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21 Oct 2026
Image credit: Simo Mark/Luomus/The Finnish Museum of Natural History in Helsinki
The 450-Million-Year-Old Fish with Googly Eyes
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) The fish has funny googly eyes.
b) The fish has big, sharp teeth.
c) The fish has long red fins.
Ask:
(1) What is your favourite sea animal? Why?
(2) Do you like museums? What do you like to see there?
VOCABULARY
fossil (/ˈfɒsl/, noun)
Meaning: A part of a very old animal or plant. It is now in rock.
Example: I can see a fish fossil in the rock.
extinct (/ɪkˈstɪŋkt/, adjective)
Meaning: When an animal is extinct, there are no more alive.
Example: Dinosaurs are extinct.
strange (/streɪndʒ/, adjective)
Meaning: Very different and unusual.
Example: This fish has a strange face.
belly (/ˈbeli/, noun)
Meaning: The round front part of a body, under the chest.
Example: My cat has a soft, white belly.
tail (/teɪl/, noun)
Meaning: The long part at the back of an animal.
Example: My dog is wagging its tail.
smile (/smaɪl/, noun)
Meaning: The happy shape your mouth makes.
Example: My teacher has a big smile.
museum (/mjuˈziːəm/, noun)
Meaning: A building with old and interesting things to look at.
Example: We are looking at dinosaur bones in the museum.
famous (/ˈfeɪməs/, adjective)
Meaning: Known by lots and lots of people.
Example: My favourite singer is very famous.
Meet Sacabambaspis! It is a very old fish. It is from 450 million years ago. Now there are no Sacabambaspis fish in the sea. It is extinct. Scientists find its fossils in rocks. They find fossils in Bolivia, Australia, Argentina and Oman.
This fish is very strange. It is about 30 centimetres long. The top of its body is flat. Its belly is big and round. It has no jaws. It has a round mouth. It sucks up tiny plants and animals. It has no fins on its body. It has one small fin on its tail. It wiggles like a tadpole.
Today, there is a model of this fish in a museum in Finland. The model is silver. It has a big smile. It has funny googly eyes! They are black and white.
Now people in Japan love this fish. They are sharing photos of the model online. They are drawing pictures of it. Children are buying soft toys and T-shirts. The old fish is famous now!
More than 450 million years after it went extinct, this weird fish now has fame, glory and merch - Image credit: Simo Mark/Luomus/The Finnish Museum of Natural History in Helsinki
Imagine a foot-long fish that looks as if it's been whacked on the head with a frying pan - Image credit: Simo Mark/Loumus/The Finnish Museum of Natural History in Helsinki
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Section 8: Discussion Questions
Talk about these questions with your teacher and classmates.
1. Do you like the Sacabambaspis? Why or why not?
2. What colour are the model's eyes?
3. What is your favourite fish?
4. Do you want a Sacabambaspis soft toy?
5. What other funny animal do you know?
FILL IN THE GAPS
FILL THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Read the text. Fill in the gaps with words from the Word Bank.
Word Bank: museum | famous | belly | extinct
Meet Sacabambaspis! It is a very old fish. It is from 450 million years ago. Now there are no Sacabambaspis fish in the sea. It is _______(1). Scientists find its fossils in rocks. They find fossils in Bolivia, Australia, Argentina and Oman.
This fish is very strange. It is about 30 centimetres long. The top of its body is flat. Its _______(2) is big and round. It has no jaws. It has a round mouth. It sucks up tiny plants and animals. It has no fins on its body. It has one small fin on its tail. It wiggles like a tadpole.
Today, there is a model of this fish in a _______(3) in Finland. The model is silver. It has a big smile. It has funny googly eyes! They are black and white.
Now people in Japan love this fish. They are sharing photos of the model online. They are drawing pictures of it. Children are buying soft toys and T-shirts. The old fish is _______(4) now!
Section 2: Main Idea
What is the main idea of the story? Choose the best answer.
a) A very old, strange fish is famous today.
b) A new fish is in a pet shop.
c) A museum in Japan is closing.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
Read the sentences. Circle T (true) or F (false).
1. Sacabambaspis has big jaws. T/F
2. The fish has one small fin on its tail. T/F
3. The model is in a museum in Japan. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
Put the events in order. Write 1, 2 or 3.
___ a) People in Japan are sharing photos.
___ b) Scientists find fossils in rocks.
___ c) A museum in Finland has a model.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
1. fossil
2. tail
3. smile
4. strange
5. famous
a) very different and unusual
b) the happy shape your mouth makes
c) known by lots of people
d) part of a very old animal, now in rock
e) the long part at the back of an animal
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
Choose the best option to complete each sentence.
1. I think the fish is ______ because it has googly eyes.
a) funny
b) sad
c) angry
2. I want a Sacabambaspis ______ because it is soft.
a) rock
b) soft toy
c) fin
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
Put the parts in the correct order to make a sentence. Write the sentence on the line.
1. A) eyes. / B) The / C) has / D) googly / E) fish
______________________________________________
2. A) love / B) Japan / C) it. / D) People / E) in
______________________________________________
ANSWER KEY
Answer Key
Warm Up: a) The fish has funny googly eyes.
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
(1) extinct
(2) belly
(3) museum
(4) famous
Section 2: Main Idea
a) A very old, strange fish is famous today.
Section 3: True or False
1. F (It has no jaws.)
2. T
3. F (The museum is in Finland.)
Section 4: Put Events in Order
1 – b) Scientists find fossils in rocks.
2 – c) A museum in Finland has a model.
3 – a) People in Japan are sharing photos.
Section 5: Vocab Match
1 – d
2 – e
3 – b
4 – a
5 – c
Section 6: Discussion Builder
1. a) funny
2. b) soft toy
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
1. B, E, C, D, A – The fish has googly eyes.
2. D, E, B, A, C – People in Japan love it.
Section 8: Discussion Questions
Answers will vary. Model answer for question 1: Yes, I like it. It has funny eyes and a big smile.
Thank you for your feedback!