My First Discoveries · Drawing 13 of 40
The Past in Rocks
Earth
A fossil is what is left of a living thing from very long ago, or a trace of it. Sometimes a shell, a leaf or a bone leaves its shape in rock.
Did you know?
A footprint can also be a fossil.
Look together
Find the shell, leaf and footprint. How many toes can you see in the footprint?
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: How are dinosaur fossils formed?Recognize fossils as evidence about past life.
Page prepared on October 3, 2026. Illustrations are simplified for colouring.
This drawing is from the book My First Discoveries to Colour
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