You Could Be A Scientist (Module 1)

Introductory Story for Module 1

"Hi, everyone. I’m Juan, and this is a fellow Junior Scientist, Beth. We're in a really cool club called 'Brain Power!' NIDA Mission Control sends us missions to solve. We go on these missions with Corty."

"Hey, what about us?!" ask Max and Julia. "We go on missions with Corty, too."

Beth says, "Of course! We were going to introduce you two. This is Max and Julia. They are working to become Junior Scientists just like Juan and me. Now, where were we Juan?" asks Beth.

"Let’s see. Biologists, neuroscientists, zoologists..." says Juan.

"... immunologists, physicists..." Beth continues.

"What are you two doing?" asks Julia.

"We’re trying to think of as many different kinds of scientists as we can. Did you realize that there are so many different kinds of scientists and that they perform many different jobs?" asks Beth.

Julia and Max both shake their heads. "No way! We had no idea."

"I've got an idea—let's see if we can find some scientists on the Internet," suggests Juan. "An oceanographer studies the oceans and the fish, plants, and other creatures that live there. Drug abuse researchers do PET scans to find out how some harmful substances affect people’s brains and bodies, so that they can help them get well again."

"Wait a minute. Women can be scientists, too?" asks Julia, as she notices one of the
pictures on the Internet.

Juan and Beth laugh. "Anyone can be a scientist, Julia—men, women, and people of all races. And scientists work in all kinds of places. The drug abuse researcher does some work in a laboratory and some out with animals," explains Beth.

"The oceanographer works in the water, and other scientists work in fields or forests, or even outer space," says Juan.

"Wow! We didn’t know there are so many different types of scientists!" exclaims Max.

"Okay, here's a quiz. What do you call a scientist who studies the brain and all the interesting things your brain can do?" asks Juan.

"A Brainologist?" suggests Max.

Beth and Juan laugh. "That’s a good guess, but the real word is neuroscientist!" explains Juan.

"Wow! I would like to do that. It would be fun to study the brain and how it helps us think!" says Max.

"I told you being a scientist is fun," replies Juan.

Corty says, “Okay, I have a question for you. What do these scientists have in common?

What makes them all good at being scientists?"

"Do they wonder how things work?" asks Julia.

"Are they curious about things?" asks Max.

"Do they love animals?" asks Julia.

"Do they like to read?" asks Max.

"Stop! You’re both right!" says Beth. "Scientists have all those things in common. But most of all, they love to ask questions and find the answers."

"Yeah, and you two are really good at asking questions. So you know what that means?" asks Juan. "You have just earned the title of Junior Scientists. Congratulations!"

"Congratulations, Dr. Max," says Julia.

"Congratulations to you, too, Dr. Julia," says Max.

Max and Julia both take a big bow.