LEARNING AS ONE NATION
Expanded Project ES_11
SHS L E A R N I N G ACTIVITY
Name: Score/Mark:
Grade and Section: Date:
Strand: STEM ABM HUMSS ICT (TVL Track)
Subject: Earth Science
Type of Activity: Concept Notes Skills: Exercise/Drill Illustration
Performance Task Essay/Report Others
Activity Title: Rocks and Fossils
Learning Target: Describe the different methods (relative and absolute dating) of determining the
age of stratified rocks (S11ES-IIh-i-36)
References:
(Author, Title, Pages)
1) Olivar, JT., Rodolfo SR., Cabria HB., (2016). Exploring Life Through Earth
Science. Phoenix Publishing House Inc., Quezon City
2) LAS for Earth Science, Vigan City Division-Learning Resource. 2020
. ROCKS AND FOSSILS
The Earth has a very long history—4.6 billion years of history. The oldest dated rock from the Earth is
only ~3.8 billion years old. Why? The history of the Earth is recorded in rocks, but the rock record is
inherently incomplete. Some ‘events’ do not leave a record or are not preserved. Preserved in rocks are
fossils or the remains and traces of plants and animals that have lived and died throughout the Earth's
history.
A FOSSIL is the remnant of any ancient animal or plant that has been preserved in rock. It is often the
remains of the shell or bones in which minerals have been recrystallized. The age of the fossil is equal to
the age of the rock on which it is found. However, not all fossils can be used as index fossils to represent
a time interval. Ideally, an INDEX FOSSIL must have the following properties:
• It must have had hard parts which favor fossilization
• It must have lived over a short period of time, before it evolved into a different creature.
• It must have a good distribution and lived all over the planet
If two rocks anywhere on the planet contain the sane index fossil, it can be concluded that those rocks
are of the same age. Examples of index fossils include the following:
• Ammonites were common during the Mesozoic
Era (245 Mya to 65 Mya) and got extinct by K-T
Extinction (65 Mya)
• Brachiopods (mollusk-like marine animals) first
appeared during the Cambrian (540 Mya to 500
Mya) and some of which still survive
• Graptolites: (widespread colonial marine
hermichordates) lived from Cambrian period (540
Mya to 505 Mya) to the early mid-Carboniferous
(360 Mya-320 Mya)
• Trilobites: common during the Paleozoic (540
Mya to 245 Mya). They evolved at the beginning
of Paleozoic and went extinct during the late
Permian (248 Mya
Exercise:
1. How do we define fossils?
A. Fossils are made remains of past life, including ancient animals and plants that has been
preserved by rocks.
B. Fossils are rocks that have crystallized due to the length of time.
C. Fossils are usually found along volcanoes that tends to trigger a more explosive eruption.
D. Fossils are nutrients from decayed animals and plants that enrich soil composition
2-3. All except two are properties of index fossils: name the two, non-properties. (2pts)
A. It must have had hard parts which favor fossilization
B. It must have a good distribution and lived all over the planet
C. It must be solely composed of earth-elements and not halogens
D. It must not exceed over 200 km depth
4. These are index fossils that usually look-like mollusks marine animals that first appeared during
Cambrian (540 Mya-500 Mya) and some of it still survive up to now.
A. Ammonites B. Brachiopods C. Graptolites D. Trilobites
5. Following the superposition theory, where in the strata could I probably find the oldest index fossils?
A. Topmost part B. Anywhere C. Middle most D. Bottom most
