by Pat Betteley, Porter Center For Science And Mathematics
BioQuest will help students to discover first-hand that science is not just for moldy-oldie dead guys or geeks. They will: research "how scientists learn" using profile information collected directly from real scientists, collect and analyze data, and summarize the lives of their scientists by creating bio-poems. Their research will lead them to conclude that scientists can be cutting-edge professionals who do what they love, love what they do, and are changing the world for the better.
Teacher Introduction
Sir Isaac Newton was a genius who was so eccentric that he had no friends. Albert Einstein was a bad-tempered child who dropped out of school. Thomas Edison set fire to a train during one of his experiments. What's with scientists? Does a person have to be a genius or a social misfit to become one? Instead of focusing on scientists who are long gone, Bioquest allows the students to examine the question, "How do modern scientists learn?" and determine that regular kids can become scientists, too.
Students will research scientists' learning styles by using profiles that are based upon recent surveys completed by cutting-edge modern scientists. These surveys focus upon the scientists' recollections of their childhoods. Data from the surveys and related websites will be collected by the students, analyzed, and compiled in class to come up with a master list of How Modern Scientists Learn. As a culminating project, students will summarize the lives of their scientists by creating bio-poems. Most importantly, by the end of their quest, students will be able to answer the question, "How do modern scientists learn? with a resounding, "JUST LIKE WE DO!"