Morning Starters: Autumn 1 - Nature's Builders
Did You Know?
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system. It is located in the Coral Sea off the coast of Australia. A coral reef is a massive structure of limestone (calcium carbonate) created by colonies of animals called coral polyps. A coral polyp is like an upside-down jellyfish that grows within a stony cup. A healthy coral reef is a colourful underwater city that serves as a habitat for a large variety of marine life.
Where in the world is the Coral Sea? Click the 🌍
Word Challenge
The adjective ‘colourful’ is used to describe a coral reef in the ‘Did you know? paragraph.
List some different words that end in the suffix ‘-ful’ and accurately describe a coral reef.
Grammar Challenge
Rewrite the following sentence, adding a relative clause.
The reef was a riot of colour.
Example: The reef, which teemed with marine life, was a riot of colour.
Challenge: Write a follow-on sentence that starts with a fronted adverbial.
Number Challenge
Fact: There are around 6,000 different species of coral around the world.
Record some multiplication number sentences that have 6,000 as the answer.
Critical Thinking
Why do you think coral reefs are called ‘the rainforests of the sea?’