Over twenty Alachua County Early Learning Coalition pre-K teachers attended a teacher workshop in preparation for the Pre-K Dino Day at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Each teacher received a notebook full of background content and standards-based activities as well as a bag full of books and materials to use in their classroom.

Although Florida was underwater during the time of dinosaurs, many other unique prehistoric animals did roam the land once it emerged. FLMNH docents gave guided tours of the Fossil Hall to explain more about them.

Teachers rotated through stations allowing them to practice activities - such as designing a one-of-a-kind Shape-a-saurus while learning about shapes.

Did they eat meat or plants? Real fossil teeth are used to explain the difference between carnivores and herbivores.

Simple and affordable materials can be used to teach a variety of math concepts.

Trace fossils such as footprints can also help us learn more about dinosaurs. Teachers practiced activities using dinosaur footprint cutouts and discussed ways their students can make, compare and discuss trackways.

Teachers became paleontologists and practiced their skills digging out "fossil raisins" from an oatmeal cookie.

After exploring Florida fossils, each pre-K school received their own bag of fossils to keep.

Pre-K students can practice their A, B, C's by singing the Dinosaur Alphabet Song.

One of the most fascinating features about dinosaurs is their large size. Teachers discussed simple activities that focus on measurement and graphing.

And what would a pre-K workshop be without a pre-K student in attendance? We put him to work trying out one of the many classroom resources the teachers received from the Early Learning Coalition.