Grade 2 Unit 3 Lesson 5 What Are Fossils?

What is a dinosaur?

• A. a plant that is extinct

• B. an animal that gives birth to live young

• C. an animal that lived on Earth millions of years ago

What does extinct mean?

• A. no longer living

• B. made of soft body parts

• C. buried in clay, sand, or mud

What is the first thing that happens when a fossil forms?

• A. A living thing dies and is buried by mud.

• B. Erosion wears away rock around the fossil.

• C. The hard parts of a living thing turn to rock.

What might a scientist learn from a dinosaur fossil?

• A. what things the dinosaur ate when it was living

• B. what things the dinosaur saw when it was living

• C. what thoughts the dinosaur had when it was living

Which is an extinct animal?

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A scientist found fossil parts of an animal. This table shows what she found.

Fossil Parts of an Animal

1. jaw

2. front leg

3. backbone

Which fossil part will best help her to find out what the animal ate?

• A. the jaw

• B. the front leg

• C. the backbone

Which part of an animal is most likely to become a fossil?

• A. its fur

• B. its skin

• C. its teeth

Where would you likely find the most fossils?

• A. a place that has no erosion

• B. a place that has some erosion

• C. a place that has a lot of erosion

This picture shows a fossil.

What could you learn by studying this fossil?

• A. what the animal ate

• B. how the animal walked

• C. how old the animal was

How can scientists best learn about animals that are extinct?

• A. They can study fossils.

• B. They can study erosion.

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• C. They can study living things