Fossils

A few links for ideas to think about regarding Fossils:

The fossils web-site could be used as a resource for students to research some fossils. Its right on the syllabus, but doesn't have any games in it.
A laptop wrap of ideas on Paleontology for teachers. It includes a skeleton jigsaw puzzle for the students to do. It can be downloaded for your students to access it using TALE (Search for 8842).
However, what is more interesting is the fossilisation laptop wrap as it includes a game like exercise. This can also be downloaded for your students to access it from TALE (search for 8847). Its strength is that it focuses on the syllabus dot point about how fossils form. It includes links to the activities in the "Animal Fossils of Gondwanaland", and there are teachers notes for the activities as a teaching plan (with or without the resource kit).
I like the Colossal Fossil resource because of the skills and processes involved in it. However the danger is that the content is not really in the syllabus (though the skills are). It is only available for download from TALE (Search for Colossal Fossil: jaw analysis). A good strategy may be to start with this and then use the fossilisation resource (8847) on how fossils form, followed by the fossils web-site to expand on the age shown by the fossils.

Introduce students to the concept of fossils with the fossilisation resource (8847). Students to record their notes that they develop from the exercsises into OneNote. That is use OneNote to save the completed and corrected exercises to make a complete set of notes. Final product will be that students are to create a PowerPoint presentation on how fossils form. (These could optionally be made into Flash using Adobe Presenter).
Use the Colossal Fossil resource as an introduction to the ideas of analysing fossils. This will need to be downloaded from TALE first to a location students can access.
Students in groups use the fossils web-site to complete some exercises on sequencing or estimating the age of fossil selected for their group by the teacher. A time-line could be produced using a graphics program such as Dia, Fireworks or Photoshop.
If time permits, extra activities could be developed from the laptop wrap of ideas on Paleontology (8842) for teachers.