Making Fossils

Objectives

  • Students will experiment.
  • Students will observe.

Materials

  • One cup salt
  • One cup flour
  • One tsp. alum (available at any pharmacy)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • Bones, leaves, toy dinosaurs, shells

Procedures

  1. Mix the dry ingredients together.
  2. Slowly add the water until a dough is formed and the mixture stickstogether.
  3. Roll the dough into balls, then flatten into a pancake.
  4. Press the leaves, shells, bones, toy dinosaurs, or other objects in thedough to make an impression.
  5. Dry. (Paint if you desire.)
  6. Ask the children which objects made the different impressions.

Extension Activities:
  • Make fossils with plaster of Paris. (Rub petroleum jelly on the objectsbefore making an impression with them in the plaster of Paris.)
  • How about fossil cookies? Take "slice and bake" cookie dough and cut offa piece for each child. Let them make thumb prints or use other objectsto make impressions in the dough. Cook according to directions.
  • Make mud dough from dirt, water, straw, and glue. Let children makea pancake around an object, then dry it in the sun for several days.Break it open to reveal a fossil.
  • Excerpt from Science Surprises!.

    Make dinosaur bones or fossils with these clever ideas.
    Grades
    1 |
    2 |
    3 |
    4
    Themes
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