Mackey
The Last Dinosaur Footprint
Mackey has uncovered something incredible...
While exploring an ancient dig site, she discovered what might be the last dinosaur footprint ever found. But before scientists can learn who made it, another mystery must be solved.
Why did this footprint survive when millions of others disappeared forever?
Your mission is to recreate the final moments before a dinosaur footprint became a fossil. Test different types of ground, compare the evidence, and discover which surface gives a footprint the best chance of surviving for millions of years.
Can you solve the mystery before this ancient clue is lost forever?
Ages
5-12 yrs
Duration
min
20
Difficulty
Easy
Stage
Stage 2-3
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 Aug 2026
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
MISSION PROGRESS
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Before you investigate... watch the mystery
MISSION HOOK
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Mission Equipment
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
Toy dinosaurs
Playdough
Dry sand
Kinetic sand
Dirt or garden soil
Other surface material (make dough at home)
Tray
Small notebook
Let’s Investigate
Follow the missions steps below to solve the mystery.
1
Prepare Your Dig Sites
Fill four shallow containers with different ground materials.
Try:
Playdough
Dry sand
Kinetic sand
Garden soil (slightly damp)
Smooth each surface flat so every dinosaur starts with the same conditions.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
2
Leave the Dinosaur's Last Footprint
Choose one dinosaur toy.
Press exactly the same foot into each surface using gentle, even pressure.
Lift the dinosaur straight up.
Look carefully at each footprint.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
3
The World Doesn't Stand Still
Imagine millions of years are about to pass.
Gently test what happens to each footprint.
You might:
Blow across it like wind.
Sprinkle a little water over it.
Tap the side of the container.
Leave one untouched.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
4
Become a Fossil Detective
Compare every footprint.
Think about two important questions:
• Which material made the best footprint?
• Which material protected it the longest?
Sometimes the clearest footprint doesn't survive the longest!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
5
Can You Protect the Footprint?
Scientists know footprints don't become fossils unless they're buried before they disappear.
Cover your best footprint with a thin layer of sand, soil or dirt.
Now gently brush the top layer away again.
Can you still find your footprint?
Which material protected it best?
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
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
Which ground will make the clearest footprint?
1
Prepare Your Dig Sites
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Which ground will make the clearest footprint?
1
Prepare Your Dig Sites
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Which ground will make the clearest footprint?
1
Big Title
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Which ground will make the clearest footprint?
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.
You've Seen This Before...
Have you ever spotted footprints in mud after the rain, tracks across a sandy beach, or paw prints in the dirt?
They look like they'll last forever...
...but come back a day later and they're often gone.
Rain, wind and other animals quickly erase the evidence.
So how did some dinosaur footprints survive for millions of years while almost every other footprint disappeared?
Think Like a Fossil Detective
Your investigation compared different types of ground.
Some surfaces made clearer footprints.
Others protected the footprints better when the weather changed.
Was there one surface that did both jobs well?
Use the evidence from your investigation to decide which ground would give a dinosaur footprint the greatest chance of becoming a fossil.
What Did You Discover?
Your investigation showed that not every footprint has the same chance of surviving.
Scientists have discovered that fossil footprints only form when two important conditions are met:
The ground must record a clear footprint.
The footprint must survive long enough to be buried.
If either of these doesn't happen, the evidence disappears forever.
"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 stop after their first discovery.
They ask new questions, collect more evidence and test their ideas in different ways.
Where could you take this investigation next?
How does wetness affect the footprint?
How much pressure makes the best fossil?
Dr Puddledrip’s Science Tip
Read the Science
Why Didn't Every Dinosaur Footprint Become a Fossil?
Imagine a dinosaur walking across Earth 100 million years ago.
Every step left a footprint... right?
Actually, no.
Some dinosaurs probably took millions of steps during their lifetime, yet only a tiny number of those footprints survived long enough to become fossils.
Your investigation showed exactly why.
Some surfaces captured beautiful footprints. Others hardly left a mark at all. Even the best footprints quickly disappeared when you tested them with wind, water or movement.
Real dinosaur footprints faced the same problem.
Why Did Some Grounds Make Better Footprints?
The type of ground underneath the dinosaur made a huge difference.
Very hard ground couldn't record a footprint.
Very loose or dry ground often collapsed as soon as the dinosaur lifted its foot.
The best fossil footprints were usually made in soft, fine mud or wet sediment because they captured tiny details like claws, toes and even skin textures.
That's why palaeontologists often discover fossil footprints in rocks that were once muddy riverbanks, lakes or ancient coastlines.
The Most Important Step Happened Next...
Making the footprint wasn't enough.
If rain fell...
If a river flooded...
If another dinosaur walked across it...
...the footprint disappeared forever.
To survive, the footprint needed to be covered quickly by another layer of mud, sand or volcanic ash.
That protective layer acted like nature's blanket, hiding the footprint before weather could destroy it.
How Did Soft Mud Turn Into Solid Rock?
Over millions of years, more and more layers built up above the buried footprint.
The enormous weight squeezed the muddy layers together.
Slowly, the water was forced out and the sediments hardened into rock.
The footprint became trapped inside, waiting for millions of years until erosion exposed it again for scientists to discover.
Mackey's Fossil Detective Challenge
Your investigation found the best surface today...
But would it still be the best if heavy rain arrived?
Or if it wasn't buried for another week?
Real scientists ask these extra questions because every fossil tells only part of the story.
Somewhere on Earth, there are still dinosaur footprints waiting to be discovered... but only because nature protected them at exactly the right moment.
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.
Scientist's Challenge
Designed for HPGE, gifted learners and children who enjoy an extra challenge.
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 Next Question...
You've solved today's mystery. Now discover where curiosity can take you next.
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
Fossil — Evidence of a living thing preserved from the past.
Trace — A mark or sign left behind by something.
Inference — An explanation based on observations and evidence.
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Keep Exploring This Mystery
One experiment leads to even more amazing discoveries inside the Learning Universe.
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