Be a fossil detective poster
Use this poster to look closely at an ichthyosaur fossil and use clues to work out what this extinct marine reptile was like when it was alive.
How can I use this with my class?
Your class can become fossil detectives with these enquiry-based resources. Students explore animal adaptations and make suggestions about how they lived by using the be a fossil detective poster to answer questions on the be a fossil detective adaptations activity sheet.
Students continue to explore fossils through reading comprehension in the be a fossil detective ichthyosaur fact-file. In the fossil to living thing card match your class will apply their acquired understanding of how fossils may have looked when alive to novel examples.
What's inside
Just want one of the lesson resources? No problem…
Be a fossil detective adaptations activity sheet
Use this activity sheet alongside the 'Be a fossil detective poster' to record adaptations discovered from the ichthyosaur fossil.
Be a fossil detective ichthyosaur facts
Use this activity sheet to find out more about ichthyosaurs and how they lived, before answering the questions.
Be a fossil detective prediction sheet
Use this activity sheet alongside the 'Be a fossil detective poster' to predict what the living animal might have looked like.
How fossils are formed card match game
Match the images to the sentences and explain how fossils are formed.
Want to make a career connection?
Learn about careers related to this lesson…
Meet a petrologist presentation
Use this presentation to inspire your pupils to think about a potential future career and link learning about rocks to the real-world.
Meet a petrologist job card
Inspire your pupils to think about a future career and link learning about rocks to the real-world, with this job-role card.
Meet a petrologist video
Watch Marli, a mineral resources petrologist (who studies rocks) at work and find out about the knowledge and skills she needs for success.
Meet a palaeontologist presentation
Use this presentation to inspire your pupils to think about a potential future career and link learning about rocks and fossils to the real-world.
Meet a palaeontologist job card
Inspire your pupils to think about a future career and link learning about rocks and fossils to the real-world, with this job-role card.
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