Paleontology Rocks!

This week has been a blast!  Campers learned what it takes to be a paleontologist and learn about the past by studying fossils!  On Monday, we learned the basics about fossils.  Campers learned the process of fossilization, studied some of the Museum's collections, and went on a scavenger hunt of our Hall of Evolution.  They traveled through time and "froze" into fossils during Fossil Freeze Tag.  Finally, our campers made fossil art; Green group used rubbing plates to unearth fossils from varying times, while Orange, Green, and Yellow groups created fossil resist paintings.

Fossil rubbings

Learning about Life Through the Ages

On Tuesday, we learned about Geological Time.  Campers made flip books to visualize how the Earth has changed throughout the years and put together a Pangaea puzzle.  Their counselors took them on a tour through our Hall of Evolution to see how life has changed, from the Cambrian explosion to now!  We rounded out the day by making scrolls showing geological time and important dates in history, such as the K-T Impact.

Finished resist paintings

Wednesday was all about life before the dinosaurs.  Oftentimes we forget about all of the amazing life that came millions of years before the dinosaurs!  Campers looked at fossils from the Paleozoic Era and then made their own Devonian dioramas based off of fossils finds and reconstructions of ancient animals.  Lastly, campers made their own molds and casts of ammonites or trilobites to take home and be used multiple times!

An ammonite in its prehistoric habitat

T. rexes on the loose!

On Thursday, we learned about dinosaurs.  We discovered how big (and small) some of the dinosaurs were and went on special dinosaur tours throughout the Museum.  Campers learned about a crazy way some dinosaurs had to eat (ask your camper what a gastrolith is!) and made their own Edmontosaurus or Tyrannosaurus rex hats.

Testing out gastroliths

Cera the Triceratops stopped by!

Some fierce Smilodons

Our last day was about the Ice Age.  Campers learned about the impact of humans on Mastodon populations in North America and all about the La Brea tar pits of modern day California.  We studied some of our Museum's Ice Age animals, including the Sabertooth, which campers then made a mask of.

Learning about Mastodon extinction

Thanks for a great week!