This page was created in November 2024 to assist Calkins Road Middle School Science Olympiads in participating in the Fossil Competition. I will periodically add material from November until the competition in March of 2025. The material can be accessed from the links below.
General Material – click on the green link
Fossil Rules and List for 2024-2025 Please read the rules on the first two pages. We will discuss this at the first meeting. The final three pages list the fossils that you will learn and be tested on. We will review groups of them each week through January.
Geologic Time Scale vertical— the better you know this and appreciate the magnitude of the times represented here, the better you can grasp geologic history and the animals that have thrived and then gone extinct in geologic time (posted November 28)
This link is also a very good short summary of the 4 major Geologic Eras and how they relate to the fossil record you will be learning (posted Nov. 28)
GeologicTime Scale horizontal – another version (posted Nov. 28)
taxonomy – Biologic Classification from Kingdom to Genus/species (December 8)
Environments, modes of life (December 8)
Preservation Processes (December 15)
Five Major Extinction Events – Summary (December 22)
Introduction to Fossils
- Forams, Sponges, Bryozoa, and Graptolites posted on Nov. 28
- Cnidaria (corals) posted on November 28
- Arthropods posted on December 8
- Brachiopods posted on December 8
- Molluscs posted on December 15
- Echinoderms posted on December 22
- Fish posted on December 22
Additional Helpful Links (last update Dec. 22)
Wikipedia – type the name of the fossil or organism you wish to learn more about.
Science Olympiad Page on Invertebrate Fossils – This file has limited, but useful information on all the Invertebrate Fossils on your list. Just select the fossil you wish to learn about and click on it.