Scientists

Big Idea: What is a scientist?                                              

Focus question: What does a scientist look like and do?

Prediction:

If I imagine what a scientist looks like and does, I imagine an older white male wearing a white lab coat and black square glasses experimenting with chemicals in a lab. I believe this because this is what I grew up seeing on television shows like “Bill Nye Science Guy.”

Planning:
   Materials:  pencils, notebook or drawing paper

First, we thought about the questions “What is a scientist” and “What does a scientist look like and do.” Then, we discussed our thoughts with a partner. Next, we drew a picture answering the questions using a pencil and white sheet of paper. Then, we wrote about our drawing answering the questions. Finally, we shared our drawings and interpretations of what a scientist looks like and does, as a class, and engaged in inquiry and discussion to further our learning of the topic.

Data :

  

I imagine a scientist to look like a white male wearing a white lab coat and black square glasses and experimenting with chemicals in a lab.   

Claims and evidence:

After sharing my interpretation and picture of a scientist and hearing my peers’ interpretations and seeing their drawings, I decided that not just white males are scientists and scientists do not just experiment with chemicals in a lab. I claim that men and women of all races and ethnicities can be scientists. We know this to be true because there are many different scientists of varying race, gender, and ethnicities. I claim that scientists do more than work with chemicals in a lab. We know this to be true because there are three strands of science:  earth/space, physical/chemical, and life. We know that science experiments and investigations take place outside of the lab as well including in space, in the ocean, and in our natural environment.

Conclusion:

I initially thought that scientists looked and performed one way, but now I know that there are many forms of scientists that we do not always think of (for example, Marine Biologists are scientists; Astronauts are scientists; etc.). Scientists include all genders, races, and ethnicities. I know this to be true because my teacher and peers taught me about different people who are scientists and are famous for their scientific contributions across the strands of science.

Reflection/Questions:

In our discussions, we talked about how there can be different types of scientists. I am wondering about different types of scientists.

·        How many are there of different types of scientists?

·        What are some types of scientists?

·        Where do these scientists perform their experiments or investigations?

Literacy Connections:

Lives of the Scientists:  Experiments, explosions, (and what the neighbors thought) by Kathleen Krull and Kathryn Hewitt