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Year 4

Future fossils discussion and sketchbook work

I can use my understanding of the fossilisation process to identify potential fossils of the future.

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New
New
Year 4

Future fossils discussion and sketchbook work

I can use my understanding of the fossilisation process to identify potential fossils of the future.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. To understand that only the hard parts of organisms fossilise.
  2. Know the key features that would help us to identify what future fossils might look like.
  3. To be able to make predictions about what future fossils would look like.

Keywords

  • Fossilise - the process of making a fossil

  • Abundant - existing or available in large quantities

  • Perishable - something that can spoil, decay, or go bad quickly

Common misconception

All plastics can be recycled.

Not all plastics can be recycled because some types are too hard to process or aren't accepted by recycling programs. Some plastic remains as waste.

Teacher could model or show example of sketchbook work on visually recording ideas and thoughts.
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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these would most likely fossilise?
plastic toy
fur
eyeball
hair
Correct answer: teeth
Q2.
Select the items that are human-made.
Correct answer: plastic bottle
seashell
Correct answer: wooden chair
rock
Correct answer: glass sculpture
Q3.
Which environments preserve things well over time?
dry and arid environments
locations with frequent volcanic activity
areas with fast moving rivers
Correct answer: areas with slow sedimentation and waterlogging
Q4.
Match each item with its correct category.
Correct Answer:river rock,natural
tick

natural

Correct Answer:glass vase,human-made
tick

human-made

Correct Answer:pinecone,natural
tick

natural

Correct Answer:plastic toy,human-made
tick

human-made

Correct Answer:seashell,natural
tick

natural

Q5.
provide valuable visual and physical evidence for understanding ancient organisms and their shapes.
ammonites
Correct answer: fossils
rocks
stones
shells
Q6.
Soft tissues usually , leaving only the hard bones or shells behind.
Correct answer: decompose
digest
decompress
mould

6 Questions

Q1.
What is the process of making a fossil called?
fossilisention
Correct answer: fossilisation
fossilineting
fossilaction
Q2.
If something is decomposing it is ...
Correct answer: breaking down into smaller parts.
growing more parts.
breaking all the rules.
growing into smaller parts.
Q3.
What does extinction mean?
when you take a sting out of your skin
when something is past its sell by date
Correct answer: the process by which a species, or family of organisms no longer exists
the process of making a new species
Q4.
Which parts of an organism are most likely to fossilise?
the soft, fleshy parts
the hair and skin
Correct answer: the hard, bony parts
the fur
Q5.
Which of these are driving species to extinction?
human beans
haricot beans
jelly beans
Correct answer: human beings
Q6.
Which one of these items is most likely to fossilise?
a designer label T-Shirt
a paper bag
Correct answer: a shark
a cream cake

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