The Making of A Scientist

G. D.
GOENKA PUBLIC SCHOOL, SECTOR 22, ROHINI

LEARNING MODULE
ENGLISH, CLASS X (SESSION: 2020-21)
DATE: 26.03.2020
BOOK: FOOTPRINTS WITHOUT FEET
CHAPTER 6: The Making of a Scientist by Robert W. Peterson
About the Author
Robert W. Peterson was an American newspaper writer who later became

a freelance author of magazine articles and books, especially on the topics of
sports and Scouting. He was a writer and editor with the old New York
World-Telegram newspaper, which folded in 1966. Peterson was born in
1925 in Pennsylvania and died of lung cancer on February 11, 2006,
in Salisbury, Pennsylvania.
Outline of the story
1. Theory on how cells work: Ebright had been interested in science since his boyhood years.
At the age of twenty-two he excited the scientific world with a new theory. It was concerned
with the working of cells. Ebright and his college room-mate explained the theory in an article.
It was published in the journal entitled ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Science’. It was
first of his many achievements in the field of science. It started with his studies on ‘butterflies’.
2. Fond of collecting butterflies: Ebright was the only child of his parents. They
lived in the north of Reading, Pennsylvania. There was nothing for Ebright to do
there. He had no companions. He was not a good player. But his hobby was
collecting things. Ebright was fascinated by butterflies. He started collecting
butterflies in kindergarten. He also collected rocks, fossils and coins. He also
became a star-gazer and an eager astronomer.
3. Mother encouraged interest in learning: Ebright’s mother recognized his curiosity and
encouraged him. She took him on trips. She also bought him telescopes, microscopes, cameras
and other equipment so that he could follow his hobbies. Ebright’s mother was his friend until he
started school. She would bring home friends to him. He was her whole life after her
husband’s death. She would find work for Richie if he had nothing to do. She found
learning tasks for him. He had a great hunger for learning. He earned top grades in school. By
the time he was in second grade he had collected 25 species of butterflies.
G. D. Goenka, Sec 22
4. Tagging butterflies: One day his mother gave him a children’s book. It opened the world of
science to Ebright. That book was ‘The Travels of Monarch X’. It described how monarch
butterflies migrate to Central America. This book fascinated him. At the end of the book, readers
were invited to help study butterfly migrations. They were asked to tag butterflies for research by
Dr Frederick A. Urquhart of Toronto University, Canada. Anyone who
found a tagged butterfly was asked to send the tag to Dr Urquhart.
Ebright started tagging monarch butterflies. The butterfly collecting
season around Reading lasts only six weeks in late summer. He realized
that chasing the butterflies one by one won’t enable him to catch many.
So, he decided to raise a flock of butterflies. He would catch a female
monarch and take her eggs. He would raise them in his basement from
egg to caterpillar to pupa to adult butterfly. Then he would tag the
butterflies’ wings and let them go.
5. County Science Fair: He got busy with other scientific experiments. He entered a county
science fair. His entries were slides of frog tissues. But he did not win any prize He realised
that the winners had tried to do real experiments. So he decided to do further research in his
favourite field, that is, insects on which he had already been doing work.
Ebright wrote to Dr Urquhart for ideas. In reply, the famous scientist gave him many
suggestions for experiments. These experiments kept Ebright busy all through high school. He
also won many prizes in the county and international science fairs. For his eighth grade
project, Ebright tried to find the cause of a viral disease that killed all monarch caterpillars. He
thought the disease might be carried by a beetle. He tried raising caterpillars in the presence of
beetles. But he didn’t get any real results. But he showed his experiment in the science fair and
won. The next year his science fair project was testing the theory that viceroy butterflies imitate
monarchs. He said that viceroys look like monarchs because birds do not find monarchs tasty. By
copying monarchs, the viceroys escape being eaten by birds. His project was to see if birds
would eat monarchs. This project was placed first in the zoology division and third overall in the
county science fair.
6. Theory about cell life: In his second year in high school, Ebright’s
research led to his discovery of an unknown insect hormone. Indirectly, it led
to his new theory on the life of cells. This project won Ebright first place in
the county fair and entry into the International Science and Engineering
Fair. There he won third place for zoology. He also got a chance to work in
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
7. Competitive- To be the best: Ebright’s interest in butterflies never abated. As a high school
junior, he continued his advanced experiments on the monarch pupa. His project won first
place at the International Science Fair. That project won first place for zoology at the
International Fair. He also worked at the army laboratory and at the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s
laboratory. The following summer Ebright went back to the Dept. of Agriculture’s lab and
worked on the hormone theory. Finally, he was able to identify the hormone’s chemical
structure.
No one was surprised when Richard Ebright graduated from Harvard with highest honours. He
also became a graduate student researcher at Harvard Medical School. There he began
experimenting to test his theory if the theory proves correct it will be a big step towards
understanding the life processes. It might also lead to new ideas for preventing some types of
cancer and other diseases.
8. Other interests: Ebright had many other interests also. He also became a champion debater
and public speaker, a good canoeist and an all-around outdoor person. He was also an
expert photographer of nature and scientific exhibits.
Theme:
The lesson is the journey of a scientist whose interest and pursuing the same led him to
discovery and bring some significant changes in the world of science. His constant hard work
could fetch him great opportunities and make him win different awards. The story tries to
showcase how a failure doesn’t pull one’s motivation down, rather motivates the person to
move further and go into the intricacies of things by following one’s passions and interests.
It also reflects how a person need not be limited to a single quality but may carry different
aspects of a personality. It tries to depict how education is not a product of a beautifully wrapped
mind but is a picture of a messed brain which struggles to reach goal.
A Walk through Richard’s Life!
Grade Activity/EXPERIMENT Achievement

Kindergarten Collected butterflies, rocks, fossils & coins ___
Second Collected all 25 species of butterflies around ___

his hometown.
Seven Entered county science fair and lost ___
Eight Tried to find the cause of a viral disease that Project was successful.
kills nearly all monarch caterpillars every few
years
Nine Tested the theory that viceroy butterflies copy Project was placed first in the
monarchs and whether birds would eat zoology division and third
monarchs overall in the county science
fair.
Second year Researched on the purpose of 12 tiny gold • Discovery of an unknown
in high spots on a monarch pupa insect hormone & new
school theory on the life of cells.
• Got first position in the
county fair & entry into the
International Science and
Engineering Fair.
High School Advanced experiments on the monarch pupa Secured first position in
Junior International Science Fair
High School Grew cells from a monarch’s wing in a Bagged first position for
Senior culture and showed that the cells would zoology at the International Fair
divide & develop into normal butterfly wing
scales only if they were fed the hormone from
the gold spots
Worked on chemical structure of insect New theory about cell life

Junior Year hormone
at Harvard
University
Character Webs:
Champion
debater
Effective
public Inquisitive
speaker
Competitive Genius
Richard
Ebright
Enthusiastic Outdoor
canoeist person
Scientific Renowned
bent of mind scientist
Sincere
Richard's only
Affectionate and Caring
companion
Richard's
Mother
Inspired Richard's Driving force behind

interest in learning Richard's success

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G. D.

GOENKA PUBLIC SCHOOL, SECTOR 22, ROHINI

BOOK: FOOTPRINTS WITHOUT FEET

CHAPTER 6: The Making of a Scientist by Robert W. Peterson

About the Author

Robert W. Peterson was an American newspaper writer who later became

Outline of the story

A Walk through Richard’s Life!

Grade Activity/EXPERIMENT Achievement

Second Collected all 25 species of butterflies around ___

Worked on chemical structure of insect New theory about cell life

Inspired Richard's Driving force behind

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