What is the main difference between a body fossil and a trace fossil?

Body fossils are fossilized parts of an organism's body, while trace fossils show the activities of organisms.

Describe the process of permineralization in fossil formation.

Water seeps into organic material, depositing minerals in empty spaces. The organic material breaks down, leaving the minerals which harden into a fossil.

Why are fossils most commonly found in sedimentary rocks rather than igneous or metamorphic rocks?

The processes that form igneous and metamorphic rocks are likely to destroy organic materials, while sedimentary rocks form in a way that preserves them.

Give an example of what scientists can learn from trace fossils that they might not be able to learn from body fossils.

Trace fossils can reveal information about an organism's behavior, such as how it moved, what it ate, or how it cared for its young.

A scientist discovers a fossilized footprint. What type of fossil is this, and what can it tell the scientist about the animal?

This is a trace fossil. It can tell the scientist about the animal's size, weight, how it moved, and potentially if it lived in a group.

Fossils as Evidence of Past Life

6th GradeScience45 min

aligned to Ngss Ms-ess1-4

Learning Objective

I can describe how fossils provide evidence of past life and environments.

Lesson Flow

Watch Video

10 min

Fossils - How Fossils Form

Miacademy & MiaPrep Learning Channel

Guided Notes

9 min

Key concepts students will learn:

•
Fossils are the preserved evidence of living things from long ago and can be formed through permineralization or by leaving an impression in rock.
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Body fossils are fossilized parts of ancient living things, while trace fossils show the activities of organisms from long ago, such as footprints or nests.
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Fossils are invaluable to Earth scientists because they offer a glimpse into our planet's history, revealing information about past climates, crustal shifts, and major geologic events.

Practice

14 min

8 questions • Multiple choice & Short answer

Exit Ticket

5 min

“Explain how finding a fossil of a sea creature in a desert could tell us about the past environment of that area.”

Teacher Guide

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Fossils as Evidence of Past Life

Learning Objective

Lesson Flow

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Guided Notes

Practice

Exit Ticket

Teacher Guide

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