CLOZE ing
in
on
Science!
5.7D: What Happened Before?
Earth and Space
Name: ______________________________ Date: ____________________________
Key Concept 1: Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of
organisms that lived in the past.
Passage
In science class last week, our teacher gave us many fossils with animals
that had been ________________ in them for thousands of years. One of
them looked just like a fish from our classroom fish tank! It is amazing
that something that lived so long ago can look like something living
today. Maybe one day the fish in our tank can become a
__________________ too!
Word Bank
fossil
preserved
Illustration
© 2011 Rice University – All Rights Reserved
CLOZE ing
in
on
Science!
5.7D: What Happened Before?
Earth and Space
Key Concept 2: Fossils can be used to interpret past events and
environments.
Passage
Construction of a Los Angeles subway system found evidence of many
organisms from thousands of years ago. This evidence, the
__________________ of animals that once lived in the area, gave scientists
_____________ about the environment there long ago. The environment
then supported now-extinct organisms like the mastodon and an ancient
species of camel. The scientists also found evidence of a great flood 9,000
years ago that swept away trees.
Word Bank
clues
fossils
Illustration
© 2011 Rice University – All Rights Reserved
CLOZE ing
in
on
Science!
5.7D: What Happened Before?
Earth and Space
Key Concept 3: Models can be used to represent the passage of time and
past organisms and environments.
Passage
A scientist was digging on a mountain and discovered a fossil of an
organism with two legs, two arms, and a tail. As the scientist dug
deeper, a fossil with fins and a flat tail was found. Much deeper than
that, a third fossil was found of a plant that was thin with many
leaves. The scientist drew a ______________, or representation, of
the layers with each of the fossils in order.
Word Bank
model
Illustration
© 2011 Rice University – All Rights Reserved
CLOZE ing
in
on
Science!
5.7D: What Happened Before?
Earth and Space
Answer Key
In science class last week, our teacher gave us many fossils with animals that had been
preserved in them for thousands of years. One of them looked just like a fish from our
classroom fish tank! It is amazing that something that lived so long ago can look like
something living today. Maybe one day the fish in our tank can become a fossil too!
Construction of a Los Angeles subway system found evidence of many organisms from thousands
of years ago. This evidence, the fossils of animals that once lived in the area, gave scientists clues
about the environment there long ago. The environment then supported now-extinct organisms
like the mastodon and an ancient species of camel. The scientists also found evidence of a great
flood 9,000 years ago that swept away trees.
A scientist was digging on a mountain and discovered a fossil of an organism with two legs, two
arms, and a tail. As the scientist dug deeper, a fossil with fins and a flat tail was found. Much
deeper than that, a third fossil was found of a plant that was thin with many leaves. The scientist
drew a model, or representation, of the layers with each of the fossils in order.
© 2011 Rice University – All Rights Reserved