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ASPB Executive Director Crispin Taylor reveals the many layers of a career in plant biology to a rapt group of eighth graders at Robert Frost Middle School in Rockville, Md. |
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Spreading the Word About Careers in Plant Biology
What do you want to be when you grow up? Have you ever heard that iconic question answered with I wanna be a plant biologist? Why is that? After all, plant biology is integral to everything—food, fiber, fuel, and so on. Still, nobody in elementary or middle school (and beyond) seems to know about this career option.
What can YOU do about this? It’s simple. First, save some of the following ASPB Career Day Resources to your laptop or memory stick. Next, offer to visit a local school on career day or during any science-oriented event. Finally, present the videos, handouts, or PowerPoint presentations; add a few anecdotes from your career; and answer questions. As easy as 1-2-3—and you have sown the seeds for future generations of plant biologists.
ASPB Career Day Resources
La Bloomba
Get the party (er…presentation) started by airing La Bloomba, a time-lapse video featuring the openings of hundreds of flowers all “choreographed” to dance to the traditional Mexican song, La Bamba. (Check out the rest of the videos. You may find something else you’d like to share.)
ASPB Career Day PowerPoint Presentation
Download this ready-made presentation geared toward a middle school audience. Personalize the introductory slide and even add a few of your own if you want to feature your area of expertise.
For additional impact, dress in a layered “costume.” For example, if you’re often at the bench, wear your lab coat but then take it off to reveal the outdoorsy garb you wear in the field. Alternatively, if you are often in policy or stakeholder meetings working to advance science education or legislative issues, wear a suit under the lab coat instead.
Plants Get Sick Too!
This video does a great job of explaining one particular career in plant biology—plant doctor.
Careers in Plant Biology Handout
This site offers a one-page summary of plant biology—with eye-catching photos. This straightforward handout includes a list of job titles within the field.
Follow-Up or Previsit Resources
A plethora of plant biology multimedia, cross-curricular, K–12 resources are available on the ASPB website. Print copies of handouts you’d like to share, and alert teachers to these free, online resources as well.
Clever Quips
After you’ve finished, get everyone thinking about plant biology by challenging the class to develop bumper stickers or t-shirt designs that incorporate an amusing quip about the field. The text and graphics should be understandable and user-friendly to the general public while also conveying a plant biology concept accurately.
For extra impact after you’ve visited a classroom, please share these resources with a youngster, parent, or teacher in your family or community. |
