Introduce students to Mae Jemison with a video from the site WatchKnowLearn. This nonprofit site provides free access to 50,000 educational videos. Registered users can create a virtual classroom for storing their favorite movies. Supplement the video experience with a printable, biographical page for coloring from the site TeacherVision. At StudentHandouts, teachers can print copies of Jemison's quote: "The best way to make dreams come true is to wake up."
Working off a lesson titled "Crazy Hair Guy," provide each student with a small container to be decorated. Yogurt cups or 8 oz. plain, unwaxed paper cups will work. Provide students with an array of art supplies: markers, crayons, glue, paper, felt scraps and other fun objects. After reviewing Jemison's biography with students, ask them to use their cup to recreate Jemison as either an astronaut, dancer, engineer, doctor or teacher.
Teach about seed growth by adding hair to the cups grown from grass seed. Each student needs grass seed, a nylon stocking foot and top soil. Place grass seed in the stocking. Cover seeds with top soil. Close the stocking by tying a knot. Trim excess. Fill cups with water. Place the seed-filled stocking in the cup, seeds facing up. Put cups in a well-lit area. Keep seeds moist, not wet.
Discuss with students how their projects represent Jemison's belief that art and science depend on human creativity. As young artist-scientists, they made representations of Mae Jemison with their cup artwork. Students then integrated their art with science by growing grass seeds to create hair. Grass should sprout in 3 to 10 days after planting. When the grass hair grows too long, students can give their Dr. Mae Jemison creation a haircut.