Mary Anning
60 mins, KS1
Booth Museum of Natural History
Meet Mary Anning – Palaeontologist and Fossil Collector
Mary Anning, is visiting the Booth Museum from her home in Lyme Regis and is excited to welcome you into her world of fossils, dinosaurs and all things prehistoric – and hopes you won’t mind giving her a bit of a hand with some of her jobs at the same time.
Discover the story of Mary’s fascinating life, her groundbreaking discoveries, her triumphs and her struggles, and even get up close to some real fossils. Learn about plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs, and how Mary’s work led to vital knowledge we still rely upon today. Participate in a rotation of fun tasks and activities, guided by Mary, including Fossil Identification, and I Spy Birds. There’s also a puzzle to be solved, but maybe Mary’s dog can help you with that one.
Can you help Mary run her shop– she needs staff and customers to buy and sell her small fossils, rocks, and postcards?
Good to Know
- A 1 hour session at the Booth Museum of Natural History. Visitors are encouraged to spend longer exploring the rest of the collection.
- Available Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Aims of the Session
- To have fun and enjoy your time with us
- To learn about Mary Anning, who she was, what she did and why she is important
- To feel a connection to a person from the past
Decolonising
- We discuss how Mary Annings achievements weren’t recognised in her lifetime and that there are often barriers that can make things difficult for individuals.
- We talk about how the specimens in the Booth Museum were acquired, and how the way we source things has changed over time.
History Curriculum Links
- KS1 Significant historical events, people/places in Britain. The lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements
- KS2 A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
- Cross Curricular Literacy, Numeracy, Science, Archaeology, Business and Enterprise, Natural History, Women’s history
Extra Resources
Materials you can use in class before your visit.
Letter of invitation
