Faculty of Sciences
e-Science Teachers Pack
Issue 14, July 2015
Underground archives: Naracoorte fossil caves and their record of deep
time
Summary & learning outcomes
Fossils often conjure up images of dinosaur skeletons in museums, but they can tell us so much
more than what ancient animals looked like. A research team at Naracoorte fossil caves, in South
Eastern South Australia, are excavating fossils to put together a record of biodiversity in the area
over the last 500,000 years. Coupling this with other information from the caves, they are putting
together a picture of the past environment to help predict how present day species can adapt to
changing conditions in climate, extinctions and human activity. In this pack, students will learn about
how fossils can be formed in different kinds of caves, the information we can put together from
excavating these sites and some of the varieties of extinct Australian megafauna.
Learning outcomes:
> Cave formations, such as those found in Naracoorte, provide a variety of conditions ideal for
forming fossils.
> Examining the fossils and sediment layers in caves can reveal information on past ecosystems
such as biodiversity, climate and extinctions.
> Australia used to be home to a range of large, now-extinct marsupials, collectively known as
megafauna.
Prior learning
Students will most likely be familiar with the concept of fossils and many may have an idea on some
of the ways that fossils are formed, particularly as they relate to dinosaurs and other creatures from
tens of millions of years ago. Expand upon this to establish that plants and animals from more
recent times can form fossils in a variety of different conditions. Ask students if they know of any
extinct Australian animals that might have formed fossils; this would be a good opportunity to
introduce megafauna and compare them to marsupials still alive today.
> Brainstorm what students already know about fossils and palaeontology. How are fossils made?
What kinds of plants and animals might become fossilised? What can fossils tell us about the
past? How do different environments affect the variety of fossils found there?
Curriculum
View the relevance of this article and its resources to the Australian Curriculum:
www.sciences.adelaide.edu.au/schools-resources/docs/curriculum-issue14-undergroundarchives.pdf
Lesson plan & learning activities
Lesson 1 – Introduction to cave fossils
> Brainstorm what students already know about fossils and palaeontology. How are fossils made?
What kinds of plants and animals might become fossilised? What can fossils tell us about the
past? How do different environments affect the variety of fossils found there? Find out if any
students know about Australian megafauna. What contemporary animals were they related to?
Why might they have gone extinct?
> Introduce cave fossils and megafauna through reading “Underground archives: Naracoorte fossil
caves and their record of deep time” (Issue 14, July 2015) article as a class (organise students
into pairs or small groups to share resources).
> Images within the article can be utilised (printed out or used on an interactive whiteboard) to
reinforce points of importance, particularly in highlighting the appearance of different cave types,
the size of the sand cones and the layered structure of sedimentary deposits.
> Discuss with the students (as a class) what they learned from the article. Find out:
o Were there things that they already knew about fossils but reluctant to mention during
brainstorming?
o What things didn’t they know? Did they learn anything interesting?
o Are there things they want to find out more about from the article?
> Define any unknown words and use them to create glossary of keywords.
> View video (see resources list below) if there is time (otherwise show at start of 2nd lesson).
Lesson 2 – Researching megafauna and quiz
> Show video if you didn’t have time in the first lesson.
> Quick review of points from e-Science article.
> Introduce your students to the megafauna quiz questions located in the resources list below. The
students shouldn’t attempt to answer the questions yet so this may be most ideally presented via
a projector or smartboard.
> Set students the task (either individually or in small groups) of researching the answers to the
questions. Give them the list of useful websites (located in the resources section below) as a
starting point. They may also search library and internet resources for further answers and
information. The videos played previously in the last two lessons can also be made available.
> Once the students are confident that they’ve found enough information, have them attempt the
megafauna quiz. For any questions they get incorrect, point them towards resources that will give
them the correct information.
Resources
Videos (can be shown through a PC or interactive whiteboard):
> ABC Australia the Time Traveller’s Guide Episode 4 features Naracoorte Caves. You can watch
the full episode by logging in to Scootle.
www.scootle.edu.au/ec/viewing/S6434/index.html
> This video by Behind the News focusses on another dig site with megafauna fossils.
https://youtu.be/GfRDjJXSnqo
> Frank Bromley from Naracoorte Caves explains the importance of the site.
https://youtu.be/TTtuhrj2O2Q
> Megafauna were not just isolated to Australia and the cause of their extinction is hotly debated by
palaeontologists the world over. This animation runs through some of the most common theories
among scientists.
https://youtu.be/-sXiaaSiLng
The University of Adelaide
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Useful Websites
> You can learn more about Naracoorte Caves National Park by visiting their website.
www.naracoortecaves.sa.gov.au
> See what all the fuss it about on the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Australian Fossil
Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/Naracoorte).
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/698
> The megafauna of Australia’s recent past are fascinating. Read about them here on National
Geographic’s feature, Australia’s Lost Giants.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/10/dreamtime-animals/achenbach-text/1
> You can get a good look at some of Australia’s megafauna in this interactive on NOVA from PBS.
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/australias-vanished-beasts.html
Quiz
> Test your knowledge of Australia’s megafauna by taking this online quiz by the ABC. You may
need to do some of your own research to discover the correct answers.
www.abc.net.au/science/games/quizzes/2009/megafauna
Materials
> “Underground archives: Naracoorte fossil caves and their record of deep time” (e-Science Issue
14, July 2015). This can be supplied on iPad or printed out from the web edition here:
www.sciences.adelaide.edu.au/schools-resources/e-science/
Assessment
Teachers should choose assessment rubrics relevant to the year level and topic that they are
teaching.
Summative assessment:
> Answers to megafauna quiz
Formative assessment:
> Contributions to discussions
> Glossary of words
> Observation of the students when they’re researching information for the quiz and providing
feedback on what resources they’re using and how they’re using them.
The University of Adelaide
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