GUTSY GIRLS
Go for Science
DIANE C. TAYLOR
Illustrated by Shululu
1
C
ontents
INTRODUCTION Putting It All Together Engineering is a huge part of everyday life, for everyone!
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EMILY WARREN ROEBLING The Chief Engineer When her husband can’t finish a building project, this woman steps up and makes it happen.
ELLEN SWALLOW RICHARDS The Environmental Engineer Thanks to this woman, we know what’s in our food and water.
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CATHERINE “KATE” GLEASON The Mechanical Engineer The family business becomes a woman’s jumping off point!
LILLIAN MOLLER GILBRETH The Industrial Engineer When you have 11 children in your home, you figure out how to make things run smoothly.
81 GLOSSARY
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MARY JACKSON The Aerospace Engineer This woman defeated both gender and racial discrimination.
RESOURCES
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INDEX
n e l l w o l l a w
E S
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“
R
ichards
You cannot make women contented with
”
cooking and cleaning and you need not try.
—Ellen Swallow Richards
Place of Birth: Dunstable, Massachusetts
Date of Birth: December 3, 1842
The
E nv i
Date of Death: March 30, 1911 (age 69)
Famous for: First woman to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
ron m e n t a l Eng i n e e r
WATER POURS FROM THE FAUCET. WASTE FLUSHES DOWN THE TOILET. FOOD SITS IN THE REFRIGERATOR. And if you’re lucky, you can assume that your drinking water is safe, your rivers are not polluted, and the food you eat will not harm you. This is because of engineers working in the field of environmental engineering.
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Ellen Swallow Richards was one of the first environmental engineers. The work she did was vital to the health of people.
In the Beginning Ellen Swallow Richards was an only child who spent her first 16 years as a farm girl in rural Dunstable, Massachusetts. She was often sick as a child, but fresh air, exercise, clean spring water, and wholesome foods helped her get better. This was something Ellen never forgot: a healthy environment was directly connected to her own well-being!
TIMELINE
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1842
1859
1868
1871
1875
Ellen Swallow is born in Dunstable, Massachusetts.
At age 17, Ellen enrolls in Westford Academy.
Ellen enrolls as a student at Vassar College. She graduates in 1870.
Ellen is the first female student ever admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She graduates in 1873.
Ellen marries Robert Hallowell Richards.
Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Engineers
Environmental engineers develop solutions to environmental problems. They might improve recycling and waste disposal systems or find ways to reduce air and water pollution. Their workplaces vary, from offices to construction sites to rivers. But when something is designed to safeguard the environment, an environmental engineer has been involved.
onnect . . . . . . Haywood Ellen Richards
1889
1890
1908
1911
Ellen completes the Richards’ Normal Chlorine Map.
Ellen opens the New England Kitchen in downtown Boston, Massachusetts.
Ellen is elected the first president of the American Home Economics Association.
Ellen suffers heart failure in her home in Boston at the age of 69.
th e e nvi ron m e ntal e ng i n e e r
Learn more about Ellen at this website.
WHAT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER?
E llen Swallow Richards
Ellen’s parents had both been school teachers before becoming farmers, so they educated their daughter themselves until she was 16 years old. But when they saw that her hunger for knowledge was more than they could satisfy, they packed up and moved to Westford, Massachusetts. Ellen went to Westford Academy, one of the oldest and most respected schools in New England.
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“
My life is to be one of
”
active fighting.
—Ellen Swallow Richards Ellen loved Westford Academy, especially the math and foreign languages she studied there. She graduated in three years, able to speak Greek, Latin, and German.
Biding Her Time Ellen dreamed of going to college. But in 1862, it was rare for women to go to college, and many universities didn’t let women attend. The young woman stayed busy reading, teaching, and working in the general store that her parents had opened in Littleton, Massachusetts. In 1868, an opportunity finally came her way, and Ellen was off to Vassar College. Ellen was most interested in math and science, but because Vassar didn’t offer those degrees, Ellen settled for studying literature and history. An astronomy teacher there, Maria Mitchell (1818–1889), encouraged Ellen to follow in her footsteps. Ellen found herself interested in chemistry, the building blocks of life.
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Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Engineers
Dead Ends and Open Doors
One company suggested Ellen look into opportunities at a school that had recently opened in Cambridge, Massachusetts—the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
th e e nvi ron m e ntal e ng i n e e r
After earning her college degree, Ellen wrote to drug companies and chemical companies to see if they had any jobs available. She always received the same answer: They didn’t hire women.
E llen Swallow Richards
Maria Mitchell was the first American woman to become a professional astronomer and to have a comet named after her.
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The only trouble here [at Vassar College] is that they won’t let us study enough. They are so afraid we will break down . . . for the question is, can girls get a college degree without
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ruining their health?
—Ellen Swallow Richards
MIT didn’t accept female students, either, but Ellen applied anyway. To her surprise, on her 28th birthday, she received a note that MIT had accepted her as its first-ever female student!
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Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Engineers
At MIT, Ellen was the only woman in a world of men. Many of them assumed she would fail. Instead, she thrived, especially in the laboratory.
th e e nvi ron m e ntal e ng i n e e r
One thing she did there was conduct chemical research on the safety of drinking water. She started by testing the purity of water samples provided by the state of Massachusetts. As word of her research spread, towns from as far away as countries in Europe started sending her water samples. By the time Ellen graduated from MIT, she was recognized around the world as an expert in water analysis!
E llen Swallow Richards
Making Her Mark
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Working for Free Ellen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in science from MIT in 1873. That same year, Vassar College awarded her a master’s degree because of all the lab work she had done at MIT. However, Ellen still couldn’t find a job. No companies were willing to hire a female chemist. Luckily, MIT allowed her to remain on campus as a part-time instructor and gave her access to their laboratories. They did not, however, offer her either a title or a salary. She supported herself by tutoring students on the side and assisting with chores at the boarding house where she lived. Does this seem fair to you?
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Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Engineers
Ellen had overcome many obstacles to get an education. She wanted to help other women, too. In 1875, that meant working to get a women’s laboratory at MIT.
Ellen created a lab just for women. She convinced MIT to donate a building and she raised $2,500 for equipment. By 1876, she was teaching chemistry classes there. When Ellen’s lab closed in 1883—the year MIT became a coeducational school—about 500 women had studied chemistry with her.
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The school had made an exception for Ellen, allowing her to work alongside male students and professors in the lab. But the area was closed to other women. Where could they conduct experiments?
E llen Swallow Richards
The Women’s Laboratory
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The Water Map How do you know that the water you drink is clean and healthy for you? That was the question on the minds of people in Massachusetts after many factories had set up shop along the state’s waterways. The waste from factories can contaminate waterways, which affects the drinking water of nearby populations.
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Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Engineers
In 1972, Lilia Ann Abron became the first African American woman to earn a PhD in chemical engineering. In 1978, she also became the first African American—of any gender—to form an environmental engineering firm. At PEER Consultants, environmental engineers work for the “restoration, maintenance, and enhancement of the natural and built environments.” The philosophy behind Lilia’s achievements is that people and the environment can “co-exist to mutually benefit one another.”
With Ellen’s help, Massachusetts established the first water quality standards in the United States.
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The state hired Ellen as a consultant and asked her to test more than 40,000 samples of water. From those tests, she created the “Richards’ Normal Chlorine Map.” This map tracked the concentration of chloride (or salt) in water. The map did not show where water was polluted, but it did show where water pollution might be a problem. If water far from the coast started showing high concentrations of chloride, for example, that could indicate a man-made problem.
E llen Swallow Richards
LILIA ANN ABRON (1945— )
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Food Safety The quality of Massachusetts’ food supply was another public health issue Ellen worked on. Along with a workforce of MIT students, she fanned out across the state to buy food products such as flour, sugar, coffee, and spices. Back at the lab, they performed scientific analysis of the products. Some of what they found was disturbing. Some sugar samples, for example, contained up to 11 percent additives, such as chloride and calcium. A spice manufacturer sold wood sawdust as cinnamon. Another sold flour as baking Why do you powder. Food labels often think food producers listed lies. would want to lower the Ellen started her food survey in 1878. By 1882, Massachusetts passed its first pure food and drug laws to try to stop these practices.
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quality of their products, even at the risk of making people sick?
Whyonder
Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Engineers
?
Ellen Swallow Richards not only set up a lab for women at MIT, she also set up a lab in her home in Boston. Both male and female science students from MIT were almost always present in the Richards’ home. They rented rooms, attended classes, and worked as assistants for Ellen and her husband, Robert.
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We must awaken a spirit of investigation in our girls . . . . We must show [that] science has a very close
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relation to everyday life . . . .
—Ellen Swallow Richards
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Working at home, Ellen and her students were some of the first people in the world to put consumer products through rigorous scientific testing.
E llen Swallow Richards
The Home Laboratory
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Home Economics Changes along the home front came fast in the late nineteenth century. New products, from stoves to refrigerators to packaged foods, were introduced at a staggering rate. People had to learn how to properly store food for longer periods of time to avoid getting sick from rotten products.
The New England Kitchen How do you know that what you’re eating is good for you? That was a question Ellen wanted to answer from a scientific point of view. In 1890, Ellen set up the New England Kitchen. This combination laboratory and restaurant was where nutritional science was born.
Ellen pioneered a field known as home economics. Today, students might take classes in consumer science. In Ellen and her students performed 1908, Ellen became the first groundbreaking work in president of the American two areas in the New Do you think Home Economics England Kitchen. it’s important for schools Association, They scientifically to offer classes in consumer science? Why or why not? Would which changed determined the you take a consumer science class its name in 1994 nutritional value if you had the chance? to the American of foods, and they Association of onder engineered new hy Family and Consumer foods that had proven Sciences. nutritional value.
W
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Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Engineers
?
Ellen introduced the word ecology into the English language.
in the twentieth century to lure young bodies and minds to college under the pretense of education only to poison them slowly
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with bad . . . food.
—Ellen Swallow Richards th e e nvi ron m e ntal e ng i n e e r
Despite her accomplishments, many people today don’t even know her name! Perhaps that will change. Will you think of Ellen when you drink a glass of tap water or read the label on a box of cereal?
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I believe it will be held a crime
E llen Swallow Richards
When Ellen Swallow Richards passed away in 1911, she was one of the best-known female scientists in the world! Her work impacted everything from water and air pollution to the introduction of free lunches in public schools.
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G lossary ACCOMMODATE: to meet the needs or
CAISSON: a large, watertight compartment
ACOUSTICS: the study of sound. ADDITIVES: substances added to
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING: the use of
ADVERSE: harmful or unfavorable. AERODYNAMIC: having a shape that helps
CHEMISTRY: the science of how
AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING: the
CIVIL ENGINEERING: the design and construction of the built environment, such as roads, bridges, and buildings.
AEROSPACE ENGINEERING: the design
CIVILIZATION: a community of people that is advanced in art, science, and government.
AIRFLOW: how air moves from one place
COEDUCATIONAL: describes a school that educates both girls and boys.
wants of someone.
something to change or preserve it.
it move through air.
design and development of aircraft, such as airplanes. and development of spacecraft, such as missiles and rockets. to another.
AMBITIOUS: a project or goal that is
difficult to achieve.
ANALYZE: to examine in detail. ASTRONOMICAL: having to do with
astronomy or the study of space.
ASTRONOMY: the branch of science that
studies the sun, moon, stars, planets, and space.
with air pumped in so people can do construction work under water.
chemistry to solve problems and design new products and processes.
substances interact, combine, and change.
COMBUSTION: the process of burning something.
COMMEMORATIVE: in remembrance. COMMENCEMENT: a graduation ceremony.
COMMUTE: to travel to and from work. COMPOSTABLE: describes a material that can break down and rot.
ATMOSPHERE: the mixture of gases
COMPOSTED: rotted material that can be put back in the soil.
AVERAGE: normal, ordinary. BIOMECHANICAL ENGINEERING: the
COMPRESSOR: a machine used to provide air at increased pressure.
surrounding a planet.
design and application of new materials to biology, especially to surgery and artificial body parts.
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GLOSSARY
COMPUTER: a device for storing and working with information. Before digital computers, people who worked with numbers were often called human computers.
CONCENTRATION: the abundance of a
ELECTRONICS: devices that use computer
CONSUMER PRODUCTS: items, such as
EMISSIONS: the production and discharge
substance in a mixture.
food and clothing, that people can buy to serve their own needs.
CONSUMER SCIENCE: the study of how
people function in their home environments.
CONTAMINATE: to make something
impure, such as by adding poison to it.
DAUNTING: extremely challenging. DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS: an illness
caused by gas bubbles forming in the body as a person moves too quickly from an area of high pressure to lower pressure.
parts to control the flow of electricity.
of something, such as exhaust from a car.
ENCAMPMENTS: temporary homes, such as for soldiers, usually tents.
ENGINEER: a person who uses science, math, and creativity to design and build things.
ENGINEERING: the work an engineer does, using science and math to design and build things. ENVIRONMENT: a natural area with
animals, plants, rocks, soil, and water.
DENSITY: how compact a substance is. DIAMETER: the width of a circle. DISCRIMINATION: when people are
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING: the branch of engineering that deals with protecting and improving both natural and manmade environments.
DISPOSAL: the act of getting rid of
EXPERTISE: expert knowledge or training. FATAL: deadly. FORCE: a push or pull that changes an
treated unfairly because of their race, religion, gender, or sexual preference. something.
DIVERSE: having many different types of
people or things.
DRAG: the aerodynamic force that makes it hard for aircraft to move through the air.
object’s motion.
GEAR: a wheel with teeth around its outside edge, used in machines to create a mechanical advantage.
ECOLOGY: the interaction between living
GOTHIC: a style of European architecture
EFFICIENT: quick and easy. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING: the design of
GRAVITY: a force that pulls all objects
things and their environment.
systems and processes that use electricity.
ELECTROMAGNETIC: having to do with the combination of electric currents and magnetic fields.
from the twelfth through the sixteenth centuries. toward the earth.
HOME ECONOMICS: the scientific study of household management.
HORIZONTAL: straight across, side to side.
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G lossary INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING: the design and application of methods and systems to improve efficiency in industry.
MOTTO: a short phrase that serves as a
INNOVATION: a new method, idea, or
Administration, the U.S. organization in charge of space exploration.
product.
INVALID: a person made weak by illness or injury.
guiding idea.
NASA: National Aeronautics and Space NAUSEA: a feeling of needing to vomit. NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE: the study of the
LEVITATE: to rise and hover in the air. LIFT: the mechanical force that moves an
substances that are found in or that can be added to food.
MANIPULATE: to handle or control
means of transportation.
aircraft upward.
something in a skillful manner.
MANUFACTURE: to make something by
machine in a factory.
PEDESTRIAN: a person walking as a PETROLEUM: a liquid that can be
extracted from rocks and turned into fuel or other products.
MASCULINE: having what are considered
PHILANTHROPIST: a person who
MATHEMATICIAN: an expert in
PIONEER: a person who is one of the first to do something important.
manly qualities.
mathematics, a science that studies numbers, quantity, and space.
MECHANICAL: having to do with machines
or machinery.
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING: the design
of mechanical devices and processes such as machines and cars.
MILESTONE: a significant achievement. MILITARY: the army, navy, air force, and
other armed services that protect a country and fight in wars.
MINORITY: a group of people, such as
African Americans, that is smaller than or different from the larger group. Minorities are often subject to discrimination.
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GLOSSARY
promotes the welfare of others.
POLITICIAN: a person who runs for and/or
holds an elected office, such as a senator or representative.
POPULATION: the people of an area or
country.
POLLUTE: to contaminate something, such as air or water, with harmful substances. PROCESSED FOODS: foods that have been manufactured rather than grown naturally or prepared at home. PSYCHOLOGY: the study of the mind and how humans behave. PUBLIC HEALTH: a system that works to keep the population as a whole healthy.
PURITY: a measure of harmful additives or substances.
STRUCTURE: something that is built, such as a building, bridge, tunnel, or dam.
QUALITY: a distinct feature or a degree of
SUPERSONIC: flying at 760 to 3,500 miles
RACE: a group of people that shares
SUSPENSION BRIDGE: a bridge with a deck suspended from cables that are attached to towers and anchored at each end.
excellence.
physical qualities, such as skin color.
RACISM: negative opinions or treatment of people based on race.
RADIUS: half the width of a circle. REFINEMENT: the process of removing
unwanted substances from something in order to improve or change it.
RENOVATE: to restore an old building to a good state of repair.
RIGOROUS: thorough or accurate. ROBOTICS: the science and technology of robots, machines that move and perform different functions that are controlled through circuits and computer programs.
SAFEGUARD: to protect something or someone from harm or damage.
SATELLITE: a manmade object placed in
orbit in space used to gather information or to make communication possible.
SCIENCE: the study of the physical and natural world.
SCIENTIFIC METHOD: the process
scientists use to ask questions and do experiments to try to prove their ideas.
SEGREGATE: to separate or divide
people based on race, religion, or another category.
SIGNIFICANT: important.
per hour.
TARE: the weight of an empty container. TECHNOLOGY: the tools, methods, and
systems used to solve a problem or do work.
TETANUS: an illness marked by muscle
spasms.
THRUST: the mechanical force that moves an aircraft through the air. TURRETS: small towers on top of larger towers, such as you see in castles.
TYPHOID FEVER: a highly contagious and
often deadly disease.
UNANIMOUS: a group in full agreement. VENDOR: a person or company offering something for sale.
VENTILATION: a means of bringing fresh air into a room or building.
VERTICAL: going straight up and down. WATERWAY: a channel of water such as a stream or river.
WEIGHT: the measure of the force of gravity on an object. WESTERN HEMISPHERE: the half of the
earth containing North and South America.
WHOLESOME: good for a person’s health.
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Juvenile Nonfiction • Biography Ages: 8–11 • Guided Reading Level: R
focus on science
HAVE YOU CROSSED OVER A BRIDGE TODAY? HAVE YOU RIDDEN AN ELEVATOR TO A TOP FLOOR? HAVE YOU OPENED UP A CARTON OF MILK? ALL OF THESE THINGS WERE MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH ENGINEERING! In Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Engineers, readers ages 8 to 11 meet five female engineers who revolutionized the role of women in engineering, including Ellen Swallow Richards, Emily Warren Roebling, Kate Gleason, Lillian Moller Gilbreth, and Mary Jackson. Plus, short sidebars highlight the accomplishments of contemporary female engineers and reveal the ways that women are finding success in engineering today. Try these hands-on STEM projects! ** Create a presentation on processed food ** Make a model suspension bridge
** Track your environmental impact ** Design and build a kite
Engineers is part of a set of four Gutsy Girls Go for Science books that explore career connections for young scientists. Check out the other titles in this series!
PRAISE FOR ENGINEERING: COOL WOMEN WHO DESIGN FROM THE GIRLS IN SCIENCE SERIES “ Engineering: Cool Women Who Design presents engineering as a varied and inspiring career path for women . . . . The book features wonderful examples of different women in engineering who are solving problems by creating lighting solutions for disasters, improving surgical devices, and utilizing lasers for broader applications. Finally, this book is very well-written, organized, and researched. It engages readers by using colorful images and cartoons effectively. This is a wonderful book to introduce girls to engineering!”
$14.95 ISBN 978-1-61930-785-8
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