Discusses women who have made an impact in the agricultural sciences. Profiles Elizabeth Pickney, indigo; Jane Colden, botany; Harriet Strong, irrigation and flood control; Anna Comstock, nature studies; Alice Evans, bacteriology; Edith Patch, entomology; and Beatrix Potter, botany. (JOW)

Supports the study of the lives of notable personages from the past and their aspirations and achievements to provide role models and help students recognize when they are making value judgments. Uses a 16th-century mystic and saint, Teresa of Avila, as an example applicable to contemporary educational concerns. (DMM)

This essay develops the thesis that we can, by appealing to Socrates and Bertrand Russell as role models, counter the assumption that philosophy is an ivory tower enterprise and show students that an essential relationship exists between the process of rationale reflection and the living of a moral life. (Author)

Porfirio Salinas has been hailed the best painter of the Texas hill country and its bluebonnets. Born on November 6, 1910, Porfirio's teachers recognized and encouraged his drawing ability. When Porfirio found employment after school in a graphics company that also sold art supplies, he met Robert Wood, recognized for his Texas landscapes, and…

Biographies provide the opportunity for identification, not only with those who are great today but also with those who have lived greatly in the past. Biographies fulfill students' needs for identification with someone who is admirable. Examples of inspiring life stories, sources of such stories, and questions are included. (JD)

Robinson interviews Juliet Popper Shaffer, a scientist, who graduated from Swarthmore College in 1953 and Stanford in 1957 with degrees in psychology and concentrations in math, philosophy, and statistics. In 2004 she received the second Florence Nightingale David award given biannually by the Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies to a…

Juvenile political biographies of contemporary American women can provide important role models for elementary school girls in the process of exploring careers. While there is a paucity of juvenile political biographies of contemporary women, a number of excellent ones do exist. These can be used in a variety of ways, including using one biography…

This publication tells the stories of contemporary Alaskan women who have contributed to the state's economic, social, and political development, and who may serve as role models for younger women in need of inspiration. It also attempts to illustrate the relationship between personal empowerment and societal change. The book contains 12 lengthy…

Discusses the need to provide appropriate materials in school libraries that offer support to gay and lesbian teens. Topics addressed include the presentation of role models, in fiction as well as in biographies; religious diversity; confidentiality of circulation records; and censorship issues. (LRW)

Finds that the life and writings of Thomas Merton can be quite appealing to high school and college students because he embodies and articulates the dynamic activity of God's call in his life. Merton gives voice to students' struggles to find meaning and to their difficulties in expressing their experiences of grace in their lives. (VWC)