Christ the King College

HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

City of San Fernando, La Union 2500 Philippines

GRADE 11 GEN BIO 2

Name: ________________________ Date: _____________________ Work Habit (4) ____

Section: ____________Teacher_____________________________ Accuracy/Content (4) ____
Neatness (4) ____
Punctuality (4) ____ 20
Visual Impact (4) ____

FOSSILS
Worksheet No. 5

Learning Target:
To create fossils out of natural and man-made objects
To identify types of fossils

Materials.
Ice cream cups Modelling Clay
Objects to be made into fossils Plaster of Paris
Petroleum Jelly Plastic Spoons
Paper Towels

Activity 1: IMPRINT
1. Choose the object you want to make a fossil of. Any natural object (shells, leaves, animal bone) will do as
long as it fits in the container. If you choose leaves, be sure it is not dry.
2. Coat the object with petroleum jelly. This will keep the object from sticking to the plaster when you try to
remove it. Coat it thoroughly.
3. Mix plaster and water in a bowl. Follow the directions on the plaster of Paris packaging. Mix them together
thoroughly and let the concoction sit for a few minutes without stirring. You should need about 2x more water
than plaster, but you can adjust the ratio as you see fit.
4. Press the object into the plaster of Paris. Be careful not to push too hard! Now your part is done; all it has to
do is dry. Set it aside and check it the next day; drying will take at least one day.
5. Remove the object. After you've waited 24 hours, pop your natural item out of the plaster of Paris. It's just
like a shell that was enveloped in soil for thousands of years. It was disintegrated and this image was left
behind.

Activity 2: 3D Fossil
1. Choose the object you want to make a fossil of. Any natural object (shells, leaves, animal bone) will do as
long as it fits in the container. If you choose leaves, be sure it is not dry.
2. Combine the plaster of Paris with water. Use 1 part plaster of Paris to 2 parts water and mix well in a paper
cup with a plastic spoon. Let it sit while you work with the clay.
3. Choose an object as the template of your fossil. Generally, leaves, shells, branches, or bones work best. Just
make sure you have enough clay and plaster to cover it.
4. Knead the modeling clay until it is soft and pliable. This will be what your object rests and forms an
impression in. It needs to be kneaded until it can cover the area of your object.
5. Coat the object with petroleum jelly. Firmly yet slowly press it into the modeling clay to

A. In a separate sheet draw the fossils that you have made.

B. Generalization
1. Discuss the relevance of the discoveries of fossils to the way we understand our modern world.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________