Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________________

Earth and Space Fossil Evidence 5.7D, page 1

Student Sheet 5.7D

Fossil Evidence

A. Discuss As a class or in small groups, discuss what you know about fossils. Have you seen any fossils? What do you think fossils might tell you about organisms that lived in the past? What do you want to find out about fossils? Take notes about the discussion in your science notebook.

B. Read

Read the Minerals, Rocks, and Fossils Delta Science Content Reader. Focus especially on pages 18–23.

C. Review

Complete Student Sheet 5.7D, pages 2–5.

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Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________________

Earth and Space Fossil Evidence 5.7D, page 2

Student Sheet 5.7D

Fossil Evidence

Word Box

amber cast extinct fossil

mold

Look in the Word Box. Choose the term that matches each definition. Write the term on the line.

Definitions

____________ 1. a type of fossil that forms when a fossil mold is filled with minerals

___________ 2. hardened tree sap

____________ 3. the remains or traces of a living thing from long ago

____________ 4. a type of fossil that is a hollow space in rock left by the remains of a living thing

____________ 5. when all the living things of one kind have died out

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Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________________

Earth and Space Fossil Evidence 5.7D, page 3

Student Sheet 5.7D

Fossil Evidence

6. Use Fossil Models Gather some small, hard natural objects such as shells, twigs, and sturdy leaves. Then flatten a stick of modeling clay until it is about ½ inch thick. Gently but firmly press the objects into the clay. Then pull the objects out and put them out of sight. Challenge a partner to guess what objects made the model fossils. What can your partner tell about the objects from the evidence? Tell your partner to imagine each fossil was found in nature. What can your partner tell about the environment in which each fossil formed? What does he or she think the organism’s surroundings were like? Write your partner’s guesses and describe the details your partner observes.

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Earth and Space Fossil Evidence 5.7D, page 4

Student Sheet 5.7D

Fossil Evidence

7. Suppose you are a scientist who discovers some fossil footprints. Describe how the footprints might provide evidence of a past living organism’s appearance and its behavior.

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8. Earth’s surface is constantly changing. Scientists often use fossils to learn about Earth’s past. Explain what the fossil record is and describe four things that it shows.

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Earth and Space Fossil Evidence 5.7D, page 5

Student Sheet 5.7D

Fossil Evidence

9. Think about a scientist who finds fossils of ocean animals on a mountain. What might he or she think about the history of that place? Write a paragraph about your ideas.

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