Hope Springs Eternal With Dinosaurs
Hope Springs Eternal when teachers, students and parents collaborate.
As an educator, a parent and a community member, there are various examples of how this has happened. Let’s continue to be part of it happening.
This week’s photo is from the NJDOE’s website. Yes, as a teacher in NJ, the students and I did explore this hadrosaurus foulkii. I would also share information with the students and parents/guardians about the exhibit in NJ where they could see the fossil. The bones were discovered in Haddonfield, New Jersey. The hadrosaurus statue is located at 37e Lantern Lane, near the original site of discover. Currently, they are housed in Philadelphia, PA. You can see a replica at The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.
How did I use this in a lesson? Here are a some of the ways I used it. I invite you to contact me to brainstorm this topic or other lesson ideas you have in mind. Brainstorming is my joy, my super power.
Bury some popsicle sticks or toothpicks in dirt for the students to find. Just know how many are in each dirt box so you can let them know; that’s an option.
Use cardboard to make a basic fossil. Place the bones in a box and cover with dirt, sand or rice. That choice depends upon budget and where the students will dig for the bones.
Have the students plan a trip from the school to the hadrosaurus statue. This involves so many skills. They could then go to the museum.
Students can recreate the hadrosaurus via a 3D model, virtual reality, clay, and other mediums. Use what’s readily available so that the budget doesn’t stop you from trying.
Invite an archaeologist to visit the class. This can be done via ZOOM and other virtual field trip methods.
You can also have the students use their invitation skills to reach out to college and post graduate students of archaeology.
Engage the students with magnifying glasses, little forks and mini gardening rakes.
Create a dinosaur I Spy. Then share them to challenge each other.
From reading about dinosaurs to journaling to writing their own books complete with their drawings—there are so many options.
Create the learning opportunities and watch them unfold.
Enjoy, Engage, Educate!
