Lesson 13 of 84 · Earth Systems
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🌋 Rock RealmFossils: Clues to the Past
Earth Systems.
🎯 Your mission
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
⚡ The twist
Today's mountain was yesterday's ocean floor.
Mind = Blown
🌋 There are 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth right now.
Make a hypothesis first
Guess: where will the water go first?
What You'll Learn
Fossils are preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms. They form when organisms are buried in sediment that hardens into rock over millions of years.
Key Words
- anemometer
- rock cycle
- aquifer
Materials Needed
- newspaper
- spray bottle
- cups
- thermometer
Safety First
- Do not mix unknown chemicals together.
Steps
Read the introduction and identify the main idea of this lesson.
Set up a weather station: use a thermometer, rain gauge (a jar with a ruler), and wind sock (a plastic bag on a stick). Record data for one week.
Compare the before and after states.
Write your conclusion: did the results match your hypothesis? What would you change next time?
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3Which layer of Earth is the thinnest?
Where you see this in real life
This is shaping the ground you walk on, slowly, every single day.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Find a rock outside and try to guess how old it is.
For the dinner table
“What's the slowest change you can think of?”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Checkout complete lesson on Earth Systems for 5th Grade
Get the full Earth Systems track as a printable PDF — all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.