ichthyosaurs
 

The story of Mary Anning

the Mother of Paleontology

 

 
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Study and Activity Guide for Middle Grades

About the Book

Mary Anning is one of the most famous persons you’ve probably never heard of. At age 12, she found the first ichthyosaurus, a lizard/fish-like creature from the Jurassic Period. It was more than 17 feet long. This was in the seaside town of Lyme Regis, England, in 1811, a time when most people thought extinction wasn’t possible. The head of London’s Geological Society called Mary a fraud.
According to many of the men in London’s Geological Society, Mary had four strikes against her:
1. She was female.
2. She was 12 years old.
3. She had no formal education.
4. She was poor.
Mary believed the found objects that washed upon the shore and hidden among the rocky cliffs of her hometown led to clues of life long ago. Many of these creatures roamed the earth millions of years ago.

Mary spent most days on the beach filling up her basket with as many fossils as she could carry. Her ankle-length dress was tattered. Dirt collected under every fingernail, and sand found its way inside her boots. None of it bothered her because she relished the hunt.

Today, many people refer to her as the “Mother of Paleontology.”

About the Author

Michele C. Hollow works as a journalist writing about animals, health, mental health, and the environment. Her byline has appeared in The New York Times, New York Daily News, New Jersey Monitor, The Guardian, and Symphony Magazine. She’s a member the Association of Health Care Journalists.
Working on science stories led her to Mary Anning. Her favorite parts of being a journalist are researching events, interviewing people, and understanding how things work.
Michele lives in New Jersey with her husband, Steven, their sons Tishon and Jordon, and their rescue cat Chai.
You can email Michele at:
jurassicgirl1811@gmail.com


Download the Full Study Guide

 

Click this link to download the study guide PDF.

 

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Study Guide

Down load the educator study guide which provides topics for classroom discussions and activities for both the classroom and a tasty take home cookie activity.

 

We welcome teacher, parent and student feedback. Please contact us at:

jurassicgirl1811@gmail.com

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