Ask an expert! This program gives students a crash course in palaeontology, interacting live with scientists from the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Canada.

Students will explore the process of fossilization and discover the differences between various types of fossils. They will also get a behind-the-scenes look at the journey of a fossil—from its initial discovery and field excavation to its final preparation at the museum. The program concludes with an interactive Q&A period, where images, videos, and real fossils are used to answer students’ questions.

Included resources:

• Teacher Guide
• Activity Guide
• Answer Guide

Fossils refer to any preserved remains, impressions or traces of once-living things from a past geological age. They can include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in amber, hair, petrified wood and DNA remnants.

Fossils are a fascinating and vital aspect of our planet’s history, offering insights into the life that existed millions of years ago.

Year Level:  Year 4-6

Duration: 1 hour

No.

No prior knowledge is required

In this program students will:

• Explore how fossils are formed, found and used as scientific indicators.
• Understand the role of the palaeontologist in interpreting fossil evidence.
• Experience behind the scenes at a working museum and how fossils are categorised and stored.

In this video conference students will:

• Interact during Q & A with the expert educational scientists live from the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Canada.
• Hypthesise the likely predator based on real fossil evidence.
• Comprehend how the size of fossils can be used to predict the size of extinct species.

Science: Science as a Human Endeavour

• Scientific knowledge changes over time, often resulting from collaboration or by building on the work of others, and leads to advances in science (VC2S6H01)

Science: Science understanding

• Organisms have evolved over time, as seen in fossils and scientific records; the structural features and behaviours of living organisms enable them to thrive in their environments (VC2S6U02)