Imagine you are hiking in the woods. As you walk up a steep hill, you find a fossil. It is a mold of many tiny seashells. What would seashells be doing in the middle of the woods? Most fossils are found in sedimentary rocks. These rocks form on the surface of the earth. They record the processes that have happened on the surface, including life. Scientists are able to arrange fossils according to age. This is called the fossil record. By studying the fossil record, scientists have found that the earth and its life forms have gone through many changes in the past. Fossils have taught us how and when rock layers have formed. They have also helped scientists learn about life forms that have come and gone. Fossils have even taught us about the climate of the earth long ago. The Geologic Time Scale is divided into huge blocks of time called eras. Eras are defined by major changes in the fossils found in the sedimentary rock layers that were formed during those time spans



Activity 4

Directions: Read the story entitled “The Story of Fossil” by Patti Hutchison. Answer

the guide questions stated below.


1. In what type of rocks are FOSSILS made of?

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2. How do scientists arrange discovered fossils?

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3. How did fossils help and teach scientist about the history of the earth?

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4. Aside from geological aspect, what other aspects can be predicted by guide

fossils? How? (climatic, organismic etc.)​