Hobbies And Interests
Learning about Dinosaur Species
One thing you can do with your dinosaur fossils is learn about what the dinosaurs who made them were like. If you made a Tyrannosaurus Rex tooth, for example, you'll want to read all about the T-Rex--where it lived, how it behaved, and most importantly, what it ate. Some scientists think that the T-Rex may not have been the bloodthirsty carnivore that we imagine. Your research will turn up this latest theory and much more. And to think that you can learn all that from a tooth.
Making Your Own Museum
It's fun to go to museums, but it can be even more fun to make your own. Museum curators carefully go through their fossils, thinking about how best to showcase them and to educate museum visitors. You can be your own museum curator, using your research to make up note cards to go with each fossil. List the type of dinosaur, along with key facts for it. Displayed on a shelf, maybe with a few desk lights placed in key spots, your fossil collection will come alive for people who stop by your museum.
Taking Your Fossils on the Road
Visiting a dinosaur fossil dig or taking an amateur paleontology class are good ways to learn about dinosaurs. If you bring your fossils with you, you'll have a chance to compare them to the real thing. You'll see your fossils in a whole new light, and they'll never look the same again. Just make sure to pack them carefully in a shoebox so they don't break. Packing up fossils, after all, is part of the job of a good paleontologist.
Playing with Your Fossils
Okay, admit it: you want to play with your fossils. That's fine; the more you handle them, the more you'll get to know them. If you have different pieces of the same dinosaur, you might even try to piece them together so that you have a partial or complete skeleton.