Themes that encompass the interests of children provide intrinsic motivation to explore and learn. When selecting books within the theme, it is important to consider, again, the developmental levels of your students. Choose books that relate to the experiences of children, have clear concepts or storylines or are full of action. Consider the text to be sure it is within the children s understanding or that it can scaffold onto previous learning to broaden their knowledge base. The following book selections integrate the study of dinosaurs across literature genres and curricular domains for multi-aged students.
Dinosaurs are of great interest to children.
It may be because they are mysterious. It could be because they are like monsters of the past. Maybe it is because they became extinct for an unknown reason. With more discoveries of dinosaur artifacts and exposure in the media, both for educational and entertainment purposes, dinosaurs are fast becoming a favorite unit in school, ranging from preschool to second grade, or beyond. Reading books about fossils allows children to learn more about living prehistoric creatures and how they survived intact for so many years.