Over 200 primary school students screamed with delight and wonder when a Tyrannosaurus Rex roared its way into the Digicel IMAX cinema at the recent launch of the two newest educational 3D films in the Atlantic Ultimate Field Trip – “Dinosaurs Alive” and “Waking the T. Rex – The Story of Sue”.
The “creature”, nicknamed “Rexie”, was actually a 4 metre long human-controlled dinosaur replica, realistically detailed, complete with a growl and a powerful tail sweeping to and fro.
Toni Sirju-Ramnarine, Atlantic’s Vice-President of Corporate Operations explained that Rexie was intended to be an auxiliary learning tool about the pre-historic creatures that are “brought back to life” via realistic 3D animation in the two educational films.
“With Rexie, Atlantic aims to help the children of Trinidad and Tobago learn about evolutionary history by having an exciting model of what a dinosaur may have looked like,” Sirju-Ramnarine said. “Through this innovative approach, students can become appreciative of dinosaurs’ role in our history, helping to foster their respect for other extinct species, or endangered species like our very own leatherback turtles.”
Students from Belmont Boys RC, Cocorite Government, St. Crispin’s Anglican, Eastern Girls Government and Diamond Vale Government were present for the launch. Also on hand to share the children’s awe of Rexie were Atlantic Sport Ambassadors George Bovell III, Sunil Narine and Merissa Aguilleira.
Students and teachers alike were also fascinated by the presentation made by Dr. Brent Wilson, senior lecturer in Paleontology and Sedimentology in the Petroleum Geosciences Programme at the University of the West Indies’ Department of Chemical Engineering. Dr. Wilson shared colorful images of the different dinosaur species and engrossing details about their original habitats. He also advised the children about how they too could become paleontologists, a career which would need them to study biology, chemistry and geology.
The documentary “Dinosaurs Alive!” follows paleontologists from the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) as they track dinosaur remains, specimens and fossils in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert and New Mexico’s Ghost Ranch, a retreat and education centre dedicated to the study of geology, fossils and dinosaurs. The film used computer-generated animation to vividly illustrate how fossils discovered may have looked as dinosaurs.
“Waking the T. Rex: The Story of Sue” tracks the story of the largest Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil ever found. Named after paleontologist Sue Hendrickson, the 67 million year old skeleton has toured the world, and in 2010 was brought to Trinidad by Atlantic.
The Atlantic Ultimate Field Trip was launched in 2011 and since then, approximately 60,000 students from schools across Trinidad and Tobago have participated in the educational initiative sponsored by Atlantic at the Digicel IMAX cinema. The programme seeks to stimulate innovation and creative thinking through IMAX 3D film technology, supplementing class-room teaching by allowing students to visualize diverse environments across the planet, from the depths of the oceans to outer space.
Photo Caption
Toni Sirju-Ramnarine, Atlantic’s Vice-President of Corporate Operations cautiously approaches “Rexie”, a Tyrannosaurus Rex that stomped its way into the Digicel IMAX cinema at the recent launch of the two newest educational 3D films in the Atlantic Ultimate Field Trip – “Dinosaurs Alive” and “Waking the T. Rex – The Story of Sue”.