The science exploration was part of Cincinnati Museum Center’s Programs on Wheels that made a stop recently at the John G. Carlisle Elementary School Community Learning Center in Covington. The museum staff also brought several plastic totes filled with dirt for the budding paleontologists to dig through to find bones and other fossils.

Another station displayed tools, small-scale toy dinosaurs and the View Masters.

“The students enjoyed digging and were fascinated by some of the tools and toys, such as the View Master,” said Michael Wesson, coordinator of the Community Learning Center at the elementary school. 

Wesson said he was hoping the students would see science in action.

“I wanted them to put their hands on the items, ask questions, discover and imagine what the world might have been like a long time ago,” he said. “It was a success!”

Wesson said he tries to use a number of cultural institutions in the region that can provide resources and time to the students. The Cincinnati Museum Center has several programs aimed at schools in the region, including the Museum on Wheels. In Covington, kindergarten and first-grade students were able to participate in the Digging for Dinosaurs activity.

“It was rewarding to see students so excited about this fascinating and popular activity. For some students, it awakened the explorer in them. Others were lost in time, while another group of students simply enjoyed the moment. One thing is certain; it is moments like these that help bring learning to life,” Wesson stated about the activity.