All About Dinosaurs

Have you ever asked yourself, "I really want to do an interactive, student led activity in my classroom, but I don't know what to do?" I think I can help! I just finished the

How do I get started?

That's the real question right? I have spent a lot of years teaching all about apples and pumpkins because that is what I had always done. I have never had a student say, "Hey I am really curious about apples and the life cycle of plants, could we learn about that?"

I still do an apple unit....and a pumpkin unit....because hey, they meet the standards for kindergarten and I love them. But I have learned to roll with what the class is interested in and keep it educational and meaningful.

For example, last year I read the first Magic Tree House book by Mary Pope Osborne, Dinosaurs Before Dark. My intention was to introduce chapter books for a few of my students that were ready to make that transition and it made a great after lunch read aloud. My students were ENTHRALLED with dinosaurs (not unique to kindergarten I know). I've never had a class though that was so enthusiastic about them so I decided to start a unit and to make it our focus for the next couple of weeks.

First I collected every dinosaur book I possibly could to set the mood around the room. I have a lot of books but I checked a few out of the library too.

Next I created a KWL chart with them to find out what they were curious about. They had a lot of questions after reading the book so it was a great guide for us.

Then I did my research. I found out everything I could about dinosaurs so I would have some content to teach when we were talking facts. We researched a new species of dinosaur each day and recorded all of our findings. I also added in a few days of research about paleontologists just in case that was a job anyone thought they might like to do in the future. Plus it is fun to dig stuff up!

I put everything together in this Dinosaur Unit but it didn't start out like this. I pieced it together as I went and went where my students wanted to go. Here is a quick little activity you can download for free that goes with the book If the Dinosaurs Came Back by Bernard Most. My students loved imagining what it would be like if dinosaurs were back. You can click on the book for an affiliate link.

So next time your students display a unique interest in something go with it and see where it leads you! It might come from a book, a popular movie, or a game on the play ground. Keeping in tune with your students is key. Click on the picture or HERE to see this unit on TPT.