The first spark of interest in the dinosaur investigation was about extinction—the children were deeply interested in how the dinosaurs became extinct, and almost every child had their own theory about how the dinosaurs died out. During this investigation, children learned about different kinds of dinosaurs and their identifying features. They used this knowledge to construct their own fantasy dinosaurs as well as an almost life-size pterodactyl and habitat for the pterodactyl to live. Special highlights of this investigation included a trip to the Museum of Natural History and a mock "dinosaur dig" at the beach using papier-maché dino bones and tools.