Welcome to exploring fossils!
Essential Question: What does science tell us about evolutionary biology?
Objectives: 1. Understand how a fossil is formed using computer simulations.
2. Observe and draw real fossils and interpret how they formed.
3. Research and give a brief explanation of your fossil.
Part 1
1. go to the following website:
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/tours/fossil/index.html
***click on level 2:
2. There are 4 areas you need to explore and you have to go through them in order. While going through the website,
answer the questions below (find these answers by using the left column of the page):
1. What is the fossil record (don’t need to answer this one)?
a. What does fossil mean?
b. What is the fossil record?
c. What does a paleontologist do?
d. Fossils can be ______________________ or __________________.
2. Becoming a fossil
a. Explain how a fossil forms in 4 steps.
b. Which organism do you think is most likely to be preserved:
a) One that gets buried quickly?
b) One that gets buried slowly?
c. CLICK on each image to find out how these these fossils were formed. Pick one and explain what
you are looking at and how it formed-
d. In each of these examples the organism was buried in sediment. But does an organism always have
to be buried in sediment to become a fossil?
a.) Yes
b.) No
e. In rare instances an entire organism becomes fossilized because it gets trapped in a substance that
protects it from destruction. CLICK on each of the fossils below to learn how! Pick one of the fossils and
explain how it formed-
f. Of all the organisms alive today, what percent do you think will eventually become fossils?
a) Fewer Than 10%
b) 20%-50%
c) More Than 50%
3. Staying a fossil
Explain how each of the following occurs to a fossilMoving
Melting
Eroding
Crushing
4. Finding a fossil
a. What type of rocks are fossils found in?
b. What are 3 things you need to have to find a fossil?
c. Take the quiz-Write down the correct answers and your score.
Part 2. Pick out an interesting fossil to study. Be sure you keep the bag and write down the information on the
bag. Draw your fossil and estimate its size.
Use your netbook to research information about the fossil (write down 3 important facts).
Choose another fossil to finish the same information.