The Fossil Record Science Games

5 games

In this series of games, your students will learn about the different types of fossils and the clues they offer us. The Fossil Record learning objective — based on NGSS and state standards — delivers improved student engagement and academic performance in your classroom, as demonstrated by research.

Scroll down for a preview of this learning objective’s games and the concepts they drive home.

Concepts Covered

The fossil record consists of every fossil ever discovered on Earth. However, it only represents a small fraction of the organisms that have ever lived on our planet.

Scientists use fossils to figure out what now-extinct organisms may have looked like, how modern organisms have evolved, and the timing of different species’ evolutionary patterns. Usually, fossils are imprints of hard materials like bones, teeth, and shells, but sometimes soft tissues, plants, and microbes form fossils as well.

Most fossils are found in layers of sedimentary rock that pile up over millions of years. We can determine which fossils are older and younger, or their relative age, by looking at how deep in the rock they appear. It is also possible to determine their absolute age by testing for radioactive isotopes in rock layers.

Fossils can form in a number of different ways. Mineralization is the result of mineral deposits entering small spaces in an organism’s remains and forming a cast. Carbonization occurs when a dead organism is compressed over time and leaves a carbon residue of its remains.

Trace fossils form from tracks or other markings of an organism’s movement. Mold fossils are created by sediment hardening around an organism’s body. When sediments fill a mold, they form a cast fossil.

In rare cases, fossils can be made of original material from the organism’s actual body. These fossils require very specific conditions, like when an insect is trapped in amber.

A preview of each game in the learning objective is found below.

You can access all of the games on Legends of Learning for free, forever, with a teacher account. A free teacher account also allows you to create playlists of games and assignments for students and track class progress. Sign up for free today!

Image for Dino Island
Dino Island Estimated Duration: 23 minutes Embark on an adventure to a new and unexplored land, searching for the traces of an unknown species of dinosaur. Dig through rock layers, retrieve and examine ancient fossils and document your expedition through Dino Island!
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Geo Journey Estimated Duration: 15 minutes Set off on a "Geo Journey," a riveting educational adventure that turns players into aspiring geologists. Dig deep into the Earth's crust to discover hidden fossils, interpret the secrets within rock strata, and engage with fun mini-games that illuminate the mysteries of our planet's past. Reassemble a scientist's notes and consult with an expert to link your findings to the grand chronicle of Earth's history. "Geo Journey" invites you to explore and uncover the geological wonders of our world!
Image for Fossil Explorers
Fossil Explorers Estimated Duration: 15 minutes Become the best paleontologist in this exciting adventure! Dig up hidden fossils, analyze them carefully, and discover the secrets left behind by the dinosaurs. Explore, learn, and solve the mysteries of these legendary creatures. Enjoy 4 unique mini-games! Use tools to dig up fossils, discover which dinosaur they belong to in the lab, investigate their era with relative dating, and determine their exact age with absolute dating.
Image for Newton Pool
Newton Pool Estimated Duration: 15 minutes The game consists of hand-crafted levels where the player controls a white ball. The goal of each level is to get the white ball to the end of the level in as few moves as possible, while racking up points by bumping golden balls into obstacles on the way! The game does not have any instructional math content, it simply has math review questions spread throughout.
Image for Galaxy Escape
Galaxy Escape Estimated Duration: 20 minutes 10 Bright Monsters have been captured in space and they need your help to cross the galaxy jumping between platforms, finding them, and releasing them by correctly answering each question. Each monster that you release and unlock will be available to play with in the next level, in the search for the next monster. In your journey, you’ll be able to find power-ups, like ‘Double points’ and ‘Slow down’, which can be activated by finding gems, and their duration can be extended by correctly answering a question. Unlock and release the 10 different monsters and a spaceship along 10 different levels, while you make the most possible points.
Image for Fossil Records
Fossil Records Estimated Duration: 6 minutes Rocks are solid natural substances composed of one or more minerals. A rock's age can be determined by relative dating or absolute dating. Relative dating gives geologists an approximate age based on the principle of superposition or presence of fossils. Absolute age gives us the precise age of the rock using radiometric dating.
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