Kids discover fossil fun in tabletop dig

By Barry William Walsh, Marion Chronicle Tribune

Children who love to play in the dirt had a field day Saturday at Marion Public Library and were able to learn while digging at the library's Archaeology/Paleontology Day.

"He's highly into dinosaurs, bones, how they become and where they are now," Marion resident Chasity Whelchel said of her 5-year-old son, Cody Johnson. "I think it's great. I think it's wonderful. It gives him a chance at his young age to learn that there are people who care about dinosaurs, paleontology and bones."

Sue Bratton, special projects coordinator at the library, 600 S. Washington St., said organizers got the idea for the event in September 2005 when they found out it was Archeology Month.

"So we've been planning it for about nine months," Bratton said of the event. "We've found that kids this age are really interested in this kind of thing; they're fascinated by it."

At Saturday's event, children had the opportunity to participate in mystery digs, learn about American Indian tools and crafts and also had the opportunity to hear paleontologists and archeologists speak about digs that have happened in Grant County.

One of the big hits with the kids was a "Paleopuzzle" designed by Steve Smith, K-12 outreach coordinator for the department of Earth and atmospheric sciences at Purdue University.

"It's all about exciting the kids," Smith said. "Kids naturally are excited about dinosaurs, and this gives us a chance to foster that excitement and foster it into an educational experience."

To complete the puzzles, children used brushes and dug through sand to find tiny replicas of dinosaur fossils. They used drawings of dinosaurs to put the miniature fossils together.

"I've been digging some bones," Cody said as he used a brush to clean off one of the fossil replicas. "That's what I like."

Bratton said she was pleased with the turnout for the first-time event. She also said the event taught more than archaeology and paleontology basics.

"Just think of everything they're learning," she said. "They're learning teamwork."