Bite-Science Activities feature bite-sized science concepts that allow you to explore STEM concepts with your children through hands-on activities. Besides having a trove of child-friendly STEM activities, Bite-Science Activities also includes relevant STEM concepts and questioning techniques to better equip you on your STEM expeditions.
Can’t get enough of these majestic creatures after DinoQuest? Recreate a dinosaur dig site with your children and get them to explore what lies beneath!
What You Will Need
- 3/4 cup of water
- 1/4 cup of corn starch
- Dinosaur toy fossils
- Excavation tools
How To Do It
- Pour water into corn starch and stir the mixture consistently to make oobleck.
- Bury some dinosaur fossils in it – the dinosaurs should preferably be easily separable into different body parts.
- Leave the mixture out to dry for a few hours to get a semi-wet consistency. You can also wait till the oobleck hardens completely.
- Arm the children with tools like brushes and spades. Let them have fun excavating the fossils and piecing the fossils to guess the dinosaurs’ identities!
Questions To Explore
- Why did dinosaurs only leave their bones behind after they went extinct?
- Get your children to explore nature outdoors and observe the fallen leaves. How do dead organisms break down into simpler pieces over time?
Science Concepts Involved
- Decomposition happens to all dead matter that was once alive. It happens as the dead matter breaks down into smaller and simpler pieces.
- Bones take a longer time to decompose due to the minerals found in them. This is why after a long period of time, dinosaur bones still remain intact and can be found by paleontologists today.
Written by Ang Shi Min
Illustration by Toh Bee Suan
