Mary Anning: read and write a biography
Children read a short, checked biography of the fossil hunter Mary Anning, build a timeline from it, then plan and write a biography of someone they admire.
At a glance
- From
- Level 2, Moving Up English: Week 28, Inspiring people
- Grammar
- past simple with time phrases (in 1907, when she was...)
- Key language
- was born in, when she was 12, in 1823, later, at that time, She found..., She died in... / found, dug, sold, studied, became
- Children make
- A five-sentence biography with dates or ages.
- Class size
- Works with 10 to 50 children; pair and group steps say how to scale.
Objective
Children read a biography for key facts, and write a short biography using the past simple with time phrases.
Success criteria for children
- I can find dates and facts in a biography.
- I can use time phrases like "in 1823" and "when she was 12".
- I can write a short biography in order.
Timing: 60 minutes
| Minutes | Stage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | Warm-up: what is a fossil? | Draw a fossil shell; children say what they know. |
| 5 to 17 | Reading: Mary Anning | Read for gist and detail; answer the questions. |
| 17 to 27 | Time phrases and timeline | Find time phrases; complete the timeline in task 1. |
| 27 to 33 | What makes a biography? | Identify the parts: birth, early life, big moments, later life, why remembered. |
| 33 to 53 | Plan and write | Children plan in task 2 and write in task 3. |
| 53 to 60 | Exit ticket | Correct three mistakes in a short biography. |
Materials
- A world map or a rough drawing of Britain to show Lyme Regis (optional)
- Worksheet, pencils
- Frida Kahlo biography (free, linked from Week 28)
- An inspiring sportsperson (free, linked from Week 28)
- Story: Florence Nightingale (free, linked from Week 28)
Step by step, with teacher talk
0 to 5 minWarm-up: what is a fossil?
- Draw a spiral shell fossil. Ask "What is this? How old is it?" Teach fossil, beach, cliff, skeleton.
5 to 17 minReading: Mary Anning
- Gist question: "Why is Mary Anning famous?" Read the text aloud once.
- Children read again with a partner and answer the questions.
17 to 27 minTime phrases and timeline
- Children underline every time phrase in the text: in 1799, when she was 12, about a year later, in December 1823...
- Draw a timeline on the board. Children complete task 1 and check together.
- "When she was 12" tells us her age or the year? (Her age.)
- Do we write "on 1823" or "in 1823"? (In.)
27 to 33 minWhat makes a biography?
- Label the paragraphs of the text with the class. Write the five parts on the board as a planning frame.
33 to 53 minPlan and write
- Children choose a person: a family member, a sports star, a scientist or a local hero. For family, they use what they already know.
- They fill in the planning frame with notes, then write five sentences, one for each part.
- Partners check: time phrases? past simple verbs? capital letters for names and places?
53 to 60 minExit ticket
- See below.
Differentiation
Support
- Write a biography of Mary Anning in their own words using the timeline, instead of choosing a new person.
- Give sentence starters for each part: "___ was born in...", "When she was..., she..."
Stretch
- Add an opinion: "I think she was brave because..."
- Use "although": "Although she found amazing fossils, she was never rich."
- Write a second paragraph about what the person is like.
Reading passage
Mary Anning was born in 1799 in Lyme Regis, a small town by the sea in the south of England. Her father showed her how to find and clean fossils on the beach, and the family sold them in their shop.
In 1811, when Mary was 12, her brother Joseph found a strange fossil skull. About a year later, Mary carefully dug out the rest of the skeleton. It was a sea reptile called an ichthyosaur, and it was about 200 million years old.
In December 1823, Mary found the first complete skeleton of a plesiosaur, a sea reptile with a very long neck. In 1828 she found a flying reptile, a pterosaur. Scientists came from far away to see her fossils.
At that time, women could not join the Geological Society of London, and scientists often did not say that Mary found the fossils. She died in 1847, when she was 47. Today she is remembered as one of the most important fossil hunters in history.
Questions
- Where was Mary Anning born?
- Who taught her to find fossils?
- What did Mary find when she was about 13?
- What was special about the 1823 find?
- Why was life unfair for Mary as a scientist?
Printable worksheet
Prints on its own A4 page. Use Print the worksheet above, or print the whole plan and the worksheet starts on a new page. One copy per child, or one per pair to save paper.
Writing a biography
1. Complete Mary Anning's timeline.
| When? | What happened? |
|---|---|
| 1799 | |
| 1811 | |
| about 1812 | |
| December 1823 | |
| 1828 | |
| 1847 |
2. Plan a biography. Who?
| Part | My notes |
|---|---|
| Born (when, where) | |
| Early life | |
| Big moment 1 | |
| Big moment 2 | |
| Why we remember them |
3. Write your biography. Use time phrases.
Answer key
Reading passage questions
- In Lyme Regis, a town by the sea in the south of England.
- Her father.
- The rest of the ichthyosaur skeleton (her brother found the skull in 1811, when she was 12, and she dug out the skeleton about a year later).
- It was the first complete skeleton of a plesiosaur.
- Women could not join the Geological Society, and scientists often did not say she found the fossils.
Worksheet
- 1: 1799 born in Lyme Regis; 1811 Joseph found a fossil skull; about 1812 Mary dug out the ichthyosaur skeleton; December 1823 first complete plesiosaur skeleton; 1828 found a pterosaur; 1847 died aged 47.
- 2 and 3: answers will vary. Check past simple, time phrases and that the facts are in order.
Exit ticket
Copy and correct three mistakes: "mary anning were born on 1799. When she is 12, her brother find a skull." (Mary Anning was born in 1799. When she was 12, her brother found a skull.)
Homework
Interview an older family member: where were they born, what did they do when they were young, what is a big moment in their life? Write their biography in five sentences.
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Start free with LitlingsMore lesson plans
- Level 2, Week 28: Inspiring people (the curriculum week this plan comes from)
- Mary Anning: the unsung hero of fossil discovery (Natural History Museum, London)
- All reading texts, dialogues, scripts, worksheets and answer keys on this page are original to Litlings and free to copy for classroom use.