FREE Pierre & Marie Curie Unit Study at 3 Reading Levels

Pierre and Marie Curie shared a love for science and research which blossomed into a love for each other. They spent their entire marriage working beside one another, creating ground breaking discoveries that went on to win them both the Nobel Prize. If you are learning about famous scientists in your homeschool, learning about this famous husband and wife team is a great start.

Who Was Pierre Curie?

Pierre Curie was born in Paris on May 15, 1859. He was a French physicist and winner of the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics.

He discovered piezoelectricity with his brother Jacques. That discovery enabled the development of the piezoelectrometer which was used for the early scientific measurements of radium preparations. Pierre even exposed himself to radiation as part of his experimentations!

He married his wife Marie, on July 26. 1985 On April 19, 1906, on a rainy day, Curie slipped and fell under a heavy horse-drawn wagon. He was killed instantly.

• Pierre Curie Biography
• Pierre Curie Facts for Kids – Kids Kiddle

Who was Marie Curie?

Marie was born in Warsaw on November 7, 1867. She left Warsaw, Poland when it was dominated by Russia and she moved to France where she continued her scientific studies. She married her husband Pierre on July 26. 1985.

She discovered two new chemical elements – radium and polonium. She carried out the first research into the treatment of tumors with radiation, and she was the founder of the Curie Institutes.

She is the only person who has ever won Nobel Prizes in both the sciences of Physics and Chemistry.

After her husband’s death, Marie was offered his post as a professor at the Sorbonne following his death. She became the first female to hold a professorship in France. Marie Curie died twenty-eight years after her husband as a result of excessive exposure to radiation.

• Biography of Marie Curie Biography
• Marie Curie Biography for Kids – Ducksters
• Marie Curie Facts for Kids – Kids Kiddle

Pierre and Marie Curie Together

Pierre and Marie were awarded half of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903, for their study into the spontaneous radiation discovered by Becquerel, who was awarded the other half of the Prize. At first, Marie’s name was not listed on the nomination and Pierre complained and was able to get her listed on the award.

She was the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize. In 1911, Marie received a second Nobel Prize in Chemistry, in recognition of her work in radioactivity. 

There are many more resources available for Marie Curie, than there are about her husband Pierre. This is because she was the first woman to win the Nobel prize, and she was able to continue her studies and research far longer than her husband as he died very early in an accident.

Articles about this Scientific Team:

I like to study them together, as they were a team, and her husband’s research helped her to win the first Nobel Prize, and to continue on to win another. Here are a few articles about them if you would like to study both of them as a team as well:

• This Day in History: Marie and Pierre Curie isolate radium – History.com
• Marie and Pierre Curie: A marriage of true minds – MarieCurie.org
• Marie and Pierre Curie and the discovery of polonium and radium – Nobel Prize
• Marie and Pierre Curie Scientist Facts – Science for Kids

FREE Pierre and Marie Curie Unit Study

We’ve created free Pierre and Marie Curie learning packs to help kids of multiple ages learn more about this scientist and his revolutionary work. Use the whole pack as a small unit study of Pierre and Marie Curie or grab just a couple of page as a supplement to any homeschool curriculum you may already be using.

The free digital printable pack includes:

• Image Analysis of the scientist and/or his or her work
• Read a Passage about the scientist with a place to take short notes
• 5 Key Vocabulary Words from the passages with definitions as well as opportunity to use the word in a sentence and/or draw an image to help your student learn the word
• Vocabulary Flashcards to use 2 ways: fold and learn or cut apart to use as a memory game
• 3-2-1 Reflection which gives a child the opportunity to write 3 things learned, 2 connections made, and 1 thing he or she would like to learn more about
• 3 Multiple Choice Questions with an opportunity to explain the their answer
• 3 Short Answer Questions
• 3 Reflect and Discuss Questions which can be used for personal reflection or to discuss as a family, homeschool co-op or classs.

And because we know that homeschool families may want to learn about the history of Pierre and Marie Curie’s lives and work together, we’ve also designed it at 3 different reading levels:

• Level 1 = Approximately Grade 3 reading level
• Level 2 = Approximately Grade 6 reading level
• Level 3 = Approximately Grade 9 reading level

Grab your copy of one or all today!

More Printables and Resources About Marie and Pierre Curie:

We’ve also searched the internet to compile a HSG FREE Resource Roundup list for you to give you even more choices. If you want additional homeschool resources to learn more about either Marie and/or Pierre team check out these options:

• Madame Curie Biography Worksheet – Easy Science for Kids
• Women in History: Marie Curie Worksheet – Education.com
• All About Marie Curie Reading Worksheet – Education.com
• Marie Curie and the Science of Radioactivity – Lesson Planet
• Marie Curie and the Naming of a Unit – Lesson Planet
• Marie Curie Unit Study Grades K-3 – Embark on the Journey
• Marie Curie and the Science of Radioactivity Online History Exhibit
• Educator Resources for Marie Curie – Brain Pop

Books about Marie and Pierre Curie:

I love to use books to expand our homeschool lessons beyond the basics. Here are a few options to look for on Amazon or at your local library:

Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and FalloutPierre Curie: With Autobiographical Notes by Marie CurieI am Marie Curie (Ordinary People Change the World)World History Biographies: Marie Curie: The Woman Who Changed the Course of Science Marie Curie for Kids: Her Life and Scientific Discoveries, with 21 Activities and Experiments (For Kids series)Marie Curie (Little People, BIG Dream)Who Was Marie Curie?DK Biography: Marie Curie: A Photographic Story of a LifeMarie Curie (Giants of Science)Marie Curie (Genius Series)

Paid Resource: Famous People Notebook: Scientists

Daily Skill Building has created an open-and-go notebooking study called Famous People Notebook: Scientists to explore the life and work of 10 scientists that changed history. This biographical unit studies include text, comprehension questions, written narration, and answers. If you are looking for one book your older students can use to independently explore multiple scientists, then this is a great option!

What to Explore More Famous Scientists?

This is part 11 of our 12 post series on famous scientists. If you would like to add even more scientists into your lesson plans then be sure to go to our Albert Einstein unit study below to get another free pack.