Last term, our Prep classes studied dinosaurs. This topic created a language rich and dialogic environment, where the richness of the language has been modelled and employed by both the children and the teachers. This has initiated opportunities for collaborative, creative and inquiry based learning.
The children have read and written about dinosaurs. They have also constructed large dinosaurs and used arbitrary units to measure them. They have created a variety of art works inspired by dinosaurs and they have used inquiry learning strategies to create dinosaur enclosures.
The students have been watching a program by the BBC called Prehistoric Park, a walking with dinosaurs style show. The children really loved this program and decided to make the enclosures that they do in the program to house the different dinosaurs that the main character Nigel goes and collects each episode. It was great to see the cooperation and discussions that went on about which dinosaur went together in each enclosure.