Australian Fossil Site Brochure
| Grade | Work Samples |
|---|---|
| End of Stage 5 (end of Year 10) | |
| Grade A | Morgan |
| Grade B | Lee Pat Rania |
| Grade C | Bailey Shannon |
| Grade D | Robyn |
Description of activity
Students take the role of scientific officer for the National Parks. They present, in brochure format, information to promote the preservation and protection of one fossil site in Australia as important in providing significant evidence supporting the idea that life on Earth has changed over time.
Students choose an Australian fossil site from the following list: Riversleigh, Ediacaran Hills, Naracoorte, Lightning Ridge, Dinosaur Cove, Lake Acraman, Koonwarra, Somersby and Winton.
Students keep a record of their sources of information, copies of text gathered from each source and a record of the summaries of this information in the production of their brochure. The record of information is used to provide ongoing feedback to students on the application of their research skills during the activity.
Context
Students have been studying the planet as a place of constant change. Sometimes this change is too slow to be seen in a lifetime and, at other times, violent and destructive changes can be witnessed in a short space of time. In the unit students extend their knowledge and understanding of the nature and practice of science by examining scientific evidence that explains changes in the life forms and the Earth and how ideas are rejected or modified as new scientific evidence emerges. Within this context students investigate evidence of crustal movement, volcanic activity and earthquakes to explain how these changes impact on the Earth. During this unit students expand and apply their research skills. Through a range of activities students will develop and demonstrate their skills of extracting and summarising information from secondary sources. They build on their experiences from Stage 4 to present the information that has been collated and synthesised into a brochure to promote the preservation and protection of an Australian fossil site.
Areas for Assessment
Outcomes
A student:
5.9 relates the development of the universe and the dynamic structure of Earth to models, theories and laws and the influence of time
5.16 accesses information from a wide variety of secondary sources
5.17 explains trends, patterns and relationships in data and/or information from a variety of sources
5.18 selects and uses appropriate forms of communication to present information to an audience
Criteria for assessing learning
(These criteria would normally be communicated to students with the activity.)
Students will be assessed on their ability to:
- evaluate the importance of an Australian fossil site in providing evidence that present-day organisms have evolved from organisms in the distant past
- gather, process and present information in the form of a brochure to support an argument for the preservation and protection of an Australian fossil site
- correctly acknowledge sources of information.