Students visited a web site that lists the achievements of individuals from a minority that have contributed to science and summarize the information on 9 individuals (3 each - meteorologist, geologist, astronaut). Students searched the Internet for information on an individual from a minority that has contributed to science. Students met in teams to discuss findings and determine which individual to feature during an oral presentation to the class. The presentation must have discussed the cultural background of the contributor and the significance of various beliefs. In this section, students will learn the following: Ellison S. Onizuka took along a few momentous on his first space flight: Kona Coffee and macadamia nuts from the Hawaiian village where he was born and raised, a Buddhist medallion given to him by his father who had instilled the values of patience, hard work and dedication to duty. In the last activity, students will think about their own culture and decide what three cultural artifacts they would take with them on their first space mission.

UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Scientists in different disciplines ask different questions, use different methods of investigation, and accept different types of evidence to support their explanations. Many scientific investigations require the contributions of individuals from different disciplines, including engineering. New disciplines of science, such as geophysics and biochemistry often emerge at the interface of two older disciplines. Science often advances with the introduction of new technologies. Solving technological problems often results in new scientific knowledge. New technologies often extend the current levels of scientific understanding and introduce new areas of research. Creativity, imagination, and a good knowledge base are all required in the work of science and engineering. Science and technology are pursued for different purposes. Scientific inquiry is driven by the desire to understand the natural world, and technological design is driven by the need to meet human needs and solve human problems. Technology, by its nature, has a more direct effect on society than science because its purpose is to solve human problems, help humans adapt, and fulfill human aspirations. Technological solutions may create new problems. Science, by its nature, answers questions that may or may not directly influence humans. Sometimes scientific advances challenge people's beliefs and practical explanations concerning various aspects of the world. Technological knowledge is often not made public because of patents and the financial potential of the idea or invention. Scientific knowledge is made public through presentations at professional meetings and publications in scientific journals.

Students should know how to conduct an Internet search and have basic word processing abilities.

Ellison S. Onizuka took along a few momentos on his first space flight: Kona Coffee and macadamia nuts from the Hawaiian village where he was born and raised, a Buddhist medallion given to him by his father who had instilled the values of patience, hard work and dedication to duty. Students should think about their own culture and decide what three cultural artifacts they would take with them on their first space mission. The items that students select should not provide entertainment - such as CD players meant to provide only entertainment - but should be items that carry special meaning. The entire class could come together to share artifacts.

Students will produce a written assignment where they list the items they would bring with them on their first space mission and state why those items are important.

Students should work individually to develop a list of items they would bring with them and write a paragraph explaining why each item is significant. Students should meet in multicultural, nonsexist teams to share their list and discuss the importance of items they chose to represent them.