If you click on this link it will take you to a reading of this book on youtube. If the link doesn't work, just type in the name of the book on youtube.

Here are some facts about Mary:

Mary Anning was born in the seaside town of Lyme Regis, Dorset, UK, in 1799. Although her parents had ten children, only Mary and her brother Joseph lived to adulthood. It’s said Mary had a lucky escape when she was a baby.  The lady holding her was struck by lightning. Miraculously, little Mary survived. Phew!

Mary’s father didn’t earn much in his job as a cabinet maker, so he boosted the family’s earnings by looking for fossils (known as ‘curiosities‘ back then) at the beach and selling them to holidaymakers. Young Mary and Joseph would join him, and they developed a deep love of fossil-hunting.

 

Mary continued to scour the beach and crumbling cliffs of Lyme Regis with her dog Trey, and in 1823 she made another important discovery – the first ever Plesiosaur skeleton! This long-necked sea creature (above) looked so odd that many people thought it was fake at first!

Mary made many other exciting discoveries, such as a flying reptile, later named the Pterodactyl, and coprolites – fossilised poo – which helped her work out what dinosaurs ate! Having taught herself geology, anatomy and scientific illustration, Mary was so highly skilled that she took important scientists fossil hunting and discussed ideas and theories with them.

Mary died in 1847. Although she was well-known for her discoveries, Mary wasn’t taken seriously as a scientist in her lifetime because of her gender and poor background. Some of the male scientists she worked with claimed her findings as their own! But today, Mary is recognised as a pioneer in the field of palaeontology (the study of fossils) and is celebrated as the greatest fossil hunter of all time!

 

 

You could find out some more information about Mary and create an information poster about her. 

You could also make model of a fossil.  You could make a cheats fossil with salt dough. This link will take you to a video clip on the cbeebies website.  I know that some of you may feel a bit grown up for cbeebies but the video on the website is quite good. Of you could use plaster of paris and some plasticine if you click on this link.  You will need your grown-up to help you.

Let me know how you get on :)