We are pleased to offer the following programs for K-6 classrooms beginning in September 2010:
Note: We are also capable of altering programs to make them outcomes and age-appropriate for other ages/grades/mixed classes. Kindergarten and All Ages programs can be made available to preschools.
All Adventures run approx. 90 minutes in length and cost $150, including all resources and kits, except the Sky Science night activity, which will run approximately 2 hours and will cost $200. If you would like a customized program that doesn’t quite fit the set programs, email us and we can make it work for you!
PaleoKits are now available for weekly rental! Each kit costs $25 per week (information at the bottom of the page). When reserving a kit, please indicate when you wish the kit to be delivered to the school. Multiple kits available. Unless desired, kits will be a random collection as selected by PaleoKids. Please indicate the grade of the classroom so appropriately aged lesson plans/worksheets may accompany the kit.
All Grades:
Dinosaurs In Art!
Art in Palaeontology has always played an important role, as nobody really knows exactly how dinosaurs looked in real life and it is artists who have breathed life into the bones of these ancient creatures. Using bones, footprints, modern day animals and palaeontologists as their guide, dinosaur artists use evidence to decide how thick a dinosaur is, its texture, colour and adornments. In this very special art class, students will observe real dinosaur bones, skeletons, teeth and other artist's depictions of dinosaurs and interpret their own ideas of what a real dinosaur looked like. Please specify in advance which medium you would prefer to use (paint, pastels, markers, clay, papier mache, other).
Preschool:
Dinosaur Fun!
This 45 minute program is an age-appropriate light-hearted romp through paleontology. Like most of our programs the children will have the chance to feel and see real fossils and minerals. In addition, there will be a few dinosaur themed games and activities, a story, and a dinosaur-themed arts and craft activity. This program is suitable for groups in preschools, day cares and kindergarten classroom, and costs $75. Book your workshop today!
Kindergarten:
Your Very Own Pet Dinosaur!
Would a dinosaur make a good pet? Learn about the needs of animals in this unique and engaging format! Students will ‘observe’, describe and compare different dinosaurs, identify the living requirements of all living things, and determine whether a certain species of dinosaur would be appropriate as a pet. This is an inquiry-based project which can be combined with other subjects (such as ELA). Real fossils and other resources will be included in this activity.
Grade 1:
Building a Dinosaur:
Construct a model dinosaur skeleton using recycled material! Students will learn about the design of a dinosaur skeleton and attempt to create scale replicas using materials deemed as appropriate. Discussion of how to join parts, create hinges, how to cut and try different techniques will make their building things unit engaging and successful. Also makes a fun art option for all grades! Students will also learn about several key dinosaurs and be able to observe real fossils. This adventure requires parent volunteers.
Your Very Own Pet Dinosaur!
Would a dinosaur make a good pet? Learn about the needs of animals in this unique and engaging format! Students will ‘observe’, describe and compare different dinosaurs, identify the living requirements of all living things, and determine whether a certain species of dinosaur would be appropriate as a pet. This is an inquiry-based project which can be combined with other subjects (such as ELA). Real fossils and other resources will be included in this activity.
Grade 2
Frogs!
Frogs have been in existence for over 200 million years, and despite their fragility have survived massive extinctions such as the one that killed the dinosaurs and the ice age 11,000 years ago. Frogs are also known as the ‘canary’ of an ecosystem, as their presence in an environment indicates a healthy area. Students will learn about local environments and food chains which contain frogs, and discover how frogs are adapted to the places where they live. Students will also have the opportunity to meet some living frogs.
Grade 3
Rocks and Minerals
Rocks and Minerals are the essential non-living elements that make up our planet. In this exploration, students will be able to experiment with and compare various igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Students will also discover where these types of rocks and minerals are most often found in our own province, including those from nearby volcanos...
Frogs!
Frogs have been in existence for over 200 million years, and despite their fragility have survived massive extinctions such as the one that killed the dinosaurs and the ice age 11,000 years ago. Frogs are also known as the ‘canary’ of an ecosystem, as their presence in an environment indicates a healthy area. Students will learn about local environments and food chains which contain frogs, and discover how frogs are adapted to the places where they live. They will explore the life cycle of a frog. Students will also have the opportunity to meet some living frogs.
Grade 4
Fossil Explorers:
Who are the fossil explorers of Alberta? How do their stories contribute to our knowledge about our land and fossil heritage? What does it mean to be a paleontologist? In this workshop we will explore these questions and many more! Meet the earliest fossil ‘hunters’ in Alberta and learn about how their experiences paved the paths of present day collectors and scientists in our province. Real fossils collected by professional Alberta palaeontologists will be examined.
Dry Island Provincial Park:
One hundred years ago, in 1910, the famous paleontologist Barnum Brown took an expedition in a decked out skow up the Red Deer River in search of fossils. In a unique area of the badlands, he discovered an amazing site which included not just one but an entire pack of Albertosaurus. He collected several hind feet and took some photographs, and never returned. In 1998, with the use of a single photograph, Dr. Phil Currie rediscovered the site and has continued to excavate ever since. This workshop focuses on this Provincial Park and the work that started a century ago and continues to this day. Geography, Paleontology and the importance of Provincial Parks will be explored. Fossils from the area will be examined.
So, you want to be a Dinosaur Hunter:
Where are the best places in Alberta to find dinosaur bones? What do dinosaur bones look like? How will I know what kind of dinosaur bone I found? If I find a bone, can I dig it out? Can I keep my bones, or do I have to give them to a museum? These and many other questions will be answered in this engaging and interactive workshop! Cross-comparisons of genuine fossils found in different locations of Alberta as well as all the practical advice and interactive scenarios on how to find real bones in real life will whet every student’s appetite for adventure. Real fossils from the Edmonton area will be examined.
Prehistoric Plants of Alberta:
Do plants in Alberta today resemble the plants that were around millions of years ago? How have conditions changed? How did the plants of the past shape their environment? Palaeobotany is the study of fossil plants, and fossils found in Edmonton and the surrounding area will be examined and compared with real local plants. Seeds and preparation kits will be included with this adventure.
Grade 5:
Climate Change and Extinction: A Weather Warning
Mass Extinctions have been occurring since long before the dinosaurs: millions of years before dinosaurs walked on this earth, a mass extinction resulted in the deaths of 98% of all life on earth! The most likely culprit: Climate Change. Students will explore weather formations and how climate change spelled the doom for our most famous forbearers – and what today’s forecast means for us today. Fossils of dinosaurs and other extinct victims of climate change will be examined.
Why are there so many fossils in Alberta?
73 million years ago, much of Alberta was wet. Whether on the coast or in the interior bogs and marshes, Albertan dinosaurs thrived in a rich wetland environment. Students will explore how decomposition is different in a wetland environment as opposed to a dry environment by comparing fossils found in Alberta to fossils found in Mongolia. Modern day comparisons will also be explored.
Grade 6:
The Greatest Fossil of them All
An exploration of the universe, with the help of a couple of telescopes! This is an evening adventure that requires a clear sky. While this adventure can be done in your school yard, preparations can also be made for an adventure in the Beaverhills Dark Sky Preserve in Elk Island, where the experience is truly breathtaking. Hot chocolate and engaging stories with some physical and optic evidence of the great beyond will enrich and complete your sky science unit.
Paleopathology: Dinosaur Forensics
A tooth in a fossil rib. Footprints, one side deeper than the other. A healed fracture. Paleopathology is the study of physical disorder in a fossil, and helps us determine not how the creature died – but how it lived. Through evidence and investigation, students will explore the life of one of Alberta’s greatest dinosaurs – the ferocious Tyrannosaur Albertosaurus. Real fossils as well as verbal accounts from paleontologists and photos will be examined.
Prehistoric Plants of Alberta:
Do plants in Alberta today resemble the plants that were around millions of years ago? How have conditions changed? How did the plants of the past shape their environment? Palaeobotany is the study of fossil plants, and fossils found in Edmonton and the surrounding area will be examined and compared with real local plants. Seeds and preparation kits will be included with this adventure.
PALEOKITS: If you'd prefer to run a program by yourself but you lack the resources (ie. genuine Alberta fossils), contact us for our PaleoKids PaleoKits! These kits contain a dozen fossils and rocks which may include: herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaur bones, plant fossils, minerals, non-fossilized bones, ice-age fossils, petrified wood, etc. While typically there is a random mix of fossils, it is possible to customize a kit to your specifications (ie. only minerals, only plants, only dinosaur bones, dinosaurs and plants no minerals). Due to a limited supply and the delicate nature of the fossils we can not offer an only ice-age kit. Kits also contain lesson plan suggestions, writing prompts and related worksheets!