Teachers can Support Girls into STEM Fields by
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- Watching what you read aloud. Choose to read books with male and female protagonists.
- Discussing relevancy and potential careers. Relate what you are teaching to how it could be used later in life. Make this a part of every math and science lesson. Let them hear the words "engineer," "scientist," and "researcher" every day of their school year.
- Building your content knowledge. If science and math are not your strengths, take classes or have a study group to build up your own confidence. Kids know when you aren’t comfortable with a subject. If you are a female instructor, children can read this as "this is something girls don’t learn well."
- Pushing the girls—challenge them to learn more. Let them know that hard work does pay off, and that each person can learn how to do the math and science.
- Encouraging discourse about math and science—write and talk about the process. Have students keep math and science journals where they write about how and what they learned.
- Talking to parents. Help them to realize that their daughters can shoot for the high-paying math, science, and technical careers. And even if you get resistance, push the parents to realize that the girls should take as much math and science as possible so that they will have options later in life as their interests change.
STEM Tool Kits For Girls
Amorphia Apparel created 'Badass Women of Science' graphic tees to celebrate Ada Lovelace day, the first computer scientist of any gender.
Curiosity Machine is a community of scientists, engineers and children creating together. It connects professional scientists and engineers to children and provides challenges for the children to learn from. You can join as a student, mentor, teacher or parent. Goldie Blox - In a world where men largely outnumber women in STEM, girls lose interest in these subjects as early as age 8. Construction toys develop an early interest in these subjects, but for over a hundred years, they've been considered "boys' toys.” GoldieBlox is determined to change the equation and inspire the future generation of female engineers. |
LabCandy allows girls to change what they think a scientist is supposed to look like. By making available brightly colored lab coats, fun goggles, and engaging science adventure storybooks, LabCandy encourages every young girl to picture herself as the scientist that she can grow up to be.
LittleBits - Encourage her not just to use technology, but to build her own with LittleBits DIY electronic building blocks. Piper makes engineering accessible and fun! First assemble your own box, then undertake Minecraft missions, and build hardware to move to the next level! Roominate lets girls play architect to build their own dream house. They design it, build it, and then electrify it to make it come alive. Created by two female engineers from Stanford on a mission to inspire the next wave of female technology innovators. |
Romo is "a smartphone robot that uses your iPhone as its brain." Kids can program Romo to interact with you and its environment using "if, then" commands. It's a great way to educate kids on the basics of robotics.
Science Buddies is a wonderful way to get younger kids can get comfortable doing experiments so they’ll be ready for the big leagues when they hit middle school and high school.
Tech Rocket is an online learning destination for kids and teens launched by iD Tech where girls can discover coding, game design, and graphic design.
Science Buddies is a wonderful way to get younger kids can get comfortable doing experiments so they’ll be ready for the big leagues when they hit middle school and high school.
Tech Rocket is an online learning destination for kids and teens launched by iD Tech where girls can discover coding, game design, and graphic design.
Curriculum Resources to Support the GIRL in "Girls Can Do STEM"
Defining Feminism
Grade level: 9-12 This lesson is created by Canadian Broadcasting. It provides a worksheet for students to use while progressing through the lesson. Students will investigate the connotations of the word “feminism” and discuss the role of feminism for women of today and of the next generation. From Friedan Forward—Considering a Feminist Perspective Grade level: 9-12 This lesson challenges students to research the feminist movement from the 1960s while considering their own futures. Not only will students analyze literature but they will also become active participants through letter writing. Women's History Teacher's Guide Grade level: 9-12 These 5 lessons take a look at the struggle for women's equality, feminist movements, accomplishments of women, movement methods, and women's continuing struggles. Social Movements in Modern America: Labor, Civil Rights, and Feminism Grade level: 9-12 This site provides 14 lessons surrounding feminism. Each lesson is available in pdf format and created by a different educator. Women's Empowerment Grade level: 9-12 "Muslim Feminism" is a neat lesson that explores the stereotypes, experiences, and struggles for Muslim women in society. However, there are many other lessons found on this site that are very useful for Humanities classrooms: Gender-based violence, Homophobia in hip-hop, Manhood and gender identity, etc. Resource rich in topics such as environmentalism, democracy, masculinity, feminism and the media. Understanding Stereotypes Grade level: 9-12 Students will understand that assumptions can lead to stereotypes and unfair judgments about individuals and groups. Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes Grade level: 9-12 There are five lessons within this unit that are entitled: Points of View, Manhood and Gender Identity, Gender Violence, Homophobia and Gay Rappers in Hip-Hop and Media Literacy. Gender Equality Grade levels: 6-12 This collection of teacher resources, including units, lesson plans, videos, multimedia, and stories, are intended to raise student awareness of the importance of gender equality. Beyond Pink and Blue: A Lesson Plan Examining How Gender Stereotyping Affects Relationships Grade level: 9-12 This lesson aims to build candidates knowledge and understanding of gender stereotyping. It hopes to help pupils understand the relevance that issues of gender have, not only in Wales, but across Europe and the World. Media Analysis: Culture and Gender Roles Grade level: 9 The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to the concept of culture. The concept of culture will be illustrated by examining gender roles, illustrated in advertisements. Students will then assess how accurately these ads portray American culture by relating the ads to their own experiences. Gender Socialization Lab/Field-Trip Grade level: 9-12 This exercise explores socialization by looking at some of the ways gender is learned and reinforced by material culture. It can be done as an in-class laboratory or as an independent project outside of class.c nq Intelligent Articles about gender, sex, and science
"100 Years later: Lessons from the Suffragettes" Nadine Bloch
"At the UN, Twenty Years of Backlash to 'Women's Rights Are Human Rights'" The Nation "Bias Persists for Women of Science" New York Times Everyday Feminism A website about all things feminist Girl Rising A film by Academy Award director, Richard Robbins, and curriculum using storytelling to inspire action that gets girls into classrooms worldwide. "Intersectionality 101" Olena Havinsky, PhD "Kimberlié Crenshaw on Intersectional Feminism" Founder of term "Intersectional" "Ladies, We Have a Problem" New York Times Miss Representation Film and curriculum that explores how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in influential positions by circulating limited and often disparaging portrayals of women. "The Problem with Working Women is We're Still Talking About Them" Role Reboot "Uses of the Erotic" Audre Lorde "When Did Girls Start Wearing Pink?" Smithsonian Magazine Who Needs Feminism? A blog that includes personal responses to the prompt "I need feminism because..." "Why Are There Still So Few Women in Science" New York Times |
STEM Curriculum Resources
Girls in the Physics Classroom
Grade level: 9-12 This guide includes practical suggestions to improve your practice as well as guidance on identifying the issues that may be affecting girls’ experience of physics in your own school. Exploratorium Grade level: K-12 Provides interactives, web features, activities, programs, and events. Saturday and Summer professional development workshops are available through the Teacher Institute. NASA — Educators Grade level: K-12 and higher education Lesson plans, teacher guides, classroom activities, video clips, games, posters, and more for teachers and students. eGFI: Dream Up the Future Grade level: K-12 Promotes engineering education with lesson plans, activities, outreach programs, and links to web resources. Teachers and students can download the first three issues of eGFI magazine. Kinetic City Grade level: grades 3-5 Free science games for students. National STEM Video Game Challenge Grade level: grades 5-12 and educators Design games that incorporate STEM content or STEM themes in innovative and engaging ways. Home schoolers are eligible to enter as well. Master Tool Grade level: 6-12 Eight interactive math and science tools and simulations. All simulations and curriculum materials meet the new National Science Education Standards and National Math Education Standards. Engineer your Life Grade level: 9-12. This guide introduces girls to young women engineers and highlights careers. A section for parent and counselors furnishes background in engineering to better advise students. The site has a link to a companion site for girls in grades 5-8. GirlStart for Educators Grade level: 5-12 Here you will find free Girlstart curriculum, formal and informal STEM best practices resources, effective messaging tips, collaboration opportunities and more. Join Girlstart for Educators email newsletter and receive monthly tips and resources on engaging girls in STEM. STEM Professional Development
STEM Education Resource Center
Grade level of teachers: Pre K-12 (teachers and students) Provides nearly 4,000 STEM resources, as well as free, self-paced modules for teachers teaching global climate change to middle school and high school students. NASA ePDN - Electronic Professional Development Network Grade level of teachers: K-12 NASA offers free online professional development certificate programs for K-12 teachers in robotics, statistics, project-based inquiry learning, and technology integration and self-directed courses in astrobiology, microgravity, and outer space environment. A Compendium of Best Practice K-12 STEM Education Programs Grade level of teachers: K-12 All 38 STEM programs included in this report provide challenging content/curriculum, an inquiry-learning environment, defined outcomes/assessment, and sustained commitment/community support. Each program entry gives an overview, defines target population and learning environment, and presents highlights of results. Contact information is provided. Bonus STEM Educator Materials Download posters, educator guides with activities and age-appropriate career information for your students. All activities meet national education standards of learning for math, science and technical literacy. Registration is required but free. |