Information and Ideas for supporting your girls
S.T.E.M. education inspiring girls nationwide
Host Melissa Harris-Perry was joined by an all-female panel to discuss S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and its relationship to girls in our country. They addressed how important each of the S.T.E.M. fields are in promoting self-esteem and nourishing potential, as well as in eliminating negative stereotypes for women.
Why So Few?
In an era when women are increasingly prominent in medicine, law and business, why are there so few women scientists and engineers? A new research report by AAUW presents compelling evidence that can help to explain this puzzle. Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics presents in-depth yet accessible profiles of eight key research findings that point to environmental and social barriers – including stereotypes, gender bias and the climate of science and engineering departments in colleges and universities – that continue to block women’s participation and progress in science, technology, engineering, and math. The report also includes up to date statistics on girls’ and women’s achievement and participation in these areas and offers new ideas for what each of us can do to more fully open scientific and engineering fields to girls and women.
http://www.aauw.org/learn/research/whysofew.cfm
Science in the Home — Activities
As a parent, you are preparing your child for a world vastly different from the one in which you grew up. Our increasingly technological society will need citizens who have received far more advanced instruction in science and technology than most of us received when we were in school. Even children who don’t want to become physicists, chemists, engineers or computer technicians will need some knowledge of science and technology just to conduct their everyday lives. Every citizen needs to be scientifically literate in order to make informed decisions about health, safety and citizenship. Our children need our help and guidance to prepare for the world that awaits them.
Scientific knowledge is cumulative: To learn new things, you must build on what you already know. So, it’s important that your child start learning early—and at home. A good way for you to begin the learning process is by sharing your own interest in science. How you view and talk about science can influence your child’s attitudes toward science—and how she approaches learning science. It’s easy to undermine a child’s interest and attitudes by saying things such as, “I was lousy in science, and I’ve done OK,” or “I always hated science when I was in school. It’s boring.” Although you can’t make your child like science, you can encourage her to do so, and you can help her to appreciate its value both in her everyday life and in preparing for her future.
In everyday interactions with your child, you can do many things—and do them without lecturing or applying pressure—to help her learn science. Here are a few ideas:
· See how long it takes for a dandelion or a rose to burst into full bloom.
· Watch the moon as it appears to change shape over the course of a month and record the changes.
· Look for constellations in the night sky.
· Bake a cake.
· Solve the problem of a drooping plant.
· Figure out how the spin cycle of the washing machine gets the water out of the clothes.
· Take apart an old clock or mechanical toy—you don’t need to put it back together!
· Watch icicles melt.
· Observe pigeons, squirrels, butterflies, ants or spider webs.
· Go for a walk and talk about how the dogs (or birds or cats) that you see are alike and different.
· Discover what materials the buildings in your community are made of. Wood? Concrete? Adobe? Brick? Granite? Sandstone? Steel? Glass? Talk about the reasons for using these materials.
Learning to observe carefully is an important step leading to scientific explanations. Experiencing the world with your child and exchanging information with him about what you see are important, too.
Make STEM subjects relatable
One of the most effective ways to interest a child in STEM is to show them how they interact with these subjects in their everyday lives. For example, while cooking dinner, explain that chemical reactions occur when food is cooked and exposed to high temperatures. If at a store, have your child pay for the purchased items using cash to demonstrate the practical application of mathematics. The world is filled with opportunities to show children that STEM is all around us!
Conduct hands-on STEM activities
Research from the U.S. Department of Education has found that hands-on STEM activities play a crucial role in developing students’ interest in these subjects. This active learning approach is more effective than passive techniques (such as listening to a lecture or watching a video) because it allows children to explore on their own terms. The National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) offers many interactive STEM activities for parents and educators alike on our blog. Each activity is crafted by our team of education experts and encourages creativity and play.
.Promote STEM role models
The power and influence of positive role models have long been shown to improve children’s learning outcomes. Research from Opportunity Insights supports this and has found that children who are exposed to innovation at a young age are more likely to innovate in the future.
By introducing your child to STEM role models, you can help them to see the outcome of pursuing a STEM career. NIHF embraces this idea by featuring activities and stories
Finally, encourage your child to ask questions. If you can’t answer all of her questions, that’s all right—no one has all the answers, not even scientists. For example, point out that there’s no known cure for a cold, but that we do know how diseases are passed from person to person—through germs. Some of the best answers you can give are, “What do you think?” and “Let’s find out together.” Together, you and your child can propose possible answers, test them out and check them by using reference books, the Internet, or by asking someone who is likely to know the correct answers.
Science in the home section provided by
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Communications and Outreach
Helping Your Child Learn Science
Washington, D.C., 2005
About Us
Amazing Girls Science is a program within Saturday Academy.