What is a fossil?

• A type of rock

• Remains or traces of ancient organisms

• A type of plant

• A type of mineral

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Which of the following is the first step in the process of fossilization?

• Erosion

• Burial under sediment

• Decomposition

• Weathering

How can fossils help us understand past environments?

• By showing the colors of ancient plants

• By providing evidence of the types of organisms that lived and their habitats

• By indicating the age of the Earth

• By revealing the diet of modern animals

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Which condition is necessary for an organism to become a fossil?

• Exposure to sunlight

• Rapid burial under sediment

• Being eaten by predators

• Living in a forest

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

What can the presence of marine fossils in a desert tell us?

• The desert was once underwater

• The desert is very old

• The desert has a lot of sand

• The desert is close to the ocean

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Why is it rare for soft tissues to become fossilized?

• They are too small

• They decompose quickly

• They are not important

• They are too colorful

Construct an argument for why fossils are important to scientists.

• Fossils are colorful and pretty

• Fossils help scientists understand the history of life on Earth

• Fossils are easy to find

• Fossils are used to make jewelry

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

What role does sediment play in fossil formation?

• It provides food for the organism

• It protects the organism from decay

• It makes the organism grow faster

• It changes the organism's color

Develop a model to describe how a fish might become fossilized.

• The fish swims in the ocean forever

• The fish is eaten by a predator

• The fish dies, sinks to the bottom, and is buried by sediment

• The fish turns into a plant

Why might a scientist study the layers of rock where a fossil is found?

• To find gold

• To determine the age of the fossil

• To see how deep the ocean is

• To find water

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4