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Solomon School
Chicago, Illinois
Donna Goode, 5th Grade
Hannah G. Solomon School
Information
Solomon School is a Chicago Public
School of Excellence, located in the
Peterson Park area, in the northwest
side of Chicago (6200 North and 3700
West). It is an economically and academically
diverse school with a multi-ethnic
population of approximately 400 Pre-K
through 8th grade students comprised
of approximately 40% White, 30% Black,
12% Asian/Pacific Islander.
A Northwest Magnet Cluster school,
Solomon School offers an International
Scholars Program. For example, Mandarin
Chinese is taught throughout all grades.
Technology is integrated across Solomon’s
entire curriculum.
As a result of Solomon’s previous
contribution to Project Exploration
2000, internationally renowned paleontologist
Paul Sereno, from the University of
Chicago, facilitated Solomon’s
current participation in Gear Up,
a college preparatory program for
upper grade students. Solomon parents
are supportive and involved. As a
result, Solomon has a strong sense
of community, celebrating collective
successes.
A Letter to the Team:
Our fifth grade class from Solomon
Elementary School are right there
with you on this adventure.We are
very excited to have this opportunity
to follow along with you and your
successes.Thanks for giving us this
privilege. There are thirty-five of
us in our class. We have a great number
of different interests. but one thing
we do have in common is our interest
in dinosaurs, prehistoric life, and
your expedition. There is so much
we would like to know about all of
you and your adventure.
Student Questions:
- What materials do you
use in searching for dinosaur bones?
MILLER: In searching for dinosaur
bones, we use a mixture of compasses,
maps, hand-held GPS units, and our
boots for walking. Finding a dinosaur
is all about being in the right
place and looking for the right
thing. When we have found a dinosaur,
our best friends are an ice pick
and a two-inch paintbrush. We also
use lots of shovels and picks if
we have to remove a lot of ground
to get to the bones.
- What is the biggest thing
you have found so far?
GRAY: Probably a large sauropod
dinosaur (the long-necked kind).
It’s femur – the bone
in the upper leg – is longer
that most of you!!
- How did each of you become
involved in the expedition and interested
in dinosaurs?
GRAY: Personally, I have been interested
in dinosaurs since I was a little
kid, but working on almost any kind
of fossilized bones is fun for me.
As for this expedition, I’ve
been working for Paul for four years
now in various capacities, from
lab preparation of fossils to assisting
with classes and we’ve done
quite a bit of fieldwork together
in the western United States as
well as China. Good times!
- What species are you
looking for on this trip and how
do you keep the bones from rotting
until you get back?
GRAY: We are looking for any new
species of pretty much any vertebrate,
especially dinosaurs. Large predatory
dinosaurs excite us the most, and
we love to find skulls! Luckily
for us, all of the animals we find
have been dead for at least 90 million
years and have been fossilized,
which means that the bones have
actually changed into a kind of
rock. All the stuff that could rot
on and in the bones (proteins, fats
and sugars) are long gone.
- Parent Question:
5. What do you use your computers
for in the field?
GRAY: We use our computers mostly
for communication, from supply demands,
to newspaper articles, website updates,
emails and these Q&A sessions.
They also played a huge roll in
the forum on The Dinosaur Fossils
of Niger that we just organized
in Agadez. We were able to give
Power Point presentations (electronic
slide shows) and screen “Jurassic
Park” in French for hundreds
of kids your age!
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