Fossils Review (3b.)

Erik and Carol are each creating a model to represent how an imprint of a leaf fossil is formed. Above are their descriptions of the model they created.

Who has a more accurate model?

• Erik, because he used play dough and it will decompose in the soil.

• Erik, because he buried it in soil which happens to all dead things.

• Carol, because the glue represents the minerals filling in the spaces to form a fossil.

• Carol, because she used clay and it could be molded over and over into something new.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Use the information in the tables to answer the following question.

Which table is the correct sequence and why?

• Table 1 because the organism must be buried quickly after dying.

• Table 1 because the fossil is discovered last.

• Table 2 because the parts decay before it is buried.

• Table 2 because the fossil is discovered last.

A student wants to create a model to represent how a turtle fossil formed once it dies. They designed the following plan for the model.

Which of the following would be the BEST for the student to do to continue their model for step 3?

• Fill in the gaps with glue to represent minerals filling in the space.

• Reveal the fossil since it is time for scientists to discover the fossil.

• Squish the clay to show that overtime fossils will disappear.

• Smooth the imprint over with your fingers to show that sediment will fill in the spaces.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

A student creates a model to show the process of how the following fossil formed.

Which of the following should the students include in their illustration?

• The student should show people digging out the fossil to show an animal becomes a fossil the moment it is discovered.

• The student should draw a time lapse of images for each step with arrows and descriptions.

• The student should label the soil types in each layer of the illustration.

• The student should label the type of dinosaur in their image.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

A group of third graders share the task of creating a model to represent how fossils are formed.

One of the students is in charge of representing the step that organisms are buried under sediment. They are using a clay dinosaur to show the steps. Which of the following would BEST demonstrate this step?

• Use a piece of paper to squeeze the clay dinosaur from all directions.

• Use a pencil to pick at the dirt around the clay dinosaur.

• Use a book to push down dirt over the clay dinosaur.

• Use glue to fill in empty spaces on the clay dinosaur.

A third grader is tasked to create a model to show how a fossil is formed.

Which of the following steps comes first and why?

• The first step is that an animal dies because once any living thing dies, it will always start the fossilization process.

• The first step is that the animal is buried by sediment because if it is buried by sediment, it will then die to become a fossil.

• The first step is that an animal dies because once a living thing dies, it has the possibility of becoming a fossil.

• The first step is that bone is slowly replaced with minerals because if they are replaced by minerals, then once it dies, it starts to fossilize.