Re: Is the Study of Dinosaurs Science?

[Kata McCarville <kmccarvi@basalt.Mines.EDU>]

Yup, it sure is science. I just got finished co-leading (with a "real" teacher) 
 
two sessions of a week-long science-oriented day camp centered on, yes,  
dinosaurs. We did all those things you mention: measuring, math, observing  
living organisms to learn about fossil ones, and so on. (Sponsored by Friends  
of Dinosaur Ridge, near Morrison, Colorado--the Canon City/Garden Park folks  
are our along-strike neighbors to the south.)

One reference which might be useful with Amado's administrator (and which  
others on this list might find helpful if they are asked to work/participate  
with K-12 programs) is _Investigating Science with Dinosaurs_ by Craig A.  
Munsart, a geologist and secondary school teacher in Denver.  It has an ISBN  
and is cataloged in the Library of Congress, with "science" as the number-one  
keyword. It's got scads of good activities, and a dyn-o-mite Chapter 1 called  
"How Science Works" which condenses (and simplifies, which in the case of the  
administrator may be necessary ;-)) some of the comments here about said topic. 


It's available (for ~$15?) from Teacher Ideas Press, a division of Libraries  
Unlimited, Inc., P.O. Box 6633, Englewood CO 80155-6633.

Kata McCarville
Colorado School of Mines

p.s. warning...administrator might be a lurking creationist...