Crosscutting concept

How concept addressed by the women scientist diorama project

Connections to engineering, technology, and applications of science.

Influence of science, engineering and technology on society and the natural world.

People’s needs and wants change over time, as do their demands for new and improved technologies. (3-5-ETS1-1)

Joan Esnayra founded the psychological service dog society to provide assistance to veterans and others with posttraumatic stress disorder and other mental issues.

Engineers improve existing technologies or develop new ones to increase their benefits, decrease known risks, and meet societal demands. (3-5-ETS1-2)

Patricia Bath improved the technology of mechanically grinding away the clouded cornea to treat cataracts by inventing the Laserphaco probe, a faster, more accurate and less painful approach to cataract removal.

Interdependence of science, engineering, and technology.

Knowledge of relevant scientific concepts and research findings is important in engineering.

Astronaut Ellen Ochoa earned degrees in science and engineering, working on optical systems and robotics for the space program before becoming the director of the Johnson Space Center.

Connections to nature of science

Science is a human endeavor.

Most scientists and engineers work in teams.

Barbara McClintock worked with a team of botanists from South America to determine the evolution of maize.

Science affects everyday life.

Lisa Perez Jackson observed the inequities of clean air and water for people in impoverished communities; therefore, she worked to develop environmental protection agency regulations.

Scientific knowledge assumes an order and consistency in natural systems

Science assumes consistent patterns in natural systems.

All of the women scientists examined patterns in some way to solve the problems they encountered. For example, crystallographers study X-ray diffraction patterns to determine arrangement of atoms.

Patterns

Similarities and differences in patterns can be used to sort and classify natural phenomena.

Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin examined X-ray diffraction patterns to determine the crystal structure of vitamin B-12 and over 100 other compounds.

Similarities and differences in patterns can be used to sort and classify designed products.

Mary Leakey developed a classification system for the stone tools she excavated.

Systems and system models

A system can be described in terms of its components and their interactions.

Veterinarian Tolani Francisco worked within the natural interactive system of cattle and bison to determine the transmission of infectious diseases.

Cause and effect

Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified, tested, and used to explain change.

Barbara McClintock conducted genetic experiments with corn, observing the colors of corn kernels to determine her Nobel Prize-winning model of jumping genes.

Scale, proportion, and quantity

Natural objects exist from the very small to the immensely large.

Many of the scientists used microscopes (micro scale) or X-ray diffraction (nano scale) in their work; others explored large animals, industrial complexes and outer space (immense scale).

Energy and matter

Energy can be transferred in various ways between objects.

Lisa Perez Jackson has led the Apple Corporation to develop renewable energy sources for their facilities.