Scientists found the biggest sea reptile ever in the UK. It is called Ichthyotitan severnensis and lived 202 million years ago. It might have been 25 meters long, bigger than a blue whale. They found jawbones in 2016 and 2020, but need more pieces to know its exact size.

Amateur fossil hunters found the bones. Paul de la Salle found the first jawbone and showed it to Dr. Dean Lomax, a paleontologist. Justin and Ruby Reynolds found the second jawbone. These fossils will be shown at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.

Dr. Lomax says anyone can find important fossils, not just scientists. You need patience and a good eye to help science. Finding Ichthyotitan severnensis helps us learn about old sea reptiles and why they died out. This discovery shows how big and varied these ancient creatures were.

Original news source: Prehistoric sea reptile ‘twice as long as bus’ (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Headline Creation
Instructions: In pairs, students will create a catchy headline for the article about the discovery of Ichthyotitan severnensis. They should try to summarize the main idea of the article in just a few words.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into teams. Give each team a list of vocabulary words from the article. One student from each team will come to the front and draw a picture to represent one of the words. The team members must guess the word based on the drawing.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Ask the students to raise their hands if they think it would be exciting to discover a new species of sea reptile. Then, ask the students to explain their reasons for their opinions. Encourage a class discussion based on their responses.

– Charades
Instructions: Write different actions or words related to the article on small pieces of paper and put them in a hat. Students take turns picking a piece of paper and acting out the word or action for their classmates to guess. The first student to guess correctly gets a point.

– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions: Each student writes down two true statements and one false statement related to the article. In small groups, students take turns reading their statements and the other students must guess which statement is false. This activity encourages reading comprehension and critical thinking skills.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did scientists find in the UK?
2. How long ago did the sea reptile live?
3. How big might the sea reptile have been?
4. Who found the jawbones?
5. Where will the fossils be shown?
6. According to Dr. Lomax, who can find important fossils?
7. What can the discovery of Ichthyotitan severnensis help us learn about?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Scientists found the biggest sea reptile ever in the UK. It is called Ichthyotitan severnensis and lived 202 million (1)______ ago. It might have been 25 (2)______ long, bigger than a (3)______ whale. They found jaw(4)______ in 2016 and 2020, but need more pieces to know its exact size.

Amateur fossil hunters (5)______ the bones. Paul de la Salle found the first jawbone and showed it to Dr. Dean (6)______, a paleontologist. Justin and Ruby Reynolds found the second jawbone. These fossils will be (7)______ at the Bristol (8)______ and Art Gallery.

Dr. Lomax says anyone can find important fossils, not just scientists. You (9)______ patience and a good eye to help science. Finding Ichthyotitan severnensis (10)______ us (11)______ about old sea reptiles and why they died out. This (12)______ shows how big and varied these ancient creatures were.
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💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a sea reptile?
2. How would you feel if you found a fossil like the ones in the article?
3. Do you like learning about dinosaurs and ancient creatures?
4. Do you think it’s important for everyone to learn about fossils and dinosaurs? Why or why not?
5. What do you think it means when the article says the sea reptiles “died out”?
6. How do you think scientists know how big the Ichthyotitan severnensis was?
7. Why do you think the article says anyone can find important fossils, not just scientists?
8. Have you ever found something interesting or unusual outside? What was it?
9. Do you think it’s exciting to learn about creatures that lived millions of years ago? Why or why not?
10. How do you think the Ichthyotitan severnensis might have looked like?
11. Why do you think the fossils will be shown at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery?
12. What other ancient creatures do you want to learn more about?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Ichthyotitan severnensis
2. paleontologist
3. fossils
4. jawbones
5. amateur
6. discovery
7. patience
8. ancient
9. varied
10. creatures
11. reptile
12. exact

Meanings:
(A) The bones that make up the mouth of an animal
(B) Different from each other
(C) Finding something new or important
(D) An animal that has scales and lays eggs, like a snake or lizard
(E) Very old, from a long time ago
(F) Being able to wait for a long time without getting upset
(G) The name of the biggest sea reptile ever found in the UK
(H) Living things, like animals or plants
(I) Completely correct, with no mistakes
(J) Remains of plants or animals from a long time ago, found in rocks
(K) Someone who does something for fun, not as a job
(L) A scientist who studies fossils and ancient life
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the biggest sea reptile ever found in the UK?
(a) Blue whale
(b) Dr. Dean Lomax
(c) Paul de la Salle
(d) Ichthyotitan severnensis

2. How long ago did Ichthyotitan severnensis live?
(a) 25 meters long
(b) 202 million years ago
(c) In 2016 and 2020
(d) At the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery

3. How big was Ichthyotitan severnensis compared to a blue whale?
(a) Smaller
(b) Bigger
(c) The same size
(d) Unknown

4. Who found the first jawbone of Ichthyotitan severnensis?
(a) Dr. Dean Lomax
(b) Justin and Ruby Reynolds
(c) Paul de la Salle
(d) Bristol Museum and Art Gallery

5. Where will the fossils be shown?
(a) London Museum
(b) Berlin Museum
(c) Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
(d) Tokyo Museum

6. According to Dr. Lomax, who can find important fossils?
(a) Anyone
(b) Only scientists
(c) Paleontologists
(d) Amateur fossil hunters

7. What do we learn from finding Ichthyotitan severnensis?
(a) About old sea reptiles and why they died out
(b) About the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
(c) About Dr. Dean Lomax and his research
(d) About blue whales and their size

8. What does this discovery show about ancient creatures?
(a) How small and similar they were
(b) How they lived in the UK
(c) How they became extinct
(d) How big and varied they were

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The sea reptile is not called Ichthyotitan severnensis and lived 202 million years ago.
2. Jawbones of the sea reptile were found in 2016 and 2020.
3. More pieces of the reptile are not needed to determine its exact size.
4. This discovery helps scientists learn more about ancient sea reptiles and why they became extinct.
5. It could have been bigger than a blue whale, possibly measuring 25 meters long.
6. Amateur fossil hunters found the jawbones.
7. The fossils will not be displayed at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.
8. Scientists did not discover the largest sea reptile ever in the UK.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What did scientists find in the UK?
2. How long ago did the sea reptile live?
3. How big was the sea reptile?
4. Who found the jawbones of the sea reptile?
5. What can we learn from finding the sea reptile fossils?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did scientists find in the UK?
Scientists found the biggest sea reptile ever in the UK.

2. How long ago did the sea reptile live?
The sea reptile lived 202 million years ago.

3. How big might the sea reptile have been?
The sea reptile might have been 25 meters long, bigger than a blue whale.

4. Who found the jawbones?
Amateur fossil hunters found the jawbones.

5. Where will the fossils be shown?
The fossils will be shown at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.

6. According to Dr. Lomax, who can find important fossils?
According to Dr. Lomax, anyone can find important fossils, not just scientists.

7. What can the discovery of Ichthyotitan severnensis help us learn about?
The discovery of Ichthyotitan severnensis can help us learn about old sea reptiles and why they died out.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) years
(2) meters
(3) blue
(4) bones
(5) found
(6) Lomax
(7) shown
(8) Museum
(9) need
(10) helps
(11) learn
(12) discovery
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Ichthyotitan severnensis
Answer: (G) The name of the biggest sea reptile ever found in the UK

2. paleontologist
Answer: (L) A scientist who studies fossils and ancient life

3. fossils
Answer: (J) Remains of plants or animals from a long time ago, found in rocks

4. jawbones
Answer: (A) The bones that make up the mouth of an animal

5. amateur
Answer: (K) Someone who does something for fun, not as a job

6. discovery
Answer: (C) Finding something new or important

7. patience
Answer: (F) Being able to wait for a long time without getting upset

8. ancient
Answer: (E) Very old, from a long time ago

9. varied
Answer: (B) Different from each other

10. creatures
Answer: (H) Living things, like animals or plants

11. reptile
Answer: (D) An animal that has scales and lays eggs, like a snake or lizard

12. exact
Answer: (I) Completely correct, with no mistakes
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the biggest sea reptile ever found in the UK?
Answer: (d) Ichthyotitan severnensis

2. How long ago did Ichthyotitan severnensis live?
Answer: (b) 202 million years ago

3. How big was Ichthyotitan severnensis compared to a blue whale?
Answer: (b) Bigger

4. Who found the first jawbone of Ichthyotitan severnensis?
Answer: (c) Paul de la Salle

5. Where will the fossils be shown?
Answer: (c) Bristol Museum and Art Gallery

6. According to Dr. Lomax, who can find important fossils?
Answer: (a) Anyone

7. What do we learn from finding Ichthyotitan severnensis?
Answer: (a) About old sea reptiles and why they died out

8. What does this discovery show about ancient creatures?
Answer: (d) How big and varied they were
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The sea reptile is not called Ichthyotitan severnensis and lived 202 million years ago. (Answer: False)
2. Jawbones of the sea reptile were found in 2016 and 2020. (Answer: True)
3. More pieces of the reptile are not needed to determine its exact size. (Answer: False)
4. This discovery helps scientists learn more about ancient sea reptiles and why they became extinct. (Answer: True)
5. It could have been bigger than a blue whale, possibly measuring 25 meters long. (Answer: True)
6. Amateur fossil hunters found the jawbones. (Answer: True)
7. The fossils will not be displayed at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. (Answer: False)
8. Scientists did not discover the largest sea reptile ever in the UK. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧