June 6, 2025

Dear Students & Parents/ Guardian(s),

Welcome to Dinosaurs!, Junior Paleontologists. I am super excited to teach Dinosaurs! at Project SEEK again this year, and I hope you are all excited & ready to start! I can’t wait to meet each of YOU and learn more about these prehistoric dinosaurs together! :) 

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During this 12-day class, we will study a “Dino-A-Day” Super Star, including a few of the most popular dinosaurs like T-Rex and Triceratops. We will also learn about the biggest, smallest, fastest, and smartest dinos that lived during the Mesozoic Era.

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Students will work on numerous hands-on activities (as individuals, pairs, and teams) involving dinosaur eggs/geodes, fossils and teeth, along with fossil digs. Students will use paint, glue, and other crafting items on most of our SEEK days.

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On the 1st day of SEEK, please have your child bring the following 2 items:

1. Solid color t-shirt. The t-shirt can be old or NEW, but a WHITE t-shirt will work the best to add color. (They will be creating their very own T-Rex t-shirt with tie-dye spritz)

2. Shoebox with a separate lid, if possible. If you have a shoebox with a connected lid, they should work well too. (Students will be creating a 3D Dino Diorama with this shoebox to display @ Open House Night)

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***Dinosaurs! students should plan to bring his/her own pencil box to keep at SEEK (with the following supplies: notebook (if they have one), pencil(s), eraser(s), glue stick(s), scissors, markers, color pencils &/or crayons.) Pencil sharpeners & other items will be supplied. ***Remember to have them bring their own daily snack or money in coins/ cash to purchase snacks and/ or a drink. Students are encouraged to buy just 1-2 snacks per day to accommodate our break time. ($.50 - $1.50 can buy great snacks!)

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For our extended day, Wednesday, June 18, the Dinosaurs! Class will take a Field Trip to the Science Museum of MN (SMM) in St. Paul. More details & information will be e-mailed and/or posted on my SEEK Dinosaurs! Website page about our museum plans very soon. I am looking for 3 chaperones to join our class. ***Please reply to this email if interested*** SEEK Coordinator Amy Chatt will need my list of chaperones on ***Tues. Jun 10***.  

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For any/all additional class questions, please call or text @ 612.845.0972, or email me at mhedberg@rushcity.k12.mn.us. See you on Wednesday, June 11th! (Day 1!)

Sincerely, Ms. Hedberg (asaurus)

Day 1 -- Fossil Tooth Day -- June 11, 2025

I met 9 amazing Jr. Paleontologists today from Pine City, Rush City, North Branch & Chisago Lakes schools. Today, we worked as a team & students thought like a scientist while doing the following: 

1. Wrote 1 thing they want to learn in our Dinosaurs! Class.

2. Designed nametags & a few included a dino design.

3. *BRAYDEN* shared 2 items during Prehistoric Dino Show & Tell!

4. Made predictions about what dino would appear when their capsule dissolved in hot water & stirred with a scientific 'tool' (aka a straw).

5. Experienced Dino Time -- playing with dino figurines while getting to know each other.

6. Made a list of any & all dinosaurs they know. (The top number was 16 -- great job River!)

7. Spelled DINOS with dino figurines.

8. Learned about different kinds of dino teeth: Rippers, Strippers, Choppers, 

9. Created a dino Fossil Tooth Necklace using white air-dry model magic. One student thought it felt like a marshmallow!

10. Walked like dinosaurs using big steps to & from snack.

Day 2 -- T-Rex Day -- June 12, 2025

Today, the class competed as Team T-Rex & Team Triceratops & learned a lot of information about Dino Superstar #1 -- Tyrannosaurus Rex!

1. Students wrote & drew: "If I had a pet dinosaur". I shared two of their creative ideas with the class. 

2. Placed 20 shoes (9 students + mine) in a life-size T-Rex footprint. We definitely had room for more! 

3. *RIVER* shared 2 amazing dino items during Prehistoric Dino Show & Tell!

4. Each student got a Dino-A-Day packet & wrote 2 facts they learned about the T-Rex dinosaur. 

5. Ate like a T-Rex: challenge was hands behind their back while eating beef jerky off a small plate. 

6. Enjoyed a short movement break outside on the playground.  

7. Created a unique T-Rex crown to wear to snack, since T-Rex was indeed "King of the Cretaceous". 

8. Scientifically designed a Q-Tip fossil referring to a T-Rex skeleton picture from the American Museum of Natural History. 

9. Walked like T-Rex using tiny arms & two claws on the way to & from snack. 

10. Finished the day with Dino Time, identifying all the T-Rex dinos to put on display. 

Day 3 -- Triceratops Day -- June 13, 2025

Today, the class competed as Team T-Rex & Team Triceratops & learned a lot of information about Dino Superstar #2 -- Triceratops (3-horned face)!

1. Experienced holding & touching a real fern, one of the plants that Triceratops ate. Lunch anyone?

2. My Jr. Paleontologists predicted the length of a Triceratops' horn by writing the # on a Post-It. 

3. Experiment #2 -- Student took turns filling a Styrofoam cup w/ water to see if we could cover a chicken-sized Dino Egg. We are excited to see what happens over the weekend! Will it hatch? 

4. *CALVIN* shared 1 amazing dino item during Prehistoric Dino Show & Tell!

5. Students wrote 2 facts they learned about Triceratops in their Dino-A-Day packet. 2 students shared a unique fact. Students also took turns reading Dino Fun Facts #1 & 2.

6. TP Measuring: Students did "toilet paper" math (1 square = 4 in). Team T-Rex & Team Triceratops measured a Triceratops horn (3 ft = 9 squares), skull (10 ft = 30 squares) & body (30 ft = 90 squares). It took the entire class to hold & measure a Triceratops with TP. Followed by TP Limbo fun! :)

7. Enjoyed a Movement Break with the Animal Adventures class while playing Sharks & Minnows. 

8. Began to create a unique Triceratops head, beginning with a colored paper plates & cool supplies. 

9. Walked to & from snack using our hands & fingers to display 3 horns on our face.  

10. Students identified all the Triceratops Dinos they could find to put on the Display Mat. 

Day 4 -- Diplodocus Day -- June 16, 2025

Today, Team T-Rex & Team Triceratops learned a lot of information about Dino Superstar #3 -- Diplodocus (double beam)!

1. Found Steggie (our class mascot) hiding in a NEW location!

2. Students wrote 2 facts they learned about Diplodocus in their Dino-A-Day packet. 2 students shared a unique fact. We also learned about Dino Fun Facts #4 & 5.

3. *HAZEL* shared 1 amazing Stegosaurus during Prehistoric Dino Show & Tell! I have a 'mini me' of the exact same dinosaur :)

4. Students took the Chenille Stem Challenge: 3 'pipe cleaners', 2 minutes (+ bonus time) & a Diplodocus picture to create the outline of a Diplodocus dinosaur. And yes, scissors were allowed for cutting! :)

5. Walked to & from snack using an arm to create a long-neck dinosaur!

6.  Pick-a-stick students figured out the order of Triassic, Jurassic & Cretaceous dinosaur periods. Students came up with 2 acronyms for letters TJC (I gave the examples of Tiny Jelly Cat) to help them remember the correct order: 1.  T-Rex Jelly Carnivore & 2. Triceratops June Challenge!

7. Talked about Trivia #0 -- to date, the number of T-Rex eggs found. 

8. Measuring Dinos: Students took turns laying 1 ft paper strips on the floor to measure: 4' dog, 6' human, 11' Deinonychus, 12' Velociraptor, 15' Pachycephalosaurus, 20' Ankylosaurus, 30' Iguanodon/ Stegosaurus, 31' Parasaurolophus/ Triceratops, 40' T-Rex. Students then laid on the floor end-to-end next to the paper strips to see if they were longer than a T-Rex. YES! They were 6-8 inches longer :)

9. Did a D-I-P-L-O-D-O-C-U-S Scavenger Hunt in the hall, finding letters to correctly spelling Diplodocus!

10. Create a 'Rip Dino' using yellow construction paper, paper scraps, dinosaur figurines & glue sticks. The rule, no scissors; ripping into shapes only. Students then labeled their Rip Dinos for display. 

Day 5 -- Ankylosaurus Day -- June 17, 2025

Today, T-Rex & Team Triceratops & learned great information about Dino Superstar #4 -- Ankylosaurus (Fused Lizard)!

1. Found Steggie right away, hiding in a NEW location!

2. Watched short educational videos about Ankylosaurus. Students then wrote 2 facts they learned about Ankylosaurus in their Dino-A-Day packet & 2 students were chosen to share 1 unique fact.

3. *MISS H* shared a small, fossilized Coprolite (dino poop) from Madagascar during Prehistoric Dino Show & Tell! We viewed it under the Doc Cam & learned that a Coprolite can be up to 16" in diameter!!

4. Dino Rock Geodes: Each student took turns measuring & mixing flour, sand, salt, dried coffee grounds & water together in 2 separate bowls with a spatula & then their hands. Then, they shaped the geode mixture around their favorite dino figurine. These will take a week to dry in the hallway windowsill. When students take them home after Open House Night, they can excavate the dino figurine back out like a fossil dig, using a small hammer or tools with parent approval, of course!

5. Walked to & from snack using our hands to create armored eyelids.

6.  Three Pick-a-Stick students read about & displayed our Museum, Fossils & Theory vocab sheets.

7. Trivia ? -- How many total years did dinosaurs rule the earth? Students thought about & wrote their predictions on the whiteboard. 3 students earned small prizes for their predictions.  

8. Watched a short Science Museum of MN tour video & discussed our Extended Day Field Trip.

9. Fossil Bone: Created a 'fossil bone' with cotton balls after talking about & looking at 5 different kinds of 'bone' examples. Several students chose to create a T-Rex leg bone by drawing, tracing, stretching & gluing their cotton balls to fit their unique fossil bone shape. 

10.  Worked in groups on the T-Rex 3D, Dinosaurs & 4D Brachiosaurus puzzles, just like scientists! :)

Day 6 -- Science Museum of MN Field Trip -- June 18, 2025

4 Student Reminders:

1. Wear Project SEEK t-shirt or teal/blue t-shirt***

2. Bring cold lunch***

3. Parent Pick Up/ buses @ 2:30pm***

4. Have fun!! :)

5. Pictures COMING THIS WEEKEND! Check back for more :)

Day 6 -- Science Museum -- both learning & FUN!

1. The Dinosaurs! class bused down to the SMM in St. Paul for our Extended Day of learning & fun. 

2. We started our museum visit with a group photo outside. Excited we had Amanda, our chaperone! :)

3. Then our class gathered on Level 5 for an inside group photo with the T-Rex fossil skeleton.

4. Students did a Dinosaurs Scavenger Hunt in the Dinosaurs & Fossils Gallery on Level 3. A few students also answered the bonus question & sketched a dinosaur of their choice on their paper! 

5. Aunna, a SMM Paleontologist, taught the class several pieces of information about dinosaurs. She even took out a fossil T-Rex tooth from inside a glass case & students took turns touching it. 

6. We had the entire lunch area on Level 2 to ourselves on this Field Trip & enjoyed taking the elevator. 

7. Our class was so excited to watch "How to Train Your Dinosaur" during Science Live! The T-Rex was a human puppet that weighed over 100+ pounds, & Sean, a 5yo juvenile T-Rex, entertained all of us! 

8. Our class loved exploring Our Backyard, the summer outdoor space to create, build, splash & enjoy. 

9. We ended exploring on Levels, 1, 3, 4 & 5. Students loved the 2-headed preserved box turtle :)

10. The SMM was an amazing experience & I know that all the students in Dinosaurs! had a great time!

Day 7 -- Velociraptor Day -- June 20, 2025

Today, T-Rex & Team Triceratops & learned amazing information about Dino Superstar #5 -- Velociraptor (Speedy Thief)!

1. Students spied with their 'dino eye' Steggie in his new hiding spot!

2. Museum Memories: Students took 5 minutes to write &/or draw an important memory from the SMM.

3. Watched 2 short educational videos about Velociraptor. Students then wrote 2 facts they learned about Velociraptor in their Dino-A-Day packet & 2 students were chosen to share 1 unique dino fact.

4. *MISS H* shared a Carcharodontosaurus fossil tooth for Show & Tell! My dad had purchased this in California several years ago & I really love having an actual fossil. Paleontologists may have dug up this fossil in North Africa in Algeria, Egypt or Morocco. Students each took turns examining the fossil tooth.

5. Brayden, Nora, Oliver & Georgia were chosen to read & display the 4 Fossil Dig steps: 1. Dig It 2. Map It 3. Wrap It 4. Move It. They all did a fantastic job!

6. Fossil Dig #1 (I 'Dig' Dinos) Chocolate Chip Cookies! Students received a dig sheet to map the fossils (chocolate chips) in the cookie (ground). They each received a 1 toothpick 'tool' to excavate as many whole fossils without picking up the 'ground'/ cookie. We learned that a paleontologist has to work slowly & be careful when excavating. Each whole fossil was worth $25 & 1 student each team did smart calculator math to see the total the Dinosaurs! class had earned. Amazing math! Students dug up total of 190 fossils & 'earned' a total of $4,750. They sure enjoyed the delicious edible dig!

7. Walked to & from snack as paleontologists.

8. After a Velociraptor movement break, students watched "Dig Into Paleontology" & then 'met' Pete the Paleontologist. He is 10 years old & looks a lot like Flat Stanley. They drew several missing items/ tools that Pete would need on his fossil dig in Colorado & added them to his poster. 

9. Our Dino-rama shoeboxes are all set up & ready to paint on Monday.

10. Congratulations on completing the Dinosaurs Floor Puzzle Calvin, Liam & Elliot! :)

Day 8 -- Stegosaurus Day -- June 23, 2025

Here is what we did/learned today! Dino Superstar #6 -- Stegosaurus (Roof (covered) Lizard)!

1. Watched 2 short educational videos to learn more about Stegosaurus & the 17 plates on its back. Students then wrote 2 facts in their Dino-A-Day packet & 2 students each shared 1 unique dino fact.

2. Oliver & Georgia helped to measure the 4-foot spikes on Stegosaurus' tail. It took a combination of 1 yardstick + a 1-foot ruler. 

3. Played Hangman to discover the 10-letter word paleontologists call Stegosaurus' 4 tail spikes. Students took smart guesses, and they solved the word before getting 'hanged'! t-h-a-g-o-m-i-z-e-r. Great job! :)

4. *LIAM* shared his Triceratops Squish Mallow during Prehistoric Dino Show & Tell! 

5. Displayed all the Stegosaurus 'skins' & 'skeletons' & learned that a similar looking dinosaur with more spikes than plates is actually a cousin to Steggie! 

6. Experienced a Velociraptor 'claw' back scratch with our pod neighbor. 

7. Colored a "Bigger Than You Think" paper puzzle -- each student used beautiful colors on T-Rex!

8. Step 1: Painted the outside of their Dino-rama shoe boxes with black acrylic paint using foam brushes. A few students found it helpful to use a special dabbing technique to cover the outside if it was glossy. 

9. Carefully threaded black yarn through our fragile fossil tooth necklaces. One student discovered that if you push the yarn too hard with a pencil, the fossil tooth just might break. 

10. Had a discussion about dinosaur footprints & imprint fossils with visuals to learn more about them. 

Day 9 -- Pachycephalosaurus Day -- June 24, 2025

We were busy today in Dinosaurs! Dino Superstar #7 -- Pachycephalosaurus (thick-headed lizard)

1. Watched 2 short educational videos to learn more about Pachycephalosaurus & if it used its thick dome-shaped head for head butting. Students then wrote 2 facts in their Dino-A-Day packet & 2 students each shared 1 unique dino fact.

2. Finished coloring & cutting out the 42-piece T-Rex 'Bigger Than Life' paper puzzle & did a challenge to see if anyone could assemble their puzzle & beat the 5-min. timer. No student completed the puzzle in 5 min., but they were challenged to try this T-Rex puzzle @ home. 

3. *OLIVER* shared his carnivorous roaring dinosaur during Prehistoric Dino Show & Tell! 

4. Displayed the Pachy 'skins' & 'skeletons' on the Dino Display Mat.

5. Dino-rama Step 2: measured, cut & glued background scenery/ construction paper (sky, grass, ground, water, volcanoes, etc.) in shoe boxes. Students were asked to close their eyes & decide if their scene would be day or night, sun or moon, Jurassic or Triassic Period.

6. Walked to & from snack with our dome-shaped Pachy head.

7. Learned about Fossil Jackets, the 'Wrap It' step paleontologists do before they can move a fossil.

8. Hands-on Learning Activity: Chose a dino figurine, wrapped it in a layer of TP, tinfoil & a plaster strip to create their very own Fossil Jacket. When they take it home, they can use tools to remove the dino. 

9. Discussed dinosaur eggs & took turns laying 10 chicken-sized dinosaur 'eggs' in a nest.

10.  Took home a dino bag to fill with items like sticks, small rocks & other items to add to their Dino-rama.

Day 10 -- Pterosaur Day -- June 25, 2025

We were busy today learning about Pterosaurs & working on creating dinosaurs for our Dino-rama!

1. Watched a short educational video to learn more about Pterosaurs (a flying reptile, but not a dinosaur).  

2. *GEORGIA* shared her carnivorous dinosaur figurine during Prehistoric Dino Show & Tell! 

3. Displayed Pterosaur 'skins' & 'skeletons' on the Dino Display Mat.

4. Dino-rama Step 3: worked creatively on coloring, cutting or hand-drawing dinosaurs & adding other dino figurines & details to our Dino-rama displays. Volcanoes, vines, trees, clouds, mountains, water.

5. 4 students took turns mixing gold & black paint together with stir sticks to create a prehistoric color. 

6. Carefully used brushes to brush paint on the impression fossils to make them look millions of years old.

7. Dino Dig #2: each student was given a numbered dinosaur egg & a fossil digging tool & chose googles or protective eyewear. As they began digging, they made predictions about the dinosaur inside. We discovered that additional fossil digging tools were needed, along with water to soften the dino egg. 5 out of 7 students successfully excavated out their dinosaur before we left for the day. It took patience! :)

8. Liam, Hazel & Calvin finished the foam T-Rex puzzle, even with two puzzle pieces missing. Congrats! :)

9. Did more active research & writing about their Dinosaur Report chosen dinosaur (or Pterosaur).  

Day 11 -- Open House Day -- June 26, 2025

We were busy today finishing the details of our dinosaur projects to display @ Open House tonight!

1. Attended a Global Folk Art Show & each student voted for their favorite art in Mr. Glowacki's class.  

2. *CALVIN & RIVER* took turns shared their special dinosaurs during Prehistoric Dino Show & Tell!

3. Dino-rama: Students added the finished details & dinosaurs in their Dino-ramas. They also wrote a sentence that best described their prehistoric Mesozoic era & taped these to the top of their shoe box.

4. Dinosaur Report: Students used resources in the classroom (books, flashcards & dino packets) to complete their research & writing, along with a hand-drawn picture of their dinosaur or Pterosaur. 

5. Powered up our smart brains with a 2+ min Dino Go Noodle movement break.  

6. Attended a performance of Cool Kids for Cool Theater. We really enjoyed watching 1st & 2nd graders perform Cinderella & a scene from Frog & Toad in the Garden!

7. Hazel got creative with our dino claw nametags that had curled up from the heat & attached them to small paper plates with extra tape!

8. T-Rex t-shirt: Lightly spritzed orange, yellow, green & blue tie-dye on their white t-shirts to accent around the vinyl T-Rex skull. We hope these t-shirts will be dry by Open House tonight!

9. Created Open House posters to welcome family & friends to our 'Dinosaurs! Museum' display tonight.

10. Set up dino folders, Dinosaur Report, Dino-Rama & dino Display Tray for families to see the hard work.