Unit Connections / Concept & Processes & Skills
Changes to the Earth’s surface can reveal evidence of past environments through weathering and erosion.
What evidence do scientists have about past environments?
What type of rocks are fossils found in? / Fossils are preserved remains of dead organisms, or preserved changes that organisms made in their environment.
Many fossils are remains of organisms that died and were buried by sediments that became pressed and cemented together.
Trace fossils are records preserved in rock that show how an organism changed its environment, such as tunnels, burrows, tracks, or droppings.
Fossils provide clues about ancient organisms.
Fossils of extinct organisms are used to compare for similarities and differences in existing species.
Fossils can be used to interpret the nature of the environment in the past.
Misconceptions
- Fossils are pieces of dead animals and plants.
Fact: Fossils are the remains of animals and plants that died long ago. Their remains have been replaced by minerals and the resultant cast is called a fossil.
- Fossils of tropical plants cannot be found in cold or dry areas.
Fact: Fossil of all types can be found all over the world. If a tropical fossil is found in a cold dry area it just means that one time in the past the area used to be warm and humid and has since changed.
Graphic Cues
How fossil form: Which fossil is oldest?
Student Outcomes
Identify how fossils are formed.
- Will all plants or animals become fossils?
- What events must occur for an animal or plant to become a fossil?
- What is a trace fossil?
Observe fossils to find clues about ancient organisms.
- What does this fossil show us about the organism?
- What can fossils show?
- How can we use fossils to learn about an extinct organism?
- How can we measure change in an organism by studying fossils?
Use fossils to interpret changes to an environment over time.
- What does this fossil let me know about the environment it was made in?
- Does this fossil show the environment has changed?
- What evidence do you have that the environment now is different than the environment the fossil was made in?
- What clues will fossils give us about their environment?
- How can we measure changes in the environment by studying fossils?
Identify approximate ages of fossil based on layer the fossils are found in.
- How evidence do you have to determine which fossil is older?
- How can you determine which fossil was formed first?
- How can you determine which fossil was formed last?
Differentiate soil by its properties.
- How does color help identify soil?
- How does texture help identify soil?
- How does soil permeability help identify soil?
- Can all types of soil support all different kinds of plant life? Why?
Vocabulary Focus
Key Vocabulary for the Week
Fossil / Organism
trace fossil / amber
soil properties
Technology Resources