In Summer Term 2, we explored the fascinating life of Mary Anning, the great fossil hunter. As part of our learning, we imagined ourselves as fossil hunters who had discovered part of a fossilised skeleton. Working in groups, we predicted what the full skeleton might have looked like, what kind of animal it could have been, where it might have lived, and what it might have eaten. To our surprise, we later discovered that each group had been given a different part of the same dinosaur—yet all our predictions were completely different! This led to some fantastic discussions and helped us understand how scientists use clues to piece together the past.
This half term we had an exciting visit to the Natural History Museum, where we took part in the Dino Dig workshop—a fun and hands-on experience that gave us a real taste of what it’s like to be a palaeontologists. Working in small groups, we examined a range of real fossil specimens, learning how to observe closely and measure carefully to identify them. Just like scientists at the museum, we used clues from the fossils to work out what kind of dinosaurs they came from, how they might have behaved, and what their lives were like. One of the most exciting parts was uncovering a mystery fossil and comparing it to known dinosaur species to try and identify it. We also learned how experts study the museum’s collections to understand prehistoric life on Earth. It was an unforgettable experience that brought our learning about fossils and dinosaurs to life!
