Teaching Matters

InTouch May 2014

Cúrsaí Teagaisc

Growing dinosaur plants in the school grounds

Bealtaine – Gairdín Scoile na nDineasárPaddy Madden continues his series of SESE tips

Hands-on: the school dinosaur garden

Animated T Rex at BritishNatural History Museum

What is it?An area or areas on the school grounds orindoors with plants which were growingin the age of the dinosaurs.

Age of dinosaursMesozoic Era 248-65 MYATriassic period 248-206 MYAJurassic period 218-144 MYA Cretaceous period 144-65 MYA

Leaf of Gingko tree

Period PlantsTriassic Cycads, club mosses, horse-

tails, ferns, tree ferns, monkeypuzzle, yews, ginkgos

Jurassic Conifers, ginkgos, cycads,club mosses, horsetails,ferns. Beginning offlowering plants

Cretaceous Above plus flowering plantssuch as conifers, laurels,magnolias, pines, palms.

Some dinosaur factsu Most were plant-eaters. It is

estimated that c.65% wereherbivores and 35% were carnivores.

u Herbivores had blunt teeth forgripping leaves. Examples:Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Diplodocus,Apatosaurus.

u Carnivores had large jaws, sharpteeth, sharp claws, keen eyesight, alarge brain and a good sense of smell.

Examples: Allosaurus, Megalosaurus,Tyrannosaurus rex, Giganotosaurus.

u Origin of word, ‘dinosaur’. Deinos(terrifying); Sauros (lizard).

u The largest dinosaur measured over30m in length and was up to 15m talle.g. Argentisaurus.

u The smallest was about the size of ahen e.g. Compsognathus.

u Fossilised dinosaur dungis called a coprolite.

Paddy Maddenlectures on SESEin MIE. He givesshort courses towhole staffs on

school gardening and alsovisits schools through the Heritage in Schools Scheme.His book, Go Wild at School,has recently been reprinted.Available from [email protected] for €18(Includes p&p).

Literacy/Litearthachtu Ferns/Raithneach: Ancient plants that reproduce by spreading spores.

Plandaí ársa a shíolraíonn trí spóir a scaipeadh.u Fossils/Iontaisí: Any remains, impression, or trail of a living thing of a former

geologic age as a skeleton, a footprint, etc. Aon iarsma, lorg nó rian de ní beoó ré gheolaíoch eile – cnámharlach, lorg coise, mar shampla agus araile.

u Acidic soil/Ithir aigéadach: Soil which has a pH below seven. It is suitable forgrowing such plants as azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias. Ithir le pH faoina

seacht. Oiriúnach do phlandaí áirithe – asáilianna, róslabhrais aguscaiméilia, mar shampla.

u Dinosaurs/Dineasáir: Reptiles which dominatedthe earth for 165 million years. They became

extinct 65 million years ago. Reiptílí abhíodh i gceannas ar an talamh do 165

milliún bliain. Díothaíodh iad 65milliún bliain ó shin.

Buíochas do MarieWhelton (MIE) don

aistriúchán

Addingto the effectu Dinosaur mural: a wall or panel fence near

dinosaur garden could be painted with di-nosaurs and dinosaur plants.

u Sculptures of dinosaurs could be arrangedaround this area.

u Make dinosaur footprints in concrete slabsfor children to follow.

Make dinosaureggsu Design big

dinosaur eggsusing papiermache. Make the paste by half filling a mugwith flour. Mix a heaped dessertspoonful ofsalt into the dry flour. Add water and stiruntil the mixture is the consistency ofyoghurt.

u For the centre of an egg scrunch newspaperinto a tight ball c.3 cm long and 25 cmwide. Hold this together with masking tape.Paste on strips of newspaper c.2.5cm wideuntil the newspaper is completely coveredwith two or three layers. Leave to dry andpaint white or yellow. To make the eggs waterproof apply a layer of neutral shoe polish or clear acrylic varnish all over them.

Maidenhair tree

Gingko biloba 200 million years old species. Easy togrow. Add grit to 50% compost and 50% soil whenplanting. This tree can grow to 25m.Plant smaller ones such asGingko biloba ‘Saratoga’ whichonly grows to 3-4m if space islimited. Gingko biloba ‘Bara-bits’ will grow in a container.

Ferns

Pteridophyta Fossil records of ferns from360 mya. Current ones date from Cretaceous, 145 mya.Easy to grow. Prefer semi-shade. Add lots of gardencompost, well-rotted dung, leaf-mould or bark mulch tosoil when planting. Keep well-watered first year if weatheris dry. Mulch every yearwith any of above.

Magnolia

Magnolia stellata or soulangeana Fossil records dateback to 100 mya. Appeared before bees so many polli-nated by beetles. Beautiful flowers in spring. Named af-ter French botanist, Pierre Magnol. Needs full sun, shel-tered position. Requires littlemaintenance.

Magnoliasoulangeana

Tree fern

Dicksonia Antarctica Native of Sout East Australia. Growsc.2.5cm a year. Likes slightly acidic soil so add some ericaceous compost at planting time. Water every dayduring warm weather. Will withstand winter tempera-tures to -5°. Protect below that by inserting strawinto centre of plant. Place three or four bam-boos around trunk and cover with fleece.(The canes allow air to circulate). Leaveold fronds on to protect from cold. Feedwith tree fern food.

Dogwood

Cornus spp. Grow Cornus alba,sericea or sanguinea for winter stemcolour. Prune these species backhard every year inFebruary. Plant in full sun for

showier stems.

Horsetails

Equisetum arvense Primitiveplant. Reproduces from spores. Veryinvasive and shouldn’t be planted in the schoolgrounds. Stems could be kept in a water jar to teachchildren about this interesting plant.

Cycad

Cycas revoluta Can be expensive. Common duringJurassic. Extremely slow growing.Keep indoors; bring outsidein frost-freeperiod. Keep moist.Use cactuscompost. Feed withslow-release fertiliser. Leavesand seeds poisonous.

Wollemi pine

Wollemia nobilis Oldest fossil of this tree dated to 200mya. Considered extinct until specimens found in NewSouth Wales in 1994 by David Noble. Around 100 survivein the wild. Efforts are being made to conserve it bygrowing them in many locations aroundthe world. Needs slightlyacidic soil and 50% shade.Frost-hardy to minus 10°.

Monkey puzzle

Araucaria araucana Native of Chileand Argentina. Slow growing butcan grow to c.40m. Can live for1,300 years. Well-drained soil.Sharp edges to leaves so protectfrom children with tree-guard.

ResourcesWebsites mentioned plus:u www.krolltravel.com/stories/ireland-valentia-tetrapod-

trackway-footprints.html Information and pictures on tetrapodtrackway on Valentia Island.

u www.google.ie/#q=kidsgardening.orgIdeas on children’s dinosaur garden.

u http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fossil Definition of fossil.

u www.enchantedlearning.com Good websitewith interesting information on dinosaurs.

InTouch May 2014

Hart’s tongue fern

Model ofdinosaurnest (BritishNaturalHistoryMuseum)

Magnolia buds

Triceratops

Tyranno-saurus rexmodel,JohnstownGardenCentre