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Paleo-Artists

Activity

Imagining Life in Fossilized Creatures

Have everyone design their own fossil. Build it out of clay or other materials. Share your fossil with a classmate, teacher or friend, and have someone else create the creature they think made the fossil! Give it a scientific name and a common name and briefly describe its characteristics. Where did it live? Was it a plant or animal? If it was an animal, what did it eat? How large was it? How long did it live?
Mosquito preserved in amber droplet
fossilized skeleton of a marine reptile, possibly an ichthyosaur, embedded in stone
Folssil of Trilobite - ancient fossilized arthropod on rock

Science Seed

A fossil is the remains or traces of a plant or animal that lived a long time ago, buried in the ground and turned into rock. Fossils can be bones, shells, or even footprints that have hardened over millions of years. They help us learn about what life was like in the past and how plants and animals have changed over time. Because fossils do not preserve skin or organs, it can be difficult for scientists to determine what dinosaurs really looked like and how heavy they were. They can only guess weight based on how much modern land animals weigh for their size and scale up for dinosaurs.
botany jar illustration

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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).

Explore Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

The Ecologist School Pocket Guide: TSBVI edition is a collaboration between Families in Nature and the Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired as an effort to help our community learn more about the TSBVI campus, while getting outside into nature together! This booklet has 80 lessons across 16 different branches of science to help you play, learn, and volunteer on campus!

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.
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