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"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." – Charles Darwin

Program overview

This is a full day excursion to Brisbane Urban Environmental Education Centre which provides the opportunity for students to adopt the role of palaeontologists. During the day, they will investigate physical adaptations of the teeth, claws, individual bones, models and footprints of dinosaurs before inferring what this can tell us about their behaviour of the different groups of creatures that dominate the planet 203-65 million years ago.

The day begins with an introduction to previous extinction events framed against the challenges faced by many species inhabiting the Earth today. Similarities and differences between these, and the impacts on dominant species of the time, are explored using iBooks before students undertake a series of hands on investigations.

Students use models, some of which are actual size, to observe the physical features of marine reptiles, dinosaurs, crocodiles and pterosaurs and make inferences about diet and behaviour. Links between form and function are explored using models of teeth and claws and students use simple formulas to estimate the length and height of dinosaurs from genuine dinosaur footprints obtained from around the globe.

Together, we will investigate how we can use the length of footprints to calculate the actual size of a dinosaur and hopefully bust some myths along the way. As a souvenir of the day, each student will take home with them their own genuine dinosaur footprint, which they will create from moulds of the original.

Curriculum links

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