Rocks, Fossils, and Time

Grade 4 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the answer.

1. 1.

   A river canyon has rock with fish fossils at the bottom and rock with dinosaur tracks higher up. What is the best conclusion?

   • fish and dinosaurs lived in the same layer
   • water covered the area before dinosaurs walked there
   • dinosaurs walked there before the water came
   • the canyon is older than both layers
2. 2.

   A sandstone layer has slanted lines like the sides of sand dunes. What does this suggest?

   • people carved the lines later
   • a deep ocean covered the area
   • ice pushed the sand into lines
   • wind piled up dunes there long ago
3. 3.

   From top to bottom, a hill has: soil, rock with tree fossils, rock with clam fossils. What change in the landscape does this show?

   • land with trees later became a sea
   • the trees and clams lived side by side
   • the hill was always a forest
   • a sea area later became land with trees
4. 4.

   Coal forms from swamp plants buried for millions of years. Coal is found in a very cold, dry place. What does this tell scientists?

   • coal forms from ice
   • swamp plants grow in cold deserts
   • the place was once a warm swamp
   • the place was always cold and dry
5. 5.

   A claim says, "This valley has always been dry land." Which evidence weakens the claim?

   • lizards live under the valley's rocks
   • fish fossils are found in the valley's rock
   • cactus plants grow in the valley today
   • the valley gets little rain each year