All about Linus Pauling

Linus Pauling was a very smart man who loved science. He was born on February 28, 1901, in Oregon, USA. When Linus was a boy, he liked to collect bugs and rocks, and he was curious about how things worked. He went to school and studied very hard, eventually becoming a famous scientist called a chemist.

Pauling made many important discoveries. He found out how atoms bond together to form molecules, which are the building blocks of everything around us. His work helped scientists understand the structures of many important materials. Linus Pauling was so good at his work that he won two Nobel Prizes! One was for Chemistry in 1954, and the other was for Peace in 1962.

The Peace Prize was awarded because he worked very hard to stop nuclear weapons testing, which he thought was dangerous for people and the planet. Linus also believed that vitamins, especially Vitamin C, were very important for staying healthy.

Linus Pauling died on August 19, 1994, but his discoveries still help scientists today. He showed that being curious and working hard can lead to amazing things, and he always cared about making the world a better place.

1. When and where was Linus Pauling born?
2. What did Linus Pauling like to collect as a boy?
3. What prize did Linus Pauling win in 1954?
4. Why do you think Linus Pauling worked hard to stop nuclear weapons testing?
5. How do Linus Pauling's discoveries help scientists today?

Symbols and Traditions

Hi! My name is Grace, and I am 8 years old. Guess what? I visited the California Institute of Technology, also called Caltech! It was so cool! One of the most famous people who worked there was Linus Pauling. He was really smart and won two Nobel Prizes. Can you believe that?

We went to see the Linus Pauling Exhibit. It had all kinds of interesting things about his work in chemistry and peace. I saw some of his notebooks and even a model of a molecule he studied. It felt like I was in a science movie!

Caltech itself is huge and full of smart people doing amazing things. The campus was beautiful with lots of trees and flowers. We also saw some students working in labs. It made me think that maybe I could be a scientist too someday!

After the visit, we went to the nearby gardens and had some ice cream. It was the best day ever! Have you ever been to a place where someone famous worked?

1. Who is the author of the blog post and how old are they?
2. What did Grace visit at the California Institute of Technology?
3. Why is Linus Pauling famous according to Grace?
4. What did Grace feel when she saw students working in labs?
5. How did Grace's visit to Caltech influence her thoughts about her future?

Profile of Linus Pauling

A Timeline of Linus Pauling to another Festival

After learning all about Linus Pauling, your job is to create a timeline of their life. You should add all the important events in their life but you can be inventive and add some interesting things that people might like to read about. You can make it as simply as you like with pen and paper or you can be very inventive and create a 3D diorama or hanging banner. The sky's the limit - go for it!

Slideshow - Linus Pauling
A full set of teaching plans for Linus Paulingteaching.