My First Discoveries · Drawing 13 of 40
The Past in Rocks
Earth
Fossils are preserved remains or traces of past life. A buried bone can sometimes be preserved in rock.
Did you know?
A footprint can also be a fossil.
Look together
Find the shell, leaf and footprint. What traces did they leave?
An idea to try
Draw a leaf and its imagined impression in rock.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
The museum displays three separate specimens: an ammonite, a leaf impression and a footprint. They illustrate remains or traces of ancient life; they do not necessarily come from the same place or time. Fossilization is rare and can follow several processes.
Look together: compare the coiled shell, leaf veins and toes in the footprint. The child can draw a leaf and imagine the impression it might leave in rock.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
Illustrations simplify shapes and sizes. Models and enlargements help observation; choose your own colours.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Natural History Museum: The Past in RocksRecognize fossils as evidence about past life.
Source review: 2026-10-03. Illustrations are simplified for colouring.
