Science Dinosaurs & Paleontologyusually ages 7–9

Reading Dinosaur Trackways

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

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)

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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

Candidate matches to official curriculum codes — machine-suggested, unreviewed (v0.1).

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 →