MISSION VERIFIED
Classroom tested. Teacher designed. Safe at home.
Designed by Darin Carr (BScDip Ed)
Practising NESA accredited
Australian Science Teacher
★ 30+ years of classroom experience
MISSON PROGRESS
young scientists have completed this mission.
I'VE COMPLETED THIS MISSION
Click to let us know you have completed this mission
LATEST TEACHER FEEDBACK
"The kids loved it. I also liked how it helped structure their thinking and predicting".
Year 6 Science Specialist
Mr Tam
Before you investigate... watch the mystery
MISSION HOOK
Professor Picklebottom and the team are travelling and collecting amazing science mysteries.
✔ Coming in Term 1 2027
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Mission Equipment
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
Let’s Investigate
Follow the missions steps below to solve the mystery.
1
Download Your Case File
Download the Footprint Detective Case File and cut out the mystery footprint cards.
These cards contain the clues you'll use to solve the mystery.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
2
Become a Detective
Look carefully at each footprint.
Don't try to guess the animal yet.
Instead, look for clues like:
Number of toes
Claws or no claws
Hooves or paws
Long or short toes
Size and shape
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
3
Sort the Clues
Group footprints that share similar features.
You might make groups such as:
Paw prints
Hoof prints
Bird footprints
Reptile footprints
Remember, there isn't just one correct way to organise them.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
4
Build Your Classification Key
Using the worksheet, write simple YES/NO questions to separate your groups.
For example:
Does it have hooves?
Does it have claws?
Does it have four toes?
Keep testing your key until every footprint can be identified.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
5
Test Your Key
Swap your key with someone else.
Can they correctly identify the mystery footprints using only your questions?
If not, improve your key.
Scientists constantly improve their identification guides.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
6
Compare With the Reference Guide
Now use the Animal Reference Sheet to see which animals match each footprint.
Were there any surprises?
Would you change your classification key now?
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
1
Big Title
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
1
Big Title
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
1
Big Title
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
1
Download Your Case File
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
1
Download Your Case File
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
1
Big Title
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Footprint Detective
"Something wandered through the Crazy Scientist Lab last night... and it left behind a trail of mysterious footprints!"
Professor Picklebottom called early this morning.
"The security cameras stopped working just before our mystery visitor arrived," she said. "All we have left are the footprints."
Real wildlife scientists don't always see the animal they're studying. Instead, they collect evidence and look for patterns that reveal its identity.
Today your mission is to become a Footprint Detective.
Can you organise the mystery footprints and build a system that could help identify the unknown visitor?
Ages
5-12 yrs
Duration
min
10
Difficulty
Easy
Stage
Stage 1-3
Cite this resource
Created by Darin Carr (BSc, DipEd)
NESA Accredited Teacher · Chemistry & Physics Specialist · 30+ years in-class teaching
Resource Version: 1.0
First Published:
Last Updated:
21 July 2026
The Crazy Scientist LAB Learning System™
Every experiment follows The Crazy Scientist Lab Learning System™ — a simple way to help kids think like real scientists.
We
-
LINK to what they already know,
-
ACTIVATE curiosity through hands-on discovery
-
BUILD understanding that actually sticks.
"Want the full teacher guide? The Crazy Scientist Lab includes classroom delivery tips, how to manage the WOW moment, differentiation for Stage 2 & 3, — ready to teach tomorrow."
Think Like a Scientist
Scientists don't just do ONE experiment; they change one part of the experiment (independent variable) and then see how it affects another part of the experiment
(dependent variable)
Change ONE variable and test again.
Dr Puddledrip’s Science Tip
🧪 Try it! Change ONE thing and test again. What did you discover?
Want to go deeper? Tap a section below to explore. ▼
The Science Behind It (Text)
Teachers & Homeschoolers: Print-ready HD versions of this Science Behind It poster and companion G&T Challenge Card are available inside The Crazy Scientist LAB.
The Science Behind It (Graphic)
Teachers & Homeschoolers: Print-ready HD versions of this Science Behind It poster and companion G&T Challenge Card are available inside The Crazy Scientist LAB.
Extension: HPGE / Gifted Learners
Teachers & Homeschoolers: Print-ready HD versions of this Science Behind It poster and companion G&T Challenge Card are available inside The Crazy Scientist LAB.
Vocabulary
Know a parent or teacher who'd love this? Send it on! 👇
READY TO TEACH THIS
TOMORROW?
Running the experiment is easy; however, teaching it well is another challenge.
Teachers often ask:
How do I adapt this for Stages 1,2 or 3?
What misconceptions will they have?
What syllabus outcomes does it cover?
What do I do with fast finishers?
How do I structure this for a full class?
What do I say when they ask WHY?
BUILD AROUND THE LAB LEARNING SYSTEM™
Every resource is designed using our teaching framework.
Continue Your Discovery
One simple experiment can lead to amazing discoveries in science, history, engineering and the real world. Where would you like to explore next?
Every resource is designed using our teaching framework.
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