UKS2 Topic: Dinosaurs and Fossils Block F: Dinosaur Species Session 4

How to make a 3d Mesozoic timeline

Part 1

You will need:

Cardboard
Newspaper
Sticky tape
Scissors
Warm water
Modroc
Paint and brush
Modelling moss
Art straws

1. Cut the modroc into sheets. This will

make it easier to mould into shape.

2. Crumple newspaper into various

mountainous shapes. Tape the shapes
firmly in place on the cardboard. Start with
the Triassic period. It had very large
mountains.

3. Move onto the Jurassic period, with mid-

sized mountains. Make a conical mountain
(this will be a volcano) for the Cretaceous
period.
 UKS2 Topic: Dinosaurs and Fossils Block F: Dinosaur Species Session 4

4. When you are happy that the mountains

are the right shape, start to mould the
modroc around the newspaper. To do this,
wet the strips in warm water, squeeze the
excess water out and lay over the
newspaper. Rub the plaster in and around
the shapes to create mountains.

5. Continue to build your mountains by

layering modroc on the newspaper. When
you have finished, let it dry for a few
minutes.

6. Mix yellow and orange paint. Paint the

Triassic period in these desert colours. Add
a hint of red paint to darken certain areas.
You could paint the flat part of blue to form
a lake.

7. Paint the Jurassic landscape with brown

and green paint. The Jurassic period had
rich brown soil and plenty of grassy areas.
Use a little yellow paint to lighten the soil in
select areas; use blue paint to add rivers
and lakes throughout the entire landscape.

Paint the Cretaceous landscape with brown

and some yellow paint to create a warm,
dry setting. Layer the sides of the volcano
with red paint to make it appear as if lava is
spewing down the sides. Use black paint for
the inside of the volcano and the bottom of
the volcano; make it appear as hardened lava.