Sea life evolved drastically during the Silurian period.
The Silurian period was part of the Paleozoic area that occurred between 443 and 417 million years ago, following the Ordovician period. The Silurian period was important due to the evolutionary development of both aquatic life and plant life. Eurypterids, or sea scorpions, were the dominant predators of the ocean. Coral reefs and fish both evolved dramatically, as well. The most amazing development of the Silurian period, however, was the movement of plants from the ocean to land. Mosses and Cooksonia, a primitive plant without leaves, began to grow on land, leading to plant life as we know it today. You can easily build a model displaying the highlights of this interesting period.
Instructions
Researching the Silurian Period
1. Research the Silurian period; specifically, the plant and aquatic life. Study as many pictures of plant, shell and other aquatic life as you can find either at the library or online. Brachiopods, including the pentamerids, rhynchonellids and athyridids, were the most common hard-shelled organizisms. Stromatoporoids, bryozoa and rugose corals began building up sea reefs. Planktonic graptolites, which were common in the previous Ordovician period, remained plentiful, even as jawless fish and Eurypterids, or sea scorpions, began to evolve. At the same time, Rhyniophytes, Lycophytes and Myriapods developed and became the first forms of life to reach the land. Choose a few of these representative life forms to display in your model, some plant and some animal.
2. Use a copy machine to copy pictures of plant and animal life during the Silurian period, or save the pictures on your computer and print them. To save a picture on your computer, simply right-click on the picture, select Save, and choose a directory or folder. Right-click on the saved file, choose Open With, select "Paint," and view your picture. Click on "File" and then "Print." Adjust the print screen according to your printer's specifications, and make sure your printer is hooked up to your computer and has paper. Print several small-scale images, several medium-scale images, and several large-scale images. A variety of image sizes will lend to a three-dimensional effect later on.
3. Set your copied or printed pictures aside for the time being.
Creating the Model Base
4. Choose a cardboard box. Ideally, the box should be rectangular in shape, no more than two feet long, and no more than two feet in height. The depth of the box should be about one to two feet.
5. Use a craft knife or scissors to cut away the flaps from the top of the cardboard box.
6. Cut away one of the long sides of your box. Do not cut away the bottom of the box or the short sides of the box. The long side of the box that you cut away should be adjacent to the opening of the box. You should end up with a structure that has two adjacent long sides intact, two short sides intact, and two of the longer sides of the box cut away.
7. Cut pieces of blue craft paper, otherwise known as construction paper, to fit the three vertical sides. The construction paper will act as a backdrop for your model ocean. You might want to cut and add additional pieces of paper to the background to represent the Stromatoporoids and other coral structures, as well.
8. Set the box on its side with the open end up. Coat the edges of the open end with hot glue. Apply a piece of clear, thick plastic to the glue. You can also add details to the inside of the plastic before you glue it to the box. Sparsely sprinkled glitter, attached with clear drying craft glue, can represent Planktonic graptolites, and a little green tissue paper can represent various forms of algae. Don't overdo it, however, as you want the rest of your creations to be visible within your model Silurian ocean.
9. Cut away the excess clear plastic after the glue has dried. Set your box on its base once more. You should have an open top, three side panels, and one long panel of clear plastic.
10. Set the box so that the clear plastic makes up one of the sides and the opening is facing up. Pour some craft sand into your box. You can purchase craft sand at craft stores or hobby shops.
11. Place shells on top of the sand that lines your model's base. Snail or unicorn horn shells work well for the Silurian time period. Choose shells that look as similar to the Brachiopods pictured in the Silurian period research you did in Section 1. If real shells are not available, you can use craft clay to fashion your own models. Craft clay is available in a wide range of colors at any well-stocked craft store.
Adding Life to the Model
12. Use a pair of scissors to cut out the fish you copied or printed in Section 1. Glue them to poster board or cardboard for extra sturdiness. Cut the poster board or cardboard to the same size as the fish. You can also use clay or pipe cleaners to fashion your aquatic Silurian organisms.
13. Cut a length of wire about eight to ten inches long. Bend one end about three inches from the tip of the wire, and form a loop at a right angle from the remaining wire. Glue the poster board or cardboard mounted fish and aquatic organisms to the straight end of the wire. If you used clay to create your organisms, simply insert the end of the wire into the base of the clay figure before it has dried fully. If you used pipe cleaners, wrap a piece of the base pipe cleaner around the wire stand.
14. Place the loop end of the wire in the sand, situating it so that the sand covers the base. The picture of the organism should be facing the clear plastic that covers the front of the model.
15. Repeat steps 1 through 3 for as many fish or other Silurian life forms as you like. Fill your model Silurian sea with plenty of Brachiopods, rugose corals, Stromatoporoids, Gastropods, Eurypterids and any other Silurian life that strikes your fancy.
16. Add aquarium plants around the aquatic life. You can purchase aquarium plants at most pet stores. Anemone-shaped plants work well for representing the Silurian period. Take the pictures copied or printed in Section 1 to the pet store with you and choose aquarium plants that look similar to the plants in the pictures. You can use scissors to trim the aquarium plants for a more accurate portrayal. Most aquarium plants have bases that can be covered in sand to keep them standing upright. If they do not stand upright easily, use a bit of glue to secure them to the bottom of the model, then cover the base with additional craft sand.
17.Label your model. You can cut small pieces of paper or poster board, label, and attach them directly to your individual organisms, or you can attach labels to the outside of the model, choosing the location of the labels depending on where the organism is visible from. Another option is to simply make a key. Use a colored marker to draw a small dot on each organism. Draw a dot of each colored use on the key, and label the organisms according the the matching color. You want everyone who views your model to know which Silurian life forms you are displaying in your model.
Tags: your model, aquarium plants, aquatic life, clear plastic, poster board, Silurian period
