What is a scientist?

The sad truth is that most of our students do not see themselves as scientists, or potentially as scientists. This article discusses the misconceptions of the role of a scientist, including ... See More

The sad truth is that most of our students do not see themselves as scientists, or potentially as scientists. This article discusses the misconceptions of the role of a scientist, including the students' perceptions that scientists are an elite group, and that science in the real world is somehow different from what they are doing in the classroom. By connecting students to a selection of biographies, students can relate to scientists as real people, and further share that information in book chats, and a presentation to share information about the scientists and their contributions. The author further suggests that we need to make better connections between the community and the classroom, and integrate other types of media into the study.