Allow the children to answer and then explain that most likely the hard parts of our bodies are preserved such as our teeth and bones. These fossils are usually smashed into sedimentary rock, which are rocks that are layered on top of each other. We will then further elaborate on fossils. Fossils are our only clues to life in the past. They help us learn about how things have changed though time.
Fossils are like a photograph of an animal at a particular point in the history of the Earth.
Connect this to pictures of their great grandparents to make a connection for the children. You have already seen pictures of some fossils and you probably already know that fossils can be animals, plants, shells, bones, or even eggs. Dinosaurs are the most popular fossils. Fossils help us understand what kinds of environments existed millions of years ago. The people who study these fossils are called paleontologists.