Grit and Luck: The Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt

The Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt

by William Nothdurft with Josh Smith

This book begins with a vivid description of destruction raining down on dinosaurs from above.

The second extinction of the dinosaurs from the Bahariya Oasis began shortly after midnight. It came from the sky. It began with a barely discernible disturbance in the air, a distant rumble that insinuated itself into the quiet of the night and quickly grew in intensity to a deafening roar. Then, suddenly, the sound became sight and the dark became light as the sky itself became fire. Moments later the roaring was punctuated by a stunning explosion that shattered the still night air. Then another. Then dozens more, until the earth shook and the ground split.

I anticipated my son being immediately transfixed. This book is recommended for Earth Studies in year 1 of Level 5 (ninth grade) in the beta Mater Amabilis™ high school plans, currently found only in the high school group on Facebook. I think it would also work in the second year of Level 5 which includes a study of Africa.

Early in the book, while talking about Dr. Stromer, the German in Egypt, the author describes a feeling that appears often in Charlotte Mason's geography book that we're also reading this year.

He was an unreconstructed colonialist snob. His journal makes it clear that he regarded the Egyptians he hired as inferior beings--ignorant, dirty, greedy, devious, even dangerous. The great irony, one that no doubt would have been lost on a Victorian-era aristocrat like Stromer, was that he depended upon these people utterly--to manage the camels, to guide him through the desert and keep him safe, to cook for him, and to carry burdens.

The book tells the story of one group of paleontologists who sought the original site of a German scientist's discoveries in Egypt before World War I. He was never able to return and, surprisingly given his success, no one else had either. It's a fascinating and fast-paced report of what life is actually like for graduate students and fellows planning an expedition and suffering through it's excitement and disappointments. Allison Tumarkin, a graduate student in the group, wrote in her journal:

Okay, now I know I'm really in the field. My clothes are covered in plaster, my hands are permanently Vinaced, my skin is cracking from plaster burn, my knees and shins are covered with bruises and every other word out of my mouth seems to be an expletive. We have so many inside jokes at this point it's like we've invented our own language. How could anyone ask for more?

There are a few descriptions of interactions with local Egyptians (in addition to the Egyptian scientists who participated in the expedition). Ken Lacovara, who could play the drums a little, talked about the differences between how American play drums and how Egyptians play drums. One evening, he had the opportunity to join in a community event.

For Americans, music--especially jazz--is a form of self-expression. For Egyptians, though, playing in a large group, it's more an expression of solidarity and camaraderie. But it was great fun anyway; I couldn't hold a conversation with these guys, but at least we could speak in music.

There are a few moments in the book that convey the thrill and amazement of field studies. Ken Lacovara talked about a rock he found with a colleague, Jen Smith:

When Jen and I looked at that rock, we were looking literally at a ten-second snapshot of part of the history of the world, a moment almost a hundred million years ago--one frame of the movie--preserved for all time. 

This is a marvelous book of popular science for high schoolers, especially those interested in paleontology. It combines bits and pieces of paleontology (of course), geology, geography, culture, history, scientific methodology, and the culture of science. First Son is only a few weeks in, but he's enjoying it tremendously.

I purchased this book used and have received nothing for this honest review. The links above are affiliate links to Amazon.

2016 Grand Adventure, Days 24-26: Museum of the Rockies and Yellowstone National Park

You can find links to any other 2016 Grand Adventure posts at the "home page." 

Day 24: We drove from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Bozeman, MT. We left at 7:30 am and made it through customs just before Second Son threw up. (It was bound to happen at least once.) We drove and drove and drove, stopping briefly for meals. We drove all the way through Idaho, though we did stop so the kids could get out and say they've actually been there. Our poor old van climbed up mountains and then drove down them again and again. We finally arrived at our hotel at 12:30 am, totally exhausted. I'm sure some of the mountain views on the last third of that drive were tremendous, but it was dark so we'll have to go back for them someday.

Total driving for day 24 - 814 miles. And we're never doing that again. Ever.

Day 25: We visited the Museum of the Rockies for a few hours in the morning. This is now one of my favorite museums. If you really want to know what life as a paleontologist is like, this museum is the one for you. It's full of dinosaur skeletons, of course, but there are collections of fossils with explanations of how paleontologists study and compare them to understand what dinosaurs were like. Absolutely fascinating for anyone interested in forming hypotheses and meticulously examining data. So...the kids liked the bones and were ready to move on.

a row of skulls for comparisons

We hopped back in the van and drove south to Yellowstone National Park! We were so excited about this national park! And it did not disappoint. We'd had a picnic lunch and were on our way to Old Faithful when we spotted a bear and her two cubs. Totally awesome and completely safe because we were in the van with plenty of distance between us. First Daughter got the best picture. We're not experts at telling grizzly bears from black bears, but we think they are grizzles.

After the exciting bear siting, we stopped at Artist's Paintpots for a short hike. Kansas Dad and I wanted to see mudpots and this was a great walk for us. Second Daughter thought the smell was terrible. (In fact, Second Son doesn't have great memories of Yellowstone as a whole because so much of it smelled like sulphur and other gases he didn't enjoy.)

We recorded a video of the mudpots, too, because pictures just don't do them justice.

We visited Old Faithful next. The children were duly impressed by the geyser. My pictures aren't as interesting as many you can find online, but we were there.

Finally we began the drive to our campground...just in time for the rain. Poor Kansas Dad had to, once again, put up the tent in a drizzle. Our site was a muddy mess. The night was rainy and cold though our tent kept us nice and dry. It wasn't very fun taking Second Son to the bathroom in the middle of the night (though it rarely is while camping).

Total driving for day 25 - 179 miles.

Day 26: We had intended to stay a second night at Yellowstone but it was really cold when we woke up and snow was in the forecast. Being a bit tired of camping in the cold and wet by day 26, we decided to cut our trip in Yellowstone short (and skip the night we'd planned at Grand Tetons) and instead drive down into a warmer valley.

But first we revisited Old Faithful to see it erupt in the snow. Kansas Dad and the kids stood out in the winter weather, but I watched from inside and took the opportunity to call my dad where there was phone service. It was properly snowing with accumulation on the ground as we drove out of the park.

Grand Tetons - with clouds

We drove south through the Grand Tetons National Park and then headed east into lower elevations. We ended up at a random campground in Wyoming but the 27 mph winds convinced Kansas Dad he couldn't easily put up the tent. The children were thrilled to hear he'd rented a tiny cabin. When we started unloading, First Daughter bounced right in and declared it "smaller than Little House on the Prairie!" She was right. It was our first "cabin" of the trip and it was nice to be inside from the wicked winds that night.

Total driving for day 26 - 237 miles.

November 2014 Book Reports

Draw-a-Saurus by James Silvani - read my review here (review copy from Blogging for Books)

Another Whole Nother Story by Dr. Cuthbert Soup is the second in a series of middle grade fiction. It is just as silly as the first with the addition of actual time traveling. I think First Son is going to enjoy these tremendously. I'm pretty sure they'd be fine for him to read, but I'll probably pre-read the third one. These would be summer reading. (library copy)

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller is a book I found at a library book sale just after reading about it at Afterthoughts. Written by a man who was an actual shepherd in the Middle East, it provides tremendous insight into the twenty-third psalm (and other sheep and shepherd analogies in the Old Testament). I found this book particularly interesting given the prominent place of the Good Shepherd in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (which I teach at our parish), but the best parts of the book were those in which he explained how shepherds and sheep interact rather than his explanation of how the metaphor works in modern life. Those parts weren't terrible, just not as interesting. (purchased copy)

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow is a brief book of advice and memories as dictated by Dr. Pausch to a reporter after the overwhelming response to his last lecture (which I have not actually watched), a farewell speech he prepared after learning he was dying of pancreatic cancer. It contains much of the special memories he wanted to share with his very young children. It was sweet and sad, but I think it's nice now and then to step back from the business of our lives and make sure we're concentrating on what's most important. This book is a nice way to focus on that for a while. (library copy)

The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt was one of the books listed in The Reading Promise. I found the title intriguing so checked it out right away from the library. I loved it because Gaylen, a young boy sent to poll the citizens about the food they find most delicious finds himself in the middle of intrigue to overthrow the king and then must decide whether to act. Should he intervene? Does he act for what is right? In the end, we don't even know if his actions made a difference, which is most marvelous of all. Sometimes doing what is right takes great courage and the act itself is what is most important, not the results. I think First Daughter (an excellent reader in second grade) could read this herself, but it's a perfect family story, so I've added it to our read-aloud list. (library copy)

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare is a book I never read when I was younger about young boy left in the wilderness of Maine for a summer while his father journeys back to retrieve his mother and sister. After a series of mishaps, he is rescued by a Native American elder who arranges for him to teach his grandson, Attean, how to read and write. I'm not sure how authentic a story it is, historically, but it is a fine tale of friendship between two boys who initially view each other as enemies. I think this will be an option for First Son's summer reading. (library copy)

The Light at Tern Rock by Julia Sauer is a quiet tale of a young boy who is disappointed to find himself stuck at a lighthouse for Christmas. I like how the focus is not on how the lighthouse keeper misled them, or what his punishment will be, but on how our reactions to circumstances make our own lives better (or worse). It's quite short, only four chapters, so it's an easy one to add to our read-alouds for Advent. It was recommended by a member of the Read Aloud Revival Community facebook group. (library copy)

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson is the story of six unwanted unruly kids who bully their way into a Christmas pageant and begin to discover the glory of Jesus' birth, teaching some of the townspeople a bit as well. I plan to read this book to the children this year during Advent. They will think it is hilarious. I would caution there is a lot of misbehavior in the book. I always worry such descriptions will give my children ideas, but there's not much in here they would do that they don't already do (like lighting things on fire or smoking cigars). (library copy)

The Caine Mutiny: A Novel by Herman Wouk - read my review here. (library copy)

Books in Progress (and date started)

• Open Mind, Faithful Heart by Pope Francis (January 2014) 
• The Education Of Catholic Girls by Janet Erskine Stuart (February 2014)
• Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol 2 (sixth edition) (August 2014)
• Men and Women Are From Eden: A Study Guide to John Paul II's Theology of the Body by Mary Healy (September 2014, with our parish adult education class)
• The Little Oratory: A Beginner's Guide to Praying in the Home by David Clayton and Leila Marie Lawler (September 2014)
• The Bible Compass: A Catholic's Guide to Navigating the Scriptures by Edward Sri (September 2014)
• The Religious Potential of the Child: Experiencing Scripture and Liturgy with Young Children by Sofia Cavaletti (September 2014, with a book club at our parish)
• Good Poems ed by Garrison Keillor (October 2014) 
• The Joy of the Gospel by Pope Francis (November 2014, for Blogging for Books)

Links to Amazon are affiliate links. Other links are not affiliate links.

Book Review: Draw-a-Saurus

Draw-a-Saurus by James Silvani

First Son saw this book over my shoulder as I was glancing through books available at Blogging for Books and excitedly asked for it.

Mr. Silvani gives detailed instructions on drawing many different kinds of dinosaurs, using the fossil evidence to shape and color them. There are chapters on theropods, sauropods, armored dinosaurs, ornithopods, and other prehistoric creations. He includes chapters on fine tuning, interpretations, and environments as well. This book includes standard scientific information on dinosaurs and would probably not be appropriate for a family that does not believe in evolution over millions of years.

There's information on dinosaurs throughout, the most valuable of which is related directly to the final details of a dinosaur drawing: the skin or feathers. Any young dinosaur enthusiast may know more about dinosaurs, but may not have considered how that knowledge would impact a drawing.

By far the best part of the book are the little jokes scattered throughout. First Son, who is almost 11, laughed and giggled the whole way through. He especially likes the interjections by the "editor."

First Son immediately put the book to use, sketching dinosaurs using the techniques in the book. He's made many a dinosaur drawing (here are some done when he was six), but these did seem to be more an attempt to draw realistic dinosaurs. He also took the book to a friend's house and they enjoyed drawing together (after giggling some more at the jokes).

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. The opinions above are my own.

Terrifying T. Rex

One Down, One to Go

First Son has informed us that he absolutely must see a T. Rex skeleton and a Triceratops skeleton. And it is our duty to provide him these opportunities.

So we visited a local museum on September 25th, taking advantage of Smithsonian's Museum Day. The kids had no idea how close we were to dinosaurs and were properly impressed. They have a T. Rex skeleton and even have casts of the claws and teeth for the kids to handle.

Of course, First Son informed me that the Triceratops was just a skull, so we still need to find a complete skeleton for him. Anyone live near one and want to host us for an extended field trip?

Book Review: Dinosaurs on the Move

Back in early July, Kansas Dad and I picked a few little gifts to tuck in the hospital bag for the older kids. They came in very handy, just as I had hoped, as we waited for all the paperwork before we could head home.

My favorite selection was for First Son: Dinosaurs on the Move: Movable Paper Figures to Cut Color, and Assemble. He loved them! Each page has a dinosaur to cut out that can be put together with fasteners to create a dinosaur that really moves. There are ten different dinosaurs and each has a colored page and a black and white page that can be colored, for a total of twenty dinosaurs to create.

First Son needed some help with the first one but then he took off and handled them all on his own (other than tearing out the page from the book). First he did all the black and white ones, coloring them in before putting them together. He says those are the males. Then he put all the colored ones together, the females of course. He says the males are very excited to have their mates.

The dinosaurs in the book are the popular ones: allosaurus, ankylosaurus, tyrannosaurus, etc. There are some cards at the front of the book that give basic information on the included dinosaurs: size, diet, where fossils were found, and so on. I didn't see anything specifically about evolution in the descriptions. First Son pretty much skipped over those, probably because the dinosaurs themselves were so inviting.

These pictures are from about a month ago, by the way. I will catch up eventually.

First Son's Dinosaurs

Stegosaurus

Apatosaurus (who was called Brontosaurus in my youth)

Ultrasaurus

Tyrannosaurus rex

Triceratops

Therizinosaurus

He's put green squares on the pictures of herbivores and red squares on the pictures of carnivores.

He says he'll practice more so he can draw other dinosaurs.

You're a Little Confused

Yesterday a friend and I were discussing whether T. rex could successfully attack Stegosaurus. I asked First Son what he thought.

"Stegosaurus did not live in the Cretaceous period."

Oh, of course. I knew that.