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Fossils are the mineralized remains of an animal or plant. This can include any preserved evidence of ancient life, including shells, imprints, burrows, and coprolites (fossilized animal excrement). Fossils are actually rocks. Almost all fossils are formed in sedimentary rock, oftentimes sandstone, shale, and limestone


Types of fossils include imprint, mold, and cast.

  • Imprint Fossils: Similar to a fingerprint left on a glass, imprint fossils consist of a two-dimensional imprint of a plant or animal. None of the original matter of the plant or animal remains.
    • Imprint Fossil
  • Mold fossils: Like a handprint pressed into clay, mold fossils occur when plants or animals leave a three-dimensional, but partial impression.
    • Mold Fossil
  • Cast Fossils: Like a full, three-dimensional sculpture of a hand, cast fossils are three-dimensional copies of the hard parts of the plant or animal. Cast fossils are created when minerals are deposited into the mold left by the decaying plant or animal matter. Have you ever seen a fully assembled, three-dimensional dinosaur skeleton in a museum? The bone-shaped fossil rocks making up the dinosaur skeleton are examples of cast fossils.
    • Cast Fossils

Fossils may be formed in many ways. For example, fossils may formed by the following process:

  1. The plant or animal dies, typically where there is water.
  2. The plant or animal remains are covered with layers of mud and silt.
  3. The soft parts of the plant or animal decompose, leaving behind the harder parts such as the shell or bones.
  4. The harder parts become covered with a rock layer.
  5. Minerals seep into the harder parts over time, petrifying the bones by replacing organic matter with mineral matter.
    6. Cast Fossil

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read the lesson.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Recite aloud the vocabulary words and their definitions.
  • Study the rock and mineral of the week.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

Fossils are rocks consisting of the mineralized remains of an animal or plant. This can include any preserved evidence of ancient life, including shells, imprints, burrows, and coprolites.

Vocabulary

Fossil: The mineralized remains of an animal or plant.
Coprolite: Fossilized animal excrement.

Rock or Mineral of the Week

Overview
  • Sandstone is a sedimentary rock produced by the consolidation and compaction of sand, cemented with clay or other substances.
  • Sandstone is often more resistant to erosion than other types of rocks, remaining behind as the other rocks are worn away to create fantastic formations. For example, the Delicate Arch in Utah and The Wave in Arizona are made of sandstone.

Formation

Sandstone forms in three steps.

  1. Sand is deposited from the air or from the water.
  2. More material is deposited on top, increasing the pressure on the sand.
  3. Minerals that precipitate out of solution seep into the cracks between the sand and cementing it together.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Lesson

  • After reading or listening to the lesson, narrate the lesson aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Map the Lesson

  • The Delicate Arch is in Utah and The Wave is in Arizona.
  • Find Utah and Arizona on the map of the United States.

Activity 3: Take a Nature Walk

  • Embark on a nature walk.
  • Collect one rock or mineral specimen.
  • Use the gathered specimen to create the field book entry.

Activity 4: Complete a Field Book Entry   

After your nature walk, complete page 6 in 'Fifth Grade Science Rocks and Minerals Notebook Pages.'

Review

Question 1

What is the name for the mineralized remains of an animal or plant?
1 / 4

Answer 1

Fossils are the mineralized remains of an animal or plant.
1 / 4

Question 2

Describe something about sandstone.
2 / 4

Answer 2

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock that resists erosion better than other types of rocks, leading to fantastical formations.
2 / 4

Question 3

Is sandstone an igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary rock?
3 / 4

Answer 3

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock.
3 / 4

Question 4

Which rock group includes those that are formed by deposition, precipitation, and biological activity?
4 / 4

Answer 4

The sedimentary rock group includes those that are formed by deposition, precipitation, and biological activity.
4 / 4

  1. What is the name for the mineralized remains of an animal or plant? Fossils are the mineralized remains of an animal or plant.
  2. Describe something about sandstone. Sandstone is a sedimentary rock that resists erosion better than other types of rocks, leading to fantastical formations.
  3. Is sandstone an igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary rock? Sandstone is a sedimentary rock.
  4. Which rock group includes those that are formed by deposition, precipitation, and biological activity? The sedimentary rock group includes those that are formed by deposition, precipitation, and biological activity.

References

  1. 'Sandstone.' Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandstone. n.p.
  2. 'Fossil.' Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil. n.p.
  3. Cited Physical Properties. Geology.com. geology.com/rocks. n.p.

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