Key Question
How can we use fossils to
date the relative age of a
set of rocks?
Learning Goals
Students will:
• make a model fossil horizon, and
• interpret the relative age
of a set of fossils.
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Illustrate the sample horizon and
indicate the oldest “fossils” and the
youngest “fossils.”
Part 1
WIN TIN ZIG BIP
KIN
ZIN
ZIN WIN TIN KIN
KIN KIT KIT SIT
MIT
ZAG ZIG MIT ZIT
Number the cards in order from
oldest(8) to youngest(1) organisms.
Part 2
Part 3
Explain how you determined the
relative ages of the organisms.
FOSSIL FILL
KIT SIT
MIT
MIT ZIT
KIN KIT
ZAG ZIG
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WIN TIN
KIN
ZIG BIP
ZIN
TIN KIN
ZIN WIN
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Trilobites
Tabulate Corals
Trilobites
Brachiopods
Blastoids
Rugose Corals
*
Tabulate Corals
Ichthyostega
Graptolites
Rugose Corals
Crinoids
Rugose Corals
Brachiopods
Trilobites
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Ammonites
Crinoids
Limpets
Foraminifera
Gastropods
Foraminifera
Limpets
Crinoids
Foraminifera
Mosasaurs
Shark’s Teeth
Limpets
Gastropods
CO
N
NE
C T I NG
Connecting Learning
LEA
1. What is an index fossil?
RN
I NG
2. What fossils could be used
as possible index fossils?
3. Could a gastropod be used as an
index fossil? Why or why not?
4. In what types of rocks would you
find these fossils?
5. If you found a mosasaur below a
layer that contained a trilobite, what
could you infer about the layers of
rock in this area?
6. What are you wondering now?
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