Definition
What are SEDIMENTS?
SEDIMENTS are small pieces of rock made of gravel and sand.
A group of students were asked to make an OBSERVATION. Which answer is NOT an observation?
a) We see a spiral shaped shell
b) We can smell cinnamon
c) We think it is a puppy
d) We can taste strawberries
c) We think it is a golden retriever puppy
WHY? This is an example of an INFERENCE. The students made an EDUCATED GUESS. They used their observations to share what they thought was right.
How are FOSSILS made?
Fossils form when an animal or plant dies and its remains are covered in sediment that falls on it. In watery environments, sediment compact and cement together like glue. This creates a layer of sedimentary rock with the fossil in the middle!.
What is an ENVIRONMENT?
All LIVING and NONLIVING things that exist in an area create an ENVIRONMENT
Serena read this about MOSASAURUS:
It had a huge, strong tail. The tail and paddles would have been good for swimming in deep water.
What kind of environment do you infer MOSASAURUS lived in:
a) desert
b) floodplain
c) deep ocean
d) river delta
HOW do you know?
MOSAUSAURS lived in the deep ocean.
I know this because it had a strong tail that was good for swimming in deep water.
How are mudstone, sandstone, and siltstone SIMILAR?
Mudstone, sandstone, and siltstone are all similar because they are all types of sedimentary rocks. They are each made from sediment and form in watery environments.
[can receive partial credit]
What is an inference?
An INFERENCE is an educated guess. You use observations to make inferences.
Three examples of an environment are:
a) mudstone, sandstone, sand
b) floodplain, desert, river
c) hurricane, tornado, asteroid
d) floodplain, ocean, rainforest
b) floodplain, desert, river
OR
d) floodplain, ocean, rainforest
How are mudstone, sandstone, and siltstone DIFFERENT?
They are made from different kinds of sediment and are formed in different kinds of watery environments
For example, mudstone has clay sediment and forms in slow-moving water like deep oceans or swamps. Sandstone has sand sediment and forms in fast-moving shallower water like beaches/shallow ocean. Siltstone is made from silt sediment and forms in slow-moving water near rivers and in swamps/floodplains.
What is a FOSSIL?
A FOSSIL is the remains of a dead organism (living thing) such as a plant or animal
What is an example of an ORGANISM?
a) oak tree
b) sand
c) polar bear
d) limestone (a type of sediment)
a) oak tree
OR
c) polar bear
A rocky outcrop had mudstone and limestone rock layers. These are two different sedimentary rocks.
How can two different rock layers be found in the same place?
These two rocks can be found in the same place because ENVIRONMENTS CAN CHANGE OVER TIME.
What is an ORGANISM?
Any type of living thing such as a plant or animal is called an ORGANISM
A geologist looks at ____________ from rocks and fossils to make inferences about what the past was like.
a) evidence
b) rocks
c) mountains
d) water
a) evidence
A geologist looks at EVIDENCE from rocks and fossils to make inferences about what the past was like.
Sally made a rocky outcrop model.
On Monday, she put sand in a cup
On Wednesday, she added gravel on top
On Friday, she added clay on top
Which layer of sediment is the oldest?
The sand layer because it was the FIRST sediment.