It’s Good to Be Smart!

This episode is all about Joseph Priestly, a less-than-famous (but very important scientist!) who helped deepen our understanding of the chemistry of air.

This episode is part of a series about “less-than-famous scientists”—names you may have never heard before, but people you should know about! Each of these stories will help you understand more about the nature of science, and help you see how even small contributions can be important things that help us better understand our world. 

Each season of this podcast has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at https://goodtobesmart.com 

Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!

It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This episode is all about Barbara McClintock, a less-than-famous (but very important scientist!) who helped deepen our understanding of how genetics really works.

This episode is part of a series about “less-than-famous scientists”—names you may have never heard before, but people you should know about! Each of these stories will help you understand more about the nature of science, and help you see how even small contributions can be important things that help us better understand our world. 

Each season of this podcast has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at https://goodtobesmart.com 

Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!

It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This episode is all about Wangari Maathai, a less-than-famous (but very important scientist!) who helped deepen our understanding of how planting trees can help push back the desert, and how to use science as a force for social good.

This episode is part of a series about “less-than-famous scientists”—names you may have never heard before, but people you should know about! Each of these stories will help you understand more about the nature of science, and help you see how even small contributions can be important things that help us better understand our world. 

Each season of this podcast has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at https://goodtobesmart.com 

Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!

It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This episode is all about Henrietta Leavitt, a less-than-famous (but very important scientist!) who helped deepen our understanding of just how gigantic the universe actually is.

This episode is part of a series about “less-than-famous scientists”—names you may have never heard before, but people you should know about! Each of these stories will help you understand more about the nature of science, and help you see how even small contributions can be important things that help us better understand our world. 

Each season of this podcast has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at https://goodtobesmart.com 

Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!

It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This episode is all about John Snow, a less-than-famous (but very important scientist!) who helped deepen our understanding of how diseases spread, and how using data to track diseases can help us fight back.

This episode is part of a series about “less-than-famous scientists”—names you may have never heard before, but people you should know about! Each of these stories will help you understand more about the nature of science, and help you see how even small contributions can be important things that help us better understand our world. 

Each season of this podcast has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at https://goodtobesmart.com 

Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!

It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This episode is all about Lise Meitner, a less-than-famous (but very important scientist!) who helped deepen our understanding of nuclear fission.

This episode is part of a series about “less-than-famous scientists”—names you may have never heard before, but people you should know about! Each of these stories will help you understand more about the nature of science, and help you see how even small contributions can be important things that help us better understand our world. 

Each season of this podcast has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at https://goodtobesmart.com 

Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!

It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This episode is all about Alfred Wegener, a less-than-famous (but very important scientist!) who helped deepen our understanding of the Earth's structure.

This episode is part of a series about “less-than-famous scientists”—names you may have never heard before, but people you should know about! Each of these stories will help you understand more about the nature of science, and help you see how even small contributions can be important things that help us better understand our world. 

Each season of this podcast has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at https://goodtobesmart.com 

Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!

It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This episode is all about Thales of Miletus, a less-than-famous (but very important scientist!) who helped deepen our understanding of science as a way of thinking.

This episode is part of a series about “less-than-famous scientists”—names you may have never heard before, but people you should know about! Each of these stories will help you understand more about the nature of science, and help you see how even small contributions can be important things that help us better understand our world. 

Each season of this podcast has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at https://goodtobesmart.com 

Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!

It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This episode is intended to help you answer two key questions:

1: What is Science?

2: Who is a Scientist?

In the process of answering these questions we'll learn more about the nature of science--how it works, how people do it, and what it all means.

This episode is part of a series about “less-than-famous scientists”—names you may have never heard before, but people you should know about! Each of these stories will help you understand more about the nature of science, and help you see how even small contributions can be important things that help us better understand our world. 

Each season of this podcast has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at https://goodtobesmart.com 

Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!

It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This episode will help you answer the question, “What's the deal with viruses?” Are viruses alive? Or are they non-living-but-similar-to-living-things? Or are they something else entirely? This episode will give you some food for thought so you can start to make up your own mind!

Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!

This episode is part of a series all about understanding the nature of life—the characteristics of living things, how we classify life, and even where life comes from. Each season has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at https://goodtobesmart.com 

It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.