In the poem ‘The Fossils’ by Ogden Nash, set in a quiet and still history museum, the bones of the ancient dinosaurs come alive to have a celebration.
to recognise onomatopoeia
In pairs, practise saying these interesting words from the poem aloud before you read it. Then make sure you recite the poem out loud – it’s lots of fun to say!
❍ polkas (a lively Czech dance): pol-kuhz M
❍ mazurkas (a Polish folk dance or piece of music): muh-zuh-kuhz
❍ pterodactyls (a flying reptile that lived millions of years ago): teh-ruh-dak-tlz
❍ brontosauruses (a very large dinosaur with a long neck and tail): bron-tuh-saw-ruh-suhz
❍ mastodontic (adjective relating to the noun ‘mastodon’, a large, elephant-type mammal who lived millions of years ago): mas-tuh- don-tik
❍ wassail (an Old Norse word meaning a drinking festival or celebration): wo-seil
