Dinosaurs & Beasts: Hands-On Fossils

3-DAY FOSSIL CAMP

Giant sauropod dinosaur

Can you identify the specimen?

CAMP SPECIMEN: LOTS OF… TENTACLES?

While sharing the fossilization session, we warm up with this strange object.

What is it? Perhaps it is a fossil…

  1. Fungus (like a mushroom)
  2. Animal (like a coral)
  3. Plant (e.g. seaweed)
  4. Bacteria colony

CAMP SPECIMEN: MYSTERIOUS SPIRAL

A truly perplexing piece from the evolution session, you’ll never guess which organism this belongs to.

Could it be a…?

  1. Fern leaf (also known as a frond)
  2. Spine of a snake
  3. Curled-up centipede
  4. Teeth

CAMP SPECIMEN: WHAT COULD THIS BE?

The Tree of Life session shows us this… interesting piece. How does it show us how organisms are related to each other?

This is clearly a…

  1. Clam (also known as a bivalve)
  2. Poop (or ‘coprolite’)
  3. Whale inner ear bone
  4. Seed of an giant fruit

Overview

Dinosaurs & Beasts: Hands-On Fossils takes place over 3 sessions, during which guests will handle strange fossils, ask questions, and work to identify the specimens; followed by theatrical reveals.

Guests will leave having had a great time, and having also learned about concepts such as deep time, evolutionary convergence, trace fossils, permineralization and, of course, dinosaurs.

THREE SESSIONS, THREE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Session #1: Fossilization

We’ll cover topics such as trace fossils, body fossils, permineralization geological processes and deep time.

Session #2: Evolution
How exactly do organisms change over time? All of the details of the process we call natural selection are covered.

Session #3: The ‘Tree of Life’
How are all living things related to each other? You’ll be surprised who are siblings in this family tree.

PROCESS

Attendees sit and the facilitator stands around tables, then:

  1. The specimen is handed around and the facilitator asks guests to determine its identity from a printed, multiple-choice card (and / or from options on a projector screen).
  2. All are invited to speak, ask questions and interact towards solving this puzzle.
  3. An attendee volunteers to access a prop containing (or hiding) an object that reveals the answer (e.g. a dinosaur figurine) and the specimen at hand.
  4. More cards / props are used for learning outcomes.
  5. The process is repeated for the next specimen.
  6. (For libraries) Near the end of the camp, the facilitator highlights books in hand from the branch’s collection (which were sourced in advance) related to the learning outcomes for attendees to continue their (potentially lifelong) learning.
Collage of participants engaging with the workshop.

WHO IT’S FOR

Families, libraries, community centres, seniors residences, friends, schools, universities, birthday parties.

Language: The workshop is currently only available in English.

VENUE REQUIREMENTS

If no power source is available, the workshop can be done with hard copy materials. Otherwise, we supply a projector. See Process.

That aside, only requires tables and chairs enough to accommodate attendees and space. Beyond that, there’s no limitation on where it can be held.

AGE GROUPS

Good for any age* including: children, teens, adults, seniors, mixed-age groups, families. Facilitator can adapt the workshop to any comprehension level on the fly.

* Toddlers are welcome, but children aged four and up tend to get more out of the workshop than their younger cohorts. Presenter(s) have up-to-date Vulnerable Sector Checks (VSC) documents, available upon request.

AREAS SERVED

Currently serving the entire Southern Ontario region. Dino Bites will bring the workshop to you.

If you’d like to arrange a camp outside of Southern Ontario, please contact us by email or at 647 766 6095

CAMP VERSIONS & COSTS

The camp comes in two versions:

1.5 hours per session
You’ll leave knowing all about fossils, evolution and ‘The Tree of Life’. Ideal for younger groups.

  • 1.5 hours per session x 3 sessions (plus setup / packup time) = 4.5 hours camp time total
  • Cost: $780

2 hours per session
This is the deep dive into dinosaurs, fossils and ancient beasts, where all questions are answered and the most specimens explored.

  • 2 hours per session x 3 sessions (+ setup / packup time) = 6 hours total
  • Cost: $1080

*All prices are subject to HST

Stylized colour image of Parasaurolophus skeleton.

Why fossils?

Many a professor will tell you that we’re living in a Golden Age of palaeontology. Never before have discoveries come so frequently, peeling back the formidable veil of deep time to reveal creatures unheard of. Thanks to unprecedented international collaboration and new technologies, there is an ocean of material coming out every year, mostly unbeknownst to an otherwise curious public. This workshop serves as a vehicle to convey concepts and improve paleontological literacy; thereby granting a means to better navigate that ‘ocean’.

If you think your demographic would enjoy handling, examining, pondering, and learning about real fossils from an expert, it would be an absolute pleasure to speak to you.

Stylized colour image of Parasaurolophus skeleton.

Interested, or have questions?

Collage image of cue cards in front of boxes and two gentlemen speaking behind a T. rex figurine and more cue cards.

You can reach out to Marlowe directly if you’d like to know any details of this workshop. He’ll be happy to promptly reply.

CONTACT MARLOWE

Mobile: 647 766 6095

Email: hello@dinobites.ca

Collage image of cue cards in front of boxes and two gentlemen speaking behind a T. rex figurine and more cue cards.