VCES Fossil Forensics has been designed for Years 5-6 high-ability students. Palaeontologist, Amber-Rose Faith from the University of Queensland, will enthral students by sharing her amazing work analysing fossil clues to solve forensic mysteries. Her sessions have been incredibly popular.

In this VCES program, students will have the opportunity to hear about her fieldwork, and engage in a Q&A session. This will be followed by a hands-on workshop where students take their own informed journey chasing fossils and deciphering trails of acceptable ancient evidence. In teams, students will devise their own hypotheses about a mysterious event that happened millions of years ago. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity!

Program Flyer VCES Fossil Forensics

How to book your group

• Book your students into either the morning or afternoon session NOT both.
• There are only a limited number of video conference dial-in sessions available. To reserve your spot, please fill out the booking form. Remember, each class you sign up for counts as one dial-in session.
• Download and complete the attached Student details spreadsheet and email this through to ecolinc@education.vic.gov.au

After your booking is confirmed

Please download the parental invitation and student nomination forms and distribute them to the families of the students.

1. VCES Student Nomination Form
2. VCES Parent Info

The Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series (VCES) is an initiative funded by the Victorian Government to extend and engage high-ability students across the state. The series provides opportunities for students from Foundation to Year 12 in Government Schools to participate in enrichment learning experiences that challenge their thinking, build advanced skills, and encourage creativity, problem-solving and collaboration. Delivered by specialist organisations and education providers, VCES programs immerse students in authentic, real-world learning beyond the classroom.

Year Level: Year 5-6

Duration: 2 hour

Yes, a kit of resources will be sent to your school

No prior knowledge is required.

In this video conference students will:

• Students will explore how fossil evidence and the surrounding environment (e.g. rock type, location, bone position) can provide clues about past life and events.
• Students will understand that the context in which fossils are found is just as important as the fossils themselves in telling the story of ancient life.
• Students will learn how forensic science techniques (e.g. analysing bone placement, damage, sediment layers) are used by palaeontologists to reconstruct past events.
• Students will use logical reasoning and critical thinking to draw conclusions about ancient events based on the clues found in the fossil record.
• Students will consider multiple factors (e.g. predator-prey interactions, environmental disasters, sedimentation) when interpreting fossil site evidence.
• Students will work collaboratively to interpret clues, discuss possible scenarios, and agree on a plausible explanation for the fossil site mystery.

In this video conference students will:

• Engage in a Q & A session with a qualified and engaging palaeontologist
• Undertake team forensic challenges based on staggered clues exploring the role of forensic science in decoding fossil sites
• Develop a storyboard of their team’s site solution

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)

Science – Science Inquiry

• Scientific ideas, findings, patterns, trends and relationships can be communicated for a specific purpose and audience, using various presentation formats, scientific vocabulary and digital tools as appropriate (VC2S6I06)

Critical and Creative Thinking – Questions and Possibilities

• The construction of questions for identifying and building understanding of information, possibilities, processes and activities (VC2CC6Q01)