Lesson 3: What does it take to be a nanoscientist?
MATERIALS:



Video Clip “Becoming the Professor” (Interview with Rich Robinson,
nanoscientist) http://nanotechnology.wmwikis.net/Lesson+Plan+Blueprint
Video “Degrees that work: Nanotechnology” (Story about a program at Penn
College to prepare students for careers in nanoscience.)
Websites http://www.bls.gov/k12/ , http://nanogloss.com/nanotechnology/getahead-with-nanotechnology-careers/#axzz1eC7PIjvm ,
http://www.nnin.org/nnin_careers.html ,
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/secretlife/ (PBS NOVA Website – Secret Lives of
Scientist and Engineers), http://www.driveofyourlife.org
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
 What personal traits do scientists have?
 Do you have personal traits that would make you a good scientist?
KEY CONCEPTS:
 Scientists are curious.
 Scientists enjoy working hard to learn more about things they are interested in or
passionate about.
 Intrinsic motivation, hard work, and perseverance are important traits for scientists to
have.
 Psychological strength is more important than innate ability to becoming a successful
scientist.
OBJECTIVES:
In this lesson, students will:



Explore career options in science including nanotechnology.
Compare their own personal traits to the personal traits of scientists.
Understand that psychological strength is important to success.
Goal 1
Scale Concept
Goal 2
Curiosity &
Interest
X
Goal 3
Science
Process Skills
X
Goal 4
Nanoscience
Content
Vocabulary:


Psychological: meant to influence the will or the mind.
Intrinsic: belonging to the essential nature of a thing. (www.wordcentral.com)
PROCEDURES:
TEACHER NOTES:
Introduction/Hook:
This video clip is an interview
with an African American
nanoscientist. He briefly
describes what helped him
become a nanoscientist. The
primary reason Rich believes that
he became a scientist and
professor is because he was
highly motivated and worked
hard.
What does it take to become a scientist? Watch this short
clip about Rich Robinson, who is a nanoscientist. As you
watch the clip, make a list of the Rich’s personal traits that
contributed to his success as a scientist in the left column of
the t-chart. On the right side, write why you think this trait
is important for scientists.
After viewing the video clip:
What personal traits does Rich Robison believe helped him
to become a scientist and professor?
Was high ability important to his success?
The purpose of this discussion is
for students to understand that
motivation and effort are at least
as important as ability to success
in a career field.
Write the word “psychological strength” on the board. What
does psychological strength mean?
Psychological refers to something that influences the mind
or the will. So, psychological strength means that you have
a strong mind, or strong will. What evidence did you notice
in the video clip of Rich’s psychological strength?
Write the words “motivation” on the board. What is
motivation?
A motive is something that leads or influences a person to do
something. Motivation is the act or process of motivating.
What motivates people to do things? What motivated Rich?
Rich was motivated to study science because of his interest
in science. Intrinsic motivation means that you are lead to
do something because the task itself has value. What in the
video clip was evidence of his intrinsic motivation?
Do you think that you could be a nanoscientist? Why or why
not?
Students who are interested in
nanotechnology can view the
second video “Degrees that
work: Nanotechnology” for
more information about how to
get started in this career field.
What interests you? Do you have a passion?
Give students an opportunity to explore careers that relate to
their areas of interest/passion using Internet resources or
other resources. Each student will choose one career and
will create a product that presents this career to the class.
Key questions to answer about this career include:
1. What do people in this career field do?
2. What personal traits make someone well-suited
for this career? List at least ten traits with
supporting rationale.
3. What are the qualifications for this career?
4. What are the job prospects for this field? Is the
field expected to grow in the coming years?
5. What schooling is required?
6. What certifications are required?
7. What is the income potential for this career?
8. Why does this career interest you?
Create a product that communicates this information.
Use the technology of your choice: Prezi
(www.prezi.com), Power Point, create a video (3 minutes
maximum length). Each persons creation will be
uploaded to a class Wiki page.
Debriefing:
Students will review the products of at least three of their
classmates using a rubric.
Grouping:
Whole class for debrief and discussion. Individual for career
research and product creation.
Homework:
Differentiation for:
Students will use a variety of
resources.
The website
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/
nova/secretlife/ contains
biographical information for
scientists and engineers of all
kinds.
http://www.driveofyourlife.org
allows kids to complete a
questionnaire and then
identifies careers that may be
suitable. Links are provided to
resource information about
each career.
http://www.bls.gov/k12/
allows students to explore
careers in different categories
such as math or science.
http://nanogloss.com/
nanotechnology/get-aheadwith-nanotechnologycareers/#axzz1eC7PIjvm ,
http://www.nnin.org/
nnin_careers.html provide
nanotechnology specific career
information.
ELL
Twice-Exceptional;
Highly Gifted; Alternate experiment options for highly
gifted students (see resources list).
Differentiation:
Choice: Students select a career to research.
Resources:
Products: Students may choose their own product
format.
Tiered questions/assignments:
Handout 5.1 Personal Traits of Scientists
Personal Traits
Why does a scientist need this?