Morning Starters: Spring 1 - Fascinating Fossils
Did You Know?
A fossil was discovered that captured the birth of an ichthyosaur. Tragically, both mother and newborn died during the birthing process, though the exact cause remains uncertain. While dinosaurs were walking the land, ichthyosaurs were swimming in the sea. They are marine reptiles that evolved streamlined, fish-like bodies for fast swimming.
Credit: BBC One - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon
Word Challenge
Compile a list of words that can be made from using letters found in the word ‘ichthyosaur.’
Example: you , this, chair, …
What is the longest word you can make?
Grammar Challenge
How many different ways can you rewrite the following sentence?
Silently, the ichthyosaur gave birth in the depths of the primordial sea.
(Try to avoid adding too many new words.)
Number Challenge
An ichthyosaur fossil is 15 metres long. The head is one fifth (1/5) of the fossil’s total length, and the body is twice as long as the head.
How long is the ichthyosaur’s tail?
Critical Thinking
Mysteriously, ichthyosaurs became extinct around 100 million years ago. (This was long before the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.)
What do you think caused the extinction of the ichthyosaurs?