Fossils 3rd grade

In 1965 workers found a whale fossil in Mississippi. The workers thought they were alligator bones since they found them near a river but far from the ocean. What does the discovery of the whale bones tell us about Mississippi?

• In the early 1900s someone found a dead whale and then buried its bones in Mississippi.

• The area where the bones were found was once covered by the ocean.

• Long ago whales were able to live on land and in the water.

• Whales once lived in the rivers in Mississippi.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

This fossil was discovered in the desert. What is the BEST argument that proves the fish lived in the desert?

• The fossil does not prove that fish lived in this area. The earth's crust shifts over many years and the fossil could have ended up in the desert because of the shifting.

• After the Ice Age, melting water carried the fossil into what is now the desert. This area was a desert long ago just as it is a desert now. Climates do not change.

• Fossils are very old and take thousands of years to form. Long ago this area must have had a river or been an ocean that dried up years ago.

• People that lived long ago used tools to draw this organism into the rock. It is not a fossil because fish do not live in the desert.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Some fossils are marks that a living thing made on land. Which of the following is an example of this kind of fossil?

• an insect contained in amber

• a jawbone

• wood turned to stone

• tracks made in mud

What information about the original organism can you gain from this fossil?

• This is a tiny animal that lived in or near a tree.

• This is a tiny animal that has large teeth

• This is a tiny animal that lived in an ocean.

• This is a tiny animal that got trapped in tar.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Scientists found this fossil buried in the desert. Which conclusion will scientists MOST LIKELY make after examining this fossil?

• This animal was killed by a predator.

• The area where this animal lived was hot and dry.

• This animal moved by slithering on the ground.

• The area where this animal lived used to be under water.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Why should people conserve fossil fuels?

• There are no more swamps on Earth.

• There are no more buried plants.

• They cannot be replaced.

• Fossil fuels are easy to make.

Which of the following statements about a fossils depth is true?

• Older fossils are found deep in the ground.

• Older fossils are close to the surface.

• Younger fossils are found deep in the ground

• Fossils from sea animals are found deep in the ground.

Which of the following resources is a fossil fuel?

• the sun

• moving water

• wind

• natural gas

If you want to make a model of a shell fossil, what should you do?

• Cover the shell with sand and place a bucket on top. The next day remove the bucket and pour water over the shell.

• Push a shell into wet clay, and let the clay dry. Once the clay is dry, pull out the shell.

• Fill the inside of a shell with sand. After leaving the sand in the shell for several weeks, remove the sand from the shell.

• Wrap leaves around a shell and place in the freezer. Take it out of the freezer after one week and peel the leaves off the shell.

Dr. Kim examined this fossil when it arrived at her museum. These were her observations: hard skull, round snout, flat teeth. Which argument is BEST supported by the fossil and her observations?

• This was a herbivore because of it's flat teeth.

• This was a meat-eating animal because it has sharp teeth.

• This was a bird of prey because it has a beak.

• This was a large land predator because it has a rounded snout.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2