TALKING WITH DINOSAURS: Using Palaeontology and Geosciences For Climate Awareness

TALKING WITH DINOSAURS – Using Palaeontology and Geosciences for Climate Awareness

TALKING WITH DINOSAURS is an Erasmus+ project designed to teach students about climate change through the engaging lens of palaeontology and geosciences.It started in 2024. Partner schools from Türkiye, Poland, and Romania, along with a scientific organization (NGO)from Portugal specializing in dinosaur fossils, collaborated to create innovative, hands-on learning experiences.

By using extinct animals (particularly dinosaurs) as captivating entry points, the project bridged science and education to inspire curiosity, foster scientific thinking, and promote environmental responsibility. Students explored how fossil records reveal past climate patterns and how these insights can help us address today’s environmental challenges. Especially the partner from Upper Jurassic area of Portugal : Sociedade de Historia Natural  contributed with a huge knowledge on fossils, dinosaurs, and paleontology. Students joined the fossil excavations and visited dinosaur fossil museum in Portugal , Torres Vedras. Paleontologists from SHN coordinated webinars for students and teachers about fossils, dinosaurs, paleontology, paleoclimates, and importance of climate on animals.Students created their DINO STORIES about learnings about climate change via AI tools and they vocalized their stories as podcast.Their families and school community achieved this stories as e-STORYBOOK; and also as PODCASTS;
.Students also joined the eTWINNING;project of the project to spread the project between students and teachers.Students Digital games about dinosaurs, paleontology and climate took place in the booklet DINO ACTIVITIES; also on the TWINSPACE;
 

These main subject areas covered during our project:

• Science: Fossils, extinction, evolution, natural disasters, climate systems
• Geology & Palaeontology: Rock layers, fossil formation, Earth’s history, ancient life
• Biology: Adaptation, biodiversity loss, ecosystems
• Geography: Geoparks, fossil sites, climate zones, Earth processes
• Climate Science / Environmental Education: Causes and impacts of climate change, sustainability
• History: Prehistoric eras, scientific discoveries
• STEAM(SCIENCE ,TEHNOLOGY,ENGINEERING,ART,MATHS): Integrating science with art, design, and technology

With 4 partner organizations from Poland, Romania,Portugal and Türkiye, we produced these key project outputs:

• A student-created digital storybook on extinct animals and climate change: https://read.bookcreator.com/GHcKVHU3mlcg06quMsSgCGusPGq1/asw_-cv9T4mZRfs0vrPrIw
• 3D printed models of prehistoric animals
• A podcast channel on Spotify featuring Dino-themed climate stories: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/talkingwithdinos/
• Students songs created with SUNO AI carrying environmental messages: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12v7V_FL-BlYptWBC2hOU5w6rKXo4RUeyDpDnc_3fCfM/edit?usp=sharing
• Digital educational games (A transdisciplinary activity booklet)on fossils and climate: https://read.bookcreator.com/GHcKVHU3mlcg06quMsSgCGusPGq1/gShc5EBERICWGkdt7LAg3Q
• Lesson plan collection for teachers: https://read.bookcreator.com/GHcKVHU3mlcg06quMsSgCGusPGq1/m4VP2_fVSDqb5qjUoh2m1g
• Webinars for teachers on AI in education and for students/teachers on palaeontology and paleoclimate: https://alasehirbilsem.meb.k12.tr/icerikler/paleontoloji-webinari_16369351.html
• eTwinning PROJECT:https://school-education.ec.europa.eu/en/etwinning/projects/talking-dinosaurs/twinspace/pages/about-talking-dinosaurs-project
• Project website: https://emaze.me/talkingwithdinosaurs

Through international mobilities, eTwinning project, a Conference, creative productions, and scientific exploration, TALKING WITH DINOSAURS transformed climate education into an exciting, student-driven, and globally connected experience—developing both green skills and 21st-century competences.

We had applied for quality label for our eTwinning project and we had a multiplier event (Conference) in Salihli, Türkiye. This conference was coordinated by Salihli Educational Directorate of National Education and school directors under the umbrella of the directorate participated in the conference with participant teachers from Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Türkiye.During the project, each partner cooperated with UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARKS in their country. Portugal cooperated with paleontologists from OESTE GEOPARK, Romanian partner school cooperated with Hateg Dinosaurs Geopark, Turkish partner school cooperated with Kula UNESCO Global Geopark and Polish partner school cooperated with Holy Cross MTS UNESCO Global Geopark.Our project also represented in Geopark Teachers Forum on October 2024.