Fossil Huntress: Mary Leakey, Paleontologist
A fascinating picture book biography about Mary Leakey, a paleontologist who worked long hours in the fields of Tanzania--includes STEM activities for real-world learning!
What was the world like millions of years ago? Did early humans walk on all fours? Did giant sloths lie in trees? Did dinosaurs have feathers? Even as a young girl, Mary Leakey was fascinated by questions like these! In Fossil Huntress: Mary Leakey, Paleontologist, readers ages 5 to 8 meet Mary as a girl growing up in France and visiting the site of archeological wonders, such as Pech Merle, Fond de Gaume, and La Mouthe. As an adult, Mary spends much of her life working in the field in Tanzania, making discoveries that change the face of paleontology forever. True grit, passion, and high standards for scientific rigor made Mary a pioneer in the field of paleontology!
- In the Picture Book Biography series, children encounter real-life characters who are thrilled to learn and experiment, eager to make a difference, and excited about collaborating with crew members.
- Age-appropriate vocabulary, detailed illustrations, a timeline, simple STEM projects, such as exploring trace fossils and drawing specimens, and a glossary all support foundational learning for kids ages 5 to 8.
- Perfect for beginner readers or as a read aloud nonfiction picture book!
All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. All titles are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.
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"Four introductory volumes to the lives of prominent women of math and science. The reader learns about how they entered their fields, their work, and the challenges they faced. The biographies of Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson also reveal their struggles with segregation at NASA. The text is straightforward and focuses strictly on their careers. Time lines in the back fill in gaps for the reader whose curiosity is piqued. Colorful illustrations nicely complement the narrative. VERDICT: Interesting takes on important women should appeal to both browsers and report writers."
Archimedes Note Book Paleontology Girls! When Mary Leakey was a little girl, she and her father liked to learn about the past.
Mary didn't go to school like other kids. Instead, she read lots of books about things that interested her. Like fossils. She was passionate about fossils and became good at drawing them. When she grew older, she went to Africa and looked for fossils. She uncovered a skull that was about 16 million years old, and years later discovered fossilized footprints.
What I like about this book: It's fun to read, and I like how curiosity drives Mary to study fossils and footprints. I also like that author, Andi Diehn explains what paleontologists do when they find fossils. They describe where they found it - landscape and features - and then measure and draw the fossils. And there is back matter! An activity, some quotes and connections to the text, a timeline, and a glossary. Plus, it's part of a series that introduces women in science to young children.
