For a creative project, have students build a dinosaur diorama. They can make a simple clay out of flour, salt and water and use it to build miniature dinosaurs; as the dough dries, it will harden. For the background of the diorama, have students use cardboard boxes with the top and front sides cut out. Paint the interior and use construction paper to make volcanoes, palm trees and geographic features to create the natural habitat.
Encourage your students to do more research by assigning a report and presentation. Assign one dinosaur to each student and have him research the facts about it, such as its habitat, appearance, habits and food. The kids can find pictures online or in books and include them in the report. At the end of the unit, have each child present his report to the class.
Buy several educational fossil kits for your classroom that include the full skeleton of a dinosaur. Assign a group of students to each dinosaur and have them put the kit together. During the activity, the kids can learn the names of different bones and draw a picture of what the dinosaur would look like when it was alive. The hands-on activity will encourage a collaborative effort and students will enjoy playing with the models.
Help kids get an idea of how big a dinosaur would have been by making a footprint outside. A Tyrannosaurus rex footprint, for example, was about 1 1/2 feet long -- and the actual foot was more than 3 feet long because the dinosaur walked on its toes.
Design the footprint on a computer, print it out and use a copier to enlarge it. Lay the print on some sand and use it as a guide to dig out the footprint. Choose one that is large enough to create a big impact. Your kids can compare the size of their feet to the dinosaur print and take pictures next to it to display on a classroom bulletin board.