Lesson 12 of 13 · Earth Systems

Experiment⭐ 30 XP🌋 Rock Realm

What Fossils Cannot Tell Us

🧪Lab Brief #12

Earth Systems.

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ The twist

Weather isn't random — it's just complicated.

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Mind = Blown

🌊 The deepest part of the ocean is deeper than Mount Everest is tall.

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Make a hypothesis first

Before you observe: what shape will it leave?

What You'll Learn

Fossils preserve hard parts far more often than soft ones, and only in the right kind of sediment. The record is therefore patchy: an animal missing from the rocks may simply never have been fossilised.

Key Words

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

modelling clay
shells
leaves
sponge

Safety First

Wash hands after handling clay and do not put shells near your mouth.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.

Step 2 — Do

Press shells, leaves and a piece of sponge into clay, then compare how clear each impression is. Use the result to explain why jellyfish fossils are so much rarer than shell fossils.

Step 3 — Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 — Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 2

Fossils most often preserve:

How sure are you going to be?😐 maybe

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Where you see this in real life

Today's weather, tomorrow's beach, next century's coastline — all this.

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Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Look at the sky for 5 minutes and try to predict tomorrow's weather.

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For the dinner table

“What's the slowest change you can think of?”

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