These questions were taken from an article titled “Investigating Science
Careers On-Line” from The Science Teacher, p. 74, September 2001 issue. I felt these were good questions students
could answer in relation to any science ‘career’ search, not only one of an
on-line nature.
The questions are good because they force students to relate what is
being learned in class to ‘the real world.’
Additionally, they are not yes/no questions, and therefore would require
a bit of searching to come up with the answers!
There are three categories of questions for students: at least two
questions from category A must be answered along with all of the questions from
category B or C (depending on whether students research a company or a
profession)
A)
Scientific
Investigation
-
What scientific
theories were studied? How were they utilized or refined?
-
Units of
measurement that were studied/used in class? What were they and how were they
referenced?
-
Scientific
historical figures who we studied in class? Who were they and how were they
referenced?
-
Materials or
instruments we studied/used in class?
What were they and how were they referenced?
B)
Company
Investigation
-
What product(s)
does this company produce, and/or in what type of scientific research does the
company engage?
-
What type of
scientists and engineers does this company employ? Describe their typical
duties.
-
What degree
levels (BSc., MSc., PhD) do scientists and engineers that work for the company
have?
-
Is this a global company? In what countries does this company do
business?
-
Was this company
profitable in the past 2-3 years? 3-10? 10-20?
C)
Career
Investigation
-
What career did
you research?
-
Provide a typical
job description for a person in this profession
-
What are the degree
levels held by persons in this profession?
-
Are there any
regions of the nation or world that have a need for persons in this career?
-
What is the
typical pay scale for this profession when starting a job, after 5 years, 10
years, and after 20 years?
-
Are there any
unique risks for persons in this profession?