Fossils offer an amazing insight into a world that was once very different to the one we live in today. Use this fossils lesson plan to extend students understanding of how a fossil forms and why they are so important to paleontologists studying extinct animals such as dinosaurs. With this fun activity kids can make a fossil and enjoy learning about the science behind it at the same time.
Introduction:
- Dinosaurs left many footprints behind when they were living on earth millions of years ago.
- Fossils of these imprints formed over time.
- If the environment was just right the footprints filled with sediments and a fossil was eventually formed.
- Let's speed up the process and make our own fossils!
Plaster Mixture:
- Pour two and a half cups of plaster into a large plastic container.
- Add one of water and mix together.
- Keep the resulting mixture handy so you can pour it into the children's individual containers later.
Instructions:
- Show the children a plaster of paris example.
- Give each child an empty plastic container.
- Get the children to put a quarter of cup of sand into the container.
- Provide a small foot shaped object that will leave behind a good footprint shape (best prepared earlier) and tell the children to then press the footprint into the sand.
- Mix up the plaster mixture and pour some into the children's containers.
- If there are lids available for the containers, let the children then put their lids on and write their name on top.
- Leave the fossil footprints to set and let the students take them home when finished.
More Fossil Information:
- For more information on fossils, petrification and paleontology please check out our fossil facts page. Or take a look at this great fossil photo.
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