Science Fenns K-5Grades K to 5
A child with a small brush kneeling on a limestone creek bed in Texas and holding a spiral shell fossil.

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Fossils Tell the Past

Texas fossils and what they show.

Lesson 38 of 41

Try this first

Before we start

Today’s story

Fossils Tell the Past

Walk along a limestone creek bed in Texas and look down. You may find small spiral shells and sea creatures in the rock. Texas was once covered by a warm, shallow sea.

A fossil is a trace or remain of a living thing from long ago. It can be a bone, a shell, a footprint or a leaf print. Most formed when a dead plant or animal got buried in mud or sand, and the mud slowly turned to rock.

Fossils are evidence. They tell us what lived long ago and where. Common Texas fossils include dinosaur tracks, ammonites and shark teeth. Here are the steps.

See it

Five steps. Every time.

    Hands on

    Make a Fossil Print

    25 minutes · Do this with a grown-up nearby

    You need

    • Modeling clay
    • A shell or leaf
    • Plaster of Paris from an adult
    • A paper cup
    • Water
    • A spoon

    Do this

    1. Flatten a piece of clay.
    2. Press a shell into the clay and lift it out.
    3. Look at the print left behind.
    4. Ask an adult to mix plaster in the cup.
    5. Pour a little plaster into the print.
    6. Let it harden and peel away the clay.
    Write or draw: Draw the print and the cast. Label the shell.

    Watch for: Notice that the print is a mirror of the shell. Notice how much detail the clay kept.

    Safety: An adult mixes the plaster. Do not put plaster down the drain and wash hands after.

    Same every time

    Three rules

    Rule 1Fossils are evidence.

    They show what once lived.

    Rule 2Do not break them.

    Look and take photos.

    Rule 3Ask first.

    Get permission on private land.

    Grandpa Fenn’s notebook

    Say it like a scientist

    fossil
    A trace or remain of a living thing from long ago.
    evidence
    Facts that help show something is true.
    limestone
    A rock often made from old sea shells.
    sea
    A large body of salty water.

    Poppy’s quiz

    Six questions

    Tap an answer. Green means right. You will see why.

    Talk about it

    Say it out loud

    • How do you know a rock holds a fossil and is not just a shape? What would you look for?
    • Where near home might fossils be found?
    Did you know

    Dinosaur tracks are preserved at Dinosaur Valley State Park in Texas.

    Someone who does this

    A paleontologist digs up and studies fossils.

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