Seashells in Central Texas

Seashells in Central Texas Worksheet: Sea fossils and past environments (Grade 4 Science)

Students read about ammonite and oyster fossils in the limestone around Austin, tell that a shallow sea once covered Central Texas, and sort fossils by whether the living thing lived in the sea or on land. 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 Central Texas sea fossils with three circle questions
• Part B: four fossils; circle sea or land
• 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

Seashells found far from any beach make students ask why, and the fossils answer it. Questions are short, mostly circle answers, and the reasoning is on the teacher key.