We are dedicated to delivering memorable, fun learning experiences for you and your school students.
Withinthe safety of your own environment we can transform your school hall or classroom into an interactive, hands-on dinosaur fossil and mineral discovery museum. Your students will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with our hands-on, museum quality fossil casts and genuine fossils from around the world.
Many of our pieces are only ever seen elsewhere behind museum glass.
We believe that "awe & wonder" experiences stimulate school students to ask questions, seek knowledge and to make informed decisions about the wide world around them.
·"Presentation" -
We deliver an educational, interactive, entertaining presentation about dinosaurs, fossils & minerals which encourages active student participation. Key palaeontological and geological words and their meanings are are introduced and explained.
·"Genuine Fossil Dig"
- We are the first in New Zealand, to offer school students the opportunity to dig for genuine fossilised dinosaur bone fragments, sharks teeth and ammonites. By participating in this hands-on activity students are amazed as they uncover these genuine fossils from around the world. To add to the excitement they get to keep what they find. (1 x dinosaur bone, 5 x sharks teeth & 2 x ammonites for each student to keep)
·"Gold Panning"
- We will teach your students the science of "Hydrologic sorting" (aka gold panning) for a world mix of beautiful semi precious gems and minerals. They will experience the thrill of discovering what the wide world of geology has to offer and best of all they will get to keep all they find. To round off our geology session we invite a teacher to crack open a genuine crystal filled Geode! We guarantee that you and your students will be awed as you expose, for the first time ever, the sparkling crystals hidden inside for thousands of years!
·"Activity Work Sheets"
- Our work sheets are designed for your students to interact up close and personal with our hands on museum display. To answer the questions students have to read, count, measure, think and ask questions.
·"Maori Legends"
- As we wrap up our 1.5 hr sessions, classes listen to ancient Maori legend of the Taniwha and Ngarara as passed on to Dinosaur Darren by his Tupuna (Ancestors). You will be surprised to hear what happened to one of the last ancient god-like creeping reptiles of the Waikato.
·"Follow up Material"
- We provide three teacher resources laminated information sheets per class to follow up with Identifying the fossils, gems and minerals each student discovered and where they came from.
A selection of Genuine Fossils, Gems & Minerals for your school students to keep
We Bring the Museum to You!
The following schools have engaged Dinosaur Darren & Jurrasic Jackie to teach and inspire their students learning... Abundant Life Christian School - Kaitaia Alferton Primary School - Wairarapa Auckland Home Schooling Association Bellevue Primary School Newlands - Wellington Belmont Primary School - Lower Hutt Botany Downs Primary School - Upper Hutt Boulcot Primary School - Lower Hutt Cardinal McKeefry Catholic School - Wellington Correspondence School 2006 Conference Eastern Hutt Primary School - Lower Hutt Hastings Christian School - Hawkes Bay Holy Cross Catholic School Mirramar - Wellington Houghton Valley Primary School - Wellington Howick Primary School - Auckland Hunterville Consolidated School - Rangitikei Kaingaroa Primary School - Kaitaia Konini Primary School - Wainuiomata Lyall Bay Primary School - Wellington Mangaroa Primary School - Upper Hutt Mangaonui Primary School - Doubtless Bay Far North Maori Bay Primary School - Upper Hutt Maraeroa Primary School - Porirua Matamata Christian School - Waikato Mauriceville Primary School - Wairarapa Mirramar Central School - Wellington Muritai Primary School - Eastbourne Pukeamoamoa Primary School - Hawkes Bay Sherendaen District School - Hawkes Bay Silverstream Christian School - Upper Hutt Silverstream Primary School - Upper Hutt Solway Primary School - Masterton South City Christian School - Hamilton St Bernards Intermidate School - Lower Hutt St Joesph Catholic Primary School - Upper Hutt St Theresa Catholic Primary School - Plimmerton Taipa Bay Area School Doubtless Bay - Far North Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Rangiawhia - Doubtless Bay Far North Totara North Primary School - Whangaroa Far North Waihi Beach Primary School - Waihi Waikato Campus School - Waikato Wilford Primary School - Petone
Testimonies
Dear Darren and Jackie June 14 2005
I would like to thank you most sincerely for the effort you put into making today such a wonderful learning experience for our five junior classes. From the moment they entered the hall until the moment they left all children were totally engrossed in meaningful learning. All teachers commented on the fact that you provided just the right amount of talk and activity.
We appreciated the sharing of your precious dinosaur and fossil collections with the children, allowing them to observe and touch everything.
Your presentation was one of the most professional we have seen but we would also like to acknowledge with warm and friendly manner in which you interacted with the children.
I personally was most impressed with the fact that you were able to impart complex information in a way that could be understood by the children. Their focused attention and enthusiasm throughout the 1 1/2 hour session is testament to the programme you provide.
One of the children commented as she left the hall, "This has been the best day of my life!" This says it all!
Again I extend the thanks of the staff and children of HolyCrossSchool.
Yours sincerely
Celeste Hastings Deputy Principal
HolyCrossSchool, Miramar.
Taipa Bay Area School News Letter Sept 2007 Primary Department
Dinosaurs Rock NZ in the Far North
Dinosaur Darren and Jurassic Jackie from Dinosaurs Rock NZ have been visiting our school this week. We all had a wonderful time. It was a great show, full of exciting displays, information and activities. We all had the chance to pan for gold and other exotic minerals. Each of us was able to take home a small collection of shark’s teeth, ammonites and dinosaur bones. All students received a cast copy of a small dinosaur footprint. If you would like to check out what these people are all about, then please visit the website at www.DinosaursNZ.com and www.DinosaursAotearoaNZ.comAll the students raved about the 1½ hour show and had great fun getting their hands dirty with sand and fossilised dinosaur pooh!-coprolite.
Letter of Support for Dinosaurs Rock NZ Programme
6 August 2005
We were fortunate to have the Dinosaurs Rock NZ programme visit out school last term. They had been recommended highly to us and exceeded our expectations.
Jackie and Darren were extremely professional and organised in their dealings with the school. They were both warm and enthusiastic and willing to adapt their programme to suit the learning we had covered in class. Their programme linked in with National Curriculum documents and supported the Science Achievement Objective we had been covering. We were impressed with the way Darren and Jackie could deliver complex information in such a clear way for children to understand. All information was presented in enjoyable ways and with hands on interactive experiences.
Jackie and Darren's enthusiasm and passion for Dinosaurs is infectious! The children were 'buzzing' and are still talking about the activities they participated in and the things they learnt. Many children have said it was "the best day at school ever!" The teachers also loved it.
We were impressed with the 'hands on' equipment Darren and Jackie provided for the children to examine. All equipment was well organised and their management of children between activities was excellent. Children left the session with their own bag of gems, a fossilised dinosaur cast and a certificate. The teachers were given follow up material for further discussions in class.
We would highly recommend the Dinosaurs Rock programme to any school. Their presentation is one of the most professional we have seen. Jackie and Darren go the extra mile to make the day special for children. We could not think of a better way to end our Dinosaur Unit.
As part of the Science programme the JuniorSchool children experienced Dinosaurs Rock New Zealand on Tuesday 1st November 2005.The school hall was transformed into an educational, interactive, hands on museum. The children got to see up close museum quality specimens – dinosaur claws and teeth and a dinosaur egg.They had the opportunity to do fossil cast painting and fossil digging.It was great to be able to bring the science curriculum alive!!!
Christine Leper
Assistant Principal
Cost
*Price from $10.00 per student minimum of 60 students.
A non-refundable deposit of $125.00 to book and secure your date.
(*Traveling fee appllies for out of the greater Wellington region)
Bookings
We recommend booking well in advance to secure your preferred date.
*Country schools with small student numbers talk to us about an after school fundraising event.
