WOMEN~IN~SCIENCE

Teacher's Guide

Created by Heidi Hopkins ( email this author )

Project Web Page Coordinator Patti Greenleaf

Introduction

This lesson plan was developed as part of the Amphitheater School District Technology Literacy Challenge Fund grant. The purpose of the program is to provide teachers with a way of learning about technology and in turn provide students with the best teaching practices and curriculum through technology. This lesson plan was developed as part of the program's TLCF Web Guides, which are a series of web based lessons designed by teachers to provide students with on-line educational opportunities.

Disclaimer: While every precaution was taken to insure the integrity of the sites included in this lesson plan, with the dynamic nature of the World Wide Web sites can constantly change. Teachers are advised to view the sites before conducting a lesson with their students.

This web site allows students to see how the presence of women in the field of science has increased over time. By creating a graph, creating a timeline, and writing a paragraph about women in science, students will gain insight into the contributions and abilities of women in these exciting fields of study.

Note to Teachers: To complete these activities, students will need to be familiar with using a word-processing software and a graph-making software, as well as how to use the internet and how to print.

Lesson Objectives

Students will be able to create a graph showing the number of women working in the field of science from century to century.
Students will be able to build a time line of women in science in one scientific specialty.
Students will write a brief paragraph about a female Nobel Prize winner in a scientific field.

Arizona State Standards

Social Studies

Standard 1, SS1 E7: Demonstrate and apply the basic tools of historical research, including how to construct timelines, frame questions that can be answered by historical study and research, and analyze and evaluate historical materials and offering varied perspectives, with emphasis on PO 1: construct graphs and charts using historical data; PO 2: construct various timelines of key events, people, and periods.

Science

3SC-E1. Recognize how scientific knowledge, thinking processes and skills are used in a great variety of careers. PO1. Explain how scientific knowledge, thinking processes and skills are used to solve problems in a variety of careers.

Materials

Computer with internet access
A word-processing program
A graph-making program
A printer

Student Activity One:

"You've Come A Long Way, Baby" Graphing Activity

This activity provides students the opportunity to practice the use of multiple programs at once, and to create a graph from data gathered through internet research. Students will graph the number of women working in scientific fields, by century, over the course of 4 centuries.

4000 Years of Women in Science
This site provides biographies and pictures of women in science throughout the past 4000 years.

Student Activity Two:

Timeline of a Scientific Specialty

This activity provides students the opportunity to practice the use of multiple programs at once, and to create a timeline from data gathered through internet research. Students will pick a scientific specialty and create a timeline of the women who have worked and are working in that field.

Women Scientists by Scientific Field
This site provides brief biographies of women scientists sorted by scientific field.

Student Activity Three:

She Won the Nobel!--Research and Presentation

This activity provides students with the opportunity to read about the work of a woman scientist who has the Nobel Prize in a scientific field. Students will research their scientist of choice on the internet and write a paragraph summary of her life and work using a word-processing software.

Women Nobel Prize Winners
This site provides brief biographies and links of women Nobel prize winners.

Performance Standards

Grading Standards will be found at each student activity.

Additional Sites

Women of NASA This site includes Profiles, Chats, Women of the World, Spanish, Teaching Tips, and Resources, about the women of NASA.

Distinguished Women This site includes Field of Activity, Search by Name, Women in the News, and Black History on many distinguished women.

Careers for Women This site explores the world of careers for women, including many in the sciences.

100 Most Important Women ABCs selection of the 100 most important women of the 20th century. Includes a Doctors and Scientists category.

Women in Science and Engineering A site of archives of Women in Science and Engineering. Includes Oral History Project, Virtual Exhibits, K-12 Resources, and more.

Return to TLCF Web Guides