Black Biologists: Excellence Against Every Barrier

The first 5 people to email will get a copy of my book [email protected] Biologists: Excellence Against Every BarrierLesson Plan: Black Biologists Who Shaped American ScienceLesson TitleBlack Biologists: Pioneers of Discovery, Excellence, and Scientific LeadershipThesis StatementBlack biologists have shaped the foundations of American science—from cell biology to ecology—despite exclusion from laboratories, universities, and scientific institutions. Their achievements prove that Black excellence is not an exception but a tradition.Learning Objectives1. Students will identify major contributions of Black biologists across different scientific fields (cell biology, botany, zoology, ecology, neuroscience).o Example: Students explain Ernest Everett Just’s breakthroughs in cell fertilization.2. Students will analyze how systemic barriers shaped the careers of early Black scientists and how they still achieved excellence.o Example: Students compare Roger Arliner Young’s challenges in graduate school with modern STEM barriers.Learning Outcomes1. Students will create a chronological timeline showing at least five Black biologists and their scientific contributions.o Example: Students place Just (1910s), Turner (1920s), Young (1930s), and modern scientists like Angeline Dukes (2020s).2. Students will write a short reflection on how one biologist’s journey inspires their own academic or career goals.o Example: A student connects Dr. Warren Washington’s climate modeling to their interest in environmental justice.5E Learning ModelEngageShow students photos of early 1900s labs and ask: “Who was allowed to do science in these rooms—and who wasn’t?”ExploreStudents rotate through stations with short bios of Black biologists and identify each scientist’s field and discovery.ExplainFacilitate a discussion on how these scientists advanced biology despite segregation, underfunding, and exclusion.ElaborateStudents connect each biologist’s work to a modern scientific issue (climate change, genetics, neuroscience, ecology).EvaluateStudents complete a formative assessment (below).Assessment Tool (Formative)Exit Ticket: Students answer in 3–4 sentences:“Which Black biologist stood out to you and why? How does their work connect to science today?”Mr. Lucky — Social Studies Teacher, currently completing my second master’s degree in Urban Education