The Museum learning engagement team's first day at the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival ended yesterday and it was an epic day!

We were up at 6.30 to start at 8 yesterday at Thomas Hardye School, where five schools from the Dorset area participated in earth science related activities throughout the day. The team have been helping students investigate a dinosaur dig and identify what they uncover.

Jade assists a willing group of fossil hunters

Other activities included creating meteor impact craters and extracting copper from malachite using electricity!

Extracting copper from the mineral malachite

Scientists from the Museum brought lots of amazing specimens for the 450 students, including tektites, formed from sand rapidly heated by meteorite impacts and ejected to form these beautiful tear drops shapes.

A tektite (on the left) formed when sand is rapidly heated by a meteorite impact, with a pound coin for scale.

Other highlights included the biodiversity team's activity, where students identified bugs and other arthropods, contributing to important citizen science data. There was also a great stand featuring Thomas Hardye's very own Fossil Club, who were busy inspiring fellow students to get into fossils.

We finished packing up, headed to Lyme Regis to set up for the festival on the water front and today's primary school day, (and finished off with some well earned fish and chips!)

The festival runs from today until Sunday 5 May so if you're in the area come and join us and many other exhibitors for more earth science fun!

Posted on behalf of Emily, Ben and Jade from the Museum's learning team.