Creating a Biographical Essay on a Scientist - Assignment

In class, you learn about the facts discovered by physicist and in lab, you learn about the experimental process used to discover new facts and build theories. But we don’t often take much time to consider the people who created that knowledge. This assignment is designed to introduce you to the human side of science. You will compose a biography about the life of a scientist (living or non-living) who studied and/or used physics in their research. In selecting a scientist, consider ways in which you relate to the scientist and the means by which they conducted their work. Science is a human endeavor carried out by real people (like you!). The progression of science comes in great bounds and in small steps, the result of work by individuals and teams, building on an ever-growing body of knowledge. Each scientist has a modern legacy that has built upon their accomplishments, discoveries, and/or inventions—their work impacts us today!

This assignment will help you become familiar with your scientist, the person, their character traits, and major events in their life. 

1. Choose your subject: Choose a person whose life or work is especially appealing to you. If you need help deciding on a scientist, ask for help, I have a lot of resources that could help us find someone you will want to learn all about.

2. Gather information: Your work should be based on a minimum of three credible (reliable) sources. Examples of credible sources might be a book, a newspaper or journal article, or a government website. If you select a living scientist, you may be able to interview the individual by email or telephone.  Your essay should include a personal biography and a scientific biography. Below are some suggested questions to help your research each (life and work) for your biography:

a. When and where was the scientist born? Who was their family?

b. Describe their childhood and education. How did they become interested in science? What motivated or inspired them?

c. What barriers did the scientist face that are specific to their birth (race, gender, class, sexuality, etc.). How did they balance the demands of research with other responsibilities?

d. What was college like for them—were they young and living in dorms, living at home with family, or, perhaps raising a family?

e. Was their selected field influenced by the expectations of their family or community?

Purpose

f. Were they able to maintain hobbies and interests beyond their science, or were they entirely consumed by the research they did?

a. What kind of scientific work did the person do? Did they work independently, join a lab, or build a team?

b. Was their career riddled with success, failure, or mix of each?

c. What did the person discover? Explain in as much detail as you can (within the limits of the paper length and your understanding of their specific application of physics).

d. Was the person’s work controversial?

e. Did their discoveries/inventions change the world during their lifetime? Did they receive recognition for their work? Why or why not?

f. What skills or abilities made your scientist successful (or not)?

g. How was the ability of your selected scientist impacted by world events?

h. How did their work affect the scientists who came after them? What implications do the discoveries of your selected scientist have four our everyday life?

3. Organize your information and draw conclusions:The personal biography and a scientific biography can be separate, or woven together. Based on your research, can you draw conclusions as to how your subject’s personality, values, and motivation impacted their career and/or research. Do your sources provide conflicting information? If so, how are you going to address those differences in your essay? Decide how to organize your written or video essay—will you be composing a chronological essay? Or, does it make the most sense to focus on a few important events in the person’s life, and discussing how each of those events impacted their work?

Essay

a. Introduction—this is your chance to engage the reader and get them excited about your subject. Develop your thesis statement—this will convey your conclusions about the information your learned about your scientist. Most thesis statements will have two key parts (1) key characteristics of the scientist, and (2) the scientist’s impact on the scientific body of knowledge and/or history. No matter the format of your thesis, it should inform the reader as to why you chose to write about this scientist. The thesis statement will be the purpose that guides the remainder of your essay.

b. Body—this is where you support your thesis with examples and details. Use the information your learned about both the life and work to communicate the conclusions you drew from the literary research you conducted on the scientist. Do your best to provide a complete and complex picture of your subject.

c. Conclusion—Don’t just restate your thesis or the points you made in the body paragraphs. This is a great place to discuss the legacy of your selected scientist’s work. Some questions to consider: Who or what did they influence during their lifetime? How is their work relevant today? How did learning about this scientist impact you and your perception of your skills, your career path, and your goals?

Video

a. Compose A Short Script—The best short films tell a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. A script ensures that a film tells such a story. Use the format outlined above in the essay section to guide your script.

b. Make a storyboard—Create a panel-by-panel outline of each shot in your movie. A storyboard resembles a comic book and determines the flow of the film and the sequence of its scenes. This may be as simple as building a slide deck (using PPT, google slides, etc) is you are planning to record a narrated presentation.  If you are planning to create animation, include interviews, or integrate video of your subject from other sources, you want to make sure you have a plan for the order of the content.

5. Edit your biography!—Remember even professional directors and writers have editors.  As a friend or family member to review your work to ensure there are no major errors, points of confusion, or gaps in information.

Essay

• Format: Your paper should be 3 - 6 pages, typed, double spaced, using a 12 point Times New Roman font or similar. A cover page is not required, but you should include a title. Your paper should include a complete Bibliography and use in-text citations following the APA format.
  • File format—Your essay must be submitted as a PDF, ensuring that I can open the document, without possibly changing the format.
• Content: Your essay should be present important facts, events, and contributions in a manner that holds the reader’s attention and offer insights into the person’s character and feelings using specific details. Your essay should demonstrate a thorough analysis of the source materials support your conclusions about the subject. The essay should flow with a clear sequence, guided by the original thesis, with smooth transitions between topics. The essay should emphasis the scientific and historical impact made by your selected scientist and reflect your reasons for selecting the scientist as the subject of your essay.
• Writing Mechanics: The essay should reflect quality writing. The essay should be edited and without distracting errors, such as spelling, punctuation, and basic sentence structure. Ideas within each paragraph shAould be fully developed, with thoughtful detailed sentences that develop the main idea. Your essay should also reflect a thoughtful sequencing of ideas throughout the essay and transitions used to enhance organization and support the thesis.
  • References: All artifacts (images, document, etc.) and sources reference in the essay must be cited, both in text, and as part of a Works Cited at the end of your essay. To cites sources within your essay, identifying the source (usually by author) in parentheses following the borrowed material (a citation). The information in the parenthetical reference must point to corresponding information in the list of Works Cited at the end of your report.