SCORE =
/25
Name: ____________
Date: ____________
Fossil Unit Test
Directions : This is your final test for the unit. There are 5 multiple choice
questions and 3 short answer questions. There is only one right/true answer with
the multiple choice questions. Answer each short answer question with as much
detail as you can (3-5 sentences) and once you are done raise your hand and I will
come pick up your test. Good Luck!
Multiple-Choice:
(Each question has One answer)
1. What is unique about a preserved fossil?
a. Preserved fossils are plants or animals that still have their inner and
outer flesh intact.
b. Preserved fossils are not unique and are very commonly found all
over.
c. Preserved fossils are unique because they are only found at the
bottom of the ocean.
d. None of the above.
2. An animal dies and is buried under a mudslide. After its flesh deteriorates,
special conditions allow the bones to be replaced by minerals forming a
replica of the bone that was once there. This type of fossil is
a(n)___________.
a. Preserved Fossil
b. Mold Fossil
c. Impression Fossil
d. Rocky Fossil
3. A person that studies the forms of life existing in prehistoric times by
investigating the fossils of plants, animals, and other organisms is known as
a(n) _____________.
a. Biologist
b. Paleontologist
c. Teacher
d. Science Professor
4. Why doesn’t every plant and animal turn into a fossil?
a. Only animals turn into fossils. Plants do not form fossils.
b. It is a very complicated process for animals/plants to turn into fossils.
c. Everything does turn into a fossil, they are just very hard to find.
d. Many animals/plants are destroyed before they can turn into a fossil.
e. Both a and c.
f. Both b and d.
5. What can fossils tell us about past animals and life?
a. Information about the past environment.
b. Where animals came from.
c. What animals from the past looked like.
d. All of the above.
Short Answer:
(Answer with 3-5 sentences)
6. Pick two of the three types of fossils (impression, mold, preserved) and
compare and contrast how they are formed, what they look like, and any
other unique characteristics about them.
7. Pretend one of your friends doesn’t know a lot about fossils and he asks
you why fossils are important, what would you tell them?
8. Draw a cycle of how a mold fossil is formed from a plant or animal. Make
sure you show the plant/animal alive and then draw different stages of
what will happen to the organism.
SCORE =
/25
Name: ____________
Date: ____________
Fossil Unit Test
Directions : This is your final test for the unit. There are 5 multiple choice
questions and 3 short answer questions. There is only one right/true answer with
the multiple choice questions. Answer each short answer question with as much
detail as you can (3-5 sentences) and once you are done raise your hand and I will
come pick up your test. Good Luck!
Multiple-Choice: (2 Points Each)
(Each question has One answer)
1. What is unique about a preserved fossil?
a. Preserved fossils are plants or animals that still have their inner and
outer flesh intact.
b. Preserved fossils are not unique and are very commonly found all
over.
c. Preserved fossils are unique because they are only found at the
bottom of the ocean.
d. None of the above.
2. An animal dies and is buried under a mudslide. After its flesh deteriorates,
special conditions allow the bones to be replaced by minerals forming a
replica of the bone that was once there. This type of fossil is
a(n)___________.
a. Preserved Fossil
b. Mold Fossil
c. Impression Fossil
d. Rocky Fossil
3. A person that studies the forms of life existing in prehistoric times by
investigating the fossils of plants, animals, and other organisms is known as
a(n) _____________.
a. Biologist
b. Paleontologist
c. Teacher
d. Science Professor
4. Why doesn’t every plant and animal turn into a fossil?
a. Only animals turn into fossils. Plants do not form fossils.
b. It is a very complicated process for animals/plants to turn into fossils.
c. Everything does turn into a fossil, they are just very hard to find.
d. Many animals/plants are destroyed before they can turn into a fossil.
e. Both a and c.
f. Both b and d.
5. What can fossils tell us about past animals and life?
a. Information about the past environment.
b. Where animals came from.
c. What animals from the past looked like.
d. All of the above.
Short Answer: (5 points each)
(Answer with 3-10 sentences)
6. Pick two of the three types of fossils (impression, mold, preserved) and
compare and contrast how they are formed, what they look like, and any
other unique characteristics about them.
Students should pick two of the given types of fossils and explain how they are
formed differently. For example, impression fossils are just prints of what the
animal/plant looked like where as a mold fossil is an actual replica of the
organism’s skeletal area. Students can also describe what each type of fossil
may look like and also any unique traits a particular fossil may have. I.e.: the
preserved fossil contains the outer flesh also
7. Pretend one of your friends doesn’t know a lot about fossils and he asks
you why fossils are important, what would you tell them?
Students should really stress the importance of how fossils give an insight of
what the past looked like before humans were on Earth. They should talk about
how fossils tell us what the environment was like back then, what animals were
around, and any other characteristics our world had back then.
8. Draw a cycle of how a mold fossil is formed from a plant or animal. Make
sure you show the plant/animal alive and then draw different stages of
what will happen to the organism. Also label what is happening at each
stage.
Students should draw several stages of what happened to a plant or animal
when it turns into a mold fossil and briefly list what is happening at each stage.
An example might be…….