Educator Information
The Dino World Incursion
The Dino World interactive incursion incorporates key learning areas across the primary grades to ensure students gain maximum educational value from their attendance. Each session is presented by qualified teachers and is adapted to cater for the various levels of schooling.
The presentation includes real and replica fossils along with posters, pictures and life size elements. Usually conducted inside or under cover, it includes showing dinosaur skulls, claws, teeth and brains of assorted dinosaurs.
In addition to the incursion a variety of pre and post incursion activities are also available to teachers which can be used as the basis for lesson plans.
Incursion Day Information
ECE information
The ECE incursion is a targeted presentation to the younger audience. Students attending will have the ability to see and touch a variety of fossils.
The session will usually begin and end with time to view James T. Rex. Viewing time will take place with their class teachers and allow time to take photos. It is a great opportunity to compare features such as foot size with those of the children as well as how many children wide and long James is.
Unlike the primary presentations where other prehistoric creatures are introduced, the ECE presentation focuses on the well-known dinosaurs of Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Allosaurus, T-Rex and Camarasaurus.
Lower Primary information
The lower primary presentation builds on the ECE presentation to include additional content such as what is and isn’t classed as a dinosaur, and what dinosaurs have been found in Australia.
The incursion uses an interactive lecture, display of posters, as well as real and replica fossils. The presentation requires the children to use their imagination as well as their own experiences to develop an increasing knowledge of how these prehistoric animals interacted with their environment and how palaeontologists can learn so much from relatively few fossil finds.
Upper Primary information
The upper primary presentation provides more detailed information in areas covered by the lower primary presentation, suitable for older students. Areas covered include dinosaur names and their origins, extinction theories, and continental drift and its effect on dinosaur fossil locations.
The incursion uses an interactive lecture, display of posters, as well as real and replica fossils. The presentation requires the students to build on their own scientific experiences. They will develop a comprehensive knowledge of what the science of paleontology can identify and which life forms from the geologic past can be linked to the modern day.
Presentation Outcomes
After participating in the presentation each student will have:
- Learned that not all creatures labelled as dinosaurs are in fact dinosaurs.
- Seen life size representations of some dinosaurs.
- Learned that dinosaurs come in all shapes and sizes.
- Explored that dinosaurs were REAL and walked on earth a long time ago.
- Discovered that there are some animals living today that were around in the time of the dinosaurs.
- Identified that dinosaurs were divided into distinctive groups.
- Discovered dinosaurs had very different diets and can discuss the differences between omnivores, carnivores and herbivores.
- Discovered that dinosaur fossils have been found here in Australia.
Pre-Post Incursion Activities
A number of pre and post incursion activities are available on request to all schools who book an incursion. Teachers will be able to choose from a variety of activities covering all year levels. Topics include:
Lower Primary activities
- Number Activities
- Word Puzzles
- Writing Stimulus
- Dinosaur Groups
- What is a Dinosaur?
- Research Pages
Upper Primary activities
- Dinosaur Research Topics
- Debates
- World Puzzles
- Communication
- Age of Rocks
- The Life on Earth Timeline
- Dinosaur Names
James T. Rex F.A.Q.
How long does an incursion session last?
Each session lasts approximately 1 hour. Included in the session is the presentation, and viewing and conducting activities with James.
Due to set up/take down time it is only possible to conduct a maximum of 4 sessions in one day.
Are the sessions the same for each age group?
The session content varies depending on the age group. For example, the ECE incursion would be focussed more on viewing and conducting activities with James and less on the presentation. For upper primary the reverse would be true.
Please note that James is NOT a “bouncy castle”.
What happens if the weather is bad?
If the weather is bad (rain or strong winds) we recommend setting James up in an under cover area. If one isn’t available then we may need to postpone his visit. A decision is usually made on the day of the incursion if the bad weather is unexpected, otherwise we try to plan ahead, just in case.
What payment methods does James accept?
James doesn’t mind receiving EFT or cheque payments. He will also accept cash! Payment details will be provided on the invoice which is sent out about a week before the incursion date.
What does James require when he comes to visit?
As James is an inflatable (approx. 11m long and 6m high) and resides in a trailer he needs to have the following:
- sufficient clearance from buildings, trees etc when he is inflated
- a reasonably flat area that is accessible by a car/trailer
- access to a single power point that is within 30 metres of James
Can James be set up in a building or under cover area?
Yes, provided a trailer can be positioned in the under cover area, and there is enough room for him when he is inflated. We have a couple of images showing him indoors.
Do you need anything for the presentation?
A suitable area (common room, under cover area or classroom) and 3 desks/tables is all that is needed to conduct the presentation
Are there any additional costs for visiting country areas?
Yes, travel to country areas would incur a travel surcharge, which would depend on location. Please contact us for pricing in your area.
