Women in STEM: Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin

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Rachel Calder took an unconventional route into science, having started out reading history for her bachelor’s degree. After a “gap decade” (like a gap year, only longer) she drifted into an MSc on Sustainable Food and Natural Resources at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales and gained an appreciation of how academic research can help address real-world problems. Her PhD project is investigating how soil fungal communities – crucial but often overlooked components of many ecosystems – are affected by rising CO2 levels and what implications this may have for nutrient cycling. Listen to Rachel's talk that she delivered at ThinkTank, Birmingham, to mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science. 

 

Key Stage

 4 and 5

Learning Objectives 

  • Identify what x-ray crystallography is 

  • Describe how x-ray crystallography can be used to explore the structure and function of biology molecules 

  • Explain how Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin embodied key qualities of a research scientist

Key Words 
 Collaboration  Function  

Molecule 

 Structure X-ray Crystallography 

 

How can you use Rachel's mini lecture in your classroom? 

1. Hook Activity: use this mini lecture as a 'hook' for your lessons to grab pupils attention, generate interest around the topic and highlight the wider context for the topic. 

2. Key Word Generator: encourage your pupils to write down as many keywords from the mini lecture as they can. Use this list to: create a glossary, play bingo, have a game of Pictionary etc.

3. Quiz Maker: encourage your pupils to create a set of quiz cards/ true or false questions and/ or exam style questions based on the clip. Ask them to try out each others quizzes and reflect on what they have learnt. 

4. Note-Taker: for students moving into Y12 and Y13, use the mini lecture to try out different note-taking techniques and support the transition to KS5 and Higher Education. 

5. Seminar Showcase: encourage your pupils to set up their own lunch club and use the mini-lectures to discuss underlying research themes, such as climate change, biodiversity, plants and trees. 

If you think of any other ways to use this mini lecture in your classroom, we would love to know! Share @BIFoRUoB #MiniLecture

Discover other PhD Researchers at BIFoR who are marking International Day of Women and Girls in Science