Biography Project

Biography Project

Biography Project: Choose one of the African American Scientists or Inventors below to research at home. Read and take notes on the interview form, pretend like you are interviewing the person about their life. After answering the questions on the form, write a 5 paragraph paper about the scientist’s or inventor’s life. On a separate page please list the sources you used such as web sites, books, encyclopedias. Please consult at least 3 sources. Draw a portrait of your person on high quality drawing paper with colored pencils. Your finished project should include the portrait, the published copy of your paper, the source list you used, and the interview form. Please attach them together with a staple at the top left hand corner.
The project should be in this order:
Portrait on top
Published copy of paper
Interview form
Bibliography Page


Put your name on the lower right corner of the portrait. Also, put your name on the top right side of the published copy, the source list, and the interview form. Please see the attached rubric for quality work details. Biography project is due on Monday, February 8th. All late work will be dropped a letter grade every day late. No project will be accepted after Thursday, February 11th.




African American Scientists
Benjamin Banneker
(1731-1806) Born into a family of free blacks in Maryland, Banneker learned the rudiments of reading, writing, and arithmetic from his grandmother and a Quaker schoolmaster. Later he taught himself advanced mathematics and astronomy. He is best known for publishing an almanac based on his astronomical calculations.
Rebecca Cole
(1846-1922) Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Cole was the second black woman to graduate from medical school (1867). She joined Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first white woman physician, in New York and taught hygiene and childcare to families in poor neighborhoods.
Edward Alexander Bouchet
(1852-1918) Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Bouchet was the first African American to graduate (1874) from Yale College. In 1876, upon receiving his Ph.D. in physics from Yale, he became the first African American to earn a doctorate. Bouchet spent his career teaching college chemistry and physics.
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams
(1856-1931) Williams was born in Pennsylvania and attended medical school in Chicago, where he received his M.D. in 1883. He founded the Provident Hospital in Chicago in 1891, and he performed the first successful open heart surgery in 1893.
George Washington Carver
(1865?-1943) Born into slavery in Missouri, Carver later earned degrees from Iowa Agricultural College. The director of agricultural research at the Tuskegee Institute from 1896 until his death, Carver developed hundreds of applications for farm products important to the economy of the South, including the peanut, sweet potato, soybean, and pecan.
Charles Henry Turner
(1867-1923) A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Turner received a B.S. (1891) and M.S. (1892) from the University of Cincinnati and a Ph.D. (1907) from the University of Chicago. A noted authority on the behavior of insects, he was the first researcher to prove that insects can hear.
Ernest Everett Just
(1883-1941) Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Just attended Dartmouth College and the University of Chicago, where he earned a Ph.D. in zoology in 1916. Just's work on cell biology took him to marine laboratories in the U.S. and Europe and led him to publish more than 50 papers.
Archibald Alexander
(1888-1958) Iowa-born Alexander attended Iowa State University and earned a civil engineering degree in 1912. While working for an engineering firm, he designed the Tidal Basin Bridge in Washington, D.C. Later he formed his own company, designing Whitehurst Freeway in Washington, D.C. and an airfield in Tuskegee, Alabama, among other projects.
Roger Arliner Young
(1889-1964) Ms. Young was born in Virginia and attended Howard University, University of Chicago, and University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a Ph.D. in zoology in 1940. Working with her mentor, Ernest E. Just, she published a number of important studies.
Percy L. Julian
(1899-1975) Alabama-born Julian held a bachelor's degree from DePauw University, a master's degree from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Vienna. His most famous achievement is his synthesis of cortisone, which is used to treat arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.
Dr. Charles Richard Drew
(1904-1950) Born in Washington, D.C., Drew earned advanced degrees in medicine and surgery from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, in 1933 and from Columbia University in 1940. He is particularly noted for his research in blood plasma and for setting up the first blood bank.
Emmett Chappelle
(1925-)
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Chappelle earned a B.S. from the University of California and an M.S. from the University of Washington. He joined NASA in 1977 as a remote sensing scientist. Among Chappelle's discoveries is a method (developed with Grace Picciolo) of instantly detecting bacteria in water, which led to the improved diagnoses of urinary tract infections.

African American Inventors
Thomas L. Jennings
(1791-1859) A tailor in New York City, Jennings is credited with being the first African American to hold a U.S. patent. The patent, which was issued in 1821, was for a dry-cleaning process.
Norbert Rillieux
(1806-1894) Born the son of a French planter and a slave in New Orleans, Rillieux was educated in France. Returning to the U.S., he developed an evaporator for refining sugar, which he patented in 1846. Rillieux's evaporation technique is still used in the sugar industry and in the manufacture of soap and other products.
Benjamin Bradley
(1830?-?) A slave, Bradley was employed at a printing office and later at the Annapolis Naval Academy, where he helped set up scientific experiments. In the 1840s he developed a steam engine for a war ship. Unable to patent his work, he sold it and with the proceeds purchased his freedom.
Elijah McCoy
(1844-1929) The son of escaped slaves from Kentucky, McCoy was born in Canada and educated in Scotland. Settling in Detroit, Michigan, he invented a lubricator for steam engines (patented 1872) and established his own manufacturing company. During his lifetime he acquired 57 patents.
Lewis Howard Latimer
(1848-1929) Born in Chelsea, Mass., Latimer learned mechanical drawing while working for a Boston patent attorney. He later invented an electric lamp and a carbon filament for light bulbs (patented 1881, 1882). Latimer was the only African-American member of Thomas Edison's engineering laboratory.
Granville T. Woods
(1856-1910) Woods was born in Columbus, Ohio, and later settled in Cincinnati. Largely self-educated, he was awarded more than 60 patents. One of his most important inventions was a telegraph that allowed moving trains to communicate with other trains and train stations, thus improving railway efficiency and safety.
Madame C.J. Walker
(1867-1919) Widowed at 20, Louisiana-born Sarah Breedlove Walker supported herself and her daughter as a washerwoman. In the early 1900s she developed a hair care system and other beauty products. Her business, headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, amassed a fortune, and she became a generous patron of many black charities.
Garrett Augustus Morgan
(1877-1963) Born in Kentucky, Morgan invented a gas mask (patented 1914) that was used to protect soldiers from chlorine fumes during World War I. Morgan also received a patent (1923) for a traffic signal that featured automated STOP and GO signs. Morgan's invention was later replaced by traffic lights.
Frederick McKinley Jones
(1892-1961) Jones was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. An experienced mechanic, he invented a self-starting gas engine and a series of devices for movie projectors. More importantly, he invented the first automatic refrigeration system for long-haul trucks (1935). Jones was awarded more than 40 patents in the field of refrigeration.
David Crosthwait, Jr.
(1898-1976) Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Crosthwait earned a B.S. (1913) and M.S. (1920) from Purdue University. An expert on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, he designed the heating system for Radio City Music Hall in New York. During his lifetime he received some 40 U.S. patents relating to HVAC systems.
Patricia Bath
(1942-) Born in Harlem, New York, Bath holds a bachelor's degree from Hunter College and an M.D. from Howard University. She is a co-founder of the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness. Bath is best known for her invention of the Laserphaco Probe for the treatment of cataracts.
Mark Dean
(1957-) Dean was born in Jefferson City, Tennessee, and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee, a master's degree from Florida Atlantic University, and a Ph.D. from Stanford University. He led the team of IBM scientists that developed the ISA bus—a device that enabled computer components to communicate with each other rapidly, which made personal computers fast and efficient for the first time. Dean also led the design team responsible for creating the first one-gigahertz computer processor chip. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1997.

Biography Report - Interview Questions

Interview Form


Interview Questions:

1) When were you born?



2) Where were you born and who were your parents?



3) What was your life like as a child?


4) How much education did you have and where did you go to school?




5) What important things have you worked on?



6) How did your accomplishments help people?




7) What do you think you are remembered most for or what has been the most important thing you contributed to people?




8) Where, when, and how did your life end?

Inclement Weather Scheduled Changes for 3rd Grade

Dear Parents,
Due to inclement weather changes last week. Our Curriculum Night has been moved to January 14th from 6-8 p.m. Please make a note of this.

Tutoring has been changed to the second,third,and fouth Friday's of the month instead of Thursdays. Sorry for any inconveniences this may have caused you.

In Class Spelling Bee's will be conducted today for third grade. Please help your child study the Spelling Bee List in their homework folders. Look for a pink or white list.

Lunch order forms for the month were sent home today. Please check your child's homework folders for this information.

Writing Assessments for Third Grade -March 29, 2010
C.R.C.T. - April 14-23

January 2010 Newsletter

January 5, 2010
Dear Parents,

A very Happy New Year to you all! Thanks for the support you gave with the field trip and Christmas Party. Here are some more reminders as we begin the second half of the school year.

Tutoring: Tutoring continues for one hour every 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Thursday of each week from 3:45-4:45 p.m. However, there will be no Tutoring on Thursday, January 7th due to Curriculum Night. Please let me know when your child will attend so that I can plan for it.

Curriculum Night: January 7th 6-8 p.m. Students and parents can come to school to complete make-up seat work and missing tests for the quarter. No conferences will be held on that day. Conferences may be scheduled if necessary. Report Cards and 3rd Quarter syllabus will be distributed.

Book Reports: Book Reports for January are due on Friday, January 29, 2010. Please remind your child to keep reading during the month. It also counts as part of your child’s Reading Grade and as part of the Advanced Reading Challenge that the school is sponsoring.

Conferences: Conferences are held every 1st Thursday of the month from 3:45-4:45 p.m.

C.R.C.T. Prep: Please remind your child to work on www.StudyIsland.com at home and during school breaks to keep their skills sharp. If you are having problems logging on, please let me know as soon as possible. We are working on Reading and Math Skills in class.

Homework: Please sign off in your child’s agenda daily and pay attention to notices or last minute changes in our classroom. Pleasealso pay attention to scheduled tests, quizzes, and school activities that are posted in your child's agenda. Your child should have a study guide binder which will contain facts in various subjects for them to study or review. Also, look for the weekly spelling lists and Wordly Wise Vocabulary Word in their homework folders and agendas.

Website: Please visit our website for additional information rockingthirdgraders.blogspot.com.

Ms. St. Rose
vst.rose@gmail.com
678-384-8920

2009 Parent Letter

August 26, 2009
Dear Parents,

We are still settling into our new school year in our class. Thanks for your support and patience during our transition. A special thanks goes out to those of you who have volunteered your support this year. Thanks also for the contributions you have made from the wish list. This is greatly appreciated.

I just wanted to inform you of some up-coming reminders and assignments that we need your help with. Please submit payments for C.R.C.T. Study Guide orders as soon as possible. Early orders will allow us to order the books at half the cost. Our room mom, Mrs. Lolita Wylie will take your book orders and make payments for you. Please refer to the letter that was sent home in your child’s homework folder a week ago for contact information for Mrs. Wylie. If you didn’t get this letter, please let me know as soon as possible.

We will begin our Stanford 10 Testing this week August 27 and 28 with Make Up Testing on August 31. Please have your child in bed on time, send two sharpened number two pencils, two chapter books to read and a healthy snack for school on those days.

We will begin our Book Reports during the month of September. The first two reports are due on Friday, September 25. These reports will count as part of your child’s Reading grade. Book Report Forms will be provided. Please have your child choose two books from the book list and begin reading independently at home. See Booklist attached to this letter or on our Blog. You can check out the books from the library, purchase the books from the book store, or order it through Scholastic Book Club on line. The first chapter book that we will be reading as a class is “Charlotte’s Web”. Please purchase a copy for your child. Students who have their books by September 4 will receive 100 points for their books.

Please keep checking your child’s Homework Folder for notices from school, homework assignments, notes from the teacher, Book Report forms, Reading Logs etc. You can also check for class information on our website at www.rockingthirdgraders@blogspot.com.

Feel free to contact me at school at 678-384-8920 or e-mail me at vst.rose@gmail.com.

Ms. St. Rose

Parent Coach Letter

August 6, 2009

Dear Parents,
Thank you for your awesome attendance and support today during open house and for purchasing the school supplies for school. We are off to a great start with the tools we need to make learning a third grade successful.

We plan to start our test prep early this school year and wanted to give you enough time to plan the purchase of the C.R.C. T Books: We’ve researched information about the CRCT Prep Book and found out that they do not sell it at School Box as we expected. However, they can be purchased on line in grouped orders for a reduced price or individually. Go to www.testprep.com. Click on, Coach State Test Practice with Coach. Please Order Books for Language Arts and Math. If you do not have access to the internet, call
1-800-221-9372. You can fax orders to 1-866-805-5723 or e-mail customer service @triumphlearning.com. Reading and Math are the most critical areas that we need to focus on this year in third grade. The books are about $20.00 a piece. This is a worthy investment in your child’s education. Our goal is to have all of the children working on the skills daily by early September. If you need any additional information about these books, please don’t hesitate to write a note, call, or e-mail us.

Here is an alternate g-mail web/web address that you can use to e-mail us at school_______________________________________. We are in the process of setting up blogs to also communicate to you more effectively. This will be sent to you later on in the month.

Here are just some reminders. Please remember to pack a lunch for your child daily. Please also follow-up with your child’s agenda for announced tests, projects, and quizzes along with a weekly spelling list. If your child’s dismissal procedure changes, let us know so we can make the necessary adjustments. Remind your child to use the restroom at home or early in the morning before school begins. This will save instructional time and improve punctuality with attendance.

Thanks again in advance for your continued support.

Third Grade Teachers