Animals & Environment
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NEW
29 Sept 2026
Photo credit: Getty
Did Fossilised Poop Help Early Animals Grow?
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Section: Warm Up
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) Ancient animals made new rocks
b) Old poop helped life grow in the sea
c) Dinosaurs ate floating plants
Ask:
(1) Why is clean water important for sea animals?
(2) What do you know about ancient fossils?
VOCABULARY
poop (/puːp/, noun)
Meaning: Solid waste that comes out of an animal body.
Example: The sheep left poop on the green grass.
ocean (/ˈəʊ.ʃən/, noun)
Meaning: A very large area of salt water.
Example: Big blue whales swim in the deep ocean.
clear (/klɪər/, adjective)
Meaning: Easy to see through.
Example: The water in the glass is fresh and clear.
bottom (/ˈbɒt.əm/, noun)
Meaning: The lowest part of something.
Example: The heavy stone sank to the bottom.
light (/laɪt/, noun)
Meaning: The brightness from the sun that helps us see.
Example: Sunlight comes through my bedroom window.
grow (/ɡrəʊ/, verb)
Meaning: To become bigger or stronger.
Example: Small plants grow fast in sunny weather.
A very long time ago, the ancient sea is dark, dirty, and cloudy. Millions of tiny living things float near the top of the water. When they die, they stay near the surface for a long time. Warm sunlight cannot pass through this thick and dirty water. Because of this, the deep ocean stays very dark.
Then, new sea animals appear in the water. These small animals eat the tiny floating things every day. After eating, they make animal waste or poop. This new waste is very heavy and solid. It falls down to the sea floor extremely quickly. This action cleans the top layer of the sea.
Now, the ocean water becomes clear and clean. Bright light travels deep into the blue ocean water. Green plants get plenty of light and grow very well. More good food helps many new sea creatures live, swim, and grow. Animal waste helps clean the ancient sea and helps nature grow.
A graphic showing the biodiversity of prehistoric oceans before faecal matter and afterwards – full of animals from the Cambrian explosion - Credit: R Bicknell (Flinders University)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Do you like visiting the ocean?
2. Why do plants need bright light to grow?
3. What animals swim in the deep sea today?
4. Is it important to keep our water clean?
5. How do animals help nature every day?
FILL IN THE GAPS
FILL THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Word Bank: bottom, clear, light, ocean
A very long time ago, the ancient sea is dark, dirty, and cloudy. Millions of tiny living things float near the top of the water. When they die, they stay near the surface for a long time. Warm sunlight cannot pass through this thick and dirty water. Because of this, the deep ocean stays very dark.
Then, new sea animals appear in the water. These small animals eat the tiny floating things every day. After eating, they make animal waste or poop. This new waste is very heavy and solid. It falls down to the _______(1) of the sea floor extremely quickly. This action cleans the top layer of the sea.
Now, the ocean water becomes _______(2) and clean. Bright _______(3) travels deep into the blue ocean water. Green plants get plenty of light and grow very well. More good food helps many new sea creatures live, swim, and grow in the large _______(4). Animal waste helps clean the ancient sea and helps nature grow.
Section 2: Main Idea
What is the main idea of the story?
a) Big fish eat smaller fish in dark rivers.
b) Animal waste helped make ancient sea water clean.
c) Plants cannot live in deep blue water.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
1. The ancient ocean was dark and cloudy at first. T/F
2. Animal waste floated at the top of the water forever. T/F
3. Bright light helped new plants grow in the sea. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
a) Heavy waste dropped down to the sea floor.
b) The ocean water was dark and very cloudy.
c) Bright sunlight reached deeper into clear water.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
1. poop
2. ocean
3. clear
4. bottom
5. grow
a) easy to see through
b) solid animal waste
c) to get bigger
d) a very large sea
e) the lowest part
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
1. The sea water was cloudy, so sunlight _______ reach the bottom.
a) cannot
b) is
c) helps
2. Heavy waste falls down and _______ the water clear.
a) makes
b) look
c) swim
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
1. A) water B) The C) clear D) is E) now .
2. A) grow B) Plants C) in D) light E) bright .
ANSWER KEY
Warm Up Answer: b
Section 1: 1) bottom, 2) clear, 3) light, 4) ocean
Section 2: b
Section 3: 1) T, 2) F, 3) T
Section 4: b, a, c
Section 5: 1-b, 2-d, 3-a, 4-e, 5-c
Section 6: 1-a, 2-a
Section 7: 1) B-A-D-C-E (The water is clear now.), 2) B-A-C-E-D (Plants grow in bright light.)
Section 8: Open student answers.
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