Fossil Layers APT

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APT California NGSS:   MS-ESS1-4   MS-LS4-1

                                      (Note:  You will have to scroll down to see the diagram)

Four students examine a sequence of rock layers and attempt to draw conclusions about the history of this location based on their observations.  Each student comes to a different conclusion. 

Darren:  The most recent rock layer indicates that the environment must have been an ocean, since there is a clam shell fossil in that layer.
Carla:   The lava flow must be more ancient than the alligator and clam fossils. Lava flows are also known as extrusions and have no fossils.
Vern:  The alligator must have lived after the clam but before the mouse.  Rock layers can provide relative ages of the organisms that lived during a time period.
Jordan:  The positions of the rock layers can tell us the absolute age of each fossil. The age of the alligator fossil is most likely around four million years old.


YOUR TASK:  (a) choose which student you agree with.  (If you agree with more than one, choose the one 
                                  that is most correct)
                        (b) Write a short paragraph to provide evidence that proves you are correct. 
                                 (You must write 3-5 sentences using appropriate science vocabulary)
                        (c)  To earn a perfect score you must also correctly identify why the other students 
                                  responses were incorrect. (Just one sentence each)