Storyworks May June 2024 The Bone Hunter Author's Purpose Quest

Match the following

• died out completely

• 
• studies fossils

• 
• uncover by digging out

• 
• very old

• 
• remains of a long ago plant or animal

• 

1. Tarshis wants to inform readers that a girl named Mary Anning made an important discovery.

Directions: List four details from the article about the discovery Mary made and how she made

it. Use the sentence starters below to help you.

A. As a kid, Mary loved to...

B. One day, Mary's brother...

C. For months, Mary...

D. Mary sold the fossil to...

a

b

c

d

a museum in London.

worked to uncover the whole fossil.

discovered a huge skull in the sand.

walk along the beach to look for shells.

Tarshis wants to inform readers about how Mary Anning’s discovery changed the world.

Directions: List four details from the article about Mary’s discovery and how it changed

science.

A. Mary's fossil...

B. It helped prove....

C. This made scientists wonder...

D. Mary's discoveries helped create...

a

b

c

d

creatures could become extinct.

didn’t look like another plant or animal

about other mysterious creatures.

paleontology.

Tarshis wants to inform readers about how fossils form.

Directions: Put the four details from the article about how fossils form. Be sure to use the sidebar

“How a Fossil Forms” on pages 8-9!

• Fossils form after a living thing, like a plant or animal, dies.

• Its skeleton is buried by water, rocks, and mud.

• The bones turn into a fossil.

• The fossil can be found once water dries up or land wears away.

The author includes several text features to help inform the reader.

Directions: Look at the images from the article and then click the circle next to the correct statement.

First Choice: Tarshis includes these images to show readers how Mary found the Ichthyosaurus fossil

and how she helped inspire people to continue searching for fossils.

Second Choice: Tarshis includes these images to inform readers that the Ichthyosaurus fossil was quick and easy for Mary Anning to uncover

Now think about all of your answers in this activity and respond to the prompt about the

author’s purpose.

Directions: Summarize why you think Lauren Tarshis wrote this article and what she wants you

to learn.

Tarshis wanted ​ (a)   to learn about the other important ​ (b)   that ​ (c)  

discovered and the ​ (d)   made by ​ (e)   today.

• fossils
• Mary
• scientists
• discoveries
• students

Match the following

• uncover by digging out

• 
• studies fossils

• 
• died out completely

• 
• remains of a long ago plant or animal

• 
• very old

•