STEAM Learning Lab – Dinosaur Footprint Cookies

Therizinosaurus, meaning “Scythe Lizard” is a genus of dinosaur named for its gigantic hand claws.  Recently, it was their unique footprints that surprised paleontologists in Alaska and lead them to discover the first evidence of Therizinosaurus in the area. Covered in feathers and almost as big as a t-rex, these Therizinosaurus was able to handle the harsh climate of Cretaceous Alaska.

Today, we are going to make some dinosaur tracks of our own. For paleontologists, dinosaur footprints preserved in different environments all over the world help them understand where dinosaurs lived, ancient climate conditions and even how dinosaurs would’ve moved. By imprinting dinosaur tracks in wet cookie dough and seeing how they are preserved in the baked cookies, kids can gain a better understanding of the fossilization process.

Materials:

• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ cups softened butter
• ¾ cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Rolling pin
• Clean Toy Dinosaur
• Cup
• Baking sheet

Note: This recipe has raw egg, so please cook before eating!

Directions:

1. Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla.
2. Add egg and mix
3. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl
4. Add have the dry ingredients and lightly mix
5. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and gently mix
6. Do not over mix-stop stirring once all the dry ingredients are incorporated
7. Let dough rest in the fridge for 1 hour
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
9. Roll out the dough so it is ¼ inch thick
10. Cut circles with the mouth of the cup
11. Have a toy dinosaur go about its day on the cookie dough-walking, jumping, hunting etc.
12. Notice the footprints left by dinosaur activities
13. Bake cookies for 11 minutes
14. Let cool on a cooling rack
15. Notice the footprints have been preserved!
16. Does the dino make footprints walking on the cooked and cooled cookies?
17. Eat cookies-yum!

More Fun

• Try making footprints out of paint on paper instead!
• Add a little cocoa powder or hot chocolate mix to the cookie dough to make it look more like dirt