ScienceMakers Toolkit Manual - The History Makers

Introduction
Introduction – How To Use This Guide
This guide is a toolkit. Like any good toolkit, it has multiple tools within it. It is designed to be as fl exible as
possible. The instructor should be able to mix and match the tools to fi t his or her individual lesson plans. Let’s
look at the individual components of the package.
There are 34 ScienceMakers in total. Each ScienceMaker has a Spotlight page within this guide. Each Spotlight
page contains:
• Biography Table
• Biography of the ScienceMaker
• Discussion Questions
• Experiment
• Transcripts of the Clips
The Biography Table appears in two places: the menu of the DVD and the beginning of the Spotlight page.
It is designed to provide a handy reference guide to the basic biographical information of each ScienceMaker.
Some of the discussion questions directly relate to the biography table. For example, students could complete
an activity in which they map all the ScienceMakers’ birthplaces and how far each is from their home location.
Another activity could involve putting each ScienceMaker’s educational path on a map.
The Discussion Questions have been broken into two categories. The fi rst set is related to the ScienceMaker’s
personal life. You will notice that several questions are repeated for each ScienceMaker; this allows for an
activity combining multiple ScienceMakers and their lives. The other set of questions relates to the Science-
Maker’s fi eld of study. Again, some of the questions are similar for each ScienceMaker; these are designed to be
concept-mapping questions. In other words, these questions are designed to provide a baseline knowledge
before delving into the material. For example, when asked “what do you think a physicist does?” or “if you
were a physicist, what questions would you study?” this provides context for the rest of the discussion. These
questions allow you, the instructor, to evaluate both preexisting knowledge and knowledge gained from the
discussion.
The Discussion Questions are designed to use the interview clips as a springboard into the subject matter. For
example, students should be able to answer the fi rst part of every question by watching the interview clip. The
subsequent questions expand the discussion past the interview clips to the larger context surrounding the
ScienceMaker, which is then applied to the students, their lives, and their futures. Some questions are designed
for older students to research a particular topic, then return to the class and report. Not all questions will be
appropriate for every student, nor will every experiment work well for every grade level. Rather, the Toolkit is
designed so that you can easily swap components, add your own questions, or take the discussion in an entirely
different direction.
The Experiment on each ScienceMaker’s Spotlight page is related to his or her fi eld of study, and it is
designed to reinforce the interview and discussion portions of the lesson. In order to be as fl exible as possible,
any of these components can be combined with components from other Spotlight pages. Feel free to use
experiments from one ScienceMaker in conjunction with another. You will notice an overlap in some fi elds,
such as particle physics or neurobiology; to illustrate these overlaps/connections there is an Index by
Experiment at the front of the Toolkit.
The Transcripts of each interview clip are provided as a reference guide for use when viewing each
ScienceMaker’s interview. In addition, short biographies of each ScienceMaker have also been provided.
Your Toolkit includes instructions and ideas for the YouTube contest and a Media Guide to help you publicize
your use of this curriculum. Additionally, a set of Oral History Guidelines has been provided to assist you and
your students. Finally, a list of educational standards from the national level has been included for your
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