Early Childhood

The Essential Question
How can fossils teach us about our past? How can we use clay to create our own fossils?

Objective
Students will create a clay fossil by rolling and flattening clay and using various objects to create texture.

Materials

• clay
• placemats
• neutral-colored crayons or oil pastels
• neutral-colored watercolors
• various materials to press into clay (e.g., shells, plastic bugs)
• images of fossils

Step 1
Ask students if they know what a fossil is. Allow time for discussion. Show images of fossils and explain that fossils come from the remains of plants and animals buried in the ground, and that there are different types of fossils.

Step 2
Demonstrate how to roll a ball of clay and press it down to create the thickness of a pancake. Then show students how to press seashells and plastic bugs into the clay and remove them to reveal the imprint.

Step 3
Pass out clay and have students repeat the demonstrated steps. Remind them not to roll the clay too thin. Have students carve their names into the bottom of their fossils.

Step 4
Fire the clay fossils in a kiln or allow them to dry if using air-dry clay.

Step 5
Demonstrate how to color and texture using neutral-colored crayons or oil pastels, then paint with brown or neutral-colored watercolors.

Assessment
Did students successfully roll clay and press textures to create a fossil? Did students add color and create textures with crayons, oil pastels, and watercolor paint?

Emily Thaler is an art teacher at Bannockburn Elementary School in Bethesda, Maryland.