Make a Fossil - Fun Fossils Activity & Lesson Plan, Science for Kids

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Fun Earth Lesson Plans and Activities for Kids

Fun Fossils Activity Make a Fossil

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.