Keys to the Past
Keys to the Past
Objectives
In this unit, students connect Earth processes with the formation of fossils, fossilized remains with prehistoric plants and animals, and fossil succession (change in life over time) with geologic time. Students will:
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investigate the formation of molds and casts of marine organisms and the fossilized remains in the La Brea Tar Pits.
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explain how fossilized remains and traces of organisms show evidence of prehistoric plants and animals.
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apply the concepts of fossil succession and geologic time through the use of index fossils to determine relative ages of fossiliferous rock units.
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create hypothetical fossils and rock units to explain relative age-dating of rock units through the use of fossils.
Essential Questions
Related Unit and Lesson Plans
Related Materials & Resources
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Materials haven't been entered into the unit plan.Formative Assessment
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Multiple Choice Items:
1. Which environment produces the largest number of molds and casts?
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A.
- Glacial
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B.
- Marine
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C.
- Desert
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D.
- Mountain
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2. What type of fossil is a track or burrow?
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A.
- Replacement
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B.
- Original
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C.
- Trace
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D.
- Pseudo
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3. Which substance pools in tar pits?
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A.
- Asphalt
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B.
- Saltwater
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C.
- Tar
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D.
- Quicksand
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4. Which statement best describes the reason for the high quality of fossils found at the La Brea Tar Pits?
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A.
- Cavemen drove animals into the pits.
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B.
- Scavengers cleaned the bones of the dead animals.
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C.
- The pits formed after the organisms died.
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D.
- Burial in the pit was rapid.
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5. What can a scientist possibly tell about the habitat of a prehistoric animal based on the fossilized teeth found in the La Brea Tar Pits?
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A.
- Fighting
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B.
- Grooming
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C.
- Drinking
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D.
- Feeding
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6. Which principle describes the age of rocks in Earth’s crust, and the fossils within the rock, get older the deeper you go?
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A.
- Fossil succession
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B.
- Fossil extinction
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C.
- Hyperposition
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D.
- Hypoposition
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7. Use the Index Fossil Chart below to answer this question.
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Which of the following is an index fossil that might be used to age-date rock units deposited during the Triassic Period?
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A.
- Venericardia planicosta
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B.
- Cactocrinus multibrachiatus
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C.
- Monotis subcircularis
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D.
- Scaphites hippocrepis
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8. Use a copy of the Fossil Succession Chart below to answer this question.
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According to the Fossil Succession chart, which of the following appeared last in geologic history?
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A.
Fishes
B.
Humans
C.
Reptiles
D.
Birds
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9. Use a copy of the geologic time scale from below to answer this question.
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Paradoxides pinus was a trilobite that lived about 550 million years ago. During which of the geologic time periods did this trilobite live?
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A.
Cambrian
B.
Devonian
C.
Jurassic
D.
Pennsylvanian
Multiple Choice Answer Key:
1. B
2. C
3. A
4. D
5. D
6. A
7. C
8. B
9. A
Short-answer Items:
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10. A book showed flowering plants, ferns, and pines in an illustration of the Mississippian Period.
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1) Use your Fossil Succession chart to find and state the discrepancy in the picture.
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2) Cite evidence from the chart to support your finding.
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11. A similar illustration showed the possible evolutionary steps from reptiles to birds during the Pennsylvanian Period.
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1) Find and state the discrepancy in this illustration.
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2) In what periods could this possible evolutionary process take place?
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Short-answer key and Scoring Rubrics:
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10. A book showed flowering plants, ferns, and pines in an illustration of the Mississippian Period.
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1) Use your Fossil Succession chart to find and state the discrepancy in the picture.
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2) Cite evidence from the chart to support your finding.
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Points
Description
2
The response includes:
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Discrepancy: Flowering plants should not be in the picture illustrating the Mississippian Period.
- Evidence: The chart shows that flowering plants did not appear in the geologic record until the Cretaceous Period.
1
- The response includes either discrepancy or evidence, not both.
0
- The response includes neither discrepancy nor evidence.
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11. A similar illustration showed the possible evolutionary steps from reptiles to birds during the Pennsylvanian Period.
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1) Find and state the discrepancy in this illustration.
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2) In what periods could this possible evolutionary process take place?
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Points
Description
2
The response includes:
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Discrepancy: Birds did not evolve until the late Jurassic Period. The chart shows that three periods existed between the occurrence of reptiles and the occurrence of birds.
- Periods: The periods in which the possible evolutionary process could have taken place would be Pennsylvanian, Permian, Triassic, and Jurassic.
1
- The response includes either discrepancy or correct periods, not both.
0
- The response includes neither discrepancy nor correct periods.
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Performance Assessment:
Pretend you are a geologist looking at a road cut. You see three layers of sedimentary rocks. The top layer contains the fossil Inoceramus labiatus. The middle layer contains the fossil Perisphinctes tiziani. The bottom layer contains the fossil Trophites subbullatus.
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Sketch the layers in the road cut.
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Use the Index Fossil Chart below to help you determine the relative ages of the layers. Label each layer with the geologic period in which it was deposited.
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Is the oldest layer on the bottom or the top?
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Is the youngest layer on the bottom or the top?
Performance Assessment Scoring Rubric:
Points
Description
4
The student completes all four of the requirements:
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Sketches the three rock layers in the road cut.
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Labels the age of each layer with the correct geologic period.
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States the oldest layer is on the top.
- States that the youngest layer is on the bottom.
3
The student completes three of the requirements.
2
The student completes two of the requirements.
1
The student completes one of the requirements.
0
The student demonstrates lack of understanding or does not attempt to complete the assessment.
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DRAFT 11/18/2010
