The dinosaurs of Drumheller, Alberta are some of the most famous in the world and this Drumheller Dinosaur Dance Unit Study is all about them. Create more lesson plans with these unit study ideas.
During the day they are on display for all to see, but what happens to them at night? In this adventurous and creative tale from Robert Heidbreder, he gives his own explanation of what happens when night falls. In the book Drumheller Dinosaur Dance, we see these dinosaur skeletons come to life at night, where they waltz, shake, and dance until the early morning light.
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If you wish to explore this text further with your child, here are some fantastic lessons you can try. So snag a copy of Drumheller Dinosaur Dance and take a look at how you can turn this text into a slew of educational activities!
Drumheller Dinosaur Dance Unit Study
Activity One: Book Walk
Begin by taking a book walk through the text. In this walk, you won’t be reading any of the text. Just take a look at the cover, the pages, and the back of the book.
Give your child sticky notes (the brighter the better!) to mark pages they find of interest. Once they have marked their pages, have them explain to you their reasoning. Did they enjoy the pictures on that particular page? Do they have a question about it? Can they relate to something they see? This activity is a great way to build comprehension.
Activity Two: Dinosaur Dig
Wouldn’t it be fun to have discovered the dinosaurs featured in Drumheller? Create your own dinosaur dig for children to enjoy.
Fill a show box or small tote with dirt or sand. Bury plastic dinosaurs into the dirt along with random items such as rocks or toy cars.
Give children brushes for dusting away the dirt and sand so they can discover the dinosaurs beneath. Once they “dig” one up, see if they can identify it.
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Activity Three: Fun with Rhymes
This book is an excellent time to introduce rhyming words to your children. Give some examples of rhyming words and then go on a hunt through the text looking for them.
Children can mark rhyming words with a sticky note or even a piece of neon tape. See if they can create their own list of 5-7 rhyming words when done.
Activity Four: Tour Guide for a Day
Let your child pretend he is a Drumheller tour guide for a day. Make him or her a fun name tag and ask that he/she research the various dinosaurs they may have to know about.
Have them act out some skits of a tour guide showing off the specimens. Let them show off their dinosaur knowledge.
Activity Five: Drumheller Figurines
Make your own Drumheller dinosaur skeletons with this easy DIY!
For these figurines you will need a dinosaur figurine, black craft paint, white craft paint, and a paint brush (both thick and fine)
Directions:
1. Begin by applying two coats of black paint to your dinosaur. Allow both coats to dry well before proceeding to step 2.
2. Take your fine brush and dip it in the white paint. Create fine, short lines along the bones of the dinosaur to look like a skeleton. The short dashes will look like bones once you have done the entire dinosaur. Don’t forget to do the head and feet too!
3. Allow your white craft paint to dry. Add anymore lines you think it may need.
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Once done your Drumheller dinosaur figure is perfect for displaying or enjoying the book with!
Enjoy the book Drumheller Dinosaur Dance with your children, and enhance the experience even more when you give these simple book related activities a try!
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If you would like to add to this Drumheller Dinosaur Dance Unit Study you can use these sites with your kids.
Those sound like really fun activities. Both of my boys love dinosaurs and would love all of these,
How fun! My preschooler is obessed with dinosaurs and we’ve never heard of this book. I honestly thought we had read every dinosaur book out there.