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Create Fossil Impressions

Activity

Explore the Art of Fossil Rubbings!

Explore how fossils can be represented through rubbing impressions. Press objects such as leaves, shells, rocks, or small bones (or objects like fossil replicas) onto a piece of paper. Using colored pencils, crayons or chalk, rub over the surface of the objects to create textured pictures, similar to how fossil impressions are transferred to rock over time. Add your own artistic touches, drawing the organisms that made the imprints or adding background details of the prehistoric world! What kinds of textures or patterns might tell us about an ancient creature’s skin, or how plants once thrived in the environment? How does the rubbing help us understand the way fossils form and preserve the history of life on Earth?

Science Seed

Impression and fossil casts often form when an organism is buried in mud, sand, or other sediments, and over millions of years, these materials harden into rock. The impressions left by hard parts like bones, shells, or leaves are preserved, creating natural imprints. These imprints act like a “memory” of the past, showing us what plants and animals once lived in an area. When making a rubbing, you’re simulating the process of how these impressions were preserved in rock. Just as the rubbing captures the texture and shape of the object, fossils capture the shape and features of prehistoric life.

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earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

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join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.

This project was made possible by HEB.