Ms Martin Bethel Middle School Who is a Scientist? Ms Martin Bethel Middle School

On your own, draw a picture of a scientist. This is an individual and silent activity. No peaking at your neighbors work!!!

Draw A Scientist Test (DAST)

Who Is A Scientist? Misconception: Science is done by "old, white men." Correction: People from all over the world from many different backgrounds make up the scientific community.

What Does a Real Scientist Look Like? Dian Fossey Percy Julian Mario Molina C.V. Raman Mae Jemison Akiko Kobayashi

Why Diversity in Science Matters Diversity Facilitates Specialization Scientists have different strengths and different interests. Not only do people from different backgrounds choose to investigate different questions, but they may approach the same question in different ways.

Why Diversity in Science Matters Diversity Invigorates Problem Solving Science benefits greatly from a community that approaches problems in a variety of creative ways. A diverse community is better able to generate new research methods, explanations, and ideas, which can help science overcome challenging hurdles and shed new light on problems.

Why Diversity in Science Matters Diversity Balances Biases Science benefits from practitioners with diverse beliefs, backgrounds, and values to balance out the biases that might occur if science were practiced by a narrow subset of humanity.

Conclusion Science depends on diversity. If scientists were all the same, scientific controversy would be rare, but so would scientific progress! Thanks to their diversity, all of those individual scientists are part of the same scientific community and contribute to the scientific enterprise in valuable ways.

Helpful Websites Associate of Women in Science, www.awis.org/ International Society of African Scientists, www.theisas.com/ National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, www.nobcche.org/ National Women’s History Project, www.nwhp.org/whm/honorees2012.php Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, www.sacnas.org/

References Loreal, USA. (2012). STEM and your world. Online. Retrieved from http://forgirlsinscience.org/ Understanding science. (2012). The scientific community: Diversity makes the difference. Online. Retrieved from http://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/0_0_0/socialsideofscience_02