STANDARD 3 REVIEW MODULE 5
Objective 2 Describe the nature of the changes that rocks undergo over long periods of time.
F. Describe and model the processes of fossil formation.
Objective 3
E. Propose why more recently deposited rock layers are more likely to contain fossils resembling existing species than
older rock layers.
D. Research how fossils show evidence of the changing surface of the Earth.
Vocabulary:
Fossil: Any evidence of a once living organism
Mold: The cavity left behind in sediments or rock by decaying material.
Cast: A solid copy of an organism in sediment or rock. The opposite of a mold.
Amber: An organism trapped in the sap from a tree or other plant.
Petrification: The process by which organic matter, exposed to minerals over a long period, is
turned into a stony substance
Tar pit: A geological occurrence where subterranean bitumen leaks to the surface, creating a
large sticky area that can trap animals.
Preserved Remains: Very rare instance where the actual tissue of organisms are preserved in
ice, tar or other substance.
Trace fossil: Any evidence that tells us something of the activities of ancient organisms.
Carbon film: A dark thin film left behind from an organism
Paleoenvironment: An ancient environment or ecosystem
Uniformitarianism: A law that states that processes that happen today probably happened in
the past
Learning Activities:
SMARTNotes Multimedia activity-Fossil Processes and Types
Fossil Treasure Hunt (ppt) and Paleoenvironment Drawing Activity
STANDARD 3 MODULE 5 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS KEY
1.) Describe what conditions or requirements have to be met or happen in order to make a
fossil.
2.) Describe each of the types of fossilization.
3.) How can fossils show that the Earth’s surface has changed through time.
4.) Explain how/why rocks that are closer to the surface of the earth (layers on top) most likely
contain fossils that are most like the organisms found today?
STANDARD 3 MODULE 5 CONTENT PRACTICE QUIZ
1. Which of the following is the most likely to form a fossil?
A. The organism had no hardparts, it got buried quickly, and scavengers did not get it.
B. The organism had hard parts, it got buried quickly, and scavengers did not get it.
C. The organism had hardparts, it did not get buried quickly, and scavengers did not get it.
D. The organism had no hardparts, it did not get buried quickly, and scavengers did get it.
2. A group of students try to make a fossil in the lab. All students find it fairly difficult and
many fossils do not turn out very well. Which of the following is the best description of
how fossils form in the real world?
A. Fossilization does not require specific conditions and is common.
B. Fossilization does require specific conditions and is common.
C. Fossilization does not require specific conditions and is rare.
D. Fossilization does require specific conditions and is rare.
Figure 1
3. Use figure 1. Where did the sediments that
formed these rocks most likely collect?
A. in a sand dune
B. in an ocean bottom
C. in a forest
D. on a mountain top
4. What best describes how fossils show us the surface of the earth has been changing for
millions of years?
A. fossils are about the same as the organisms alive today and show us the earth has not
changed much
B. fossils are often different than the organisms alive today and show that the earth has not
changed much
C. fossils are often different than the organisms alive today and show that the earth has
changed much
D. fossils are about the same as the organisms alive today and show us the earth has
changed much
5. You are collecting fossils and find the following fossils. Interpret them to determine
what the paleoenvironment was.
Fossils you find in the same layer:
-walrus tusks
-large bear teeth
-beaks and bones from a small swimming bird
-jawbone and teeth from a carnivorous whale (like an Orca)
-large deposits and fossils of krill-like plankton
A. warm ocean
B. mountain
C. swamp
D. cold ocean
6. Which layer contains fossils more closely related to fish found on Earth today?
A. Layer A, it is the newest and has the most recent fossils.
B. Layer A, it is contains fossils that are the largest and most complex.
C. Layer B, it contains more different kinds of fossils.
D. Layer B, C or D, they contain fish fossils that look more like today’s fish.
7. Why do fossils look more and more like modern organisms in higher layers?
A. deeper layers are older and have younger fossils more similar to modern fossils
B. shallow layers have younger fossils more similar to modern fossils
C. shallow layers have older fossils less similar to modern organisms
D. deeper layers have older layers more similar to modern organisms
STANDARD 3 VOCABULARY PRACTICE QUIZ
1. Very rare instance where the actual tissue of organisms are preserved in ice, tar or other
substance.
A. Fossil
B. Amber
C. Petrification
D. Preserved Remains
2. Any evidence of a once living organism
A. Fossil
B. Amber
C. Petrification
D. Preserved Remains
3. An organism trapped in the sap from a tree or other plant.
A. Fossil
B. Amber
C. Petrification
D. Preserved Remains
4. The process by which organic matter, exposed to minerals over a long period, is turned
into a stony substance
A. Fossil
B. Amber
C. Petrification
D. Preserved Remains
5. Any evidence that tells us something of the activities of ancient organisms.
A. Trace Fossil
B. Tar Pit
C. Mold
D. Cast
6. A geological occurrence where subterranean bitumen leaks to the surface, creating a
large sticky area that can trap animals.
A. Trace Fossil
B. Tar Pit
C. Mold
D. Cast
7. The cavity left behind in sediments or rock by decaying material.
A. Trace Fossil
B. Tar Pit
C. Mold
D. Cast
8. A solid copy of an organism in sediment or rock. The opposite of a mold.
A. Trace Fossil
B. Tar Pit
C. Mold
D. Cast
9. A law that states that processes that happen today probably happened in the past
A. Paleoenvironment
B. Carbon Film
C. Uniformitarianism
D. Cast
10.A dark thin film left behind from an organism
A. Paleoenvironment
B. Carbon Film
C. Uniformitarianism
D. Cast
11.An ancient environment or ecosystem
A. Paleoenvironment
B. Carbon Film
C. Uniformitarianism
D. Cast
STANDARD 3 MODULE 5 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS KEY
1.) Describe what conditions or requirements have to be met or happen in order to make a
fossil.
A dead organism must be covered up quickly or somehow protected from decay or
scavengers. Hard parts like shells ,bones, and teeth tend to be preserved because they are
resistant to breaking down.
2.) Describe each of the types of fossilization.
Petrification: when minerals, usually from ground water, seeps into small openings in the
organism and solidfy. When the tissue dissolves away only the hard, stoney, mineral is left in
the shape of the wood or bone.
Mold: A cavity in stone or sediments in the shape of an organism.
Cast: When a mold fils up with minerals and can be “popped out”. The part that can be
popped out is the cast.
Amber: When tree sap traps an organism.
Trace Fossil: A fossil that only shows us evidence of an organisms activity. Tracks, trails, etc.
Preserved Remains: When the actual tissue of an organism is preserved. This include tar pits
and ice.
Tar Pits: A geological occurrence where subterranean bitumen leaks to the surface, creating
a large sticky area that can trap animals.
3.) How can fossils show that the Earth’s surface has changed through time.
There are many instances of this. One is that we looked at fossils that were found in a high
desert. These fossils were from a tropical, shallow ocean with a river nearby. This tells us
that the high desert of Wyoming was once much warmer, ocean like, lower elevations, and
probably closer to the equator than it is today.
4.) Explain how/why rocks that are closer to the surface of the earth (layers on top) most likely
contain fossils that are most like the organisms found today?
the higher you go up in layers of sedimentary rocks the younger the rocks. That means you
are approaching modern times. And the closer you get to modern times the more the fossils
will look like the organisms during modern times.
The youngest layer is A and that fish fossil will
look the most like the fish found alive today. However
the fish fossil in layer D is much older and looks
much less like fish that are alive today.
STANDARD 3 MODULE 5 CONTENT PRACTICE QUIZ KEY
1. Which of the following is the most likely to form a fossil?
A. The organism had no hardparts, it got buried quickly, and scavengers did not get it.
B. The organism had hard parts, it got buried quickly, and scavengers did not get it.
C. The organism had hardparts, it did not get buried quickly, and scavengers did not get it.
D. The organism had no hardparts, it did not get buried quickly, and scavengers did get it.
2. A group of students try to make a fossil in the lab. All students find it fairly difficult and
many fossils do not turn out very well. Which of th following is the best description of
how fossils form in the real world?
A. Fossilization does not require specific conditions and is common.
B. Fossilization does require specific conditions and is common.
C. Fossilization does not require specific conditions and is rare.
D. Fossilization does require specific conditions and is rare.
3. Where did the sediments that formed
these rocks most likely collect?
A. in a sand dune
B. in an ocean bottom
C. in a forest
D. on a mountain top
4. What best describes how fossils show us the surface of the earth has been changing for
millions of years?
A. fossils are about the same as the organisms alive today and show us the earth has not
changed much
B. fossils are often different than the organisms alive today and show that the earth has not
changed much
C. fossils are often different than the organisms alive today and show that the earth has
changed much
D. fossils are about the same as the organisms alive today and show us the earth has
changed much
5. You are collecting fossils and find the following fossils. Interpret them to determine
what the paleoenvironment was.
Fossils you find in the same layer:
-walrus tusks
-large bear teeth
-beaks and bones from a small swimming bird
-jawbone and teeth from a carnivorous whale (like an Orca)
-large deposits and fossils of krill-like plankton
A. warm ocean
B. mountain
C. swamp
D. cold ocean
6. Which layer contains fossils more closely related to fish found on Earth today?
A. Layer A, it is the newest and has the most recent fossils.
B. Layer A, it is contains fossils that are the largest and most complex.
C. Layer B, it contains more different kinds of fossils.
D. Layer B, C or D, they contain fish fossils that look more like today’s fish.
7. Why do fossils look more and more like modern organisms in higher layers?
A. deeper layers are older and have younger fossils more similar to modern fossils
B. shallow layers have younger fossils more similar to modern fossils
C. shallow layers have older fossils less similar to modern organisms
D. deeper layers have older layers more similar to modern organisms
STANDARD 3 VOCABULARY PRACTICE QUIZ KEY
1. Very rare instance where the actual tissue of organisms are preserved in ice, tar or other
substance.
A. Fossil
B. Amber
C. Petrification
D. Preserved Remains
2. Any evidence of a once living organism
A. Fossil
B. Amber
C. Petrification
D. Preserved Remains
3. An organism trapped in the sap from a tree or other plant.
A. Fossil
B. Amber
C. Petrification
D. Preserved Remains
4. The process by which organic matter, exposed to minerals over a long period, is turned
into a stony substance
A. Fossil
B. Amber
C. Petrification
D. Preserved Remains
5. Any evidence that tells us something of the activities of ancient organisms.
A. Trace Fossil
B. Tar Pit
C. Mold
D. Cast
6. A geological occurrence where subterranean bitumen leaks to the surface, creating a
large sticky area that can trap animals.
A. Trace Fossil
B. Tar Pit
C. Mold
D. Cast
7. The cavity left behind in sediments or rock by decaying material.
A. Trace Fossil
B. Tar Pit
C. Mold
D. Cast
8. A solid copy of an organism in sediment or rock. The opposite of a mold.
A. Trace Fossil
B. Tar Pit
C. Mold
D. Cast
9. A law that states that processes that happen today probably happened in the past
A. Paleoenvironment
B. Carbon Film
C. Uniformitarianism
D. Cast
10.A dark thin film left behind from an organism
A. Paleoenvironment
B. Carbon Film
C. Uniformitarianism
D. Cast
11.An ancient environment or ecosystem
A. Paleoenvironment
B. Carbon Film
C. Uniformitarianism
D. Cast