Munch, munch, she ate her lunch: a child’s view of Pliosaurus

by Finn White, Engagement Officer – Communities.

In March 2017, children from 3 schools were invited to take part in a competition to design and write a poem inspired by Doris, our soon-to-be resident Pliosaurus.

In order to spark their imaginations, museum staff travelled to each school bearing a 1.2m long reconstruction of a Pliosaurus skull and taught the children about the fascinating behaviours of this giant Jurassic beast.

After much debate we have chosen the three best poems and designs from each school.
These will be used to create a specially commissioned wallpaper to help welcome Doris to the museum when she arrives on 17 June.

If you can’t wait until then, the winning designs and poems are:

 

 

Top poems:

Oh I want to be a great big pliosaurus
That’s what I really want to be
For if I was a great big Pliosaurus
Everyone will run away from the sea! Ahhhhh!

Isobelle Bush, aged 6

 

150 million years ago, a pliosaurus swam in the sea.
He had sharp teeth and was very much bigger than you and me.
As he swam along slowly all the fish would hide – they didn’t want to be his tea.
With a massive head and powerful bite, he was the top predator of the sea.

Lacey, aged 9

 

Pliosaurus big and strong;
His hunting never went wrong.
He chased the fish around the reef
With his great big shiny teeth
He gave the fish a terrible fright
And it was all over in one big bite.

Ben, aged 9

 

In the Jurassic deep sea
Bristol pliosaurus swims silently
Towards it’s fish and squid prey
When he gets close enough, he dives into action and crunches up his prey

Brooklyn, aged 8

 

Bristol! Bristol is the home of the beast!
A bite so fierce, a chomp so powerful,
It splashes and sploshes,
The Jurassic pliosaurus.
It swims so deep and eats its prey,
Diving down deeper and deeper.
The beast returns to Bristol Museum.

Tyler – Jay, aged 10

 

Deadly hunter
Intimidating devourer
Feared predator
Flesh chomper
Vigorous flesh ripper
Noxious consumer.

Hawon, aged 10

 

In the Jurassic times was the Pliosaurus.
Using its flipper to swim – it was enormous.
Way back then Bristol was under sea,
So it could have swum by you and me.
It would bite all the fish with its razor teeth,
And it could only do that way down deep.

Lucia, aged 10

 

Munch, munch, he ate his lunch.
When he ate his lunch there was a big crunch.
Pliosaurus, pliosaurus swims in the seas.
Pliosaurus, pliosaurus eats dinosaur knees.
Pliosaurus, pliosaurus dives in the seas deep down.
Pliosaurus, pliosaurus, we’re lucky they’re not here now.

Nicola Rzecka aged 9

 

The pliosaurus lived in the sea
Down in the Jurassic times before you and me.
They had great teeth that made a bite
On their favourite dish, the ammonite.
They jumped to the surface with a splash.
The dinosaur saw them so made a quick dash.

Sophia H, aged 10

 

Inspired to write or design your own?

Send us your pictures and poems via our Facebook page or Twitter account.

With many thanks to the staff and students at Oasis Academy Long Cross, St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School and Brentry Primary School.