Introduction

Fossils and bones is a great way to bring excellence and enjoyment into your science curriculum. This workshop will:

• Teach important science topics, using fun hands on activities that will engage children

• Leave you with amazing outcomes for display - a wide variety of painted fossils and (for KS2)either a full size cut-out skeleton of a dinosaur or 8 skulls of prehistoric monsters

• Encourage children's enthusiasm for science by bringing it to life, by getting them to solve puzzles and create exciting works of art

• Create excitement in the classroom by using subject matter which children love - the magic and mystery of fossils and dinosaurs

Fossils and bones takes children back in time hundreds of millions of years to periods of earth's history when life was very different - and often much bigger! - a time when giant shells and crab-like creatures swam the oceans, giant dragonflies flew among giant horsetail trees, and the land was stalked by vast reptiles with long necks and tails, terrifying teeth, and deadly horns.

Learn more about the History of Life on Earth

Archaeopteryx, the first known bird (150 million years old), copy seen in workshop

The main evidence for these creatures lies in the fossilized remains of their hard parts - shells, bones, and especially teeth. We will look at many examples of these, some real and some replicas, in order to learn about these ancient life forms, as well as important science concepts which are part of the National Curriculum. By looking at a wide range of fossil animals (and some plants) children will learn about variation. They will also learn about adaptation, by identifying features the creatures possess which helped them to survive, such as shells for protection, wings for flying, or sharp teeth for killing and eating.

Trilobites, seen in fossil game and painted by children as a plaster cast

Then, focusing on human and animal skeletons, children will learn about the different types and purposes of bones, as well as how different vertebrates have the same sorts of bones but evolved into different shapes and sizes, according to their habitats and lifestyles.

Above all, by making accurate fossils paintings and dinosaur skeleton pictures, children will remember these science concepts, because well-desiged hands-on activities are an enormous aid to learning, as well as being highly enjoyable. Learning will be further enhanced by the many excellent visuals the children will see, as well as the exciting challenge of team games.

Replica of T rex skeleton at the Manchester Museum

Y 4/5 children making the T rex

Lesson Plan: Morning

1. Introduction, handle fossils (20-30 minutes)

Learn what a fossil is, how a fossil is made. In pairs handle three real fossils (ammonite, leaf/horsetail, shark's tooth). Discuss what each fossil is, what features it has. If appropriate for the class, discuss adaptation and evolution. The enormous history and diversity of life on earth (with photos to illustrate). Explain plan of the day.

2. Fossil game (30 minutes)

Ichthyosaur skull

Children are divided into 5 teams, and go round the classroom with 4 minutes at each table, where they have to identify fossils (using pictures of the living animals). Children will look at 15, 20 or 25 fossils, depending on age group, with a mix of real fossils and replicas. For each fossil they also have to identify another feature (you can state your preference) - e.g. habitat (land, water, air), structure (vertebrate, invertebrate, plant), or adaptation (shell for protection, sharp teeth for eating, strong bones for supporting weight, etc.)

To see all the fossils in the game click here.

After the lesson, each member of the winning team can choose a real fossil as a prize. In a full day's workshop the scores from the two games (including the name the bone game in the afternoon) are added together to get an overall winner, and this team will get a free fossil each.

3. Paint fossils (45 minutes)

Children will paint an accurate fossil replica, cast in durable herculite plaster. Most will have their own, although a few fossils are larger and require a pair (and 3 or 4 for the archaeopteryx). They will bring out the details to aid understanding of the features, mimicking the actions of scientists and museum artists. A wide range of fossils are available (up to 23, depending on age group), so at the end you can display them like a museum collection. Follow the links above to see children's work.

Archaeopteryx fossil replica, painted by Y4 children

Fossils for sale

After the lesson (at the end of the day for a full day's workshop) I will have a variety of fossils for sale at low prices (10p, 20p, 50p, and a few for £1), most of which I collected myself. These include leaves, horsetails, shells, ammonites, goniatites, belemnites, coral, crinoids, and shark's teeth.

Lunchtime helpers

Over lunch I will need 6 children (or adults) to help me cut out the background shapes for the dinosaur picture. This should take about 30 minutes.

Below: fossils painted by Y4 girls. Click to see larger version.

Crinoid

Ammonites

Dragonfly

Lesson Plan: Afternoon

1. Skeletons and bones (15 minutes)

Look at model of a human skeleton and learn the names of the main bones, with reference to our own bodies. Look at a diagram of a dinosaur skeleton and see how they have similar bones, but adapted into different shapes and sizes.

Note - depending on the schedule of your day, we may look at the skeleton model before lunch, so as to leave plenty of time to make the dinosaur skeleton.

Also, if you have your own skeleton model we can use that, to save me time in assembling and disassembling my own.

2. Name the bone game (25 minutes)

Go round the room in the same teams as in the morning, handling animal bones. From 10 to 20 bones are used, depending on the age of the children and time available. Animals include cat, fox, bison, guinea pig, rabbit, sheep and goat. Click here to see the bones used in the lesson.

Children try to identify (a) what type of bone they are and (b) which animal they came from, with the aid of pictures, and rulers to measure the bones. For older children, the pictures have a scale, so that children can work out what size a particular bone should be for a given animal - e.g. a cat's skull is about 9cm, but a fox's is about 17cm. For younger children, the length of each bone is given so the task is easier.

3. Make a dinosaur! (90 minutes)

There are two options for this activity: 1) make one complete dinosaur skeleton, or 2) make the skulls of six prehistoric monsters. Details are below.

Children will be divided into pairs (or 3s) and given materials (pencils, paper, stencils, scissors, glue) to cut out the bones of a dinosaur and stick them onto background shapes (made of brown wrapping paper). We will do this in the hall as a lot of space is needed. This activity is analogous to that of a palaentologist discovering scattered bones and trying to fit them together on the basis of a diagram of a skeleton.

Click here to see children making a T rex skeleton

At the end the pieces will be laid next to each other so children can see the complete skeleton or skulls. I will assist teachers in fixing the pictures to a wall after school. This takes a while and requires step ladders (ideally two sets), but is well worth it!

Option 1: Complete dinosaur skeleton - years 4-6 only (may be too difficult for some year 4s)

There are two choices for the dinosaur skeleton: Tyrannosaurus rex (12m long x 4m high) and Triceratops (8m long x 3m high). Your choice may depend on the size of your hall (or other wall). If your hall is not long enough, it is possible to bend the tail round a corner. Note that stepladders will be needed for fixing the dinosaur to the wall, as well as at least one adult to assist.

The advantage of this option is that you will have a complete skeleton, which is useful for teaching about the different bones. Also children will be able to appreciate the enormous size of these creatures. If however you do not have room for the complete skeleton, or it is too difficult for your class, you can do option 2 instead.

A finished T rex is shown at the top of the page. The Triceratops is below.

Option 2: Monster skulls - years 3-6

In groups of 4 or 5, children will make the skulls of eight prehistoric monsters (click here for pictures):

• Tyrannosaurus rex

• Triceratops

• Diplodocus

• Brachiosaurus

• Megalodon (giant shark)

• Sarcosuchus (giant crocodile)

• Pteranodon (giant flying reptile)

• Steppe mammoth (with very long tusk)

This option is easier than making a complete skeleton. It is also easier to display as each skull takes up much less room, although quite a lot of space will be needed overall. The skulls are mainly 1-2m long or high; the mammoth is 5m long.

This option is also useful for comparing animals, in terms of their adaptations - e.g. the sharp teeth of the T rex, Sarcosuchus and Megalodon can be compared with the more rounded grinding teeth of the Triceratops and mammoth; and the large frill of the Triceratops can be compared with a similar structure on the Pteranodon- in  both it mainly served the purpose of display for courtship or perhaps dominance displays/fighting.