Dr. Arnold L. Gesell was born in Alma, Wisconsin on June 21, 1880. Although he was both a pediatrician and a practicing physician, to this day he is best known for his works as a developmental theorist. Gesell was the first individual to document the stages of a child's growth and share the results with the public. He did this through cinema, which at the time was considered a very new and sophisticated form of technology. As the eldest of five children, Gesell was relied upon to help care for his siblings and quickly found interest in the various stages of their lives. physical and mental development. With an interest in pursuing a teaching career just like his mother, Gesell attended Clark University after graduating from high school in 1896. He quickly became interested in the interaction of the mind and how psychology affected the world. Gesell briefly worked as a high school teacher, but returned to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to study psychology in more depth. After learning of the body's existence, Gesell soon became interested in becoming a doctor. He transferred to the University of Wisconsin medical school; there he developed the Child Development Clinic and earned his medical degree in 1915. While teaching as a psychologist at the Connecticut State Board of Education, Gesell wrote many books on growth and the various functions of the human body. He quickly realized the importance and impact that nature and nurture have on a child's growth. The Gesell Institute of Human Development is a non-profit organization still functioning today; is known for his work to better understand and assist in child development research for children ages 2 1/2 to 9 years old. In the course of his research, Gese... halfway through the document... unexpectedly had to. Expanding knowledge about abnormal learning and physical disabilities such as Down syndrome, cretinism, and cerebral palsy, Dr. Gesell's work is also known to support the belief in predetermined developmental stages or disadvantages that children face in life. Gesell died on May 29, 1961. His works are still used in the classroom today to influence and shape the minds of doctors and students. Works Cited http://www.education.com/reference/article/arnold-gesell- child learning developmental theory/ http://www.childstudycenter.yale.edu/centennial/exhibit/gesell.aspx http: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Gesell http://www.gesellinstitute.org/ http://social.jrank.org/pages/276/Gesell-Arnold-1880-1961.html http://www. poemhunter.com/quotations/famous.asp?people=arnold%20gesell http://www. answers.com/topic/arnold-gesell