Fossils worksheets, activities, sorting, types of fossil

Are you teaching fossils to third or fourth-grade students? This comprehensive pack of reading passages, activities and worksheets covers how fossils form, types of fossil, the work of paleontologists, names of fossils, and lots more!

Use to support an Earth science unit on fossils or prehistoric animals, for centers, homework, or homeschool.

What included?

This resource is divided into 11 sections. You can see a detailed breakdown of what each includes below.

Please note, the resource is not editable (US and UK versions are included). Many pages are included in both color and in black and white.

1. What is a fossil?

• 1-page introduction to what a fossil is (color and black and white).

2. How a fossil is formed

• 1-page picture introduction showing the most common way a fossil is formed, with a T.rex example. Pictures are in order and are included in black and white and in color.
• As above, but the pictures are out of order for students to cut out and sequence. Arrows are also included, should you want students to use them alongside the pictures.

3. Other types of fossils

• 1-page explanation of other types of fossils (mold, cast, trace, and true form). Included in color and in black and white.
• Cut and paste activity for students to match the definitions and images to the 4 fossil types. Color and black and white labels, and answers are included.

4. What is a paleontologist?

• 1-page introduction to the work of a paleontologist. Color and black and white.
• 3 printable page options for students to write/draw the tools and equipment a paleontologist would use.

5. An artist’s impression - what is paleoart?

• 1-page introduction to paleoart (color and b/w).
• 2 x drawing pages for students to try sketching the actual animal from its fossil. The 2 examples to choose from are a plesiosaur and an ichthyosaur. Both were marine reptiles (rather than dinosaurs).

6. Fossil study page

• Simple drawing/writing page for students to use to record information about a fossil (either from a real specimen or from a book/trusted website if you don’t have access to actual fossils).

7. Fossil examples - word wall cards

• Word wall cards showing 12 different fossils in color and in black and white. Print and cut out. You could also cut each card in half for a matching activity.

8. Meet a trilobite

• 1-page information sheet about trilobites in color and in black and white.
• Question page about trilobites.
• Answers.

9. Fossil word search for early finishers

• 12 words to find across, down, and diagonally. Solution page included.

10. Fossil sort, cut and paste activity

• A sorting sheet with 4 boxes (vertebrate fossils, invertebrate fossils, plant fossils, and not a fossil).
• Labels for students to cut and sort (color and black and white).
• Answers page.

11. Fossil task cards

• 4-to-a-page task cards to print and cut out (12 cards in total). Each card has a multiple-choice question to answer. Color and black and white pages included.
• Answer page for students to complete (2-to-a-page).
• Completed answer page.
• 2 editable pages to add your own questions to if needed.