Key Stage 2 · Lower KS2 (Years 3–4)
Mary Seacole: Courage and Care
A pioneering nurse from Jamaica who cared for soldiers in the Crimean War.
Suitable for pupils in Years 3–4 (ages 7–9).
Learning objectives
- ✓Explain who Mary Seacole was and where she came from.
- ✓Describe how Mary helped soldiers during the Crimean War.
- ✓Compare Mary Seacole and Florence Nightingale as pioneers of nursing.
Background information
Mary Seacole was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1805. Her mother ran a boarding house that also cared for sick sailors and soldiers, and this is where Mary learned about medicine and herbal remedies.
When the Crimean War began, Mary travelled to London and asked to join Florence Nightingale’s team of nurses. She was turned down. Instead of giving up, Mary paid her own way to the Crimea and built a place called the ‘British Hotel’ near the battlefield.
There, she fed hungry soldiers, treated their wounds and brought comfort to men far from home. Soldiers called her ‘Mother Seacole’ because of the kindness she showed.
Discussion questions
- How do you think Mary felt when she was told she could not join Florence Nightingale’s nurses?
- Why is it important to remember Mary Seacole today?
- What qualities make someone a good nurse? Which of those qualities did Mary show?
Classroom activity ideas
- ◆Timeline pegs: place key events from Mary’s life on a washing line in the right order.
- ◆Hot-seating: one pupil takes on the role of Mary Seacole and answers questions from the class.
- ◆Design the British Hotel: draw and label the rooms Mary might have needed to care for soldiers.
Suggested writing task
Write a diary entry as Mary Seacole after her first week at the British Hotel. Describe what you saw, how you helped, and how you felt at the end of the day.
Quiz questions
Where was Mary Seacole born?
- A. London
- B. Kingston, Jamaica(answer)
- C. Edinburgh
- D. New York
What did Mary set up near the battlefield?
- A. A school
- B. A hospital ship
- C. The British Hotel(answer)
- D. A church
What did soldiers often call her?
- A. Nurse Mary
- B. Mother Seacole(answer)
- C. Doctor Mary
- D. Miss Nightingale
Which war did Mary help soldiers in?
- A. The Second World War
- B. The Crimean War(answer)
- C. The American Civil War
- D. The Boer War
Answers are shown here for teachers. Print the pupil version from Activities and Downloads.