Petrified Palm Wood

Petrified Palm Wood Worksheet: Petrified wood and past environments (Grade 4 Science)

Students read about petrified palm wood, the Texas state stone, tell that East Texas was once warm and wet, and learn how minerals turned buried wood to stone. Then they decide whether three facts are true or false. The page teaches the idea first, so no prior lesson is needed, and every answer is on the page.

What's Inside

• A teach box on what fossils are and how they are clues to past environments
• Part A: a short reading about petrified palm wood with three circle questions
• Part B: three true or false facts about fossil wood
• A raccoon guide with a hint that matches the answer key
• An answer key with answers marked in red, plus a short teacher note with what to watch for

How Teachers Use It

Read the teach box and the worked example together, then let students try Part A and Part B. It takes 8 to 10 minutes and prints clearly in black and white. The focus skill is identifying past environments from fossil evidence. Standards: TEKS 4.12C: identify and describe past environments based on fossil evidence, including common Texas fossils.

Why It Works

The Texas state stone turns a fossil into a piece of local pride. Questions are short, mostly circle answers, and the reasoning is on the teacher key.