English/Language Arts
Explore writing seeds - look next door
Author Hollihan found her inspiration for this Minute right next door. Ask your students what might be outside their front door - or maybe in their backyard! Taking a closer look at the things we see every day can yield a treasure chest of writing possibilities. Challenge your students to find something close to look at in a new way and use as inspiration for their next piece of writing.
Social Studies
Explore the Great Depression
Author Hollihan relates that the Great Depression was the end of DePauw University's research funding for synthesized chemicals to use in medicines. Have your students investigate some of the other less-commonly discussed consequences of the Depression.
Explore segregation North and South
This is the Minute to use with older students to explore the difference between de facto and de jure segregation in both the south AND the north. Have students dig deep on this one - there is not necessarily agreement over the more common narrative of segregation in the north being de facto - this may not be an entirely reliable story. For younger students, explore the Jim Crow laws that were partially responsible for the Great Migration and eventually the Civil Rights movement.
STEM
Explore chemistry in medicine
Dr. Julian was enamored with the chemistry of plants, and after obtaining multiple degrees he pursued his research to discover ways to generate more cost effective medicines. One of the obstacles he encountered was the costly process of extracting chemicals from plants. Present your students with the problem and a basket of weeds from the school courtyard. Working in teams, have students explore how they might extract anything from these plants. What kinds of tools will they need? What are they looking for? How do they move forward? After some play, send them looking for answers online, and then let them do some more trying. What worked? What did not? What did they learn from their successes and failures?
Research Skills
Explore occupations for chemists
Sometimes our students have narrow ideas about how scientific fields connect to available jobs. Author Hollihan mentions a number of different types of research Dr. Julian pursued, all under the umbrella of chemistry. Have students do some more research on what kinds of jobs someone with an interest in chemistry might explore.
Explore writing seeds - look next door
Author Hollihan found her inspiration for this Minute right next door. Ask your students what might be outside their front door - or maybe in their backyard! Taking a closer look at the things we see every day can yield a treasure chest of writing possibilities. Challenge your students to find something close to look at in a new way and use as inspiration for their next piece of writing.
Social Studies
Explore the Great Depression
Author Hollihan relates that the Great Depression was the end of DePauw University's research funding for synthesized chemicals to use in medicines. Have your students investigate some of the other less-commonly discussed consequences of the Depression.
Explore segregation North and South
This is the Minute to use with older students to explore the difference between de facto and de jure segregation in both the south AND the north. Have students dig deep on this one - there is not necessarily agreement over the more common narrative of segregation in the north being de facto - this may not be an entirely reliable story. For younger students, explore the Jim Crow laws that were partially responsible for the Great Migration and eventually the Civil Rights movement.
STEM
Explore chemistry in medicine
Dr. Julian was enamored with the chemistry of plants, and after obtaining multiple degrees he pursued his research to discover ways to generate more cost effective medicines. One of the obstacles he encountered was the costly process of extracting chemicals from plants. Present your students with the problem and a basket of weeds from the school courtyard. Working in teams, have students explore how they might extract anything from these plants. What kinds of tools will they need? What are they looking for? How do they move forward? After some play, send them looking for answers online, and then let them do some more trying. What worked? What did not? What did they learn from their successes and failures?
Research Skills
Explore occupations for chemists
Sometimes our students have narrow ideas about how scientific fields connect to available jobs. Author Hollihan mentions a number of different types of research Dr. Julian pursued, all under the umbrella of chemistry. Have students do some more research on what kinds of jobs someone with an interest in chemistry might explore.
© Karen Sterling, 2018 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission