To prepare for the workshop, it would be very helpful if you could do all the following before the visit:

1. Fill in the form to say which children will be painting which fossil. The fossils are listed according to difficulty level.

2. Arrange the tables around the outside of the classroom, with a space for the children to sit on the carpet in the middle and a table at the front for me, under the whiteboard. There should be enough space around the tables that the children can sit down to paint the fossils after morning break.

3. The tables should be cleared completely before I arrive, as I will need to set out the fossils for the name the fossil game, before I start the workshop. For a morning session I will arrive about 9.15 to set up, so I will need the children to be away from the tables until 9.30, when I will be ready to start the workshop. For an afternoon session I will arrive during lunch break to set up.

4. I will need your interactive whiteboard for my photos so please have it up and running.

5. Please make sure there is space on the side of the room, for displaying the fossils which the children will paint.

6. After the lesson I will have fossils for sale. These will be cheap - mostly 10, 20p, or 50p, plus some better ones for £1 or £2. First choice will go to the winners of the fossil game who will each get a free fossil as a prize (from up to the 50p level).

7. Please have a few extra adults to help children with the fossil game and the fossil painting. We will need 5 adults in all, to accompany the 5 groups in the fossil game. An adult will be needed to point out the features of the fossils, and write down the children’s answers. Please feel free to invite parents in if it is difficult to get that many TAs, or you could use older children (e.g. year 6s).

8. Please provide the following items for the fossil painting:

·         1 thick and 1 thin paintbrush per child

·         1 paint palette per 4 children (with space for 6 colours)

·         1 pot of water per 4 children

·         1 paper towel per child

·         Covers for the tables and art overalls for the children.

I will provide the paint and the fossil replicas. I will set out the painting materials over break and would like some help if possible.

8. You can pay me at the end of my visit with a cheque to Time Trips, for £109 per half day. If that is not possible just send it to my home address. This will be on the invoice.

I look forward to working with you and your children.

Fossil painting

Please assign children to the following groups, according to their artistic ability. If any fossils are too hard for children to paint the details, they can be painted all one colour, and the details will stand out.

Each child will have their own fossil. There are more than enough fossils here, so if some children finish they may be able to do another one, or help with the ones which take longer (these are starred).