Science Planner 2/17/16 Target: Explain how fossils can be formed and how their age can be estimated. WU: Construct a foldable. CW: Vocabulary words.

Vocabulary Fossil – the trace or remains of an organism that lived long ago. Relative dating – any method of determining whether an event or object is younger or older than other events or objects. Absolute dating – any method of measuring the age of an object or event in years. Extinct - describes a species that has died out completely. Geologic time scale – the standard method used to divide the Earth’s long history into manageable parts. Plate Tectonics – how large pieces of the Earth’s outermost layer move and change shape.

Questions How are fossils most commonly formed? What can scientists learn about Earth’s past from fossils? Why would fossils found at the top of a canyon probably be younger than those found at the bottom of the canyon?