The Dinosaur Giants program trains high school students to serve as docents to the public at science exhibitions and enables them to fulfill 20 or more hours of their service learning requirement toward graduation.  These students are recruited city-wide from Chicago Public Schools. The team members participate in a seven-hour training program where they learn the scientific history and facts about the exhibit and how to interpret that information for the public. Then, they serve a minimum of 12 hours as exhibit facilitators—leading tours, answering questions, and running interactive programs. They also complete a one-hour written and oral evaluation of the program.

In previous years, Dinosaur Giants served at The Science of SuperCroc exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry and GIANTS: African Dinosaurs exhibit at the Garfield Park Conservatory and the Field Museum. In 2008, we will partner with The Field Museum for their Evolving Planet exhibit.

Dinosaur Giants team members Ashley, Jeanicha, and Nina welcome visitors
to the Evolving Planet exhibition at the Field Museum. Photo L. Jansen

The goals of the Dinosaur Giants program are to:

• Recruit and train 70 students to serve as Dinosaur Giants each year
  
  
• Showcase students’ work to the public and improve their communication skills
  
  
• Provide students with meaningful, content-rich science service learning opportunities

	During the summer of 2007, forty-seven Dinosaur Giants Team members provided more than 1000 hours of hands-on programming in the Evolving Planet exhibition at The Field Museum.  Dinosaur Giants provided information and demonstrated activities to more than 42,000 visitors on the topics of dinosaurs, fossil preservation, and mass extinction.

How does the Dinosaur Giants program work?
Students, teachers, or community service coordinators contact Project Exploration and request a Dinosaur Giants team application to complete and return to Project Exploration.  Space is limited and training sessions are filled on a first come, first serve basis.  Each training session can accommodate 25 students.  Students will be notified of their acceptance two weeks before their preferred training date. 
Students are responsible for getting themselves to and from the training and exhibit sites. 

Project Exploration provides a Team Member handbook, a Team Member t-shirt, name badge, certificate of program completion, and lunch during the training.

Training—Eight hours
Students are required to participate in a eight-hour training program, which takes place on site at the location of the exhibit.  The training familiarizes participants with the exhibition components and the specific activities and programs that they will be presenting to visitors.  In addition, students learn skills necessary for working with the public and how to facilitate the visitor's learning experience.  In 2008, students will be trained on the story of the evolving world, how fossils are formed, key dinosaur features, and landmark events throughout geologic time.

Exhibit Facilitation—Twelve hours hours
Following the training program, students act as exhibit facilitators.  They complete a minimum of twelve hours on the exhibit floor during which they answer questions about exhibit components and facilitate interactive and educational programs.  The twelve hours are completed in three shifts of four hours each.  At the end of each shift, Team members write a one-page written reflection about the day’s experiences.

Exhibit and Program Evaluation
Upon completion of twelve hours of service as a Dinosaur Giants team member, all students participate in written evaluation of the exhibit and the Dinosaur Giants program. 

Certification Once students have completed the training, facilitation hours, and their evaluation, they receive a certificate of recognition as a trained exhibit facilitator.  The student’s school also receives a letter confirming completion of twenty hours of community service towards graduation requirements.
Participating Chicago Public High Schools in 2007 included:

• ACE Technical Charter School
• Amundsen High School
• Barbara A. Sizemore Academy
• Chicago High School for Agricultural Science
• Hyde Park Academy
• John Hope College Prep
• Kenwood Academy
• Lane Technical High School
• Noble Street Charter School
• Noble Street Charter School—Pritzker Campus
• Perspectives Charter School—South Loop Campus
• Perspectives Charter School—Calumet Campus
• Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy
• Young Women’s Leadership Charter School
• Whitney Young High School

Dinosaur Giants team member Jameisha explains the difference between dinosaurs and reptiles that only look like dinosaurs. Photo R. Pudzisz

“One thing I am proud of is that I made one family happy that they came [to the museum] when they found out they were holding something even older than dinosaurs. I was very happy.”
-Michael, Noble Street Charter School—Pritzker Campus

“Everyone was really interested in the “Fossils in the Floor” activity. One boy even came to me and said, ‘Hey! There are fossils in the floor!’ Then I was like, ‘Yeah! There are! Do you want to know about them?!’”
-Jacklyn, Lane Technical High School

“It’s interesting to teach people something new. I got to teach kids as well as adults and that was cool. I also got to learn from my peers as well as from my coordinators. Working on the floor is always a great experience because you always get to learn something.”
-Sade, Perspectives Charter School—Calumet Campus

“We talked to people from all over the world—from Texas, England, Florida, Afghanistan, Indiana, and Missouri. Everyone who stopped by learned about fossils and was very amazed,”
-Lynesse, Hyde Park Academy