Mr. Jucks
December 11, 2012
Science Notes
Standard- S3E2- I will investigate fossils as evidence
of organisms that lived long ago.
EQ- What are fossils?
Lesson 1pg. 114
Fossils- the hardened remains of a plant or animals
that lived long ago
Trace fossils- are marks that are left behind.
Ex. Bones, teeth.
Mold- the shape of a once living thing left in
sediment when the rock is formed.
Cast- is formed when mud or minerals later fill a
mold.
What are the three types of fossils?
Trace fossils, casts, and molds
How fossils form.
* Are found in sedimentary rocks**
1. The soft parts of animals decompose.
2. Bones or shells are buried under layers of
sediments.
3. Bones and sediments turn to rock.
4. Movement of Earth’s crust brings the rock closer
to the surface. Weathering occurs
Scientist use inferences to determine:
 what type of fossil
 how old is the fossil
 what did that organism eat
 what plants were around the organism
Layers of rocks that are deeper in the ground are
older than layer above.
Pg. 120 (1-6)
Lesson 2
EQ: What can we learn from fossils?
Extinct- describes a plant or animals that is no longer
living.
Fossils can show how animals have changed over the
years.
Plant fossils
Ex. Leaf prints, and stem prints
Petrified wood- is a type of fossil which has turned
into stone.
Make a Model Fossil
Materials
 seashell
 Vaseline
 Small bowl or plate
 White glue
 Modeling clay
Procedures
1. Coat the outside of the seashells with a
thin layer of Vaseline.
2. Press the seashells into the clay to make
a model of a fossil
3. Remove the seashell, CAREFULLY.
4. Place the clay with the seashell fossil
into the bowl.
5. Drizzle white glue in the imprint. Fill
the imprint completely with glus.
6. Allow the glue to harden. Wait… When
dried and hard, remove glue from clay.
7. Observe and record data into the chart.
My fossil models
Kind of fossil
Description
Modeling
Clay
fossil
Glue Fossil