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How to Make a Fossil Project

Fossils are evidence of creatures that lived long ago. Thousands, even millions of years ago, animals or plants sometimes became encased so completely by mud pr other sediments that they were not exposed to rotting or being eaten. The bones, teeth and skulls were eventually replaced by other minerals that created replicas of the original. These are called fossils. Sometime you may need to make a project for school that shows the basics of fossils.

Things You'll Need

  • Modeling clay
  • Plastic foam block (such as Styrofoam)
  • Shell
  • Plaster of Paris
  • Plastic bowl
  • Plastic spoon
  • Butter knife
  • Small, shallow wooden tray
  • Sand
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Instructions

  1. Make Your Mold

    • 1

      Cut a square into your foam with a butter knife. Make the cut about 1 inch deep. Remove the square.

    • 2

      Push your modeling clay into the foam square gently. Work until the entire square is covered in clay.

    • 3

      Press your shell or similar fossil impression into the clay. Press it in as deeply as you can.

    Make Your Fossil

    • 4

      Mix your plaster of Paris with water. You'll only need a small amount. You want the mixture to be runny like pancake mix.

    • 5

      Pour the plaster into the mold. Fill it up to the top of the foam. Let it dry for 24 hours.

    • 6

      Remove the clay and plaster combination from the foam block. Separate the clay from the plaster.

    • 7

      Pour some sand into your small wooden tray. Fill it up about two thirds of the way.

    • 8

      Place your fossil in your sand pit. It will make it look like a real fossil dig site!


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