Dear Families,

 

Many students have shared stories of dinosaurs with me recently.  In honor of their overwhelming interest and enthusiasm, we will spend the two weeks before spring break studying paleontology (the science of fossils).  Our dramatic play center has changed into a Dinosaur Dig! We will be building math, literacy, science, and social skills during our pretend play as well as during group time.  In addition to dinosaur fossils we will see fossils of plants and examine different types of rock.

 

Students learn by doing, using their hands, exploring, and experiencing.  Play creates powerful learning opportunities for young learners. This mini-unit will provide our students with many opportunities for all of this!

 

Science and math are EVERYWHERE at the Dinosaur Dig!  Some of the concepts they will explore are:

• Counting (1 to 1 correspondence and number recognition)

• Measurement (using tools as well as comparing sizes)

• Spatial sense (planning and constructing dinosaur skeletons)

• Studying what living things need 

• Examining physical characteristics  (size, color, shape)

• The life cycles of living animals (and extinct ones!)

• Rich vocabulary

 

Students are constantly building social skills during pretend play too!  During play students will be taking turns, sharing, waiting, controlling their impulses, and expressing their feelings through appropriate gestures, actions, and words.

 

We will also be making some exciting art projects during our dino unit.  One thing we’d love to do is let each child create their own set of Dinosaur Slippers!  To do this, each child would need to bring in 2 (empty) tissue boxes that their feet can fit into.  If you have extra tissue boxes, could you send them in? Even if we don’t get enough to send home, we will at least make some to use while stomping around the classroom!

 

Support your child’s learning by visiting the library for books on dinosaurs.  Over spring break consider taking a trip to one of the area museums such as the WOW! Science Museum in Lafayette or the Denver Museum of Science and Nature.  (The Longmont Public Library has free tickets to the Denver museum for residents so if you know someone who uses that library invite them to take you!) If the weather is good you could even check out Dinosaur Ridge near Red Rocks Amphitheater and walk where the dinosaurs walked.  (Did I mention my daughter was VERY interested in dinosaurs so I have actually done all of these?)

 

We look forward to a roaring-good time!  Thank you for supporting our learning!