Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Fossil Hunters Fill the Gaps: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 3
- ForYear 3
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Fossil Hunters Fill the Gaps is a free printable science worksheet for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). Children read a short passage about how a fossil forms, step by step, and fill the gaps using a word bank. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas and a stretch task.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children read a short passage that explains how a fossil forms, one stage after another. Some words are missing, so they use the word bank to fill each gap. They need to think about what makes sense, not just guess. They read the passage once, choose their words, then read it aloud again to check it sounds right. There are lines for writing.
How to get the most from the sheet
Read the whole passage first
Before any gap is filled, read the passage once from start to finish. This gives children the big picture of how a fossil forms and helps them see which word fits where.
Read it aloud to check
After choosing a word, read the sentence out loud. If it sounds odd or does not make sense, the word probably belongs somewhere else.
Think about the order
The passage describes things happening one after another. Ask your child what comes first, what comes next and what comes last. Words like first, then and finally are good clues.
Explain in your own words
When the gaps are filled, ask your child to tell you how a fossil forms without looking at the page. Explaining it aloud shows what they have really understood.
What is a fossil?
A fossil is the remains or the trace of a living thing from long ago. Fossils are not only bones. They can be shells, leaves, teeth or even footprints left behind by an animal. Most living things rot away completely when they die, so fossils are special. They only form in the right conditions, and they give us clues about life from a very long time ago.
In Year 3, children learn that there are different kinds of rock and that fossils are connected to rocks. This sheet turns that idea into a clear sequence. Mary Anning, who lived in Lyme Regis in Dorset, became famous for finding fossils on the coast near her home. Her story shows children that careful looking can lead to real discoveries.
Fossils and rocks are best hunted with an adult. Choose a safe place, stay away from cliff edges and loose rocks, and check for tides on a beach. Look and photograph, and leave the rocks as they are. Do not hit rocks with hammers or tools.
Fossil facts for curious children
- A fossil is the remains or trace of something that lived long ago.
- Fossils are not only dinosaurs. Shells, leaves and plants can become fossils too.
- Some fossils are footprints. They show where an animal once walked.
- A scientist who studies fossils is called a palaeontologist.
- Mary Anning found important fossils on the coast at Lyme Regis in Dorset.
Skills and curriculum link
- Fossils
- Rocks
- Using key words
- Reading for meaning
- Putting ideas in order
Ideas to help you talk about fossils
- Living things from long agoFossils tell us about plants and animals that lived before people were around. Ask your child what they think a scientist can learn from a fossil.
- Not only bonesFossils can be shells, leaves or prints. Look at pictures in a book or on a museum website together and spot different kinds.
- Why fossils are rareMost living things do not become fossils. Talk about what usually happens to a leaf or a shell left outside for a long time.
- Rocks come in different kindsLook at a few stones from the garden or park. Talk about colour, feel and pattern. This builds the language needed for the rocks topic.
Key words
- FossilThe remains or trace of a living thing from long ago.
- RockA hard natural material found in the ground.
- PalaeontologistA scientist who studies fossils.
- ShellThe hard outer covering of some animals, such as a snail or a mussel.
- PrintA mark left behind in a soft surface, such as a footprint.
- Word bankA list of words to choose from when filling the gaps.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes for you.
- Read the whole passage once before filling any gaps. Talk about what it is about.
- Work through the activity together the first time. Talk about each choice and why it fits.
- Check your answers against the notes on page 2. Ask, "How did you decide on that word?"
- Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Cross out each word in the bank as you use it. This leaves fewer choices each time. Read the sentence before and after each gap, and say the whole sentence aloud with your chosen word. Fill in the gaps you feel sure about first.
To stretch confident children
Draw four pictures that show how a fossil forms, in order. Add a short label under each one. Then cover the passage and use your pictures to explain the whole process to a grown up or a friend.
Make it a game
Go on a pebble hunt in a safe place with an adult. Look for shells or prints in stones. Look and photograph, and leave the rocks where they are. At home, show your photos and say what you think made each mark.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child fills the first gap with the first word that looks right, without reading on.
Try thisRead the whole sentence, and the one after it, before choosing. Say it aloud to hear whether it makes sense.
Watch forA child uses the same word bank word twice and runs out of words later.
Try thisCross out each word as it is used. If a word is left over, check which gap it might fit.
Watch forA child puts the steps in the wrong order when explaining the process.
Try thisLook for time words such as first, then, next and finally. Draw the stages as pictures and put them in a line.
Talk about it
- What do you already know about fossils?
- Why do you think so few living things become fossils?
- What could a scientist learn by looking at a fossil?
- Which word in the passage was the trickiest to place? Why?
- How would you explain how a fossil forms to a younger child?
- If you found a stone with a mark in it, what questions would you ask?
Take it off the page
Fossil prints in clay
Press a shell or a leaf into air drying clay or playdough, then lift it out. Look at the print it leaves and talk about what it shows.
Pebble sorting
Collect a few stones from the garden or park and put them back afterwards. Sort them by colour, size and feel. Use words like smooth, rough and hard.
Museum visit or book hunt
Look at a book about fossils or visit a local museum. Find one fossil and draw it carefully. Write one sentence about what it was.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go, then let them lead. Short bursts work better than long sessions. If they get stuck, ask them to read the sentence aloud and listen for what is missing. Praise careful thinking.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task or a table activity within the Year 3 rocks topic. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 offers support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Pair it with a library book on fossils, a walk to look at stones or a museum trip. Use the stretch task to turn the passage into a set of drawings. The sheet can be reprinted for brothers, sisters or revision.
Where this fits in learning
Before this sheet, children meet the idea that rocks come in different kinds and have different features. They also learn to describe materials in simple words. Reading carefully for meaning and using a word bank are skills they will have practised in other subjects.
After this sheet, children can explore how different rocks are made, how soils form and how scientists use fossils to learn about the past. They can also practise explaining a process in order, which helps with science writing in later years.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Fossil Hunters Fill the Gaps for?
It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2. It supports the Year 3 science topic on rocks, where children describe in simple terms how fossils are formed.
- What will children practise?
Children practise describing in simple terms how fossils are formed when things that have lived are trapped within rock. They also use key words, read for meaning and think about the order of events.
- How do I use it?
Read the whole passage once before filling the gaps. Then choose words from the bank and read each sentence aloud to check it makes sense. Work through it together the first time, then check against the notes on page 2.
- What if it feels too hard?
Cross out each word in the bank as you use it, so there are fewer choices left each time. Fill in the gaps you feel sure about first, and read each sentence aloud to hear if it fits.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision, and black and white printing works well.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Children read, think and write by hand.
- Can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. Home educators and tutors can use it alone or as part of a wider science plan. It needs no preparation beyond printing.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.