NewsRoom Daily Activity Plan

Da y
ily N ivit
ewsRoom Act
Twinkl NewsRoom delivers the news for kids today. Our daily kids news reports are
child-friendly and a perfect way to help your class explore the news with confidence. Each
kids news report comes with a range of curriculum-friendly questions and extension ideas. It’s the perfect way
to teach reading comprehension around the news!

You can find all Twinkl NewsRoom’s daily stories at www.twinkl.co.uk/newsroom.

Display the news story on the whiteboard. Discuss the picture - what does it tell
us about the story?

• Look at the introduction question and discuss it, then look at the summary. Daily News
History World News 3rd December 2020

Museum’s Duelling Dinosaur Fossil

• You might ask the children to read in pairs, taking turns to read a paragraph A pair of duelling dinosaur fossils have been
found in Montana in the USA. It appears to
have been a fight to the death!
rewarded paleontologists with a wealth of
information. Teeth from the T. rex can be seen

out loud.
embedded in the spine of the Triceratops. In fact,
most of the T. rex’s teeth were broken and its
What is a fossil? skull was cracked.
However, paleontologists remain puzzled
• A fossil is the remains of a prehistoric by the fossil. They’re not certain that the pair
animal or plant which has been trapped fought to the death. Scientists are considering
within rock. whether the two became tangled together, their
• Mary Anning was a famous fossil hunter bodies washed up on the same riverbank.

• Ask them to underline any unfamiliar words and summarise what the story
from the 19th century. She became world- A new lab is being built at the museum which
famous after her fossil discoveries in the will house the fighting fossil in 2022. It will act
south-west of England. as a hub for scientists to examine the fossil.

was about with their partner.

• Check any unfamiliar words against the glossary or dictionaries. Discuss any The impressive fossil has been donated to the
Illustration: The fossil of the T. rex and Triceratops.

It’s thought that thousands of studies will be

further unfamiliar words. Refer back to the introductory question - can we

Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural carried out on this fossil alone.
Sciences in North Carolina, USA. The public will also be able to view the pair.
Eric Dorfman is the director and CEO of the They will keep them both on display at the
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, he museum for five years so that as many people as

answer this in more depth now?

said, “The museum is thrilled to have the unique possible can view them!
opportunity to house and research one of the
most important paleontological discoveries of Glossary
our time.”
The dinosaurs involved in the apparent feud prehistoric The period in history before
are a Tyrannosaurus rex (T. rex) and Triceratops written records.
Horridus. Paleontologists believe that the feud A long and bitter argument or
pair have been buried together for around 67 dispute.
million years!
It is believed that the fossils of each of these paleontology A branch of science related to

Share the comprehension questions with the children and explain that they test
dinosaurs are amongst the best to have ever fossils.
been discovered. Scientists claim that this is the
embedded Something which is firmly
first complete T. rex found in its original form.
placed within a material.
A brief analysis of the fossil has already

a range of reading skills such as summarising and prediction. visit twinkl.com

Museum’s Duelling Dinosaur Fossil

Questions
1. In the fact box find a word which is similar in meaning to ‘caught.’

You may wish to model how to use the text to help them answer different styles 2. Tick to show whether the statements are true or false according to the article.

of question and how the language used in different types of questions hints at Mary Anning was a fossil hunter.
The T.rex’s teeth were found in the skull of the Triceratops.
True False

the type of answers required. The dinosaurs from the fossil died around 67 million years ago.
Scientists claim this is the first complete T. rex ever found.

3. What evidence in the text is there that the dinosaurs fought?

You can then use the answers sheet to help you mark their responses. You 4. What do you think the paleontologists might do next?

may choose to ask the children to peer mark before sharing the answers as a
class or ask the children to mark their own work independently.
5. Number the events from 1-4 to show the order that they happened in. One has been
done for you.

The fossil was gifted to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
Mary Anning became a fossil hunter.
The dinosaurs lived.
Paleontologists found that the T. rex had a cracked skull.

6. Write a different headline that summarises this story. Use no more than six words.

Duelling Dinosaurs Quick Questions

8 A pair of duelling dinosaur fossils have been 1. Where is the fossil of the two dinosaurs located?
18 found in what appears to have been a fight to

The 60-Second Read Activity can be used to support guided reading groups,
20 the death!
27 The impressive fossil has been donated to
35 the Friends of the North Carolina Museum of 2. Which of following words could be used as a
41 Natural Sciences in North Carolina, USA.

whole class reading discussion, reading fluency or small reading interventions.

synonym for ‘donated’ as it is used in the article?
48 Eric Dorfman who’s the director and CEO purchased
56 of the museum said, “The museum is thrilled
gifted visit twinkl.com
63 to have the unique opportunity to house
bought
70 and research one of the most important
taken
75 paleontological discoveries of our time”.
81 The dinosaurs involved in the apparent

The text is shorter and the questions are slightly simplified from the longer
88 feud are a Tyrannosaurus rex (T. rex) and 3. How long ago did the the two dinosaurs live?
92 Triceratops Horridus. Paleontologists believe
100 that the pair have been buried together for
104 around 67 million years! 4. Summarise the article in your own
114 It is believed that the fossils of each of these

version of the story.

words using no more than 15 words.
122 dinosaurs are amongst the best to have ever
124 been discovered.

visit twinkl.com

3rd December 2020 Duelling Dinosaur Fossil Found

Explore

Finally, explore the tasks on the website or on the sheet in the pack.
If you’re interested in fossils then
this Twinkl Original book may be
of interest to you!

Phyllis and the Fossil Finders eBook

(teacher made)

These are linked to the story and allow for children to explore the topics or The story follows Jacob and his three
best friends who head down to the beach
on the Jurassic Coast one day and they

context of a story further.

make a surprising discovery! Instead of
the usual small fossils that the coastline
is famous for, they make a very special
friend in Phyllis, a prehistoric creature
mysteriously returned to life. Can the
gang keep Phyllis a secret long enough to

They can be used as standalone tasks or as extension activities.

Illustration: The fossil of the T. rex and Triceratops.
give her a safe home?

What is a fossil?

• A fossil is the remains of a prehistoric

animal or plant which has been Create
trapped within rock.

• Mary Anning was a famous fossil Feeling creative?

hunter from the 19th century. She
became world-famous after her
fossil discoveries in the south-west
of England.
Learn how to draw your own fossil and
create it on a rock template, imagining
the creature to whom your fossil belongs.

Investigate
What creature will you design?
Learn more about fossils by What similarities does it have to
finding out about the different types creatures which are living today?
of fossils, such as cast, mould, body
and trace. What type of fossil have you designed?

Types of Fossils Display Posters |

Twinkl Originals Draw Your Own Fossil Creature KS2
Activity Pack