DINOSAUR HUNT

I completed a FUN pre-school unit with my boys. Dinosaur Discovery was fun, awe-inspiring, and imagination overload.

1. I started out my unit by laying out big footprints around the house. I told the boys, "Something BIG is coming." From that moment on ~ imaginations went into OVER DRIVE!
2. I introduced the unit with a book on the different type of dinosaurs. (World of Dinosaurs-non fiction)
3. I shared how we knew about dinosaurs and that we learned their size and shapes from their fossils, and guessed at how they behaved, BUT no one knew the colors of skin. Hence....

3. We were going to paint some dinosaurs, any color we pleased and hang them in the playroom/school room!

4. I had them drawn/sketched and vaguely cut-out. *PREP TIME IS IMPORTANT!

5. Painting Projects are so fun, easy with a few simple techniques. ** Be organized- have EVERYthing laid out - no running off to grab 1 more thing, Be planned- know how many dinosaurs each child gets to paint - who should be by who, where dinosaurs are going to dry, etc., Be ready- to model for them EXACTLY what you expect, have clean-up supplies (wipes) ready because accidents ALWAYS happen, with paint clothes or leave them in jammies and wash as soon done. Prep time pays off in NO STRESS - JUST FUN!

Seriously, don't you want to paint a dino. I did and it was fun to be creative.

6. My boys had a GREAT time. They were happy to work creatively and quietly. Talking about the long neck or sharp teeth or smallness or horns on the giant creatures was intriguing and really registered with them. The dino names STUCK, they knew and still know them after painting.

7. I loved that they had to be creative. There is no "right" way to paint a dinosaur's skin. No one knows, and that was fun.

8. A natural lesson was the discussion of colors, blending and mixing.

9. A little mess truly doesn't bother me. Nothing a wipe or water and soap can't handle.

10. For painting such BIG projects I would recommend sponge brushes for sponges. The paint brush would be tedious and time consuming for a little one. Sponge has great large motor skills, is very tactile for your senses and the results are BIG, QUICK and VIBRANT.

11. Easy as that. Mess- not bad and nothing that my Swiffer Mop didn't grab!

12. Let Dry as the paint makes the paper wet, therefore not as strong and you don't want it to rip. Our masterpieces DRYING.

Grant's brachiosaurus, Gabe's Triceratop. (Aren't they GREAT. Hanging on the walls they are stunning!)

Gavin's pteryldactyl and Grant's Tyrannasaurus Rex.

13. Books - so important. Planning before the unit leads to lessons being fun and educational. I looked through our book shelf and pulled out our dino books. Then I hit the library. I personally prefer the Washougal Library to Camas Library so that is where most of the books are from.

Some faves:

• Dinosaurs (by Gail Gibbons)


• Findasaurus


• Hunting Daddyosaurus


• Danny's Dinosaur (we got on CD)


• Magic School Bus - Time of the Dinosaurs


• Dino Hocky


• Dino Football


• Dino Baseball


• Dino Basketball

There are TONS out there, Fiction and Non-Fiction. These were just some faves.

I always STALK down CDs on tape. They listen to these during the day, but at nap time too.

More dino books. We keep ours in the window, just so I can find them as I use them in lessons.

14. Poems or Songs. My mom, a former Kindergarten teacher of 13 years, gave me these poems (along with LOADS of other teaching TREASURE!)

5 Enormous Dinosaurs (counting down from 5 to 0)

Mean, Old Dinosaur

**They are online if you google them or shoot me an e-mail of interest at:

cowart5671@comcast.net if you want them typed up in cute font, ready to use!

15. Do lots, have fun with your kids ~ remember academic is easy to add in when they are having fun. So be creative, get messy and read lots.

Love,

Karen (obviously a mom of BOYS!)