Clues From Fossils
Aligned to 3-LS4-1 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Fossils are the shapes or prints of living things from long ago, saved in rock. They give us clues about animals and places we could never see.
Worked examples
Example 1
Finding a fish fossil on top of a dry mountain tells us that area was once covered by water.
Example 2
Fossil ferns found in Antarctica show that the frozen continent was once warm enough for forests.
Example 3
A fossil of an animal with no living relatives tells us some kinds of life disappeared entirely.
Practice questions
- Look at a picture of a fossil and describe what kind of living thing it might have been.
- Compare a fossil animal to an animal alive today and list what looks similar.
- Explain what a fossil found in one place can tell you about long-ago weather or water there.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Pistas de los fósiles
Los fósiles son las formas o huellas de seres vivos de hace mucho tiempo, guardadas en la roca. Nos dan pistas sobre animales y lugares que nunca podríamos ver.
Ejemplo 1: Encontrar el fósil de un pez en la cima de una montaña seca nos dice que esa zona alguna vez estuvo cubierta de agua.
Ejemplo 2: Fósiles de helechos encontrados en la Antártida muestran que el continente helado alguna vez fue lo bastante cálido para tener bosques.
Ejemplo 3: Un fósil de un animal sin parientes vivos nos dice que algunos tipos de vida desaparecieron por completo.
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