Everybody Do the Dinosaur

It's January in Dragon-land and were learning about...dinosaurs.  Dinosaurs are fascinating, and the topic never fails to hook the kids. Last week we started reading dinosaur books to introduce and, for some, revisit some popular dinosaur vocabulary like fossils, bones, carnivore, herbivore, triceratops, stegosaurus, and of course...T-REX. Oh, an even better hook is that the first T-Rex skull was found in Montana in 1902, and the Maiasaura roamed Montana as well. 

This week we've been getting hands on with some fossils. The kids know that fossils are dinosaur bones that over millions of years have turned in to stone.  We discussed the process in class so I'll spare you the details.  We also discussed that fossils don't always have to be from dinosaurs. We looked at, and held, fossilized shells, wood, fish, eggs, and droppings - but the proper term is coprolite.  We've seen replicas of a Baronyx claw, a Troodon egg, and a T-Rex tooth. Next week we'll extend our learning into some writing and math.