Reception Dinosaurs
Dinosaur Hunt

Go on a dinosaur hunt through a primitive landscape; explore and discover various dinosaurs; look carefully and build a rich bank of describing words that helps you to write your own class dinosaur story; be part of a spectacular performance with dinosaur sounds, stories and art.

Session 1 Dinosaur Hunt

Objectives

Early learning goals

  • Develop own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events.
  • Answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about experiences and in response to stories or events.
  • Make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur, and talk about changes.

Science

  • Observe closely, using simple equipment.
  • Use observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.

Lesson Planning

Children will discover an egg, go on a dinosaur hunt and collect dinosaurs and describing words along the way. They will learn about dinosaurs through discovery and play. 

Children will:

  • Create a timeline to show that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago.
  • Create a dinosaur story using a familiar story pattern and practical experiences.
  • Use vocabulary to describe, predict, and ask questions.
  • Use books and other play contexts to learn more about dinosaurs.

Provided Resources

  • We’re going on a Dinosaur hunt! ideas
  • Mark making ideas
  • Dinosaur information book list
  • Blank identification tags
  • Messy play! idea
  • How to make playdough instructions

You Will Need

  • Plastic dinosaurs
  • String
  • Cards
  • Fabrics
  • Crepe paper
  • Rucksack
  • Binoculars
  • Notepad
  • Lunchbox

Session 2 Dinosaur Earth long, long ago

Objectives

Early learning goals

  • use what is learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about uses and purposes.
  • Represent own ideas, thoughts and feelings through art, music and role play.
  • Make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur, and talk about changes.

Science

  • Use observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.

Art

  • Use a range of materials creatively to design and make products.

Lesson Planning

Children will travel back in time to `Dinosaur Earth´. They will develop dinosaur landscapes; make clay dinosaurs, dinosaur masks and transient art.

Children will:

  • Create dinosaur landscapes that link to imaginative play and knowledge.
  • Experiment with different materials and artistic techniques to arrange dinosaur landscapes.

Provided Resources

  • How to make a Dinosaur landscape
  • How to make papier-mâché
  • Transient art
  • Dinosaur Pelmanism/matching pairs game

You Will Need

  • Cardboard box
  • Glitter
  • Cut up pieces of coloured paper
  • Felt tips
  • Musical instruments

Session 3 Dinosaur Story Strips

Objectives

Early learning goal

  • Use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about uses and purposes.
  • Represent own ideas, thoughts and feelings through art, role play and stories.
  • Develop own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events.
  • Use phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds.

English

  • Use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesizing, imagining and exploring ideas, respond speedily with the correct sound to graphemes for all 40plus phonemes.
  • Apply simple spelling rules and guidance.

Lesson Planning

Children will listen to the story: Tom and the Island of Dinosaurs. They will find a message in a bottle then travel to `Dinosaur Earth´ in their hot air balloons. Children will create story strips and maps based on their adventure.

Children will:

  • Use play scenarios to link imaginative ideas with finishing a dinosaur story
  • Use drawings and/or written words to record stories.
  • Use role-play experiences to imagine and create pastel landscape drawings.

Provided Resources

  • Dinosaur land map
  • How to make a frozen Dinosaur instructions

You Will Need

  • Tom and the Island of Dinosaurs by Ian Beck
  • A glass bottle with a message
  • 1 cardboard box each
  • Strips of paper
  • Different colours of paint
  • Different sized pieces of recycled fabrics

Session 4 A Spectacular Performance

Objectives

Early learning goals

  • Express self effectively, showing awareness of listeners’ needs.
  • Represent own ideas, thoughts and feelings through art, music, dance, role play and stories.

English

  • Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates.

Lesson Planning

Children create a spectacular dinosaur show for another class to enjoy! They will act out poems, talk about the work they enjoyed and perform story endings. They will use sound effects to bring excitement and drama to their performance.

Children will:

  • Plan, and perform dinosaur story endings/poems/dinosaur movements and sounds.
  • Talk about their favourite parts of their work.
  • Use drama and speak with a loud, clear voice when performing.

You Will Need

  • Story strips from session 3
  • Dinosaur masks from session 2
  • Musical instruments
  • Clay dinosaurs from session 2