Science on This Day: 14 November | Leibniz, Bakelite and the Birth of a New Island
Science history can connect abstract ideas to real people, materials and environments. The events of 14 November offer three particularly useful examples: the death of mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in 1716, the birth of chemist Leo Baekeland in 1863, and the beginning of the volcanic eruption that created Surtsey, an island off Iceland, in 1963.
These stories connect mathematics, chemistry, materials science, geology and ecology. They also raise questions that work well in middle and high school classrooms. How does mathematical notation help people share ideas? How did synthetic plastics change manufacturing? And how can scientists study an ecosystem developing on newly formed land?
Each event can be used as a short lesson starter, a discussion prompt or an introduction to a larger investigation.
1. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz: why mathematical notation matters
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz died on 14 November 1716. He independently developed calculus and introduced mathematical notation, including the integral sign, that remains widely used today.
Calculus provides mathematical tools for investigating change and accumulation. It helps scientists and mathematicians describe quantities that vary continuously, such as an object's position and velocity, the growth of a population, or the changing concentration of a substance during a reaction.
However, mathematical progress depends on more than discovering useful ideas. The way those ideas are written and communicated also matters. Consistent notation allows people to record calculations, compare methods and build on work developed by others. Well-designed notation can make relationships easier to recognise and complicated reasoning easier to follow.
Leibniz's work offers an opportunity to discuss mathematics as a shared language.
Students sometimes treat mathematical symbols as extra rules to memorise, but notation can be understood as a system for expressing ideas precisely and efficiently.
Classroom connection: Why does mathematical notation matter?
Ask students to explain a mathematical process without using its usual symbols. They might describe how to calculate an average, represent a changing quantity or express the area of a shape. Then ask them to write the same idea using standard notation.
Which version is easier to read? Which is less likely to be misunderstood? Could another student use the explanation to solve a similar problem?
For middle school students, this can introduce the importance of symbols, clear working and mathematical communication. High school students can explore how notation supports more advanced reasoning in calculus, physics and other sciences.
You could also ask students to consider how scientific communication would change if every researcher used different symbols for the same concept. This makes a connection between mathematics and the broader scientific need for shared conventions.
A useful discussion question is: Why does mathematical notation matter for sharing and extending ideas?
For further reading, visit the MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive biography of Leibniz.
2. Leo Baekeland and Bakelite: the development of synthetic plastics
Leo Baekeland was born on 14 November 1863. He later developed Bakelite, an early fully synthetic plastic that could be moulded and retain its shape when heated.
Before synthetic plastics became widely available, manufacturers relied on materials such as wood, metal, glass and naturally occurring substances. Bakelite provided new possibilities because it could be formed into useful shapes and used in manufactured products. It became an important development in the history of plastics and materials science.
Bakelite is a thermosetting polymer. During its manufacture, chemical reactions create a network of connections between polymer chains. Once this structure has formed, the material does not simply soften and melt again when heated in the way many thermoplastics do. Instead, excessive heating can cause it to degrade.
This difference helps illustrate how the structure of a material affects its properties and uses. Materials scientists do not choose a material only because it is strong or easy to shape. They also consider its behaviour under heat, its durability, its cost and the conditions in which it will be used.
The history of synthetic plastics also raises environmental questions. Plastics have enabled many useful products, but widespread production and disposal have created problems involving waste, pollution and the persistence of some materials in the environment.
Classroom connection: How did synthetic polymers change manufacturing?
Ask students to identify plastic objects they use every day. Why might plastic be useful for each object? Consider properties such as low mass, durability, electrical insulation, resistance to water or ease of moulding.
Then ask students to consider the disadvantages. What happens when an object is no longer needed? Can it be reused or recycled? Does its durability become an environmental problem if it is discarded carelessly?
Middle school students can compare the properties and uses of different materials. High school students can investigate polymer structure, the difference between thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics, and the trade-offs involved in selecting materials for a particular purpose.
A useful extension is to give students a design challenge, such as choosing a material for an electrical component, a food container or a reusable household item. They should justify their choice using evidence about the material's properties and consider what happens at the end of the product's useful life.
A useful discussion question is: How did synthetic polymers change manufacturing, and what environmental issues followed?
For further reading, see the American Chemical Society's Bakelite landmark resource.
3. Surtsey: studying how life colonises a new island
On 14 November 1963, a submarine volcanic eruption began off the coast of Iceland. The eruption created Surtsey, a new island that scientists have studied to understand how ecosystems colonise newly formed land.
When an island first emerges from volcanic activity, it may have little or no soil and few of the conditions needed to support an established ecosystem. Over time, organisms can arrive through wind, water and other natural processes. As they establish themselves, they may change the environment in ways that allow additional species to survive.
This process is associated with ecological succession, the gradual change in the organisms and communities present in an area over time. On newly formed volcanic land, scientists can investigate how the physical environment changes and how living things begin to establish populations.
Surtsey is particularly useful for ecological research because it provides an opportunity to study the development of an ecosystem on land that was previously submerged. Scientists can observe colonisation and environmental change over time rather than relying only on comparisons between older ecosystems.
The story also highlights the value of long-term studies. A single visit may reveal which organisms are present at one moment, but repeated observations can show how communities change, which species arrive first and how interactions develop.
Classroom connection: How could scientists study ecological succession?
Ask students to imagine they are part of a research team studying a newly formed volcanic island. What would they record during their first visit? They might document the surface conditions, the presence of water, the first organisms observed and the locations where those organisms occur.
Then ask how they would design a study to investigate changes over ten years. Would they revisit the same locations? How often should they collect data? How could they distinguish a genuine ecological change from a difference caused by weather, season or sampling methods?
Middle school students can create a timeline showing how an ecosystem might develop. High school students can design a long-term monitoring plan, identify variables to measure and discuss why protecting the study site from unnecessary disturbance could help researchers understand natural colonisation.
A useful discussion question is: How could scientists study ecological succession on an island with little human disturbance?
For further reading, visit UNESCO's World Heritage page for Surtsey.
Using science history across the curriculum
These three events show how a historical date can connect with very different parts of the curriculum. Leibniz's work provides a starting point for mathematical communication and calculus. Baekeland's development of Bakelite links chemistry with material properties, manufacturing and environmental responsibility. Surtsey connects geology with ecology and long-term scientific observation.
A practical classroom approach is to introduce each event with a short reading and one focused question. Students can answer independently, discuss their reasoning in pairs or compare explanations as a class. Encourage them to support their ideas with evidence rather than simply recalling the historical detail.
You can also show students an image related to the event and give small groups three to five minutes to generate as many questions as possible. They can then sort their questions into those that can be answered using existing knowledge, those requiring further research and those that might lead to an investigation.
For middle school classes, focus on describing material properties, recognising patterns and explaining basic processes. High school students can go further by investigating polymer structure, designing ecological studies or considering how mathematical conventions support scientific work.
More science history to explore in November
Another event on 14 November is the launch of Apollo 12 in 1969. Lightning struck shortly after liftoff, but flight controllers recovered the spacecraft's electrical and telemetry systems. The mission later achieved a precise lunar landing. This story provides a connection to electrical systems, redundancy, troubleshooting and engineering under pressure.
Looking ahead, the November calendar includes further events from astronomy, physics, biology, medicine, Earth science and technology. Teachers can select stories that complement their current units or use a historical event to introduce a new topic. A short science history activity can work as a lesson starter, a reading comprehension task, a retrieval question or a discussion prompt.
Find more Science on This Day classroom resources
If you would like a ready-to-use collection of science history stories for the whole month, my November Science on This Day resource set contains 109 items across all 30 days of November.
The set includes an interactive HTML version with filters, editable Google Slides with classroom discussion questions, a filterable spreadsheet and a simpler PDF version. You can choose individual stories to suit your lesson, making the collection useful for short starters, reading activities, discussions and a regular science history routine.
You can also explore the wider Teaching Astrophysicist store for other free and paid science teaching resources.
Science history helps students see how knowledge develops across different disciplines. A mathematical symbol, a synthetic material or a newly formed island can each provide a starting point for asking questions, examining evidence and connecting classroom learning with the world beyond it.
Thanks for reading
Cheers and stay curious
Oliver - The Teaching Astrophysicist
