Worksheet 3: What made them who they were/are?

Researchers Studied:

Eloise Gerry – new chipping method

Carlos Bates – watershed research

Bruce J. Zobel – forest genetics

Malcolm M. Furniss – entomology – bark beetle

Jerry F. Franklin – old-growth forest research

T. Kent Kirk – recycling

Teacher Instructions:

Assign students to read the 6 brief biographies of the researchers above. ~ You may consider dividing the students into groups and assigning one or two of the biographies to each group; allowing time in class for students to read the biographies.

Discuss: After reading the researcher biographies, lead a general discussion with students about personality traits.

Example questions: What are personality traits, give examples? Do they think some personality traits are necessary for some jobs? What personality traits might be necessary for the researchers they just learned about?

As a class create a list of personality traits and define each trait. For example: Expertise (knowledgeable or highly experienced in a particular field)

Pass out Worksheet 3, “What made them who they were/are?” (each student or group should receive the appropriate amount of copies per biography for which they are responsible), using the worksheet, fill out the chart with the top 7 personality traits (8 total traits - the first trait is provided, Expertise) and place them in column one…make sure that the students understand the meaning of each personality trait in column one. When you feel that they have a strong understanding of the terms, give them time to fill out the worksheets. Explain that they should use the information they just learned in the brief biographies to fill out one worksheet for each of the four researchers. (The worksheets can be completed in class or at home dependent on your time frame.)

Next Day: upon completion, have your students discuss the similarities and differences of each of the four researchers. Use the Personality Tally Sheet (below) to fill in the personality traits chosen by your class and then to mark the personality traits of each researcher (only mark the box if the class comes to a consensus on a particular trait). Do the students agree on the personality traits of each of the researchers? Discuss discrepancies. Are there certain personality traits that all the researchers have in common? What do the students think of this? Which personality trait do they think was most important for the success of each researcher? They learned about one female researcher; did she possess the same number of personality traits as the other researchers? If they found she possessed more, do they think this was necessary to her success? Why or why not? Given the time period in which she was employed, do they think she needed to possess more personality traits to be successful? Do they think female researchers today need to possess more personality traits than males? After completing this activity are there certain personality traits they wish they possessed or they'd like to work to possess? Do they possess certain personality traits that they think would make them a good researcher?

Personality Trait Tally Sheet