The Fossil Bags For Kids.

[Raistlin]

I got the chance today to hand out the fossil bags I have been putting together for a few months now. I did not gather all the fossils by myself though there was help from a few members here as well. I was going to name them, but was not sure if they wanted to be named as some like to remain anonymous when they give. I will let them decide if they want to be known for contributing to the bags. Some stuff I found myself and other stuff I bought.

It was pretty cool though see the faces on the kids when I brought the bags in. They asked what they could do with them and got really excited when I told them they could keep them and take them home. They asked what a few things were and I explained to them and told them the common name of things (some had more information written on each fossil bag). The sharks teeth were the greatest hit I think at least while I was there and they were looking through their bags.

Here is a list of everything on the bags.

1 magnifying glass

4 "dino dollars"

2 tiny ammonites

1 Smithville gastropod

2 Smithville Ceratopa unguis operculum

1 Partial trilo from Topanga canyon formation

1 Brachiopod

1 Turritella

1 partial Redfieldius gracilis fish from Durham, CT

3 Pentremites sp. blastoid

50+ sharks teeth

5 Horn corals (from different places)

Several partial Eldredgeops rana cephalons and pygidiums

6+ fossil ray teeth

4 Archimedes screws

Several megalodon tooth fragments

several crinoid stem parts (from different places)

1 tiny enrolled Acastoides trilobite from Morocco

Several bits of Rhombopora bryozoan

Here are some photos.

The bags.

The stuff inside the bags.

The kids with their bags.

It was a really great time lots of fun and they seemed to really love the fossils. I want to take the time to publicly thank those who helped. I have said it before but I cannot thank you enough for helping put the smiles on their faces. It was really cool.

Edited December 17, 2012 by Raistlin

[Raistlin]

The teacher did not get in the photo but she got her own bag just like the bag each child got.

[Auspex]

That was a lot of time and effort you put into this; GOOD ON YA'!

[Raistlin]

Thanks.

I would say the hardest part was putting each little bag together but I think it might have been trying to make sure each bag was as close to being the same as the other. It was a lot of counting and comparing of one fossil to the next lol.

Edited December 17, 2012 by Raistlin

[Fossildude19]

Awesome job, Robert!

Nice to see the kids enjoying them.

Regards,

[snolly50]

Those kids look pretty pleased. I applaud your effort to give them that experience. I believe they will remember it as a really positive school event. I also believe, that there may be a boy or girl among them who will remember it for the rest of their life. It is possible and I think even likely, that your spark will start an interest that will burn on, if not specifically in fossils - in seeing and knowing. That's a gift worth a trillion dinobux.

[Raistlin]

Awesome job, Robert!

Nice to see the kids enjoying them.

Regards,

Yeah they seemed pretty pleased. I hope the parents get involved as well. I put a note in each bag with my email so that if they had questions I could try to answer them.

[Raistlin]

Those kids look pretty pleased. I applaud your effort to give them that experience. I believe they will remember it as a really positive school event. I also believe, that there may be a boy or girl among them who will remember it for the rest of their life. It is possible and I think even likely, that your spark will start an interest that will burn on, if not specifically in fossils - in seeing and knowing. That's a gift worth a trillion dinobux.

A few said they had fossils (I know they have sharks teeth since I gave them a few on my sons birthday). One girl asked if I was a paleontologist. I told her no I just do it on my days off lol. It was pretty cool. I was busy answering all sorts of questions. I got a lot of questions about what shark some of the teeth came from but the best I could do was say they came from a shark. A few looked like they came from snaggle tooth sharks or crow shark. Beyond that I am not familiar with shark teeth. I told them that if their parents got hold of me though I could lead them to a place that would know what shark they came from lol.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

aint it fun filling young minds and hands with cool stuff?

[Raistlin]

It was pretty cool. Certainly put a smile on my face.

[Ramo]

Good job!!!

[Raistlin]

Thanks.

The funniest part was when the girl asked if I was a paleontologist. There a few that said they wanted to be paleontologists when they grow up.

[Taffie]

[Bev]

AWESOME JOB Raistlin! :goodjob: You are making memories for a lifetime! Bev

[rejd]

Great job! I applaud your effort. I hope to someday do this at my son's school once I have enough to give away.

[Raistlin]

AWESOME JOB Raistlin! :goodjob: You are making memories for a lifetime! Bev

Great job! I applaud your effort. I hope to someday do this at my son's school once I have enough to give away.

Thank you all, but I did not do it alone I got help from some donations from a few members here. Without their help the bags would not have been quite as big as they were. Also I got a few pretty good deals on lot buys on eBay.

Edited December 18, 2012 by Raistlin

[Bullsnake]

Made me smile! Nicely done, Robert!

[Wrangellian]

Nice job.. thinking back, I would have been over the moon to receive something like this when I was that age - heck, even now there are things in there I've never actually had in my hands! Looks like a lot of work amassing and assembling and writing... but that's what makes a good product. Kudos.

Funny that the shark's teeth is what captures kids' (and adults') imagination - something about predators I guess in our genetic memory.. I liked anything that had a weird or interesting shape/pattern to it.

Edited December 18, 2012 by Wrangellian

[Brett Breakin' Rocks]

Fantastic !!! They turned out so great ... better than I could have ever expected. Man, that looks like alot of work, I'm glad it all came together in the end. A great bunch of happy kids too.

[Raistlin]

Made me smile! Nicely done, Robert!

Thanks it was really fun. They were pretty energetic about it asking a lot of questions and talking up a storm.

Nice job.. thinking back, I would have been over the moon to receive something like this when I was that age - heck, even now there are things in there I've never actually had in my hands! Looks like a lot of work amassing and assembling and writing... but that's what makes a good product. Kudos.

Funny that the shark's teeth is what captures kids' (and adults') imagination - something about predators I guess in our genetic memory.. I liked anything that had a weird or interesting shape/pattern to it.

Yeah I admit I love predators myself lol. One of my favorite fossils though are scutes, especially those of the glyptodon or giant armadillo. Not sure why maybe its because it was sort of like a walking VW bug lol.

Fantastic !!! They turned out so great ... better than I could have ever expected. Man, that looks like alot of work, I'm glad it all came together in the end. A great bunch of happy kids too.

Yeah it was pretty great. They were super excited when I told them they could keep the bags. I really hope it helps to drive at least one of them to have a great interest in fossils and paleontology. I really hope their parents get involved and look up information on different fossils as well. I think they will learn about them better if their parents are involved.