What students investigate

Students start with the kinds of fossils: body fossils that preserve part of a once-living thing, trace fossils such as tracks, and molds and casts. They learn the difference between evidence and an inference, and read fossil data on type, size and location.

Then fossils become clues to ancient places: sea fossils found far inland, life around an ancient freshwater lake, and rooted fossil trees that show a forest once grew there. Students also learn that lower, undisturbed rock layers are older, and that some fossil organisms are extinct.

Who it is for

This pack is written for Grade 3 life science. It is a strong partner for a fossil kit or a museum visit, because it gives students the words to describe what they find.

The evidence-and-inference cards also connect well to Animals Working Together, which asks students to check evidence carefully.

What students learn

10 learning ideas, one at a time. Each one is a silent animated Learn card, then Review and Mastery questions.

1. A body fossil preserves evidence from a once-living organism.
2. A trace fossil preserves signs of past activity.
3. A mold is hollow; a cast fills a preserved shape.
4. An inference must be supported by fossil evidence.
5. Fossil type, size and location records show sample patterns.
6. Confirmed marine fossils inland can show an ancient sea.
7. Fossils can reveal life around an ancient freshwater lake.
8. Rooted fossil trees show past growing conditions differed.
9. Lower undisturbed sediment layers are relatively older.
10. Some fossil organisms have no living members today.

Science words in this pack

Each word is taught on its Learn card, then used again in Review and Mastery.

• fossil
• body fossil
• trace fossil
• mold
• cast
• evidence
• inference
• data
• distribution
• marine
• freshwater
• fossil forest
• layer
• relative age
• extinct

Inside the pack

How it works in class

• Learn. 10 silent whiteboard animations, one idea per card. No audio, so it works on a classroom screen or a quiet device.
• Review. 30 practice questions with feedback. Ideas a student misses come back.
• Mastery. 30 questions to show what each student knows on their own.
• Certificate. A student who finishes can print a certificate or save it as a PDF. It shows first-try Review and Mastery results and the ideas that needed a retry.

Standards connections

These cards support parts of the following NGSS performance expectations. They do not replace hands-on investigations.

• 3-LS4-1 — core ideas

More in Science in Motion — Grade 3

• Weather Detectives: Observe, Record & Graph Observe weather. Read tables and graphs. Spot seasonal patterns.
• Plant Life Cycles Follow a seed as it grows and makes new seeds.
• Forces in Motion See how pushes and pulls change motion.
• Magnets & Invisible Forces See how magnets and static electricity act without touch.
• Climate Regions Compare typical temperatures and rainfall across world regions.
• Weather Hazards & Solutions Compare designs that can reduce weather damage.
• Animal Life Cycles Compare how butterflies, frogs, birds, and mammals grow.
• Inherited Traits & Environmental Effects Compare inherited traits and how surroundings affect living things.
• Animals Working Together See how animal groups find food and face danger.
• The Water Cycle Follow water as it moves between sky, land, and water.

About the Science in Motion — Grade 3 series