How can you tell they’ve got it: Reading Dinosaur Trackways?

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: Explain that larger footprints generally mean a larger dinosaur; Compare spacing between prints to infer walking versus running; Suggest what a set of parallel trackways might mean (e.g. dinosaurs travelling in a group). Or just try it together: If your child saw a line of dinosaur footprints at a museum, could they figure out whether the dinosaur was walking or running based on how far apart the prints are?

Science Dinosaurs & Paleontology Ages 7–9

Reading Dinosaur Trackways

Your child can read dinosaur footprints in rock. Prints far apart mean the dinosaur was running. Prints close together mean it was walking.

In curriculum terms

Use dinosaur trackways (fossilised footprints) to make inferences about a dinosaur's size, speed, and behaviour — widely spaced prints suggest running, closely spaced suggest walking

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Explain that larger footprints generally mean a larger dinosaur
Compare spacing between prints to infer walking versus running
Suggest what a set of parallel trackways might mean (e.g. dinosaurs travelling in a group)

🖨 Print this page to keep the checklist — it prints beautifully.

Try this together

If your child saw a line of dinosaur footprints at a museum, could they figure out whether the dinosaur was walking or running based on how far apart the prints are?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Types of Fossilsages 7–9Must understand trace fossils before analysing trackways

Reading Dinosaur Trackwaysthis skill · ages 7–9

Unlocks

How Palaeontologists Workages 9–11Understanding how palaeontologists work in the field and lab includes the use of trace fossils like trackways as evidence — having previously studied trackway inference prepares students to understand fieldwork procedures more concretely

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

This skill sits outside the F–6 Australian Curriculum — no candidate code matched (v0.1). No NSW K–6 outcome code matched (v0.1). No Victorian Curriculum 2.0 code matched (v0.1).

Nearby on the map

Dinosaurs Around the Worldages 7–9 Fossilised Dinosaur Dungages 7–9 Fossils Reveal Ancient Environmentsages 7–9 How Fossils Formages 7–9

All Dinosaurs & Paleontology skills →