Inventors and Inventions: Lessons in ChemistryIn the late 19th century, few roles in science were available to women, so the work of Ellen Swallow Richards stands apart. Richards, a prominent female chemist, was the first woman to be admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a pioneer in the field of sanitary engineering. Richards also played a key role in inventing a new scientific discipline: “domestic science” — or home economics. Analyzing historical primary sources provides insights into what this new discipline involved at the time, as well as what Richards hoped to accomplish by creating it.
Introduce Richards’ work by showing students this page from her 1897 book, The Chemistry of Cooking and Cleaning. Without revealing the book’s author or subject, invite students to make observations, inferences, and questions.
