlton Primary School in West Yorkshire were keen to show one of our team members their science displays. Everything Dinosaur was visiting the well-appointed school to conduct a dinosaur workshop. After a short meeting with the teachers to identify learning objectives, our fossil expert had the opportunity to admire some of the marvellous displays in the spacious corridors. Year 6 children had been learning about evolution and the life of Charles Darwin and the scheme of work incorporated dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals to help provide a context for their studies.

Key Stage 2 Scientific Working

Scientific working as part of a dinosaur workshop. — *Scientific working demonstrated by Year 6 pupils. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A Dinosaur Workshop as Part of a Wider Term Topic

The topic permitted the children to indulge their non-fiction writing skills and the written work was supported by some excellent prehistoric animal illustrations. Studying Darwinism, natural selection and evolution is a core element in the science curriculum for Upper Key Stage 2 and there was plenty of evidence of working scientifically posted up onto the walls of the corridors. Everything Dinosaur took time to admire the children’s work. The posters and illustration were extremely impressive.

Upper Key Stage 2 Showcase Their Artwork

Dinosaur workshop and dinosaur artwork on display. — *Year 6 pupils demonstrate their art skills as part of a themed teaching project. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Three Dimensional Fossils

The Key Stage 2 classes had also created some three-dimensional fossils using various materials, the children had been exploring the properties of materials and considering the use of perspective in their prehistoric animal artwork. Although the lesson plans were focused on science, the creative teaching team had incorporated a range of cross curricular activities. Our dinosaur workshop was incorporated into the scheme of work to provide more insight and teaching support.

Researching Tyrannosaurus rex

Researching T. rex as part of a dinosaur workshop. — *Researching dinosaurs including Tyrannosaurus rex. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Researching Tyrannosaurus rex

As part of a challenging and varied scheme of work the schoolchildren were asked to research Tyrannosaurus rex and to consider how this famous Late Cretaceous predator was adapted to its environment. What were those tiny arms used for? Could the Upper Key Stage 2 children formulate some theories?

It was great to see how the children in Year 5 and Year 6 at Carlton Primary School had studied dinosaurs as part of a wider scheme of work looking at the work of Charles Darwin and evolution. In addition, the artwork and posters produced brightened up the classroom.

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

Furthermore, for models and replicas of Tyrannosaurus rex, including feathered figures: Wild Safari Prehistoric World Models and Figures.

30 01, 2018

Foundation Stage 2 Children Write to Everything Dinosaur and Provide Beautiful Drawings

By Mike|2024-05-10T18:27:58+01:00January 30th, 2018|Categories: Early Years Foundation Reception, General Teaching|Comments Off on Foundation Stage 2 Children Write to Everything Dinosaur and Provide Beautiful Drawings

Reception Class Sends Letters and Dinosaur Drawings

Our thanks to the children in the Reception class at Egerton Primary School (Knutsford, Cheshire), who sent in dinosaur drawings and thank you letters after our dinosaur workshop conducted at their school recently. The children have been learning all about life in the past this term and they were enjoying studying dinosaurs and learning about famous fossil hunters such as Mary Anning. As part of an extension activity that we had agreed with the enthusiastic teaching team, we challenged the children to design their own dinosaur. We received some amazing prehistoric animal drawings plus some super thank you letters.

Children in Reception Class Write to Everything Dinosaur

'Reception class letters and dinosaur drawings. — *Dinosaur letters and drawings from the Reception class at Egerton Primary School.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Egerton Primary School

Sauropod Drawings and Mary Anning

Several of the children had been learning facts about long-necked dinosaurs. Brachiosaurus, a dinosaur known from the Upper Jurassic of the United States, was particularly popular amongst the young palaeontologists.

Brachiosaurus was a Particular Favourite Dinosaur

Long-necked dinosaur drawings from a Reception class. — *Super sauropod drawings from Egerton Primary School (Reception class).*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Egerton Primary School

Many of the colourful dinosaur drawings and letters have been posted up onto the walls of Everything Dinosaur’s warehouse.

The Reception Children Created Some Very Colourful Dinosaurs

Dinosaur themed letter (FS2). — *A letter to “Dinosaur Mike” from Reception class children at Egerton Primary School.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Egerton Primary School

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

26 01, 2018

Special Dinosaur Workshops at Green End Primary

By Mike|2024-05-08T20:28:35+01:00January 26th, 2018|Categories: Educational Activities, Main Page, Teaching|0 Comments

1B and 1EN Classes at Green End Primary Study Dinosaurs

It was an exciting end to the week for the children in Year 1 at Green End Primary (M19, Manchester), as the school was visited by a team member from Everything Dinosaur. The children in 1B and 1EN have started to learn all about dinosaurs, fossils and life in the past and Everything Dinosaur was invited in to help launch this challenging term topic.

Fossils and Life in the Past

Two workshops were conducted with the enthusiastic, young dinosaur fans over the course of a morning, one for each of the classes. During a short briefing with the teachers, our proposed lesson plan was reviewed and steps were taken to ensure that our dinosaur expert covered key points that the teaching team wanted to emphasise. As well as acting as a provocation for the topic, the teachers were keen to reinforce learning about food chains and as Mary Anning was going to be studied in class, our dinosaur expert was able to adjust his lesson plan to accommodate this learning need.

A Beautiful Dinosaur Display in One of the Year 1 Classrooms

Year 1 dinosaur display. — *Year 1 children at Green End Primary have created a wonderful dinosaur display.* *Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Green End Primary

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

Making Salt Dough Fossils

As part of a wide range of challenging activities, the children had been making their own salt dough fossils. These fossils were on display in the sand tray. Our dinosaur expert was invited to examine the children’s work. The children enjoyed making the fossils and learning about life in the past.

Children in Year 1 Make Salt Dough Fossils

Key Stage 1 children make salt dough fossils. — *Salt dough fossils created by Year 1 children (class 1EN and 1B).* *Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Green End Primary

Ammonites

During the workshop, the Year 1 children were given the chance to handle some real fossils and to learn how fossils form. The ammonite fossils proved to be very popular, especially the very large ones. These fossils are typical of the “sea shells on the sea shore”, that Mary Anning collected. We included a tongue twister all about Mary Anning with the additional teaching resources that our dinosaur expert provided.

As part of our work in schools, we encourage the teaching team to take lots of photographs of the children during the workshops. These photographs are very helpful when it comes to recall and recounting activities after the workshop has been concluded. Can the children, simply by looking at a photograph, recall key points from that part of the lesson? We recommend the children are asked without prompting initially, teachers are often surprised by the amount of information that the children have retained.

A Dinosaur Themed Display in One of the Year 1 Classrooms

A Year 1 dinosaur display. — *A horned dinosaur is at the centre of this Year 1 dinosaur display.* *Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Green End Primary

One of the teachers promised to send in a picture of some of the children’s work, we look forward to seeing the results of the research conducted by the Year 1 classes.

Contact Everything Dinosaur team members: Email Everything Dinosaur.

26 01, 2018

Year 1 at Green End Primary School (Dinosaurs)

By Mike|2023-08-30T15:50:14+01:00January 26th, 2018|Categories: Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Year 1 at Green End Primary School (Dinosaurs)

Classes 1EN and 1B Learn About Dinosaurs

Children in Year 1 at Green End Primary (Manchester), have embarked on a new topic for the rest of the Spring Term. They are learning all about dinosaurs and fossils. The eager young palaeontologists have already conducted some dinosaur themed research, learning about herbivores such as Brontosaurus, Diplodocus and Stegosaurus. The children in classes 1EN and 1B have produced fact sheets all about the dinosaurs they have been studying.

Year 1 Children Write Fact Sheets About Plant-eating Dinosaurs

Picture credit: Green End Primary/Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaurs and Fossils

Some carnivorous dinosaurs have been studied too. The teaching team are using different types of dinosaur to help support the children’s learning when it comes to considering simple food chains.

As part of a provocation to help enthuse the two classes, Everything Dinosaur was invited into the school to lead two dinosaur and fossil themed workshops, one for each of the classes. These workshops were held in the superbly appointed communications room. The children are really lucky to have such a well-resourced school.

The Communications Room Became a “Dino Den” for the Morning

Picture credit: Green End Primary/Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaur Displays

The spacious classrooms already contained some wonderful dinosaur themed displays and plenty of evidence of the creative approach of the teaching team to this particular scheme of work. It seems that the teachers, ably supported by the teaching assistants and learning support have designed a challenging scheme of work that appeals to a wide variety of learning styles.

A Dinosaur Display in a Year 1 Classroom at Green End Primary

Picture credit: Green End Primary/Everything Dinosaur

For dinosaur themed toys and games: Dinosaur Themed Toys and Gifts.

The children will be learning all about the famous, British fossil hunter Mary Anning, our dinosaur expert ensured that Mary Anning was introduced during the dinosaur and fossil workshops. In addition, we set the classes a number of challenges in the form of extension activities. One of the teachers promised to send into our offices a picture of some of the children’s work to demonstrate how enthusiastically the children had responded to the morning of dinosaur themed workshops that we had conducted.

We are looking forward to seeing the children’s work.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

22 01, 2018

Reception at Egerton Primary Discover Dinosaurs during an Exclusive Workshop

By Mike|2024-05-10T18:15:35+01:00January 22nd, 2018|Categories: Educational Activities, Main Page, Teaching|0 Comments

Dinosaurs and Fossils at Egerton Primary School

The children in the Reception class at Egerton Primary School, (Knutsford, Cheshire) were visited by Everything Dinosaur, with “Dinosaur Mike” delivering a dinosaur and fossil workshop to help enthuse the Foundation Stage 2 children as they learn about fossils and life in the past. The spacious and well-appointed school hall reverberated with the sound of stomping armoured dinosaurs and ammonites catching fish. During the workshop, our dinosaur expert set the children a special challenge. Could they design their very own dinosaur and label parts of the body?

A Dinosaur and Fossil Workshop

The Reception Class at Egerton Primary School Sent Dinosaur Letters and Drawings

Picture credit: Egerton Primary School/Everything Dinosaur

Taking Up a Dinosaur Drawing Challenge

With the help and support of the enthusiastic teaching team, the children were keen to take up Everything Dinosaur’s challenge. Sure enough, we received at our offices, a set of super prehistoric animal drawings and dinosaur themed letters from the children.

Long-necked Dinosaur Drawings from Foundation Stage 2

Picture credit: Egerton Primary School/Everything Dinosaur

Naming Dinosaurs

As part of our proposed extension activity, we challenged the Reception class to think up suitable names for their very own dinosaur designs. During the morning visit, our dinosaur expert met a budding, young scientist called Maya. He explained to her and her classmates that there already was a dinosaur called Maiasaura (May-ah-sore-ah). Maya had a name very similar to a Cretaceous, plant-eating dinosaur. When back in the office, “Dinosaur Mike” emailed over a Maiasaura fact sheet and scale drawing of Maiasaura to help inspire the children with their own dinosaur designs.

We received some beautiful drawings and some lovely labelled dinosaurs. Several children wrote a short thank you note to our dinosaur expert. Wonderful evidence of gaining confidence with writing along with finger spacing of words being demonstrated and some basic grammar shown too!

A Dinosaur Themed Letter Writing Exercise (Egerton Primary School – Reception Class)

Picture credit: Egerton Primary School/Everything Dinosaur

A Letter Writing Exercise After the Dinosaur and Fossil Workshop

A simple letter writing exercise such as the dinosaur thank you notes, can help children gain confidence and assists in the development of hand-eye co-ordination and fine motor skills. Our thanks to all the children and the teachers in the Reception class at Egerton Primary, we have posted some of the children’s letters and drawings onto our warehouse wall.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

20 01, 2018

School Prepares for Special Dinosaur Workshops

By Mike|2024-05-10T18:16:54+01:00January 20th, 2018|Categories: Educational Activities, Main Page, Teaching|0 Comments

Hanging Heaton Primary Prepares for Dinosaur Term Topic

Pupils and staff at Hanging Heaton CE (VC) Junior and Infant School (near Dewsbury, West Yorkshire), have been busy preparing their classrooms for the start of the special Spring Term topic – dinosaurs. Children in class 1 and class 2, comprising the Reception and Key Stage 1 cohorts at the school, will be learning all about dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric animals for the rest of this term. To help kick-start the topic, Everything Dinosaur was invited into the school to provide a provocation in the form of a dinosaur workshop to help enthuse the children.

Class 1 (Reception and Year 1) Have Prepared a Palaeontology Lab Display

The FS2/Year 1 class have a palaeontology lab. — *The FS2/Year 1 class have a palaeontology laboratory.*

Picture credit: Hanging Heaton CE (VC) Junior and Infant School/Everything Dinosaur

Tidy and Spacious Classrooms Ready for Dinosaurs

Our dinosaur expert had the opportunity to see the classrooms prior to starting the morning of dinosaur and fossil themed workshops. The classrooms were tidy and spacious and the dedicated teachers, with the support of the learning support assistants had prepared a number of display boards to showcase the children’s work as they study dinosaurs. The children in the mixed class of Reception and Year 1 are going to have a palaeontology laboratory in the corner of their classroom. Perhaps, some of the extension activities we proposed, such as creating a prehistoric animal might end up being put up on the display board.

Class 2 (A Mixed Year 1 and Year 2 Class) Ready for the Dinosaurs Term Topic

A Key Stage 1 term topic display board - Dinosaurs! — *Year 1/2 classroom ready for the dinosaurs term topic.*

Picture Credit: Hanging Heaton CE (VC) Junior and Infant School/Everything Dinosaur

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

Questions About Dinosaurs

The children demonstrated some amazing pre-knowledge, confidently talking about the largest dinosaurs and explaining the differences between meat-eaters and plant-eaters. They also asked lots of questions about different types of prehistoric animals. One little boy (George), wanted to know what sort of dinosaurs hunted Styracosaurus. Our dinosaur expert was able to explain that when Styracosaurus (a horned dinosaur), roamed North America in the Late Cretaceous, there were several types of tyrannosaur and other predators that might have considered this very spiky reptile as dinner.

A Drawing of the Horned Dinosaur Styracosaurus (S.albertensis)

Styracosaurus illustrated. — *A drawing of the horned dinosaur Styracosaurus.* *Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture (above) shows a Styracosaurus illustration. This drawing is based on the CollectA Deluxe Styracosaurus figure.

To view this model range: CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric Life Models.

Additional Resources and Activities

Prior to the two workshops, our dinosaur expert had a short meeting with the teaching lead for the term topic to ensure that learning objectives would be incorporated into the sessions. In addition, the Everything Dinosaur team member was able to provide a number of additional teaching resources to support the school’s scheme of work, including a dinosaur footprint measuring exercise, a motor skills test linked to writing for the Reception children and a dinosaur themed geography exercise to help the Key Stage 1 children learn about the continents.

We look forward to seeing pictures of the classroom display boards filled up with examples of the children’s dinosaur and fossil themed learning.

Visit Everything Dinosaur: Everything Dinosaur.