Why Study Dinosaurs and Other Fossils?

There are many reasons why dinosaurs and other fossils should be part of the school curriculum. The topic encourages creativity, it provides a useful entrée to many areas of science, and it has captured the public interest via the print media and film in recent years.

The study of dinosaurs opens doors in all directions for students of any age. Writing, reading, project work, art activities, and the study of reptiles, birds, carnivores and herbivores are some of the possibilities for younger children. The process of fossilisation, geology, continental drift, carbon and atomic dating, food chains, ecology, zoology, genetics, geography, biology, chemistry, the scientific method and even astronomy are part of the story for older students.

For a discussion of the importance of palaeontology in education, consult 'Palaeontology: the Window to Science Education', by Richard Stucky, Chief Curator at the Denver Museum of Natural History, Colorado, USA by visiting http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/fosrec/Stucky.stml

Dinosaurs and VELS

The study of dinosaurs and other fossils is an excellent way of ensuring that school curricula meet the requirements of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS). Teachers who include a creative approach to palaeontology in their teaching will find that their programs will be making a meaningful contribution to their students’ learning in the domains of Science, Mathematics, English, The Arts and Thinking Processes. They will also be able to frequently use the study of dinosaurs and fossils to enhance their programs in some of the other domains – especially Design, Creativity & Technology, Information & Communications Technology (ICT), Communication, and Interpersonal Development.

Dinosaurs and the CSF

Topics related to dinosaurs and other fossils also feature quite prominently in the Learning Outcomes and Activities of the Science Curriculum and Standards Framework. This Framework, published in February 2000, describes what students should know and be able to do at regular intervals from the Preparatory year to Year 10.

Palaeontology and VCE Biology Unit 4

The study of palaeontology is also part of the curriculum for students studying Biology Unit 4 for the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE).

Area of Study 2: Change over time

Key Knowledge

Geological time scale

Relative and actual dating techniques

Evidence of evolution: fossil record, biogeography, comparative anatomy, molecular evidence.

Possible activities and assessment tasks

Examine fossil evidence concerning the evolution of a particular species.

Answer a set of structured questions related to the fossil record and geological time presented using evidence of various ancestral species.

Model radioisotope dating and then write a comparison of this technique to other dating techniques.

Collect and process information to design a multimedia presentation or poster that details the different types of evidence for evolution and includes visual representations for each type.