FLAT-PACKED DINOSAURS

Dinosaurs have always captured attention. Whether it is their skeletons in a museum or animated in the movies, people flock to see them. Casts of dinosaur skeletons permit some degree of portability. Here we discuss using cast skeletons, as well as real fossils, as instruments to introduce multiple STEM topics to a general audience. A cast of the predatory dinosaur, Gorgosaurus sp. (TCM 2001.89.1), has been used as an outreach tool to promote STEM related fields around the UK. This project is derived from an exhibit produced and presented at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition. The exhibit has been recycled and presented at science festivals and outreach events across the UK. The exhibit centers on the Gorgosaurus cast and invites participants to explore research questions relating to this particular dinosaur, but also relate to other dinosaurs in general. Activities within the exhibit include: erecting the whole dinosaur skeleton, piece by piece; employing mathematics to calculate body mass; 3D modeling of the skeleton to explore dinosaur biomechanics; using chemistry to understand bone healing; comparing human anatomy with archosaurs; and finally exploring how geological processes preserve and subsequently expose fossil remains. The exhibit has been organized so that single elements can be used to target specific audiences and is easily transported in a van. The interdisciplinary nature of this outreach offers new STEM based learning opportunities based on current research. Dinosaurs are shown to be a powerful anchor to explore multiple disciplines, but at the same time retain the appeal of the object.