1. FOSSILS: A Moment Frozen In Time

2. Arizona Standards GRADE 3 Strand 6: Earth and Space Science
Concept 1: Identify the basic properties of Earth materials
PO 4: Describe fossils as a record of past life forms

3. What is a Fossil?
A fossil is the remains or evidence of any creature or plant that once lived on the Earth.
(Mann, 2005)

4. Are There Different Kinds of Fossils?
One way to group fossils is by how they were formed.

5. Body Fossils Actual remains of an animal or plant.
Imprints made by the dead animal or plant.
RARE Ancient Bird from China with Great Detail (Virtual Fossil Museum, 2002)

6. Body Fossils Can Be Made From:
Bones
Teeth
Skin impressions
Hair
Animal shells
Impressions of an animal or plant…even if parts are missing!

7. Trace Fossils
Something made by the animal while it was alive that has hardened into stone.
Dinosaur footprint from the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm, southwestern Utah (M. Wilson, 2008)

8. Trace Fossils Can Be Made From:
Animal Tracks and Trails
Burrows: (a hole an animal dug into mud).
Borings: a hole or holes an animal dug into a hard surface (like wood or rock).
Eggs and Nests
Coprolites: poop that has become fossilized (no-longer stinky, but still icky!)
Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, 2001

9. Hands-On Activity: Making Fossils
Materials
One cup salt
One cup flour
One tsp. alum (available at any pharmacy)
3/4 cup water
Items to make fossil impressions - bones, leaves, toy dinosaurs, shells, etc.

10. Hands-On Activity: Making Fossils
Procedure
Mix the dry ingredients together.
Slowly add the water until a dough is formed and the mixture sticks together.
Roll the dough into balls, then flatten into a pancake.
Press the leaves, shells, bones, toy dinosaurs, or other objects in the dough to make an impression.
Dry. Paint if you desire.
Extend it! Group the fossils into
Body or Trace fossils!

11. Where Can I Go to See Fossils in Arizona?
Arizona Museum of Natural History
53 North MacDonald Drive
Mesa, Arizona
(480)
R.S. Dietz Museum of Geology
Arizona State University – Tempe Campus
Bateman Physical Sciences, F Wing Room 186
Tempe, Arizona 85287
(480) –

12. Helpful Teaching Websites for Fossils
Paleontological Experiences for Science Teachers by the University of Wisconsin
Learning from the Fossil Record by the UC Museum of Paleontology
Earth Science Classroom Activities from the Kentucky Geological Survey