Re: Dinosaur classroom activities

[Wabandco <Wabandco@aol.com>]

I made a similar presentation about 4 months ago to a group of first graders.
I prepared a discussion outline (for my use, not theirs) which covered the
concepts of time, geology, life forms, evolution, and extinction.  I arranged
a large number of items they could handle in a (very large) semicircle on the
floor, and we moved through the assembled props as I discussed the topics,
always being sure to ask questions rather than lecture.  I had objects that
related to the topics; for time, I had calendars, clocks, and a "timeline"
picture to give some idea of the distance in time from the dinos; rocks,
plants, and fur for questions and answers about life forms; many models of
various animals, and of course, a batch of each of the major categories of
dinosaurs.  I had a blast, and the kids were attentive and involved for the
entire 50 minutes.  They enjoyed showing off what they knew, and were thrilled
to share ideas with me and each other.

For 'hands on' involvement, I brought modelling clay and pre-cut dino shapes
cut out of perforated plastic sheets (available - cheaply - at most arts &
crafts stores); they really enjoyed molding the clay onto the shapes to create
a 'sculpture' of their favourite dino.  I made sure there were extras to take
home and do more.  There were no leftovers!  I also had pictures to colour,
and one picture (a copy for each kid) was cut into several pieces, forming a
puzzle.

Incidentally, you might be surprised at how much 7 and 8 year old kids know
about dinos...   though it contains inaccruacies, you can tell they've been
paying attention to the "current wisdom" commonly heard in the media.  But
they were eager to hear 'new' ideas.  Our discussion on the extinction issue
began with almost unanimous agreement on the meteor strike; countering with
the question, "why didn't everyone die, then?", really sparked an entertaining
debate.

Have fun!

Wayne.