SOCIETY OF WOMEN ENGINEERS LOS ANGELES SECTION

 

GREAT WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DETAILED ESSAY CONTEST RULES

 

1.        This contest is open to girls and boys, grades 6 through 8 at middle and junior high schools in the greater Los Angeles County. Its purpose is to increase students' and educators' awareness of the contributions of women engineers and scientists throughout history.

 

2.  Students are to write an original essay of about 500 words, double-spaced, about a woman engineer or scientist of their choice. Examples of notable women are listed below. They shall describe the woman’s achievements, contributions and awards. We would like to encourage the students to share with us their own thoughts on the accomplishments of the scientist they select.

Information on the subjects can be obtained from books on the attached reference list, or from other books and the encyclopedia. While we also recognize the use of the Internet as a valuable research tool, students should be discouraged from simply copying and pasting what they find on the web into their essays. Be sure to include a bibliography in the completed essay, including web sites URLs as appropriate.

 

POTENTIAL SUBJECTS:                

Betsy Ancker-Johnson, engineer

Gertrude Belle Elion, medical researcher

Patricia Billings, inventor

Rachel Carson, biologist

Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, medical researcher

Sarah Goode, scientist

Jewel Plummer Cobb, biologist

Lillian Moller Gilbreth, industrial engineer

Maria Cordero Hardy, medical researcher

Grace Murray Hopper, computer pioneer

Mae Jemison, astronaut

Barbara McClintock, geneticist

Sylvia Earle Mead, marine biologist

Judith Resnick, astronaut

Sally Ride, astronaut

Chien-Shiung Wu, nuclear physicist

Sybilla Masters, inventor

Mary Anning, Mary Ann Mantell, Mary Leakey; Women in Paleontology

http://www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/summary.shtml

 

3.   Essays must include the following information on the cover page (this counts as 10% of your total score):

1.         Student's full name

2.         Student's address including city, state and zip code

3.         Student's grade level

4.         School's name and address

5.           Teacher's name

 

4.     Judging criteria are: originality, amount of research, accuracy of information, bibliography, grammar, spelling and punctuation. Judging will be done by SWE Los Angeles Section members.

 

5.     Prizes for each grade are as follows:

                              First Place:                                                             Space Pen, 4 IMAX Tickets and Book

                              Second Place:                                                        4 IMAX Tickets and Book

                              Third Place:                                                           Book