Scientist Biographies #5: Growth Mindset Research Project "Biocubes"

Role models are important to students and learning about the lives of scientists from diverse backgrounds helps students see examples of a growth mindset in action. In this scientist biography project, students not only research the basic facts about the lives of the scientists but also look at the importance of mentors, overcoming mistakes, and life lessons the scientist learned. Students research scientists from a varied list of scientists(over 130 scientists) with information about the area of research, date of birth, ethnicity/nationality, if they have won a Nobel Prize, or if they are a person with a disability. The database includes 24 African, African-American or Black scientists, 25 Asian, Middle Eastern, or Asian-American scientists, 20 Hispanic, or Latino Scientists, 17 students with a known disability, and 63 women scientists (there is some overlap in the categories)

This could be used as part of a “Scientist of the Week” project with individual students being assigned to research a scientists each week on a rotating basis.

This also would work well for Black History Month , Hispanic Heritage Month, Women’s History Month, or Asian Pacific-American Heritage Month lessons in science.

Information about these individuals can be found in the various books listed in the bibliography on page 8.

I own these books as part of my classroom library so students can use them as part of their research for this project. so I know that my students can find the required information about each individual I’ve included. However, the amount of biographical information available for each scientist online varies and that can add to the challenge of this research project. In general I have found that Nobel Prize winners are among the easier ones to research. To also help you determine which scientists will be easier for your students to research I have indicated if they have entries in Encyclopedia Britannica (our school has a subscription but many entries are free), in Biography.com , or in a few selected books (Women in science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Ignotofsky, Hispanic-American Scientists. By Oleksy, and Asian-American Scientists by Yount,

Biography Cube Three Different Versions of Final Product

•Version A (Six Sides on a gift box)

•Version B (Four Sides on a tissue box)

•This scaled back version works for the four sides of a small “square style” tissue box (most are at least 4 inches wide and tall). In this version of the project students decorate the four main sides of the tissue box with information about their scientist. This project can be a good way to add to the decoration of your classroom and boost your tissue supplies in the middle of the school year.

•Version C Crafting the Box by hand

Contains

• Cover, TOU, Table of Contents and Credits (5 pages)
• Teacher notes and lesson directions with background about the Nobel Prize for science. (2 pages)
• Growth Mindset in Science Mini Poster (1 page)
• Student worksheets for research projects (2 pages)
• Personality Adjective List (1 page)
• Biocube sides for gift box or tissue boxes (2 pages)
• Construct your own box version of Biocube (3 pages)
• Rubric (10 points) for assessment of finished project and completed notes (1 page)
• Scientist Database as PDF (4 pages) (separate file in folder but screen shots of PDF also included in main directions for reference)

Other Products Related to this Topic
Scientist Biographies#1: 24 African, Black, and African American Scientists

Scientist Biographies #2: 20 Hispanic, Latino and Latino-American Scientists

Scientist Biographies #3: 25 Asian, Middle Eastern and Asian-American Scientists

I take pride in my materials and guarantee satisfaction. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me at science@ratelis.com