Mary Anning: She's More Than “Seller of Sea Shells at the Seashore”

In the past, contributions by women have been largely overlooked in U.S. science instruction. However, the move toward standards-based integration of appropriate history of science topics supports bringing female scientists' viewpoints to the classroom--offering a range of perspectives on scientific advances. The authors' historical research in U.S. and U.K. archives uncovered primary and secondary sources that inspired this article. The life and contributions of Mary Anning, a famous British paleontologist, can be effectively introduced in biology and earth science classrooms via the interactive historical vignette (IHV) technique. The IHV technique administers a "slice" of scientific history and facilitates students' understanding of the nature of science, thereby illuminating the cultural, social, and historical interactions into which scientific knowledge is developed and evolved. Classroom study can be extended in a variety of ways, including investigation of the use of fossils in the 21st century through an Anning poster contest. (Contains 4 tables and 2 figures.)