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• Fossils: Digging up the Past

Levels: 2-4
Contextual strands: Planet Earth and beyond

Synopsis

Many children have an active interest in fossils, particularly as they relate to dinosaurs. This book provides the opportunity for children to investigate fossils and how they are made (the process of fossilisation). By doing so, children gain further evidence that life on Earth was different in the past and have the opportunity to develop their concept of things changing over time. The study of fossils also contributes to the debate on whether past changes were slow or fast and provides a rich topic for exploring the nature of science and the unfolding of scientific theory.

Note:
A picture pack is available in schools to support activities in the book.

The picture pack contains fifteen full-colour illustrations and photographs ranging across time from a map showing how the world looked 500 million years ago to a photo depicting modern-day paleontologists at work. In between there are shells, dinosaurs, moa, insects in amber, sabre-toothed tigers, and more. Each card has a statement and a question on the back to promote further thought, investigation, and discussion. The accompanying teachers' notes include a geological timeline.

Concept overview

Use the concept overview, which is also on the inside front cover of the book, as a reference for the concepts that relate to Fossils: Digging up the Past.

Read the concept overview (PDF 50 KB)

Links with other titles in the series

• Book 2: Weathering and Erosion (L3–4, Planet Earth and Beyond)
  for information on how rock is formed

• Book 24: Preserving Food (L3–4, Material World)
• Book 53: Moulds are Fungi (L3–4, Living World, Material World)
  for material on how matter is preserved from decomposition

Assessment resources

Search the science section of the Assessment Resource Banks (ARB) website to find resources that assess the 'big idea' learning outcomes referred to in the concept overview for this title.

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