Dinosaurs_Alive

=Dinosaurs Alive! @ The Maryland Science Center= - Saturday, February 23rd 2008 i was fortunate and honored to represent Howard County Schools at a day-long exploration of dinosaurs, including presentations from two scientists, a paleontologist-guided tour through our Dinosaur Mysteries exhibit, demonstrations of activities for the classroom, and a screening of the IMAX film Dinosaurs Alive 3D at the Maryland Science Center. i greatly enjoyed the speakers Tom Holtz and Alan Turner who provided some enlightening information on dinosaurs, their evolution and variety, along with reports on current research. Tom is from the University of Maryland and Alan from the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Alan is featured in the IMAX film Dinosaurs Alive 3D. As part of the production for the film, the science center followed Alan and his colleagues' expeditions in both New Mexico and Mongolia.

Tom advised the Maryland Science Center on the content for their dinosaur exhibit, which opened in 2004. He is also the author of the new book "The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaurs Lovers of All Ages" as well as a number of dinosaur books for children. the Dinosuars Alive 3-D movie rocked! i actually jumped a few times as dinosaurs came within inches of my face!!! (or it felt that way! i even did the silly thing where i just HAD to reach out and try and touch a dino!) the lunch that was provided was excellent, too!

the whole experience was WAY cool! here are my notes below for any fellow science loving Media Specialists or Science teachers...

The Maryland Science Center has an AWESOME IMAX movie playing right now... //"Come to the Maryland Science Center for a trip back in time to the land of the dinosaurs.// Dinosaurs Alive! 3D //- a discovery featuring the earliest dinosaurs of the Triassic Period to the monsters of the Cretaceous Period "reincarnated" for the giant IMAX® screen. From the exotic, trackless expanses and the sand dunes of Mongolia's Gobi Desert to the dramatic sandstone buttes of New Mexico, discover again some of the greatest dinosaur finds in history. Journey with some of the world's preeminent paleontologists as they uncover evidence that the descendents of dinosaurs still walk (or fly) among us."// -from the Dinosaurs Alive! IMAX [|website] dinotrunks@marylandsciencecenter.org to request the trunk: Lee Billingsley these websites also have a great wealth of information for educators (click the banner above for a link to the TEACHERS GUIDE) in addition to the movie they also provide a trunk to teachers that you can borrow and bring to your classroom: Information is available at 410-545-5890. Includes a dinosaur egg (cast) dinosaur bone, and two different sized dino claw. toilet paper! (to make fossil jackets) as well as a CD-ROM of lessons....the trunk can be loaned out for 2 weeks to a month to have as a hands on experience for students. also included...RARE Mongolian sand from the dig!

=Other Great Links related to Palentology & Dinosaurs= = = [|I Want To Be A Paleontologist !]