Phone: (08) 8207 7429 • Fax (08) 8207 7430 • Email: SAM.Education@saugov.sa.gov.au • Web: www.samuseum.sa.gov.au

South Australian Museum Education Program

This Outreach Education Program for

schools is made possible by the

partnership between the South Australian

Museum and the Department of

Education and Children’s Services.

Outreach Education is a team of seconded

teachers, managed through the Open

Access College, who are based in public

institutions.

© The State of South Australia

Department of Education and

Children’s Services and SA Museum

This work may be reproduced by South

Australian teachers for use with their

students. For all other uses contact the

Open Acccess College.

(Copy@oac.sa.edu.au)

All images and artwork in this work are

copyright of the South Australian

Museum, unless otherwise indicated.

Developed by Chris Nobbs and Simon Langsford 13/10/05

Fossil

Middle Years - Student Activities

South Australian Museum Education Program

Fossils

Activity page 1

A fossil tree (Outside the museum, standing by the wall.)

Tyrannosaurus rex skull (Ground Level, outside the World Mammals Gallery.)

Tyrann = tyrant -o- saurus = reptile - rex = king

Touch the fossil tree and zoom in on the fossils trapped in the limestone walls

of the Museum.

In small groups, share your ideas about how these fossils were formed.

Summarise your ideas here.

_______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Check out the T. rex skull. Is it real? __________

Some of the T. rex teeth are smaller than others and are

unevenly distributed. Suggest a reason for this random

arrangement of teeth.

“Bring back T. rex!” Explain how this could be done. Argue why it is a good or bad idea.

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Allosaurus atrox skeleton

(Above the Security desk in the musem foyer)

The skeleton of the Allosaurus is set up in an unusual

pose. Write a short report about the daily life of an

Allosaurus.

____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

________________________________________________

South Australian Museum Education Program

Fossils

Activity page

Addyman Plesiosaur (Level 3 Origin Energy Fossil Gallery.)

Zoom in on the plesiosaur skeleton.

Imagine you were an opal miner and had

just discovered these opalised bones.

Identify the bones eg backbones (vertebrae)♦

♦

♦

♦

What’s missing?_____________________

Ben Kear, the museum’s palaeontologist put all the bones back together and discovered more

about the animal’s life.

Now its your turn to describe it.

Type of animal:

Habitat:

Length:

How it was preserved/fossilised:

Age:

Diet:

Relatives today:

Look for some other animals without backbones on display.

Choose 2 and compare them. How are they similar or different?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Try drawing it here.

2

South Australian Museum Education Program

Fossils

Activity page

Plesiosaur model (Level 3 Origin Energy Fossil Gallery.)

Check out the plesiosaur model. You can’t miss it!

Jo, the museum’s taxidermist took 3 months

to make this life size plesiosaur model.

What material do you think it is made from? ____________

Describe the process by visiting the museum website.

http://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/fossils/fgw2-5.htm#model

If the plesiosaur lived 120 million years ago, how did

Jo know what it looked like and what colour to paint it?

___________________________________________________________________________

Shell blocks (Level 3 Origin Energy Fossil Gallery)

Ana, a student at the museum, uncovered these fossils in the Gallery workshop. In small groups

try to identify and describe them.

______________________________________________________________________

How do you think they became fossilised?

____________________________________

For more information visit the museum website:

http://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/fossils/fgw4-3.htm

Ichthyosaurs

Locate fossils of these animals. Connect the names to each one.

Ichthyosaur

NautilusAmmonite

3

South Australian Museum Education Program

Fossils

Activity page

Stolen Fossils (Level 3 Opposite the lift in the window display.)

Find this very rare fossil animal that was stolen from the Flinders Ranges.

If you were a fossil thief, why would you steal this

fossil and try to sell it overseas?

______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

Age of fossil: __________million years.

Seapens: Charniodiscus

Look carefully at some other fossils that lived at the same time. Describe their similarities and

differences eg shape, size, how fossilized, type of rock.

Similarities:

Differences:

Armour-plated fossils (Level 3 Opposite the lift in the window display.)

Checkout the trilobite fossils from Kangaroo Island.

Explain how you think it was fossilised?

___________________________________________

Describe an animal alive today that has a similar body to

the trilobites.

____________________________________________

Trilobite: Redlchia takoensis

4

Dickinsonia costata

South Australian Museum Education Program

Fossils

Activity page

Fossil Markers (Level 3 Origin Energy Fossil Gallery.)

Fossils are used as markers for geological time.

Draw the fossils you have seen on display to mark the major events in the history of animal life.

5

Eras Million Years Fossil markers - draw them in here.

Mesozoic

Age

of

dinosaurs

Palaeozoic

Age

of fishes

Precambrian

Age

of

bacteria

and early

animals

540my

530my

Ediacaran

Cambrian

4500my

245my

595my

Cretaceous

145my

South Australian Museum Education Program

Investigate

Fossil Evidence

South Australian Museum Education Program

Investigate

Fossil Evidence

Ancient Fossils (Level 3 Opposite the lift in the window display.)

Describe the similarities and differences.

Describe the similarities and differences.

(Level 3 Origin Energy Fossil Gallery.)Gems from a desert ocean

Seapens

Cockle shells

Belemnite

Brooch shell

Ichthyosaur vertebrae

1

2

Flat worm

Tribrachidium