MARY ANNING QUEST

THIS IS MARY
ANNING
She was famous for finding fossils.
She lived by the sea in the town of Lyme
Regis in Dorset.
Mary was the first person to find a whole
Ichthyosaurus skeleton.
You can see this at the Natural History
Museum in London.

Mary found many more ancient creatures

in her life, including a long-necked sea
reptile called a plesiosaur and a flying
reptile called a Dimorphodon.
WATCH: THE LIFE OF
MARY ANNING

Copy and Paste to Watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of5sK8p2rZY
 WHAT DID MARY ANNING DO?

Mary Anning was born in May 1799.

Her father was a cabinet maker who sold fossils to tourists. He
died when Mary was 10.
When Mary was 12, her brother Joseph dug up the skull of a
ichthyosaurus(which means ‘fish lizard’).
The skull was more than a metre long.
Later, Mary found the rest of the skeleton. She sold it for £23
(around £1,400 today). Mary would spend her time searching the beach looking for

what she called ‘curiosities’. Later in her life, she realised they
were actually fossils.
When Mary was 27, she opened her own shop. It was called
Anning’s Fossil Depot.
She worked with geologists (people who study the earth).
Mary was not allowed to join groups of scientists because she
was a woman. Her name was missed out of books.
She changed the way we think about the history of the earth.

DID YOU KNOW?

When Mary was a toddler, a woman
holding her was struck by lightning!
Mary survived.

Mary had a dog called Tray, who she

took with her when she searched for
fossils.

Nowadays, thousands of tourists

visit Lyme Regis every year to
search for fossils on the beach.
ACTIVITY – MARY ANNING
QUIZ
Copy and Paste to Open https://www.riddle.com/view/324115
FOSSIL SCAVENGER HUNT
Give students the Fossil Scavenger Hunt list
and have them search for the items around the
school or classroom.
Students can work in teams or individually to
see who can find the most items.
Once students have found all the items,
reconvene and discuss the types of fossils and
their importance.
FOSSIL RIDDLES
I'm a fossil that's often found
In rocks that are underground.
I once had scales and fins and gills,
But now I'm a stone and nothing thrills.
What am I?
FOSSIL RIDDLES
I'm a fossil that's tough to crack,
But once you do, you won't look back.
I was once a mighty beast,
Now I'm a fossil, never to feast.
What am I?
FOSSIL RIDDLES
I'm a fossil that's often small,
But I can tell you quite a tale.
I lived in the ocean long ago,
And my shell is all that remains to
show.
What am I?
FOSSIL RIDDLES
I'm a fossil that's quite unique,
With a pattern that's hard to critique.
I'm made of many tiny shells,
And I'm often found in ocean swells.
What am I?
FOSSIL RIDDLES
I'm a fossil that's quite rare,
But if you find me, you'll want
to share.
I'm the oldest type of fossil
around,
And I'll tell you tales of life
unbound.
What am I?
 LESSON
EXTENSIONS
Create a class fossil collection and have
students identify and label the different
types.

Research other famous paleontologists and

their contributions to the field.

Visit a local natural history museum to

see real fossils and artifacts.
THANK
YOU!
RIDDLE
ANSWERS
Fish fossil
Dinosaur fossil
Shell fossil
Coral fossil
Trilobite fossil