Activity 4

Topic: Careers Related to Research

Background information: Career exploration needs to begin early in a child's education. Children should be made aware of the vast opportunities available to them.

Professional and technical careers provide stimulating work and fill the projected job market need. Nationally, it is necessary to encourage and kindle natural inclinations toward science careers and, at the least, educate our students to be supporters of science for our country.

Problem: How do we encourage scientific research as a career and/or a cause?

What do I want the children to discover? Science offers many varied and viable career choices.

What will I need?

• Trade books on various science fields and/or scientific contributors, "tools of the trade" from a variety of science and science related careers (microscope, test tubes, petri dishes, tuning forks, batteries, wire, measurement devices, etc.)
• The Let's Visit A Research Laboratory poster or internet tour.

What will we discuss?

• Each job has special "tools of the trade" to make the work more effective and efficient.
• What "tools of the trade" do teachers use? (Record the suggestions on the board under teacher.) What "tools of the trade" do carpenters use? Scientists? Etc. (Record.)

What will the children do?

• Have the children list some of the "tools of the trade" found in the laboratory poster.
• Now generate a list of scientific fields that utilize these tools. Record on chart paper entitled "'ologies' of science"  -- zoology, biology, pathology, archeology, psychology, photography, agronomy, astronomy, hydrology, geology, cardiology, ophthalmology, radiology, and so on).
• Classify these "ologies" according to: Science and Environment, Science and Health, Science and Industry, Science and Our Lives, Science and Technology, Science and Energy. Have the children generalize that science impacts every phase of our lives.

How will the children use or apply what they discovered?

• Gather pictures for each category listed above and make a "web" of science. (i.e., the hub of the web is the word/theme "science" and strands radiate out to the following areas: environment, our lives, energy, health, industry, technology, and so on.
• Depending on student's family background, make a histogram of the scientific and technological careers in the families of the class members (i.e., based on the number of parents in each profession).
• Choose an "ology," research it and develop a semantic map of the term, with sections for: term, definition, community examples, tools of the trade, training.
• Arrange to have some career scientists visit the classroom or have the children prepare interview questions for a scientist in the community and interview him/her on videotape and bring back to share with the class.
• Check in your media center for filmstrips and/or films on specific careers in science and share these with the children.
• Have children read bibliographies of some famous scientists and report their findings to the class. Have the children illustrate important discoveries made by scientists and display them in the class.