This science-based homeschooling activity is a great way to introduce your child to the fossil record. The memory game is super easy to make and will support all sorts of learning.
Science Standards Addressed (NGSS): MS-LS3-1, MS-LS4-1, MS-LS4-2 HS-LS1-1, HS-LS1-2, HS-LS3-1, HS-LS4-1, HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-4
Materials:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of salt
1 cup of warm (!) water - helps the game pieces to better maintain their shape
A set of Cambrian Organisms (I used this Safari LTD Life Toob)
Black Marker
Background: The Burgess Shale is a world famous fossil deposit in the Canadian Rockies. By revealing a diverse collection of early marine fossils, the Burgess Shale provides a record of life during the Cambrian period (~500 million years ago). During this time period, life existed only in the world's oceans and consisted of primitive arthropods such as trilobites that were scavenging the seafloor in search of food particles. Fossils preserved in the Burgess Shale commonly exhibit hard parts (such as shells or scales) as well as soft tissue (such as eggs or even nervous systems) and provide scientists with critical information regarding early life. This memory game offers a great way to introduce your child to the fossil record as well as the relationship between an organism's structures (e.g. shell) and their function(s) (e.g. protection from predators).
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a bowl, mix 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 cup of salt and 1 cup of warm water (the ratio is 2:1:1).
Knead until a smooth dough forms.
Using a rolling pin, roll out your salt dough until it is approximately 1/8th of an inch thick.
Use a regular drinking glass (diameter ~1.5 - 2 inches), to cut out circles. Use the set of Cambrian organisms to create impressions of each type of organism. You will need two playing pieces per species.
Place your "fossils" on a baking sheet (I lined my baking sheet with baking paper)
Bake for 2 hours.
Once baked, let your "fossils" cool for 15 minutes.
Using a black pen, write the name of each type of fossil on your playing pieces.
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