Grades 3–5
Layers of the Earth
Label the crust, mantle, outer core and inner core, then answer three questions.
Science worksheet · Rocks, soil and fossils
How a Fossil Forms
Number the five steps that turn a dead animal into a fossil, then draw a fossil you would like to find.
- Grade level
- Grades 3–5
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- Rocks and minerals, Soil, Fossils
What kids do
Printed on the sheet:
- A fossil is what is left of a plant or animal that lived long ago, kept in rock. Most fossils form on the bottom of a sea or lake.
- 1. Write 1 to 5 to put the steps in order.
- Mud and sand slowly cover the body.
- The rock wears away and someone finds the fossil.
- An animal dies and sinks to the bottom of the sea.
- More layers press down and turn to rock over millions of years.
- The soft parts rot away. The bones and shell stay.
- 2. Draw a fossil you would like to find.
Teacher tip
Press a shell into playdough to show how a fossil print forms.
How to use it
- Pass around real rocks and magnifying glasses.
- Show a jar of layered soil and water that has settled overnight.
- Let partners compare answers and settle any differences with a book or a video.
Watch for
Kids may think all rocks are the same age. Some are billions of years old.
Talk about it
- What can fossils tell us about the past?
- How could we find out if that is true?
Take it further
Start a class rock collection with labels kids write.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More rocks, soil and fossils worksheets
Grades 3–5
Three Kinds of Rocks
Match igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic to how they form, then sort six rocks.
Grades 2–4
Rock Detective
Look at four rocks: color, shine, texture and a scratch test, then draw your favorite up close.
Grades 2–4
Layers of Soil
Label humus, topsoil, subsoil and bedrock on the diagram, then fill in three sentences.
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