St John the Apostle Primary School students in Tarneit are getting excited about science through their new dinosaur club initiative.
Bringing in palaeontologist and educator Simona Grippi to lead the program, the primary students graduated from a five-session course that introduced them to scientific vocabulary and the prehistoric story of what is now the Australian continent.
Ms Grippi started volunteering at the Melbourne Museum several years ago, where she began to share her passion for dinosaurs with kids through authoring children’s books and creating an interactive website called ‘Dino Oz Adventures’ that offers educational videos and games.
She spoke to the importance of scientific literacy among children.
“Students need to be able to formulate hypotheses and then be able to support or rebuke these through evidence and research. This requires the students to use scientific language and processes.”
Ms Grippi discussed the best way to get kids involved in science.
“Give students experiences which ignite within students the curiosity to research and investigate scientifically.”
When asked why dinosaurs captivate children so much, Ms Grippi pointed to their size.
“Their incredible size and body structure bring some reality to students’ vivid imagination or monsters and alpha predators.”
Ms Grippi has been involved in important paleontological field work and fossil discoveries in Victoria, including the discovery of a skull that is believed to belong to a Koolasuchus, that she likens to a giant salamander that is longer than a saltwater crocodile.
