Discovering Fossils Activity Source: Adapted with permission from the National Park Service. A fossil is any evidence of past life preserved in a geologic context, such as within rock or sediment. This activity allows you to explore the process used by paleontologists — scientists who study fossils to understand ancient landscapes, climate, and life on Earth — to find and identify fossils. A day or two before beginning this lesson, the teacher must prepare “fossils” for students to excavate: [Read More]