Help me think of people (alive) who are impacting the world

[steph2008]

Hi everyone! I am not active over here but am active on the NJ board. Some of the regulars here who post there suggested I cross post over here.

I am a 5th grade teacher and my students are doing a project on people who are still alive and positively impacting the world. It can be political, sports, medical, activism, etc. Any field really!

I'd love suggestions! I got a ton from my local board but am hoping you all could give me some more. I'm especially interested in people of various countries/cultures. 

Also- again, it's 5th grade, so I don't want anyone too controversial where they'll come across age- inappropriate materials in their research.

Thanks in advance!

[josieposy]

The Jane Goodall Institute has the Roots and Shoots program that focuses on youth community involvement. I don't know a ton about it, but I saw her speak and it was mentioned several times. Might be worth checking out.

She's not without controversy (plagiarism allegations on research I think), but on the whole I think she is still very highly respected.

[chedifuen]

Jimmy Carter!

[tacosforlife]

Malala Yousafzai

[Velvetshady]

My first thought Malala Yousafzai.

Well, no, my first thought was there are people still alive after impacting the world? How would one actually survive that? And then, please don't be an English teacher, please don't. Then I laughed at the idea of someone making a real impact that isn't controversial. Then I thought of Malala (who is controversial enough people thought they needed to kill her).

[Velvetshady]

Jan 29, 2015 19:34:13 GMT -5 chedifuen said:

Jimmy Carter!

Oh no, he's controversial to some.

[origami]

Elon Musk

[NewOrleans]

Malala!

[origami]

Jan 29, 2015 19:37:36 GMT -5 Velvetshady said:

Jan 29, 2015 19:34:13 GMT -5 chedifuen said:

Jimmy Carter!

Oh no, he's controversial to some.

I think she means too controversial for 5th graders, not having zero controversy. So Bill Cosby, not Jimmy Carter.

[steph2008]

Some level of controversy is ok. I just don't want them researching someone and stuff overly violent/sexual/etc. coming up. Malala is who we used as our sample- great idea! That level of violence is ok (as insane as that sounds) but they can handle that in 5th.

[Velvetshady]

Jan 29, 2015 19:40:21 GMT -5 origami said:

Jan 29, 2015 19:37:36 GMT -5 Velvetshady said:

Oh no, he's controversial to some.

I think she means too controversial for 5th graders, not having zero controversy. So Bill Cosby, not Jimmy Carter.

Well, I hoping she means many things other than what she actually posted.  If not, she has already limited her list to living astronauts and successful parachute jumpers.

[tacosforlife]

Jan 29, 2015 19:36:31 GMT -5 pennypenny said:

Jan 29, 2015 19:35:57 GMT -5 tacosforlife said:

Malala Yousafzai

Jinx. And I could not think of her last name to save my life.

I googled and then copied & pasted to get the spelling right.

[NewOrleans]

Angela Davis. Oprah. Emma Watson.

[Deleted]

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Aung San Suu Kyi

Cool Pope lol

I'd even toss in Angelina Jolie (shaddup) since kids recognize her and she does call attention to issues, particularly those relating to refugees.

[Deleted]

Unfortunately, I'm lame and I keep thinking of celebrities but I really admire Matt Damon's passion for clean water initiatives.

[NewOrleans]

Inventor guy-- Facebook. Zucker?

[origami]

Jan 29, 2015 19:42:52 GMT -5 Velvetshady said:

Jan 29, 2015 19:40:21 GMT -5 origami said:

I think she means too controversial for 5th graders, not having zero controversy. So Bill Cosby, not Jimmy Carter.

Well, I hoping she means many things other than what she actually posted.  If not, she has already limited her list to living astronauts and successful parachute jumpers.

I'm LOLing but that's unnecessarily literal. It's perfectly acceptable to impact something by simply having an effect on it.

[WOT?*]

Ruby Bridges is still alive.

Kailash Satyarthi (won jointly with Malala so I thought I'd give him some credit)

The Dalai Lama

Pope Francis the Cool

Barack Obama

Aung San Suu Kyi

Bill Gates

Elon Musk (Curse him, DH's office manager defected to Space X.  He's got an amazing gift of making stuff work.)

Kofi Annan

Om Prakash Guruj

Queen Elizabeth II (the lady, not the ship)

Billie Jean King (she's still alive but maybe they'd be more interested in Venus and Serena Williams?)

Sherin Abadi

Tegla LaRoupe

Oprah Winfrey

Stephen Hawking

May Britt Moser (wasn't she the one with the cool dress that diagrammed her work in science?)

Would JK Rowling or Madonna count as having made a major impact?  Well, maybe we should leave Madonna out of the discussion. lol.

I assume you want positive influences and not just *any* influences.  Because we can get down with Kim Jung Il or Ryan Seacrest for bringing us the Kardashians.

[NewOrleans]

ooh ooh! Misty Copeland.

[mcsangel2]

I second Pope Cool I.

[bananapancakes]

Craig Kielburger
Ryan Hrelijac

Both Canadian and both began their work as kids.

[Deleted]

This dude seems pretty impressive and safe for 5 year olds.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Winston

I'm trying to find you doctors and scientists and not people who were mocked by Trey Parker and Matt Stone lol

[Miss Phryne Fisher]

Bill Gates (vaccines)

I think most of these are great for 5th graders. I think you can find controversy with everyone. Maybe not Malala, but everyone else.

[Velvetshady]

Jan 29, 2015 19:58:58 GMT -5 origami said:

Jan 29, 2015 19:42:52 GMT -5 Velvetshady said:

Well, I hoping she means many things other than what she actually posted.  If not, she has already limited her list to living astronauts and successful parachute jumpers.

I'm LOLing but that's unnecessarily literal. It's perfectly acceptable to impact something by simply having an effect on it.

No, no it is not.  See "Problem Usage" below. I would fire an editor that did not correct this in a document. People use "impacting" because then they don't have to figure out if "effecting" or "affecting" is correct. That does not make using "impacting" to mean "effecting" is correct. I cringe to see a teacher using it incorrectly.

From the American Heritage Dictionary:

im·pact (ĭmpăkt′)
Share:
n.
1.
a. The striking of one body against another; collision. See Synonyms at collision.
b. The force transmitted by a collision.
2. The effect or impression of one person or thing on another: still gauging the impact of automation on the lives of factory workers.
v. (ĭm-păkt, ĭmpăkt′) im·pact·ed, im·pact·ing, im·pacts
v.tr.
1. To pack firmly together.
2. To strike forcefully: meteorites impacting the lunar surface.
3. Usage Problem To have an effect or impact on: "No region ... has been more impacted by emerging ... economic trends" (Joel Kotkin).
v.intr.
Usage Problem
To have an effect or impact.

[memenee]

There's a local Jersey board?

[steph2008]

Thank you for all the replies so far. There are tons here that weren't suggested elsewhere. I appreciate it.

[Deleted]

Still impacting or still alive? Because Gorbachev is still kicking, ain't he?

[Deleted]

Still impacting or still alive? Because Gorbachev is still kicking, ain't he?

[NewOrleans]

Holy shit. Really? REALLY?

[EloiseWeenie]

JK Rowling?