Earth Science · Earth's Past
Fossils & Past Environments
Organize fossil data, find distribution patterns, and use evidence to infer broad features of past environments.
Teacher workspace
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45 min~12 min prep5 materialsNGSS verified · 3-LS4-1
Lesson Plan
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Lesson overview
What students will learn
- Organize fossil data by type, size, location, and distribution to look for patterns.
- Use fossil patterns to infer broad features of environments that existed long ago.
Key science ideas
- Fossils can be preserved remains, impressions, or traces of organisms.
- Scientists record fossil type, approximate size, location, distribution, and layer position when those data are available.
- A repeated fossil pattern across sites can support a broad inference about a past environment.
Lesson at a glance
- Grade 3
- 45 min
- ~12 min prep
- 3-LS4-1
- 5 materials
What’s included
- Lesson Plan
- Investigation
- Teacher Slides
- Printable Worksheet
- Teacher Answer Key
- Interactive Activity
- Vocabulary