Reception Class Stomping Like Dinosaurs and their Dinosaur Exhibit

Another busy day for Reception class at Eaton Primary School as they have been studying dinosaurs and other animals that lived long ago.  Our dinosaur expert was very impressed with the colourful dinosaur drawings that had been posted up around the classroom.

A Dinosaur Workshop

Under the expert tutelage of teacher Mrs Duffell, ably supported by Miss Parker (Teaching Assistant), the children had been learning together, helping each other to explore prehistoric animals.  Reception class had learned about fossils and how some of them are formed, they had used charcoal to create some very decorative ammonite fossil drawings, it was helpful to have ammonite fossils available for the children to handle.  Some wonderful use of vocabulary as the eager young palaeontologists explored how fossils felt.

Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals

There were some very confident counters as the class compared the size of their hands to the footprints of various dinosaurs.  Our dinosaur expert, who had visited the school for the morning, also had his hand measured.  He was told that some dinosaurs had small feet and left small footprints, whilst other dinosaurs had massive feet and left massive, huge footprints.  A lovely example of children using language to express ideas and demonstrate understanding.

Seabirds and Pterosaurs

A special dinosaur shop/exhibit had been set up in a corner of the classroom, a great location for role play.  Hanging above this area was a wonderful model of a seabird, that reminded our dinosaur expert of a pterosaur (flying reptile).  Pterosaurs were not dinosaurs, but they were related to the group of reptiles called the Dinosauria.  Many pterosaurs adapted to life in marine habitats and just like many seabirds today, they hunted fish.  Whilst the big ammonites under the water caught fish, flying over the waves pterosaurs were on the lookout for any fish foolish enough to swim close to the surface.

The seabird model, reminded us of the pterosaur called Guidraco, a flying reptile whose fossils have been found in China.  The name of this flying reptile translates as “malicious ghost dragon”, with those sharp teeth even the most slippery fish would not escape.

Comparing the Model Seabird to a Pterosaur

Comparing a seabird to a flying reptile.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Guidraco Pterosaur

When it came to designing the Guidraco replica, it was suggested that since this animal lived in a marine habitat, perhaps it should be coloured in a similar way to a Puffin.  The colourful crest on the pterosaur reminds us of the large, colourful beak of the seabird that hangs over the dinosaur shop area.  Both Puffins and Guidraco pterosaurs ate fish and the big teeth of the pterosaur are quite impressive, but not as big as those of a meat-eating dinosaur like Tyrannosaurus rex.

A challenge was set, could the young palaeontologists work out how big a T. rex tooth was?  Could they answer the question which was bigger a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth or a banana?  No doubt the Reception class will have fun with this investigation and perhaps they can think of creative ways in which they could display the information.

To conclude the visit, the children performed their dinosaur stomping song, lots of fierce dinosaur expressions all around the classroom.

The Guidraco model used to compare to the Reception class seabird is the 1:4 scale CollectA Guidraco model from the company’s Supreme/Deluxe replica range: CollectA Deluxe/Supreme Prehistoric Life.

Dinosaurs Helping Reception with Vocabulary and Maths

Children in Reception class at St Michael and St John’s R.C. school have been learning all about dinosaurs this term.  With the enthusiastic help of teachers Mrs Collinge, Mrs Clarkson and teaching assistants Mrs Venguedasalon and Mrs Lambert the budding young palaeontologists have been designing their very own dinosaurs and creating lots of very colourful artwork.  The children have been exploring some of the vocabulary associated with prehistoric animals, there was plenty of evidence of meat-eaters, plant-eaters and other terms related to animals, habitats and food chains.

Imaginative, Creative Dinosaurs on Display

Colourful dinosaurs including a “Spikeosaurus”.

Picture credit: St Michael and St John’s R.C. School/Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaurs Helping Reception

The children had designed their own dinosaur and a number of very imaginative creations were on show, surrounding a large, red “Spikosaurus” with its green spotted tail.  Reception class has thought hard about the sort of questions they would like answers to as they explored dinosaurs and part of the children’s display featured post-it notes with questions the children had written.

Questions All About Dinosaurs

All about dinosaurs. Lots of questions had been prepared.

Picture credit: St Michael and St John’s R.C. School/Everything Dinosaur

Care had been taken with the use of capital letters and full stops and it was clear that phonics sounds had helped the pupils to write their questions down as they considered how to design their very own dinosaur.  There were many examples around the classroom demonstrating how literacy aims had been woven into the prehistoric animal themed teaching activities.

Confidence with Numbers

Numeracy and confidence with numbers had also been carefully considered as part of the scheme of work.  Part of classroom had been dedicated to a dinosaur themed addition and subtraction area, with pictures of Triceratops, Apatosaurus and other dinosaurs being used to help the children familiarise themselves with terms associated with adding and taking away.

Dinosaurs Explore Numeracy

Subtracting dinosaurs.

Picture credit: St Michael and St John’s R.C. School/Everything Dinosaur

Everything Dinosaur had visited the school in support of the term topic, conducting a morning of activities with Reception and Class Three.  Both classrooms were covered in examples of the children’s work. Class Three had compiled an impressive timeline which explained key developments in the history of human civilisation.  Our visit helped to reinforce learning as these Lower Key Stage 2 children explored rocks and fossils.  One little boy in Class Three even brought in a lovely fossil of a fish and some of the Reception children showed us their dinosaur books.

We had a great time helping the children learn about life in the past and how fossils form, the school is certainly a vibrant, dynamic learning environment.

To view the range of prehistoric animal themed toys and gifts including replicas of iconic fossil animals: Dinosaur Themed Toys and Gifts.

Year 1 and Reception Enjoy Learning About Dinosaurs

Children at Hambleton C of E Primary School had an exciting day learning all about dinosaurs and fossils as one of our dinosaur experts visited their school.  Year 1 have been studying dinosaurs for their science topic this term and the budding young palaeontologists had prepared a list of questions.  Answers were provided during the dinosaur workshop.  Questions asked included how did the dinosaurs become extinct?  What colour were dinosaurs?  Which was the biggest dinosaur of all?

Year 1 Had Prepared Questions all About Dinosaurs

Preparing questions about dinosaurs. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Science Topic Dinosaurs

The children wanted to know all about Tyrannosaurus rex, Finlay asked how long did T. rex live for?  That’s an excellent question and one that was that not answered during the morning of dinosaur and fossil themed activities.  Like most animals, few tyrannosaurs made it into adulthood.  Predation, disease, parasites, starvation and injuries would have all placed a heavy toll on a given population of these meat-eating, theropods.  However, if a T. rex did survive into adulthood, then we estimate that it might have lived for some thirty years or so.  Calculating just how long a Tyrannosaurus rex lived is quite a tricky task, however, a number of studies have been published looking into the growth rates and potential life spans of the Dinosauria.

Here is a link to an article we published a few years ago that compared the growth rates of tyrannosaurs and their potential prey (duck-billed dinosaurs): Duck-Billed Dinosaurs Grew Up Fast to Avoid Being Eaten.

We certainly had some amazing questions from the Year 1 children.

Reception Class Has a Dinosaur Day

The enthusiastic prehistoric animal fans in Reception class had a dinosaur day to coincide with Everything Dinosaur’s visit.  Mrs Parkin and Mrs Bingham had prepared lots of themed activities and some of the children had brought in dinosaur toys from home. Whilst the Reception class waited for a “dinosaur egg” to hatch they set about building their very own prehistoric playground for the dinosaurs.  Our expert was shown where the dinosaurs could hide in the cave and where the river was so that the dinosaurs could have a drink and go for a swim if they wanted to.  It was great to see such imaginative, creative play.  The children were certainly engaged with the topic.

Reception Class Build a Playground for their Dinosaurs

A habitat for dinosaurs. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

We explored some of the vocabulary associated with animals and what they ate.  In addition, whilst building the dinosaur habitat, the children were learning about the resources that living things require to keep them alive.  One of the favourite parts of the dinosaur workshop was when the children got the chance to engage in role play, reproducing behaviours and pretending to be huge, herbivores.

To visit Everything Dinosaur’s award-winning website: Everything Dinosaur.

Learning All About Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals with Class Two

Children in Class Two study dinosaurs with the help of Everything Dinosaur.

A very busy morning with the Year 2 class at St Malachy’s R.C. Primary who have been studying dinosaurs and prehistoric animals.  The children had been learning all about when the dinosaurs lived, where they lived and how they became extinct.  Miss Butterfield and Mrs Parker had been teaching the children all about continents and countries and a most impressive map had been created which showed where in the world some dinosaurs lived.

Class Two Study Dinosaurs

Mapping the Dinosaurs

Where did dinosaurs live? Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Can you spot a spelling mistake?  We wonder if any of the children have spotted the mistake, we think this is the teacher’s very clever way of encouraging the children to be observant.

Making Dinosaur Posters

As part of the ICT element of the curriculum for the spring term, the children had been making some dinosaur posters and learning how to copy and paste material from the internet.  Some lovely examples of posters were on display on the classroom wall and outside in the corridor.  They certainly brightened up the corridor.  Our dinosaur expert set the class some challenges, one of which was to come up with some science posters based on the information provided.  In addition, the children demonstrated their use of adjectives and we had some wonderful examples, especially when it came to describing the fossil teeth.

To cater for the design/technology (DT) and art elements of the curriculum, teacher Miss Butterfield, aided by Mrs Parker (teaching assistant) had been helping the children to design and create different prehistoric animal models, including a super sculpture of a fearsome Velociraptor.

A Wonderful Sculpture of a Velociraptor

On guard in the classroom. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Thinking Carefully About Materials

The children had to think carefully about which materials to choose and they had been challenged to use different media to create their prehistoric animal pictures.  We saw some lovely examples of artwork including a dinosaur called “Spike-0-saurus”, a very spiky dinosaur, hence his name.

Making Dinosaur Models and Artwork Using Different Resources

Lots of colourful prehistoric animals on display. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

So many different types of dinosaur model had been made that some had even been put on display outside in the corridor.  It made our dinosaur expert feel very happy as he passed lots of models of stegosaurs on his way to the classroom.  The children compared parts of their bodies to the bodies of dinosaurs, some of the bones and casts that the children saw helped them to appreciate just how big some dinosaurs were.   It looks like Class 2 are having fun learning all about palaeontologists and life in the past.

To view the huge range of dinosaur themed toys and gifts available from Everything Dinosaur: Toy Dinosaurs and Gifts.