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What Can Fossils Tell Us — Reading Comprehension

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This engaging science passage introduces Grade 4-5 students to the fascinating world of fossils and how they reveal clues about Earth's history. Students will learn key scientific concepts such as how fossils are formed, what they can tell us about extinct plants and animals, and why studying fossils is important for understanding changes in our planet. The passage defines important vocabulary terms in bold, provides real-world examples, and ends with an 'Interesting Fact.' The resource is fully aligned with NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) and is designed to build science literacy and critical thinking skills. It includes a Spanish translation, a glossary of key terms, multiple-choice comprehension questions, and writing activities that encourage students to connect science to their own lives. Audio integration is available to support diverse learners and make science accessible to all. This resource is ideal for classroom use, homework, or independent study.

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animals, prehistory, nature, museum, history, fossil — Fossils are the remains or traces of plants and animals that lived a very long time ago. Image by Ajale /
Source: Pixabay.

Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of plants and animals that lived long ago. A fossil might be a bone, a shell, a footprint, or even an imprint of a leaf in rock. Scientists study fossils to learn about Earth's history because fossils provide important clues about the past.

Fossils tell us what kinds of organisms lived millions of years ago. When scientists find dinosaur fossils, they can figure out what dinosaurs looked like, how big they were, and what they ate. Fossils also reveal information about ancient environments—the surroundings where organisms lived. For example, if scientists find a fish fossil in the middle of a desert, they know that area was once covered by water. This shows that Earth's surface has changed over time.

Fossils also show that life on Earth has changed dramatically. The organisms preserved in fossils look very different from plants and animals alive today. Some fossils are of organisms that are now extinct—they no longer exist anywhere on Earth. Dinosaurs are the most famous extinct organisms. By studying fossils, scientists learn that some species disappeared while new species appeared over millions of years.

Fossils are found most often in sedimentary rock—rock formed from layers of mud, sand, and other materials that settled at the bottom of oceans, lakes, and rivers. Fossils are one of the best tools scientists have for understanding Earth's long history.

Interesting Fact: The oldest fossils ever discovered are about 3.5 billion years old! They are fossils of tiny bacteria-like organisms that lived in ancient oceans.

What are fossils?

Rocks found in museumsRemains of ancient plants and animalsTools used by scientistsTypes of sedimentary layers

Where are most fossils found?

In volcanic rockOn mountain topsIn sedimentary rockIn ice and snow

What does extinct mean?

Very old organismsOrganisms that live in waterOrganisms no longer existing on EarthOrganisms found in deserts

What does a fish fossil in a desert tell scientists?

Fish once lived in desertsThe area was once underwaterDeserts are good for fossilsFish can survive without water

How do fossils show that life has changed?

Ancient organisms look different from today's organismsAll fossils look exactly the sameFossils only show modern animalsFossils prove nothing has changed

Why do scientists study dinosaur fossils?

To find out what dinosaurs ate and looked likeTo collect them for museums onlyTo prove dinosaurs still existTo make rocks more interesting

Fossils can only be bones and shells.

TrueFalse

What is an environment?

A type of fossilThe surroundings where organisms liveA kind of rockAn extinct animal