What to do with this activity?
Fossils are the remains of plants or animals, or the tracks they left behind, that are preserved as stone. They date from between 10,000 years ago up to billions of years ago. Fossils can tell us about plants and animals that no longer exist, or show us earlier versions of life that still exist today. Everything we know about dinosaurs was learned from finding their fossilised remains.
See how fossils were formed by watching this animated video on youtube from Dinosaur Days. If your child is particularly interested, download an Irish online publication "Discovering Ireland’s Rocks and Fossils" by Adam Stuart Smith and Patrick Wyse Jackson by clicking on the yellow activity link below. It has 27 pages of information and activities for kids.
Apparently Ireland is a very fossil rich country. See if you can get hold of the "Appletree Pocket Guide to Irish Fossils" by Patrick Gaffikin online or via your local library (which is a free service).
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Why am I doing this?
Talking and listening helps your child build their language and thinking skills – this is a great foundation for them to learn more. Asking questions, finding out answers and looking up words together will help build your child’s vocabulary and knowledge of the world around them.
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How can I do more?
Encourage your child to give their opinions and to ask questions about things they see around them. Help your child to make decisions by discussing their ideas. Check if your child understands different things they hear. Encourage your child to teach you new words and phrases they have learnt.
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