One way history is preserved is by fossils. Here is an easy impression fossil craft to do with your kids for CC Cycle 3 Week 23 Science memory work. An impression fossil is a print from a living thing. Impression fossils are found in the ground of leaves, octopus, tracks, etc. This is slightly different than a fossilized bone. The object made an impression on wet mud and then was very quickly covered with lots of water and mud so as to preserve the print.
Materials
- Air drying clay
- Dinosaur toy or other animal toy
- Rolling pin
Make the Impression Fossil
- Roll out air drying clay with rolling pin.
- Push the dinosaur toy into the clay to make an impression.
- Let clay dry.
- Now you have your impression fossil.
If you liked this craft, check out my whole guide for weeks 1-24 here.
How a Fossil is Made
Conditions have to be correct to form a fossil. Otherwise the animal would just rot away. To make a fossil, the animal has to be covered with lots of mud and water so there is no oxygen to make the animal decay. It also has to be buried deep so there is pressure. All this must happen quickly (or some animal may come along and eat the dead thing). The water makes the bone exchange into minerals (a fossil is just a rock actually). A good time in history when there was lots of water and mud was during Noah’s Flood. This is most likely when all the fossils were made.
Additional Resources
- What really Happened to the Dinosaurs? by Morris and Ham. Great book for kids on dinosaurs and how fossils were formed from a creation perspective.
- Guide to Creation Basics by ICR: Institute for Creation Research. Wonderful overview book for adults and older students about creation and evolution. Also includes dating methods, fossils, and lots more.