CKSci Grade 4 – Science in Action: Pearl, Dan, & Kendrick
Focus:
In this unit, students explore the young lives and current professional careers of three researchers: Pearl, Dan, and Kendrick. Pearl studies how to make medicines that are designed specifically for one person—but she also loves developing new kinds of perfumes and makeup. Dan is a teacher who loves teaching not only science but math as well. He knows both are important for understanding the natural world. Kendrick studies wasps, but not the big ones we commonly see. Kendrick studies tiny wasps that are an important part of many kinds of ecosystems. Students start out by reading incidents of the young lives of each of these people and they then see the current, active lives of both. They see how inspiration, experiences, and challenges in life can lead to decisions that led to exciting, rewarding careers in science through a person’s life. Students will also learn how scientists from the past inspired these researchers. Along the way students learn scientific facts that are an integral part of the lives of these science researchers.
- Who are some of the people that inspired these two researchers when they were young?
- What experiences first awakened scholarly interest in these two people?
- How did going to school help both people recognize their interests and achieve their goals?
- How did going to college help these researchers become mature thinkers?
- What is biochemistry and why does an engineer need to know it?
- What is a “personalized medicine” and how can it help people?
- In what ways can a science teacher help inspire his or her students?
- What is a parasitoid wasp and are they harmful to people?
- How can working toward a Scout merit badge help a person become a scientist?
- What is conservations biology?
- Why do ALL the animals and plants in an ecosystem matter?
Number of Lessons: 4
Instruction Time:
- Each Chapter is designed to be completed in one 30-45-minute class period.
- Some single-day activities and performance tasks might require setting aside a longer block of time.
- This Unit should be completed in about 6-8 classroom days.
- A complete list of Materials needed to complete the unit is provided in Online Resources.
- Activity pages and answers are included in the Teacher Guide.
- Online Resources contain a wealth of additional teacher support.
Additional Search Terms:
dwarf planet • solar system • orbit • constraints • engineer • STEM • pharmaceutical • signature scent • air pressure • forecast • meteorologist • weather • physics • binoculars • habitat • ecosystem • parasitoid wasp • conservation biology • dark taxa • physics • biodiversity • mimicry • ecologist
