Elementary Fossil Lesson Template (Page 3 of 4) in pdf

Activity: Making fossils

Discuss the difference between kinds of fossils, prints, molds, and casts.

How are each of these types of fossils formed? What is the same

between the fossil types and what is different? How do you think

the differences occurred?

MaTErIalS NEEDED:

The teacher should say the following parts in bold while completing the activity:

Fossil samples, casts, molds

Bring out a prepared container of plaster of Paris. Make sure it has tall edges to build

and prints if available

up imaginary sedimentary rock layers. The prepared container of plaster of Paris has

Shells (to make fossils)

just that, a layer of plaster of Paris and fine sand sprinkled on it. Place the shells in the

Plastic dinosaur (for prints)

container on top of the dry plaster of Paris. Image that the whole environment is

under water. Pour a small amount of water onto the layer of plaster of Paris.

Plaster of Paris

Pitcher of water

The soft body of the shellfish will decompose or become some other animals’

Sifter

dinner. The hard shell would then fill up with sediments and mineral-laden water.

Sand fine enough to flow

Using the sifter, sift a small amount of the remaining plaster and sand evenly over the

through the sifter

water, allowing it to sink in and cover the shell. Sand and other sediments would even-

Aluminum baking pans

tually cover the ancient animals bodies. Continue to sift the plaster until a soft mud is

formed. Keep adding the plaster until all of the water is soaked up. The plaster will now dry

fairly quickly. Plaster of Paris sets up in about 30 minutes.

This process could take up to thousands or millions of years. over time, the ancient

Teacher Notes:

sea might begin to dry up. There are lots of reasons this could have happened:

For the excavating of the

movement of the earth’s crust, changes in temperature or volcanic activity could all

fossils a station might be

change the depths of the ancient waters.

set up while doing other

Take a plastic dinosaur and make an imprint of their foot prints. as the water level got

activities so fewer tools and

lower and lower, muddy swamps and the thick vegetation they grew made good

goggles are needed.

homes for species that could breathe the air, dinosaurs. as they walked or crawled

A prepared tray of fossils

through the swamps, their heavy bodies made tracks in the soft mud. Allow the plas-

will need to be provided

ter to dry. You could proceed immediately using a prepared tray that is already hardened

for each team. Plastic knives

or you could end the lesson here and return to it when the tray is dry.

and tools are sufficient for

excavating the plaster of Paris.

Once the tray is dry work to excavate the fossils carefully. See if the students can dig out

the fossils and keep them whole and intact. Provide each team of students with some tools

for cleaning and excavating. Goggles should be worn to protect their eyes.

Earth Science - Prior Module

Elementary School

Page 3

Elementary Fossil Lesson Template Page 3

Related Articles

Related forms

Related Categories