Fossils and Rocks

Lesson Overview

In this 60-minute lesson, Year 3 students will learn about fossils and how they are formed. Using simple language and hands-on activities, students will explore the natural process of fossils being created when living things become trapped in rock. This lesson aligns with the Science National Curriculum for England, specifically focusing on the programme of study for Year 3: Understanding rocks and fossils as evidence of living things in the past.

National Curriculum Links

Science – Year 3 Programme of Study:

• Identify and describe how fossils are formed when things that have lived are trapped within rock.
• Recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter.
• Key ideas: Understanding different types of rocks and recognising fossils as evidence of past life.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Explain in simple terms how fossils form.
• Describe what fossils can tell us about living things that existed long ago.
• Understand the basic process of fossilisation involving sediment and rock.
• Show curiosity and ask questions about prehistoric life and rocks.

Resources

• Copies of simple fossil images or replicas (plastic or plaster).
• Transparent plastic tubs with layers of sand, soil, and small fossils or fossil models embedded inside.
• Whiteboards and markers or plain paper for drawing.
• Fossil formation animation or slideshow (teacher-led, no screen needed if technology unavailable).
• Plasticine or modelling clay for a hands-on fossil-making activity.
• Worksheet with questions and space to draw fossil observations.

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Begin by asking: “What do you think a fossil is? Have you ever seen one before?”
• Show a variety of fossil images and replica fossils, explaining that fossils are the remains of plants and animals that lived a very long time ago.
• Introduce the idea that fossils are often found in rock.
• Link to National Curriculum: Engage children with the idea of how fossils help us understand living things from the past.

2. Explaining Fossil Formation (15 minutes)

• Use a simple narrative to describe fossil formation:

1. When plants or animals die, sometimes they get covered quickly by mud or sand.
2. Over a very long time, the mud and sand harden into rock, trapping the remains inside.
3. The remains slowly turn into rock themselves, creating a fossil.

• Show layers in the plastic tubs to illustrate how sediments cover remains.
• Use a diagram or draw on the board with the class to visualise this process.
• Emphasise simple vocabulary: trapped, covered, harden, remains.

3. Hands-on Fossil Making Activity (20 minutes)

• Give each pupil some plasticine or modelling clay to create their own "fossil."
• Ask them to press leaves, shells, or small plastic animals into the clay to create an imprint.
• Then, talk through how in real life, this imprint might be covered with layers of sediment and turn into a fossil over many years.
• Have pupils label their creation with simple descriptions or write one sentence explaining what it shows.

4. Group Discussion and Q&A (10 minutes)

• Gather pupils and discuss what they learned.
• Prompt with questions such as:
• Why do you think fossils are important?
• What can fossils tell us about animals that lived a long time ago?
• Link ideas back to Science understanding in the curriculum that fossils tell the story of the Earth’s past life.

5. Plenary and Assessment (5 minutes)

• Use the worksheet with simple questions, e.g.:
• What is a fossil?
• How are fossils formed?
• Draw a picture of a fossil trapped in rock.
• Collect or review these to assess understanding.
• Praise pupils for their curiosity and engagement.

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Differentiation

• Support pupils with visual aids, vocabulary cards, and one-to-one help during the activity.
• Extend more able pupils by asking them to hypothesise why some fossils might not form or what conditions help fossilisation.
• Use group work to enable peer support.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observation during practical activity to check understanding.
• Responses during question and answer session.
• Review of completed worksheets to ensure clarity in describing fossil formation.

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Additional Tips to Wow Teachers

• Use storytelling to bring fossil formation to life, imagine being a tiny creature buried in mud millions of years ago.
• Encourage pupils to become “young palaeontologists” discovering fossils in their tubs.
• Incorporate cross-curricular links: create simple fossil poems, or add an art session depicting prehistoric creatures in Topic lessons.
• Use real or replica fossils donated from a museum if available, to increase authenticity and engagement.

This engaging, hands-on, and accessible lesson will help Year 3 children grasp the wonders of fossils while aligning precisely with the Science National Curriculum.