Science·Dinosaurs & Paleontology·procedural
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
Suggested ages 7–9
Learning journey
Your child is becoming a young paleontologist — learning how fossils form, what they tell us about ancient life, and discovering fascinating facts about dinosaurs and the scientists who study them.
Evidence of understanding
- 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)
Assessment prompt
If Reading Dinosaur Trackways 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?
Standards alignment
No external standards are linked to this topic.