This Women's History Month, celebrate women in science through reading! Science Books & Films has even compiled a reading list for the occasion. Below, take a look at science books written by or about women with the accompanying Science NetLinks teaching resources.
Famed animal scientist Temple Grandin is the subject of this book for middle grades by Sy Montgomery. Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World was one of the winners of the 2013 SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books. Grandin is an advocate for animal welfare in her work and for people with autism—she hereslf has autism. Science NetLinks has a lesson for grades 6–8 and accompanying video based on Temple Grandin, as well as a video discussion with the author.
Perennial favorite The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot examines bioethics and medical research through the story of Henrietta Lacks. Lacks was a cancer patient in 1951 whose tumor cells were taken, cultivated, and used without her permission. The cells were unique because they replicated endlessly, a helpful asset for medical research (like Jonas Salk's invention of the polio vaccine, for which he used Lacks' cells). The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a winner of the 2011 SB&F Prize and has an accompanying Science NetLinks lesson for grades 9–12.
Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard by Loree Griffin Burns is a winner of the 2013 SB&F Prize. Citizen science is a new movement in scientific research that involves recruiting volunteers from the public to help with data collection. These volunteer citizen scientists might collect information about specific local wildlife or vegetation, and then send it to researchers for analysis. Use this book in your classroom with Science NetLinks' lesson for middle grades based on the book and an interview and live reading with the author.
What are your favorite science books that are by or about women?
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ORIGINALLY POSTED ON AAAS SCIENCE NETLINKS.