First Graders Draw a Scientist

First Graders Draw a Scientist
At the beginning of the school year, I was curious to find out my students' perception of a scientist.   Do children know that scientists.... are people?    ...that common stereotypes exist (ex, a mad scientist, Frankenstein, a genius)?  Do children know what scientists do today?  
A main goal of my outreach program is to help students understand the important role of a 21st century scientist.  So, I needed a starting point...

Draw a Scientist Test 

All first graders participated in the Draw-a-Scientist Test (DAST).  Based on the work of David Wade Chambers (1982), this simple test helps to measure a child's perception of a scientist.  

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First, the students were asked to draw a person on a blank sheet of paper.  

Drawing 1a                       By:  Crestwood First Grader

Then students were asked to draw a scientist, without any prior discussion of the word "scientist."

The scientist pictures were then analyzed for common stereotypical features...

Percentage of First Graders


26% of students drew a   Lab coat

20% of  students drew  Eyeglasses

27% of students drew untamed hair

44% of students drew scientific tools (desk, table, test tubes)

51% drew a male scientist

27% drew a female scientist

22% drew no gender preference

To get a deeper understanding of a child's perception of a scientist, my students were interviewed based on their drawings.  The following movies were created at the start of the school year.