Hands-on learning experiences help immerse children in the world of the dinosaurs.
Whether due to their size and shape or their mysterious disappearance from our planet, dinosaurs fascinate many preschoolers. A physical science unit focusing on these giant reptiles is a common experience in many preschool classrooms. Go beyond reading books and studying images of the giant reptiles and let preschool-aged children take an active role in creating fossils, hunting for dinosaur bones and making a habitat for the class dino-herd.
Go on a Dinosaur Dig
Leftover chicken bones and a sand table help give budding paleontologists some experience in locating and identifying "dinosaur" bones. Collect the bones of a whole roasting chicken and boil them until no meat remains. Sterilize them by placing them in a container of bleach (in a well-ventilated area) and allowing them to soak overnight. After rinsing and drying the bones, hide them in the sand. Let students unearth them using paintbrushes and small shovels. Once they collect all of the bones, let them guess which animal the bones belonged to.
Create Dinosaur Fossils
Study the importance of dinosaur tracks and use regular clay (not Play-Doh) and toy dinosaurs to create your own lasting dinosaur impression. Ask the butcher at the grocery store for some new and clean Styrofoam meat trays. Give each child a small ball of clay and let them roll it flat. Offer children an assortment of toy dinosaurs and let them select their favorite. Make dinosaur footprints by using the plastic toy to stamp tracks across the clay. Remove the clay to the tray, write the name of the dinosaur that left the footprints on it and let it dry. For added enrichment, place the entire classes' tracks in a row and let them take turns guessing which type of dinosaur left each imprint.
Make a Fossil
Use paper cups, modeling clay and Plaster of Paris to give children a hands-on experience creating "real-life" fossils. Put a small amount of clay in the bottom of a paper cup and let children choose a plastic dinosaur figurine to "fossilize." Push the figure into the clay so that it makes an imprint, then remove it and pour Plaster of Paris into the rest of the cup. Let the project dry overnight, then peel away the paper cup and clay to reveal the "fossil" embedded there.
Design a Dinosaur Habitat
Learn more about the type of environment inhabited by dinosaurs by letting students create a dinosaur home. Spray-paint a large, sturdy piece of cardboard black and green. Let children place brown and green Play-Doh (mud and grass) on the floor of the habitat. Make a "pond" using blue gel glue. Fill the habitat with plastic rocks, trees and dinosaur figures. Create a working volcano by covering a small plastic drinking bottle with Play-Doh (to resemble the volcano's cone) and positioning it inside of a small cake pan. Leave the top open to create the lava flow. When it is time for the volcano to "erupt," fill the bottle with warm water, a few drops of detergent and a tablespoon of baking soda. Add a small amount of vinegar to the bottle and watch your volcano explode.
Tags: bottle with, dinosaur bones, giant reptiles, Plaster Paris, small amount