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Activity Guide
Science and the American Dream
Ask students the following questions.Introduce this program by explaining that the scientists in this program are all business people as well as successful scientists. As they develop new ways of testing ice, building engines, or using the telephone and television, they also must keep an eye on the bottom line.
- How do you know if you're successful at what you do?
- Do you need to have an important job and a lot of money to be successful?
- How important is it to support your community when you are successful?
Israel Galvan, engineer and entrepreneur
Mr. Galvan is an engineer in Houston, Texas. Over the years, he has been involved in many technical developments that have helped business, but have taken away jobs. As a Mexican-American who grew up in a poor fishing family, he understands how important jobs are for the community. He feels responsible for making his company successful while also creating jobs for people. He has designed a new type of rotary engine that he thinks will be much better than other rotary engines. The engine may be beneficial to organizations like NASA, and building the engine may help create jobs in Houston.
Discussion and Activities:
- Ask the students to think of some types of businesses or manufacturing where jobs might be eliminated because of technology. What do students think are some solutions to this problem?
- Mr. Galvan's new engine design, like many innovations in engineering, involves improving on earlier ideas. As a problem-solving exercise, challenge the students to think of improvements for a common tool or piece of equipment, such as a toothbrush, pencil, or hammer.
Donna Auguste, computer scientist, U.S. West
Ms. Auguste is a computer expert and project leader at U.S. West, a large telecommunication company. Although she is near the top of her field, she was once told by a professor that the only reason that she, an African-American woman, was in college was because admissions standards had been lowered. Donna and her team are in competition with many companies to develop a system that will allow people to access a variety of services through their televisions. The system will work through a special type of decoder box connected to the television to interpret signals from stores, banks, other service providers, and display information on the television screen.
Discussion and Activity:
Donna became interested in science and technology as a young girl, when she began to take apart household appliances. If possible, collect some old appliances and remove the electrical cords and batteries. Gather screwdrivers, pliers, and other tools, and allow teams of students to take apart the appliances. Compare the internal parts. What are some similar pieces in all the appliances? How do some of the moving parts fit together? How do some of the components of these appliances compare with other familiar machines? Challenge older students to reassemble the machines.
Richard Glenn, geologist and general manager, Barrow Technical Services
Richard Glenn is an expert on sea ice. He works in Barrow, Alaska, a place where such expertise is extremely important. He runs a company that provides information about ice to companies and organizations such as oil drillers, the Navy, and commercial shippers. Mr. Glenn also works with his Inupiat Eskimo community to combine traditional knowledge with modern scientific training in geology. As a community leader, he must work hard to keep his company running well. One of the decisions he must make is whether or not to expand his business by purchasing a company in Anchorage. In this program, he must balance his time between his business and his work in the field.
Discussion and Activity:
Part of Mr. Glenn's work is to study the formation of sea ice. One of his methods of observing ice is to look at sheets of ice through polarized lenses, which prevent certain wavelengths of light from passing through. Students can observe ice in the same way. Freeze thin flat pieces of ice on sheets of plastic wrap. Then, using polarized lenses (from a science lab or from old sunglasses), hold one lens above and one below the sheet of ice. Turn the lenses to see the different colors. Each colored area shows a different thickness in the sheet of ice.
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