Diary of a Dinosaur: Making Writing Lessons Meaningful

My son hates to write. In fact, there was a time when he was so adverse to writing anything down that I thought he might have an allergy to pencils, paper, or both! All of my previous attempts at creative writing had been met with frustration and apathy. Each project would end in tears--usually mine. I knew I needed to find a project that allowed my son to write creatively, yet stay within his comfort zone. I wanted something that met his need to be logical, yet allowed room for imagination. Thus, we embarked on "The Diary of a Dinosaur."

I realize that choosing a nonfiction topic as a basis for a diary wasn’t traditional, but it worked for us. The factual writing acted as a springboard for more personal thoughts that came later on. He began by writing down everything he knew about dinosaurs in note form, which was a lesson in itself, as it focused on key words over perfect grammar and punctuation. Then, we focused on putting the words into a word web of sub-topics, such as dinosaur type, habitat, diet, and so forth. These words acted as a checklist of things to include in his diary (which we adapted) as the project developed. I was surprised and delighted at how easily my son began writing once the preparatory work had been done.  It wasn't all easy. There were times when he labored over what to say, but the diary style allowed him to write in short bursts, and gave him the freedom to be a young dinosaur.  He began to examine his life in a unique way; he compared and contrasted his habitat and diet as a dinosaur with his own human habitat and diet.

However, the project really took off when he began to make comparisons between dinosaurs and his own friends and family. My son chose to be a Hadrosaur because he doesn’t like to floss. He felt empathy for a dinosaur who had 2,000 teeth! His younger brother became a Compsognathus-- one of the fastest runners. His older brother was a Stenonychosaurus-- one of the smartest dinosaurs. His sister was a Parasaurolophus-- a big talker(!), and an aggressive boy who lives down the street was a Pachycephalosaurus-- a dinosaur that liked to headbutt other dinosaurs. Another child was an Oviraptor-- an “egg thief”, which was appropriate as he was known in the neighborhood for taking other kids’ toys. Because the writing was in diary form, the events were sequential, but it didn’t matter if several days went by before he wrote the next installment. This made the project more manageable. He also found it a relief to carry on where he’d left off, rather than having to start “from scratch”, on an entirely new topic. Also, during the planning stages, we decided to use dinosaurs from different time periods, which allowed him to be far more creative in their interactions.

The use of childhood games also paved the way for a successful mix of fact and fiction. During the course of the diary, my son played hopscotch with his friends in the footprints of adult dinosaurs. He and his friends rode on the backs of Pterosaurs, which he likened to a prehistoric rollercoaster when the creatures swooped down from the sky to scoop up fish in lakes and rivers. He had running races, told dinosaur jokes, helped babysit baby Maiasaura, and dug in the dirt looking for fossils. In the end, he completed the diary by inserting humorous dinosaur doodles throughout, which provided a nice finishing touch to a great piece of writing.

Dinosaur Lessons

Dinosaurs are Dino-mite!

Students research dinosaurs online, construct a dinosaur diorama, write an essay, and create a book about dinosaurs.

Who Are They, Where Did They Go?

Students learn about the different types of dinosaurs that once lived, and then create a short story and diorama about a dinosaur of their choice.

What Happened to Patrick's Dinosaurs?

Students write an original story about dinosaurs, and trace and color pictures to go with their story.