Ancient Animals of Queensland

Program overview

Foster a passion for science and discovery while delving into Queensland’s ancient megafauna, dinosaurs, and sea monsters in the Ancient Animals of Queensland school program. This exciting prehistoric program has been designed to meet curriculum needs in Biological Sciences and Science Inquiry Skills with different experiences for Prep-1, Year 3-4 and Year 5-6. Students will have the opportunity to participate in an interactive and memorable program as they explore fossil moulds and ancient creature models that invite intriguing questions and exciting discoveries. The three programs are as follows:

• Foundation to Year 1: Where the Wild Things Were
• Year 3 to Year 4: Fantastic Beasts and How to Sort Them!
• Year 5 to Year 6: Prehistoric Predictions: Tales of Times Long Past 

Foundation to Year 1: Where the Wild Things Were

Where the Wild Things Were takes students on a journey to meet charming and captivating ancient creatures such as Dippy the Diprotodon. Students explore and compare how these creatures would have met their basic needs. They predict how the animals would have moved based on discover their special and interesting features, then create a unique and abundant ancient environment for their creature to live in. Students will make a mini diorama which they can take back to school.

Learning outcomes

• Understand living things have basic needs, including food and water.
• Understand that ancient animals also had basic needs such as food and water.
• Recognise the different needs of different animal species, particularly plant-eating and meat-eating animals.
• Predict how movement of different animals depends on their features, size, and shape.
• Recognising common features, and some less common features of animals.
• Explore different habitats and recognise that different living things live in different places.
• Identify common features of plants such as leaves and roots.
• Recognise the important connection between an animal’s environment and survival.
• Recognise how changes in the weather might affect animals.

Where the Wild Things Were – Australian Curriculum Links

Year 3 to Year 4: Fantastic Beasts and How to Sort Them!

In Fantastic Beasts and How to Sort Them!, students explore the diversity of Queensland dinosaurs, megafauna and sea reptiles, with a variety of fossil moulds and ancient animal models. Can your students determine which fossil belongs to which ancient animal? Equipped with these exciting prehistoric discoveries, students will then sort ancient animals in some familiar ways, and in some less familiar ways! Students will be provided with a hands-on experience where they can look closely, touch, and classify a range of fantastic fossils and beasts.

Learning outcomes

• Understand that fossils give us clues about extinct animals.
• Develop a deeper ability to ask questions, investigate and make predictions about unfamiliar objects, such as fossils.
• Understand that scientific inquiry can lead to amazing discoveries.
• Understand living things and once-living things can be grouped by their observable features.
• Understand how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People classify living things in different ways to contemporary science.
• Understand others ways living things can be classified, such as movement, reproduction, diet, environment, and the time when they lived.
• Recognise the great diversity of living things.

Fantastic Beasts and How to Sort Them! - Australian Curriculum Links

Year 5 to Year 6: Prehistoric Profiles: Tales of Times Long Past

In Prehistoric Profiles: Tales of Times Long Past, your students will bring mysterious, intriguing, and ferocious ancient animals back to life. Students will investigate fossils and reconstructions; analyse timelines, stimulus pictures and posters; construct food webs and labelled diagrams; and tell a story of an ancient past. With guidance, your class will make a prehistoric profile of the giant goanna, Megalania, then work in small groups to make their own prehistoric profile of another ancient animal of Queensland. Student will then have the opportunity to share their findings with the class, focusing on their amazing adaptations in an ancient environment.

Learning outcomes

• Understand that fossils give us clues about extinct animals.
• Discover how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge can assist in making predictions about Australia’s ancient past.
• Develop a deeper ability to ask questions, investigate and make predictions about unfamiliar objects, such as fossils.
• Understand that by analysing data and creating diagrams and charts, further predictions and discoveries can be made.
• Develop a stronger ability to communicate inquiries and discoveries.
• Understand that living things have structural features and adaptations that help them survive in their environment.
• Describe adaptations of living things suited to ancient Australian environments.

Prehistoric Profiles: Tales of Times Long Past - Australian Curriculum Links

 

School visit information

See our Visit as a school page for information on visiting the museum and booking a group into a program. 

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Learning Resources

Ancient Animals of Queensland pre-visit information

I DIG Discovery Student Challenge - A free online Ancient Animals science inquiry program for Years 3-6 teachers and students that can be delivered over a school term with an exciting challenge video, high quality slides, digital 3D fossils, suggested tools and equipment, 3D megafauna reconstructions.

Megafauna Diorama - A printable billabong scene with four of Queensland iconic extinct megafauna.

Meet the Megafauna – Information about extinct and living megafauna species unearthed in tropical northern Australia.

Pedestal - Ancient Animals of Queensland 3D Gallery - View and interact with 3D models of megafauna, marine reptiles and dinosaurs found in Queensland.

Sketchfab - Ancient Animals of Queensland 3D Gallery - View and interact with 3D models of megafauna, marine reptiles and dinosaurs found in Queensland.

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