Paleontology Museum Egidio Feruglio Trelew Patagonia
Dinosaur Math at the MEF
An exploratory stop on the Giant's Silver Can Way
more below
The Giant's Silver Can Way
A Giant Exploratory
Dinosaur Scale
Dinosaur Measurement
Wanting to know more of the Giant's Silver Can Way or Trail,
and wondering where it might lead, a group of children, parents and teachers, from Puerto Madryn visited the beautiful Paleontology Museum, MEF, in nearby Trelew.
2002 August 4
Click photos to enlarge (60K)
reaches MEF
Several of the children and parents had already been involved in the building of a giant mathematical festive tree. They were well acquainted with the practical problems of measuring. They knew how difficult it was to really appreciate how big and how small numbers and things actually are, particularly when looking at drawings or photographs.
Dinosaurs, like whales are wonderful examples of natural engineering on a great scale. At the museum, they might be able to take measurements, notes and photograhs, make drawings and look for shapes and patterns, to use in some of their school or Magic Penny projects.
On this first visit there would not be sufficient time to take many measurements.
However to show how keen they were, the children and parents brought along tape measures, rulers, protractors, broom handles and string. To help to give an idea of scale, they also brought a football, a tennis ball, a table tennis ball and some coins. They also had with them a list of examples of questions related to mathematics, design and engineering, that all children young and old, and parents and teachers too, might be interested in trying to answer.
In the Dino Bar the group was welcomed by the education officer Carolina. Carolina had enjoyed reading the Magic Penny Patagonia web pages. She was very pleased to learn how the Giant's Silver Can Trail had led from the pebble and whale beach at El Doradillo to the Museo.
Carolina described how the museum Director Dr Ruben Cuneo welcomed the idea of children families and teachers and museum staff learning together in this way. They would do everything possible to help them answer their questions and obtain the actual measurements themselves. She looked forward to them returning again soon and seeing their photographs on the Magic Penny web page.
On behalf of Magic Penny Patagonia Maria Victoria and Jorge thanked Carolina for talking to them on a Sunday and asked her to convey her thanks to Dr Cuneo. After going outside to be photographed near where the Giant's Silver Can Way entered the museum, the children and parents, with