Fossils and Models

Overview

In this lesson, students learn that fossils are made when plants or animals leave traces in the Earth over a long time. They explore simple evidence of “dinosaur discoveries” through a guided fossil-creation activity and then make and share a small fossil model using safe materials.

Learning intentions

• Students will investigate how fossils can form and what fossils tell us about dinosaurs.
• Students will use materials and simple techniques to make a fossil model.
• Students will describe what their fossil model shows and how they made it.
• Students will create a short group “sentence” about their fossil using beginning sounds and a few key words.

Success criteria

• I can say what my fossil model shows (dinosaur/footprints/bones/traces).
• I can use a material (playdough/clay/salt dough or another safe option) to make a “fossil” shape.
• I can tell a helper (or class) one thing I did (pressed, rolled, stamped, rubbed).
• I can show and say a beginning word for my discovery (e.g., “dino”, “foot”, “bones”, “fossil”).

Curriculum links

• Creative Arts (Visual Arts): CA1-VIS-01 — students make artworks using materials and techniques to represent subject matter and ideas, and describe ways artists convey ideas.
• English (Creating written texts): EN1-CWT-01 — students plan/create simple written ideas for different purposes using vocabulary and sentence-level patterns with support.
• Mathematics (3D objects): MA1-3DS-01 — students recognise, describe and represent familiar three-dimensional objects (model parts and features).

Lesson structure (90 minutes)

1. 0–10 min · Welcome and curiosity hook. Teacher shows 2–3 picture cards of dinosaur fossils (bones, footprint, leaf-like traces) and asks: “What do you think fossils are?” Students choose a card and point while teacher records key student words on a class chart.

2. 10–25 min · Mini lesson: what fossils tell us. Teacher uses simple, concrete language: “Fossils are traces left in the Earth. They can tell us about animals that lived a long time ago.” Teacher demonstrates a “make-believe timeline” using a row of 3 cards (animal lived → buried → fossil discovered). Students sequence cards with the teacher and practise key words: fossil, dinosaur, footprints/bones, traces.

3. 25–30 min · Safety and materials check. Teacher reviews safe hands, gentle pressing, and washing routines. Students practise “fossil press” on a scrap surface (no mess) for 30–60 seconds each.

4. 30–55 min · Create fossil texture plates (whole-group making). Teacher sets out materials: a shallow tray, a ball of dough (or clay), a plastic tool for pressing, and simple stamp/shape options (toy dinosaur, plastic leaf texture, footprint stamp). Teacher models: roll flat, press shape, then carefully lift to reveal the imprint. Students work in pairs: Student A presses and Student B lifts and checks the imprint, then they swap. Teacher circulates using prompts: “What did you press?” “What can you see now?”

5. 55–65 min · Turning models into “discoveries” (artist talk). Teacher invites students to hold up their fossil models and ask: “What does your fossil show?” “How did you make it?” Students respond with sentence starters on the board (e.g., “I made a ____.” / “It shows ____.” / “I pressed ____.”). Teacher writes the sentence on a sticky note or class chart using the students’ spoken words.

6. 65–78 min · Make a simple written caption (supported). Teacher provides a “caption strip” with 2–3 picture cues and a small writing space. Teacher models matching words to images (fossil / dino / footprint / bones) and marking beginning sounds. Students complete one caption strip each: they circle the correct picture and trace or copy the first letter for their key word (e.g., F for fossil, D for dino, B for bones). Teacher checks understanding by asking each student to read/point to their word.

7. 78–90 min · Share, clean up, and exit check. Teacher creates a “museum” corner where models are displayed. Students take turns: show the model and say one fact they learned (“Fossils tell us about dinosaurs because…”) using the class word bank. Teacher gives a quick exit check: “Point to your fossil and say one word: fossil/bones/footprint/traces.”

Resources

• Picture cards of dinosaur fossils (bones/footprints/traces)
• Dough/clay (salt dough or air-dry clay) and rolling tools (child-safe)
• Shallow trays or boards for work
• Toy dinosaur pieces or plastic footprint/bone-shaped stamps
• Texture items (toy leaf texture, comb, safe plastic textures)
• Plastic tools for pressing/lifting (blunt or child-safe)
• Caption strips with picture cues and writing space
• Sticky notes or class chart paper, markers
• Wipes, hand soap, paper towels
• Aprons or smocks

Assessment

• Observation during making: Can students press and lift safely to reveal an imprint/model feature?
• Oral language check during sharing: Can students describe what their fossil shows and one action they used (pressed/rolled/stamped)?
• Written/caption evidence: Students identify and mark a key word (circle picture and trace/copy first letter).

Differentiation

• Support: Use sentence starters, picture word banks, and hand-over-hand modelling for rolling, pressing, and lifting.
• Support for fine-motor: Provide thicker crayons/large tracing shapes; allow tracing instead of writing letters.
• Extension: Invite a “second discovery” by pressing an additional shape (e.g., footprint + texture) and adding a second circled picture on the caption strip.
• EAL/SEN: Keep instructions short, repeat key vocabulary, use gestures (press, lift, show) and allow one-word responses if needed.