Dinosaur Study Unit -Pre K

As a nanny I like to do educational activities with my charges. Here is a dinosaur study unit:

Goal: Introduce different dinosaurs
Practice tracing/beginning letter formation
Learn the concepts extinct and fossil


Tools/Books: Dinosaur Time
Summer Bridge Pre-K to Kindergarten
How do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon?
How do Dinosaurs Eat their Food?
Fossils Tell of Long Ago
National Geographic: Really Wild Animals- Dinosaurs and other Creature Features

Schedule:

Day one: pg 9/10 of Summer Bridge (or practice tracing circles and triangles on own).
Read about Stegosauruses and learn about their key features (used Dinosaur Time).

Day Two: Pg 11/12 of Summer Bridge (or trace lines and choose rectangles from a page of misc. shapes)
Learn about Pternaodons (researched on web general information)

Day Three: pg 12/14 of Summer Bridge (trace 'U's and ovals)
Review Dinosaurs

Day 4: Discuss the terms fossils and extinct
Watch National Geographic DVD

Day 5: Have a Dino Dig:
Make fossils out of clay ( take chicken bones or use sticks, forks, etc to create indentations in clay). Leave outside in sun to harden. Place hardened clay in a bucket/box full of sand (without the children). Then let the children dig up the fossils.

Notes: I did this brief unit study with a four year old. While I have a Summer Bridge book, you can easily reproduce the tracing and shape activities on your own with lined paper.
We only did this two days a week, so this unit lasted a little over two weeks. I found that a slower pace kept the 4 year old's attention better.
We read the two picture books throughout the unit. While the storyline had nothing to do with learning about dinosaurs, they were great 'fun' books to read while doing this unit.
Fossils Tell of Long Ago was too advanced for Pre-K, but it was good to look at the illustrations of fossils and for me to gather information from.

Cost: Less than $10 (without Summer Bridge) or about $20 (if you buy a Summer Bridge book). I found all of the books/Dvd at the library.
I do reccomend buying the Summer Bridge book. It is FANTASTIC. It has several (over 150) pages of worksheets, flash cards, activities, etc. It's a great supplemental tool when planning mini units such as these.