3rd Grade Science Unit 3 POST Assessment-24-25

What can scientists learn by studying fossils?

• what rocks are made of

• how minerals are formed

• how every organism died a long time ago

• what types of organisms lived a long time ago

Two fossils are being compared. Which fact would best support the idea that the two organisms lived in the same environment?

• The fossils both look like plants.

• The fossils both look like animals.

• The fossils were both found the same year.

• The fossils were both found in the same location.

The pictures show a fossil of an extinct fish and the area where it was found. What is the best explanation for the location of the fossil?

• A. This kind of fish was often eaten by land animals.

• B. This kind of fish had once lived on land.

• C. The area used to be filled with water.

• D. The area used to be very cold.

Which of the following best explains the difference in the size of the teeth?

• A. Sharks were once larger than the sharks that are living today.

• B. The fossilized tooth was filled with water, which made it grow in size.

• C. Sharks alive today do not live long enough to grow very large teeth.

• D. The fossilized tooth had extra sediment around it, which became a part of it.

The picture shows a fossil. Which feature helps the most to identify the organism as a plant?

• A. size

• B. color

• C. smell

• D. shape

The picture shows the fossil of a trilobite that can be found in Georgia's Appalachian Plateau. How did the trilobite's bones most likely become a fossil?

• Over a short period of time, the skeleton was exposed to air and turned to stone

• Over a long period of time, the skeleton was exposed to air and turned to stone

• Over a short period of time, the skeleton was buried in sediment and dissolved, forming a mould where minerals formed stone in the shape of the skeleton

• Over a long period of time, the skeleton was buried in sediment and dissolved, forming a mould where minerals formed stone in the shape of the skeleton

An amber fossil is made when

• an organism gets trapped in the sticky resin on a tree which hardens and is preserved in rock.

• an organism gets caught in the path of lava from a flowing volcano which hardens into rock.

• an organism is buried in sediment and the decaying bones are replaced with resin.

• an organism is buried in sediment and the pressure and heat turn the organism into amber.

If an animal gets trapped in mud, which part of the animal is most likely to turn into a fossil?

• bone

• organ

• skin

• hair

Which of the following is true about where fossils are found?

• Fossils are found only in parts of the world where there is water.

• Fossils are found only in parts of the world with volcanoes.

• Fossils are found all over the world, mostly in water.

• Fossils are found all over the world, mostly in rock.

Which of the following would be the best way to create a model of a fossil?

• making a footprint in sand and filling it with clay

• making a footprint in mud and filling it with water

• pressing a hand into snow and taking a picture of it

• pressing a hand onto the sidewalk and tracing it with chalk