Fossil Dig Site
Source Institutions
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Chicago Children's Museum
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In this activity (located on page 5 of PDF), learners work in groups to create dig sites for display. Learners arrange dry, uncooked pasta "bones" to resemble dinosaur fossils on a foam tray of wet soil. Use this activity to introduce learners to dinosaur anatomy, dig sites, fossils, and paleontology in general. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]
- 5 to 10 minutes
- 30 to 45 minutes
- $10 - $20 per group of students
- Ages 6 - 11
- Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan, Model
- English
Quick Guide
Materials List (per group of students)
- Measuring cup
- White glue and potting soil mixture, for each skeleton: 2/3 cup glue, 1/3 cup water, 2 cups potting soil - stir together with spoon
- Uncooked pasta in various shapes and sizes
- Bowls and spoons
- Medium sized foam trays (found at restaurant supply stores)
- Newspaper or other materials to cover desks
- Books with images of dinosaurs
Subjects
- Earth and Space Science
- Earth's History
- Fossils
- Dinosaurs
- History of Life
- Earth's History
- Life Sciences
- Diversity of Life
- Animals
- Diversity of Life
- Mathematics
- Measurement
- Size and Scale
- Measurement
- The Nature of Science
- Science as a Career
Informal Categories
- Animals
- Arts and Crafts
- Food and Cooking
- Model Building
Audience
To use this activity, learners need to:
- see
- touch
Learning styles supported:
- Involves teamwork and communication skills
- Involves hands-on or lab activities
Other
Includes alignment to state and/or national standards
Access Rights:
- Free access
By:
Rights:
- All Rights Reserved, Chicago Children's Museum, ©2011
