Forgotten Genius
The grandson of Alabama slaves, Percy Julian met with every possible barrier in a deeply segregated America. He was a man of genius, devotion, and determination. As a black man he was also an outsider, fighting to make a place for himself in a profession and country divided by bigotry—a man who would eventually find freedom in the laboratory. By the time of his death, Julian had risen to the highest levels of scientific and personal achievement, overcoming countless obstacles to become a world-class scientist, a self-made millionaire, and a civil-rights pioneer.
You can watch the video at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/forgotten-genius.html
You can watch the video at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/forgotten-genius.html
Forgotten Genius Worksheet | |
File Size: | 45 kb |
File Type: |
THE POISONER'S HANDBOOK
In the early 20th century, the average American medicine cabinet was a would-be poisoner's treasure chest, with radioactive radium, thallium, and morphine in everyday products. The pace of industrial innovation increased, but the scientific knowledge to detect and prevent crimes committed with these materials lagged behind until 1918. New York City's first scientifically trained medical examiner, Charles Norris, and his chief toxicologist, Alexander Gettler, turned forensic chemistry into a formidable science and set the standards for the rest of the country.
You can watch the video at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/poisoners/player/
The book is available for digital download and loaning from Baltimore County Public Library: www.bcpl.info
You can watch the video at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/poisoners/player/
The book is available for digital download and loaning from Baltimore County Public Library: www.bcpl.info
The Poisoner's Handbook Worksheet | |
File Size: | 70 kb |
File Type: |
Hunting the Elements
Where do nature's building blocks, called the elements, come from? They're the hidden ingredients of everything in our world, from the carbon in our bodies to the metals in our smartphones. To unlock their secrets, David Pogue, technology columnist and lively host of NOVA's popular "Making Stuff" series, spins viewers through the world of weird, extreme chemistry: the strongest acids, the deadliest poisons, the universe's most abundant elements, and the rarest of the rare—substances cooked up in atom smashers that flicker into existence for only fractions of a second.
You can watch the video at: http://www.pbs.org/video/2217713569/
You can watch the video at: http://www.pbs.org/video/2217713569/
Hunting the Elements Worksheet | |
File Size: | 84 kb |
File Type: |