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Morning Starters: Spring 1 - Fascinating Fossils

Monday

Did You Know?

The famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough is an avid fossil collector. In a film clip, he can’t hide his excitement when a fossilized ammonite is revealed as he breaks apart a rock. Ammonites were hard-shelled marine creatures that first appeared during the Devonian period, around 400 million years ago. They became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period, approximately 66 million years ago – around the same time as the dinosaurs.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05sk0n4/player

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Credit: BBC One - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon

Word Challenge

The title of this page, ‘Fascinating Fossils’, uses alliteration (consecutive words that start with the same sound).

Complete the titles below, using alliteration.

1) ________ Ammonites

2) ________ Belemnites

3) ________ Trilobites

Grammar Challenge

Click text to edit

Rewrite the following sentence, using the passive voice.

David Attenborough, the renowned naturalist, was thrilled to discover an exquisitely preserved ammonite fossil.

Number Challenge

The spiraling pattern of an ammonite shell is related to Fibonacci’s number sequence. Here are the first 8 numbers in the sequence:

1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, …

What are the next 3 numbers in this sequence? 

Critical Thinking

In the UK, the collection of fossils from beaches is regulated to ensure that it is done safely and responsibly. There are a number of rules that must be followed.

What might these rules be?