Earth Science · Earth's History
Rock Layers, Fossils & Past Landscapes
Use relative time and fossil patterns to explain how a landscape changed from earlier land to later water.
Teacher workspace
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45 min~10 min prep5 materialsNGSS verified · 4-ESS1-1
Lesson Plan
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Lesson overview
What students will learn
- Use the order of layers in an undisturbed rock sequence to describe relative older-to-younger time.
- Identify patterns in rock layers and fossils that provide evidence about past landscapes.
Key science ideas
- This model shows an undisturbed sequence: the layers have not been overturned or mixed.
- In an undisturbed sequence, lower layers formed before layers above them.
- Relative time describes earlier and later order without giving exact ages in years.
Lesson at a glance
- Grade 4
- 45 min
- ~10 min prep
- 4-ESS1-1
- 5 materials
What’s included
- Lesson Plan
- Investigation
- Teacher Slides
- Printable Worksheet
- Teacher Answer Key
- Interactive Activity
- Vocabulary