A great fit if they…
Can't get enough of dinosaurs or cool rocks, and love to draw and make things up.
Science · Rocks & Dinosaurs
Rockin' Dinosaurs: Learn, Imagine, Create!
for Ages 6 to 9
Three rocks, three dinosaurs, and one brand-new creature every class. Kids learn real facts from Mr. Mark, then draw a creature of their own with crayons or markers.
- Ages
- 6 to 9
- Class size
- 6–8 max
- Format
- Live online · 21 weeks
- Mentor
- Mr. Mark
Show me available times
From $39.71 /week
Course details
Course Overview
Young Scholars Academy's Rockin' Dinosaurs: Learn, Imagine, Create! is a live online science class with Mr. Mark for kids ages 6 to 9 who can't get enough of dinosaurs or cool rocks. Every class covers three rocks and minerals and three dinosaurs, with real specimens up close on camera. Then each child combines a favorite rock and dinosaur into a brand-new creature with a superpower and draws it by hand, building a collection of their own inventions across the semester.
Three rocks and three dinosaurs every class
Every class, Mr. Mark introduces three new rocks and minerals and three new dinosaurs. He shows real specimens up close on camera. Kids find out how each rock forms and what makes it unique, and what each dinosaur ate, where it lived and what made it special.
Then it's creature time
Each student picks a favorite rock and a favorite dinosaur from the day and mixes them into a brand-new creature with its own superpower. They draw it by hand with crayons or markers, then share it with the group. Every creature is built from the real facts they just learned.
A collection that grows all semester
Kids keep the creatures they draw. By the end of the semester, they have a whole collection of creatures they invented, each one tied to a rock and a dinosaur they can tell you about.
Hands, paper and imagination
There are no screens to design on and no image tools. Kids draw every creature themselves, so the ideas and the art are all theirs.
Ages 6 to 9 · Prerequisites · Who it's for
Is this the right class for my kid?
New students
Every class brings three new rocks and three new dinosaurs, so everyone meets them together for the first time.
Learning outcomes
What will my kid learn this semester?
Naming specimens
Name and describe rocks, minerals and dinosaurs they meet in class.
How rocks form
Explain how a rock forms and what makes it unique.
How dinosaurs lived
Describe what a dinosaur ate, where it lived and how its body helped it survive.
Inventing creatures
Invent, draw and share an original creature built from real facts.
What gets stronger all semester
Track 1
Rock Spotter
Recognizing rocks and minerals, how they form and what makes each one unique.
Track 2
Dino Detective
Knowing what each dinosaur ate, where it lived and its special features.
Track 3
Creature Creator
Combining a rock and a dinosaur into a new creature with a superpower, drawing it and sharing it with the group.
Week-by-week plan
Week by week
Every class: three rocks and minerals, three dinosaurs, then Creature Time.
Week 1Welcome, Rock Hounds and Dino Fans
Granite, quartz and obsidian, plus Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops and Stegosaurus. Creature Time: kids draw their first creature and start their collection.
Week 2The Crystal Kingdom
Amethyst, calcite and pyrite ("fool's gold"), plus Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus and Ankylosaurus. Creature Time: give your creature a crystal power.
Week 3Born in Fire: Volcano Rocks
Basalt, pumice (it floats!) and scoria, plus Spinosaurus, Parasaurolophus and Pachycephalosaurus. Creature Time: a creature that lives near a volcano.
Week 4Layer by Layer: Rocks Made of Sand and Shells
Sandstone, limestone and shale, plus Allosaurus, Diplodocus and Iguanodon. Creature Time: draw your creature's habitat in layers.
Week 5Squeezed and Heated: Rocks That Change
Marble, slate and quartzite, plus Carnotaurus, Apatosaurus and Edmontosaurus. Creature Time: a creature that can transform.
Week 6How Fossils Form
Amber, petrified wood and coprolite (fossil poop), plus Archaeopteryx, Compsognathus and Oviraptor. Creature Time: what would your creature's fossil look like?
Week 7Giants of the Jurassic
Jasper, malachite and agate, plus Brontosaurus, Camarasaurus and Supersaurus. Creature Time: the biggest creature you can imagine.
Week 8Armor and Spikes
Hematite, magnetite (it's magnetic!) and tourmaline, plus Kentrosaurus, Euoplocephalus and Styracosaurus. Creature Time: build in the best defense.
Week 9Duck-Bills and Herds
Mica, gypsum and halite (rock salt), plus Maiasaura, Corythosaurus and Lambeosaurus. Creature Time: a creature that lives in a herd.
Week 10Sea Monsters (Not Dinosaurs!)
Chalk, fossil coral and ammonite, plus the sea reptiles Mosasaurus, Plesiosaurus and Ichthyosaurus. Creature Time: an ocean creature.
Week 11Rulers of the Sky (Not Dinosaurs Either!)
Fluorite, opal and labradorite, plus the pterosaurs Pteranodon, Quetzalcoatlus and Rhamphorhynchus. Creature Time: a flying creature.
Week 12Feathered Dinosaurs
Geode, celestite and selenite, plus Microraptor, Deinonychus and Yutyrannus. Creature Time: add feathers, and decide what they're for.
Week 13Hunters and Speedsters
Garnet, jade and onyx, plus Utahraptor, Gallimimus and Troodon. Creature Time: the fastest creature in the collection.
Week 14Horns and Frills
Rose quartz, citrine and smoky quartz, plus Centrosaurus, Chasmosaurus and Protoceratops. Creature Time: design a frill that means something.
Week 15Desert Dinosaurs
Desert rose, turquoise and chalcedony, plus Citipati, Therizinosaurus and Saurolophus. Creature Time: a creature built for the desert.
Week 16Southern Giants
Lapis lazuli, rhodochrosite and emerald, plus Argentinosaurus, Giganotosaurus and Patagotitan. Creature Time: a giant and its sidekick.
Week 17Eggs and Babies
Tiger's eye, jet and chert, plus Mussaurus, Psittacosaurus and Hypacrosaurus. Creature Time: draw your creature as a baby.
Week 18Teeth Tell the Story
Native copper, gold and silver, plus Nigersaurus, Baryonyx and Heterodontosaurus. Creature Time: what does your creature eat, and what teeth does it need?
Week 19The Great Extinction
An iron meteorite, a tektite and the clay layer that marks the asteroid impact, plus Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus rex and Ankylosaurus, some of the last dinosaurs. Creature Time: a creature that survives the asteroid.
Week 20Dinosaurs Are Still Here: Birds
Sapphire, garnet and quartz (and the hardness scale), plus the ostrich, chicken and hummingbird, living dinosaurs! Creature Time: turn a bird into a dino creature.
Week 21Creature Showcase
Each kid revisits a favorite specimen and a favorite dinosaur from the semester, then presents their favorite creatures from their collection.
Growth · Progress reports
You'll see the growth every week
What you'll notice at home
Your child holds up a new drawing and tells you which rock and which dinosaur it came from, and what its superpower is.
What changes on the inside
They learn that real facts make their ideas better, and they get proud of a collection that's all their own.
A write-up every week
A short report from Mr. Mark about your child's actual work: what they made, where they shined, what's next.
Materials Needed
- Crayons or markers
- Paper, for every class
You'll get this list by email when you enroll, then 1 week, 3 days and 1 day before class starts.
Getting started
What happens after you enroll
1. Your welcome email
Zoom link, Google Classroom link and an add-to-calendar button in one place. Forward it to your child: Young Scholars Academy can't email students directly.
2. Google Classroom
Syllabus, the weekly Zoom link and a way to message Mr. Mark.
3. Every week
A short progress report from Mr. Mark about your child's actual work.
Spring 2027 · Schedule · Tuition
At a glance
Key facts
- Provider
- Young Scholars Academy (WASC-accredited virtual school for gifted or 2e students, ages 5-18)
- Course
- Rockin' Dinosaurs: Learn, Imagine, Create!
- Mentor
- Mr. Mark
- Ages
- 6-9
- Format
- Live online small-group class on Zoom, 6 to 8 students max per class (average class: 5 students)
- Class length
- 45 minutes, once a week
- Term
- Spring 2027, January 4 to May 28, 2027 (21 weeks)
- Category
- Science, Nature & Space
- Credit option
- No: enrichment only
Spring 2027 sections
| Section | Ages | Day | Time (PT / ET) | Weeks | First class | Mentor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockin' Dinosaurs: Learn, Imagine, Create!, Ages 6-9 | 6-9 | Thursday | 9:00-9:45 AM PT / 12:00-12:45 PM ET | 21 | January 7, 2027 | Mr. Mark |
All times Pacific, with Eastern alongside.
Tuition (Spring 2027)
- Flex Payment Plan: $41.80/week ($877.80 total); Pay Up Front (Save 5%): $39.71/week ($833.91 total).
- New Year All-Access Pass (covers 21-week spring classes; pay in full): Bronze $2,797 (4 live courses + Friendship Social Club), Silver $3,597 (5 live courses + 1 free bonus course), Gold $5,797 (8 live courses + 2 free bonus courses). Class switches allowed during the first month (January 4 to February 3, 2027).
- Guarantee: Try It From The Inside. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Not in love? Switch courses (equal or lesser value) or take a credit. Payment plans can also stop future payments after 30 days. Attendance required.
How to enroll
- Course page and enrollment: https://youngscholarsacademy.org/courses/rockin-dinosaurs
- Free Spring Open House: November 11, 2026, 5 PM PT. RSVP: https://youngscholarsacademy.org/spring-open-house
- Questions: support@youngscholarsacademy.org
Meet Your Mentor
Mr. Mark
Mentor
Science Educator & Neurodivergent Advocate
- Neurodivergent advocate
- Growth mindset specialist
- Science
- STEM
Rockin' Dinosaurs: Learn, Imagine, Create! FAQ
Questions parents ask about Rockin' Dinosaurs: Learn, Imagine, Create!
What happens in a typical class?
Mr. Mark introduces three rocks and minerals and three dinosaurs, with real specimens on camera. Then each child combines a favorite rock and dinosaur into a new creature with a superpower and draws it.
Does the class use AI to make the creature pictures?
No. In Rockin' Dinosaurs at Young Scholars Academy, kids draw every creature by hand with crayons or markers.
What supplies does my child need?
Crayons or markers and paper for every class.
What does my child end up with?
A collection of original creatures they invented and drew across the semester, each built from real facts about a rock and a dinosaur.
Try It From The Inside Satisfaction Guarantee
The Young Scholars Academy Promise
If you’re not 100% in love with the course, you have options depending on how you enrolled:
Pay In Full Option
You can switch to another course of equal or lesser value that’s a better fit or get a credit to use toward a future course.
Payment Plan Option
You can either get credit toward a future course, switch to another course of equal or lesser value that’s a better fit, or stop all future payments after a 30-day processing period.
No risk. No stress. Just the learning and belonging you have been looking for.
We can offer this because we know what we do works for thousands of other families. Kids become more self-confident. They find their people. And families tell us this is the place where their student finally feels welcome. We know it will work for your family, too.
All-Access Passes have separate terms and conditions. Please see the All-Access Pass pages.
It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway... to qualify for the satisfaction guarantee policy, you have to actually attend the classes. This is not a cancellation policy. It’s a satisfaction guarantee. You can’t be satisfied or dissatisfied if you don’t attend.
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About Young Scholars Academy
Young Scholars Academy is a virtual village that offers one-of-a-kind, engaging enrichment courses and community for 5-18-year-old bright, quirky kids to empower them to develop their strengths, make like-minded friends, cultivate life skills, build confidence, and feel great about themselves under the loving care of expert mentors. description2: >- Picture a place where your child fits in, is celebrated, mentored, and loves learning the unique content their beautiful brain craves. That happens every day at YSA for over 1,200+ families, and it can happen for your family, too.
WASC Accredited · 1,200+ Families · 93% Re-Enroll · 47+ States, 17 Countries, 6 Continents
Learn more about YSATheir best year starts here.
Right now, a kid who thinks like your kid is in a course they chose, with a mentor who was once just like them, surrounded by friends who don't think they're weird... they think they're interesting.
Your child is one click from finding out what that feels like.
