Projects that are active add a level of excitement to classroom work. A staged dig, for example, will give a student experience with the rigors of the archaeology. It will also illustrate the way information is gathered to build a bigger picture of the past. Use hidden envelopes filled with paper models of fossilized bones. The student finds each envelope and builds a complete skeleton, such as a dinosaur skeleton, out of the bones. This gives a student an idea of how information is collected at random and put together to reveal the truth about the beginnings of life on earth.
Worksheets that turn fossil facts into a game, such as a crossword puzzle, are an entertaining way to give out a simple piece of homework. A more complicated project, such as a written report on fossil discovery, will give a sixth-grade student a longer-term project to focus on. A report will also give a sixth grader a foundation in research and written communication; this is an important tool that will help him later in his education.
A fossil-themed party will get students excited about the subject. Decorate the classroom with cutouts of bones, layout samples of rock as party favors and ask students to bring fossil-themed snacks, such as cookies imprinted with the outline of leaf fossils. You could also throw a dinosaur-themed party that asks a student to prepare a dinosaur character as a guest. The student introduces himself to the class with all the details about his dinosaur character.
A field trip to view a museum fossil display will give a student a look at the real thing. Many archaeological, natural history or science museums have fossilized invertebrates on display. Some, such as Chicago's Field Museum, have complete paleolithic skeletons. Museums offer group discounts and guided field trips for schools; these help a teacher manage the group during the trip.