Rocks, Fossils, and Time

Grade 4 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the answer.

1.
A cliff has three layers. From top to bottom: sandstone, shale, limestone. Which layer formed first?
- limestone
- sandstone
- shale
2.
Which is a fossil?
- a leaf print pressed into rock
- a rock shaped like a leaf by wind
- a fresh leaf on a rock
3.
A canyon wall shows, from top to bottom: sandstone with lizard tracks, shale with fish fossils, limestone with shells. Which was the environment first?
- a sea with shelled animals
- a lake with fish
- a dry land with lizards
4.
Why do scientists say the top layer of undisturbed rock is the youngest?
- it is always the hardest layer
- it has the most fossils
- it was the last layer to be laid down
5.
Scientists find palm tree fossils in Canada, where palms do not grow today. What changed?
- the soil there got wetter
- palm trees moved by themselves
- the climate there got colder

Answer Key - Grade 4 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the answer.

1.
A cliff has three layers. From top to bottom: sandstone, shale, limestone. Which layer formed first?
- limestone
- sandstone
- shale
2.
Which is a fossil?
- a leaf print pressed into rock
- a rock shaped like a leaf by wind
- a fresh leaf on a rock
3.
A canyon wall shows, from top to bottom: sandstone with lizard tracks, shale with fish fossils, limestone with shells. Which was the environment first?
- a sea with shelled animals
- a lake with fish
- a dry land with lizards
4.
Why do scientists say the top layer of undisturbed rock is the youngest?
- it is always the hardest layer
- it has the most fossils
- it was the last layer to be laid down
5.
Scientists find palm tree fossils in Canada, where palms do not grow today. What changed?
- the soil there got wetter
- palm trees moved by themselves
- the climate there got colder