Dinosaur Hunter

This book fosters the development of process. Children can learn what is fossil hunting and how people find and sell fossils so they can be in museums.

• Author: Elaine Marie Alphin
• Illustrator: Don Bolognese
• Year Published: 2004

Science Topics

• Life Science

Minimum Suggested Grade Level

• 1st Grade

Maximum Suggested Grade Level

• 5th Grade

Summary

In Wyoming in the 1880s, a young boy fulfills his dream of finding a dinosaur skeleton on his father's ranch, outwits a man who would cheat him, and sells his find to a team of fossil hunters.

Evaluation

• Appropriateness: High
• Authority: Medium
• Accuracy: Medium
• Liteary Artistry: Medium
• Appearance: Medium

Questions

Does the book foster development of processes?

This book fosters the development of process. Children can learn what is fossil hunting and how people find and sell fossils so they can be in museums.

Does the book provide an opportunity for children to ask and answer their own questions?

The book allows children to wonder whether the protagonist, Ned, will find a fossil and whether he can safely go about selling it to the right fossil hunters without being cheated out of his money. Children are slowly led into these questions as they read along in the story.

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

Due to the fact that Ned does not know what will happen children are able to follow along in the story and think about these questions right alongside the protagonist. In this way children are not the answers immediately after asking the questions

Is the science topic addressed in ways that are appropriate to the lesson?

The science topic, fossil finding and collecting, is addressed when Ned is introduced in his stories. Because the topic is the protagonist’s goal of the story children are not pulled out of the story, which can be the overall lesson.

Is the content based on sound scientific principles? Is it accurate?

There are some instances in the book that are based on scientific principles. For example one character mentions that the difference between dinosaur bones and bones of cattle is the fact that because dinosaur bones have been buried for so long they resemble stone. Cattle bones do not have this characteristic and are easily distinguishable from dinosaur bones. This character also mentions that dinosaurs bones can be very well hidden.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

Yes, this book distinguishes between fact and fiction. This book distinguishes from dinosaur bones and cattle bones. There are no mentions of fictitious dinosaurs still roaming the earth or dinosaur bones found in places where they cannot be found in real life.

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

The few illustrations are accurate. They portray people of western times with the proper attire. The triceratops skeleton pictured at the end of the book seems to be accurate and easily recognized as a triceratops skeleton.

Is the book written at the level of your students?

Yes, this book is written to the level of the students. With the illustrations and simple sentence structure this book is appropriate as independent reading for a third grader.

Is there a multicultural component? Is it free from stereotyping?

This book briefly talks about ranching life, a way of living that is not familiar to most students. This book is free from stereotyping. The ranchers are not written as being less intelligent or uncivilized, which is what some ranchers are stereotyped in books.

Is the book free from gender bias?

Yes, this book is free from gender bias.

Does the book show the close association between science and other disciplines?

This book mentions how fossil hunters pay the owners of the property in which the fossil was found in order to display them at the museum. However no specific training or occupation is described in the book. The process that allows a fossil to be cleaned up and display in a museum is also not mentioned.

Does the book present a positive attitude toward science and technology?

This book present fossil hunting as a positive experience that can happen to anyone, not just scientists with advanced equipment.