Dinosaurs: A History of Science and Spectacle. Since the 1993 premier of Jurassic Park, dinosaurs have remained within the realm of popular fascination with a growing presence in theme parks, movies, and merchandise given to these prehistoric creatures. Popular enthusiasm for the dinosaur is not simply a 20th- to 21st-century phenomenon, but one rooted in the rapidly expanding 19th century rise of Darwinism, scientific spectacle, and modernity. This course traces the interconnection between the “dinosaur” and the public engagement with science. Visual representations, paleontological explorations, and written works challenged and shaped assumptions about society, religion, and humankind’s relationship to the creatures that lived on the planet. Through the focus on the dinosaur as a medium of popular engagement with science, this course is divided into three sections. The first section begins by tracing the early 19th century fossil exploration, the creation of “Dinosauria,” and the Crystal Palace 1854 dinosaur exhibit. The second section will emphasize the rise of Darwinism, the global connection to imperialism, and the scientific competition - such as the Bone Wars - that continued to garner both public attention and enthusiasm. The third section will primarily focus on how the 20th and 21st century media portrayal of dinosaurs continued to expand while engaging audiences with themes of imperialism, Cold War tensions, and scientific “progress”. Through primary and secondary source readings including discussions on museums, theme parks, and multimedia, this course will engage with themes of evolving scientific ideas, public engagement with science, and the role of spectacle in representation. Students will gain a nuanced understanding of how the dinosaur’s place in our popular culture relied on spectacle and public engagement with new scientific ideas.