3rd Grade Art & Science Projects — The Inventor's Workshop — Building and Discovering
Students will create fossil impressions using plaster and natural objects, learning how fossils form and what they teach us about God's creation.
Fossils are the preserved remains or impressions of living things from long ago. They are found in rock and tell us about the plants and animals God created. Fossils help us learn about creatures we may never see alive.
Fossils form when a plant or animal is buried quickly in mud or sediment. Over time, the mud hardens into rock, preserving the shape or impression of the organism. Some fossils are bones, some are shells, and some are just the prints left behind.
There are different types of fossils. A mold fossil is an impression left in rock, like a footprint in mud. A cast fossil forms when minerals fill in the mold and create a copy of the original shape.
When we study fossils, we can see the amazing variety of life that God created. From tiny sea shells to giant dinosaur bones, fossils remind us of God's power and creativity as the Designer of all living things.
Make fossil impressions by pressing leaves, shells, plastic toy dinosaurs, or other natural objects into a flat piece of clay or salt dough. Let it dry to create mold fossils. Then pour plaster of Paris into the molds to create cast fossils. Paint your finished fossils and label each one.