#223 The Lost Bone
Following a trip
to the museum where they saw an archaeologist and dinosaur
bones, the children are inspired to dig in the backyard.
Loulou finds a bone! It's a dog biscuit. Persisting in the
search after the others go home, Wimzie unearths a real
bone. Rousso promises to take it to his archaeologist friend
after supper, so Wimzie sticks it in the refrigerator for
safekeeping. She is very excited about becoming an archaeologist,
even though she can't pronounce the word. Some things happen
to the bone before it goes to the archaeologist friend:
it ends up in the supper soup and it gets tossed to the
neighbor's dog, Ferocious Fifi. Finally Rousso takes the
bone to his friend and the friend thinks it might be a dinosaur
bone. News of the "child archaeologist" gets to the papers
and television station; Wimzie can hardly sleep and still
can't even pronounce her new title. The next morning the
archaeologist friend calls with his results: the bone is
from a horse. Wimzie is crushed but her parents urge her
to keep on going so she can succeed later. Wimzie goes out
to tell the others who are very sympathetic and admire her
effort. Wimzie pronounces "archaeologist" perfectly and
realizes that persistent effort does pay off. Reinspired,
the children start digging again, chatting about pirates
and treasures, and having a wonderful time.
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- Children will learn that if
you really want something, keep on trying.
- Children will learn that life
is sometimes a series of mishaps and disappointments.
- Children will learn that trying
to reach your goals can be half the fun of life.
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Vocabulary: |
dinosaur
archaeologist
archaeology
museum
pterodactyl |
Suggested Activities: |
| Before
you view: What are the
children trying to find ? |
| While you view:
See suggestions in "How to use this guide" |
After
you view: Go back to your
pre-viewing activity and have the children respond to the question.
(Answer: Dinosaur bones and other buried treasures.) Talk about
what you have seen and take some time to discuss it. |
Extended Learning Activities |
Option
1: Digging for Bones (Exploration Activity)
Materials required: Sandbox or table, or digging patch outdoors,
small objects such as shells or plastic dinosaurs or whatever
children would think it fun to dig up, shovels or strong spoons,
index cards, marker |
| Bury
the items in the sand or digging patch and tell the children
they can dig for treasures there. Provide the digging tools.
Label the items and make a display if interest persists. |
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Option 2: I'm Thinking of Something (Reasoning Game)
Materials required: None
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Choose an easily visible object
in the room that everyone can see and ask the children to
guess what the object is. Encourage them to ask about the
size, shape, color, location and to listen to one another's
questions and answers. Tell them when they are getting close.
Give hints if needed.
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Option 3: Finding a
Hidden Object (Searching Game)
Materials required: A small object that everyone can recognize |
| Show
the object to all the children then ask them to leave the room
while you hide it. When they come back and start looking, you
tell them when they are getting "hot"/close or "cold"/far. After
playing a couple of times, the children can run the game. |
Option 4: Working with
Bones (Exploration Activity)
Material required: Chicken bones, clean and dry |
| After
you have eaten a whole chicken, boil the carcass including the
leg and thigh bones until all the flesh falls off. Drain, rinse
and dry the bones. Now you have excellent bones for the children
to handle and try to fit together - even to bury in the sand
table. Children can feel their own bones in their fingers, toes,
elbows knees, and ribs - interesting how animals and people
are alike! |
Theme Related Books: |
Have
You Seen My Duckling?,
Nancy Tafuri. NY: Scholastic.
Inch by Inch, Leo Lionni. NY: Scholastic.
Katy and the Big Snow, Virginia Lee Burton. NY: Scholastic.
The Turnip: An Old Russian Folk Tale, Pierre Morgan.
NY: Scholastic.
Dinosaur Garden, Liza Donnelly. NY: Scholastic.
Danny and the Dinosaur, Syd Hoff. NY: Scholastic.
Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs, Bryan Barton. NY: Scholastic. |
Notes |
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