Geek Mom by Natania Barron

Author:Natania Barron [Barron, Families Natania]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-8230-8593-4
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2012-10-29T16:00:00+00:00

Girls and Science

Girls love science—even if they approach it differently than boys do. I know from teaching afterschool enrichment classes that when you give a group of kids a challenge to solve or a project to create using science and math, the girls will be just as quick and eager as the boys. And according to experts like astronaut Sally Ride, who holds a Ph.D. in physics, statistics show girls have the smarts to do well in careers in these fields. But because STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) subjects are usually presented in ways that emphasize things that boys like, girls often don’t even give them a try.

Luckily, there’s never been a better time to be a girl interested in science: from the Girl Scouts, whose “Imagine: Your STEM Future” program with AT&T introduces girls to hands-on science projects, to the NASA G.I.R.L.S. mentoring program, which pairs middle school students with women scientists, organizations around the country are looking for ways to attract girls to areas that were once considered “boy territory.”

Research backs up some of my own methods of engaging girls in STEM pursuits. Some studies suggest that teachers—and even moms—may subtly let boys take the lead when doing hands-on activities in mixed groups, leaving girls to stand on the sidelines and watch. But when I show a class how to build a water wheel or wire up an electrical circuit, I go in expecting the girls to do as much work as the boys. (In fact, in second, third, and fourth grades, girls are often better than boys at putting things together, because they develop manual dexterity earlier!) By making activities like working with chemicals seem matter-of-fact, and treating the girls in my workshops as competent, they come out excited and proud of their new skills and knowledge.

Of course, just seeing a woman who is comfortable doing math and science is good for a girl’s self-image. Unfortunately, surveys have found that many female elementary school teachers are not. Girls need role models to help them picture science as a career that’s fun and rewarding (and scientists as more than grim figures in white lab coats with bad hair). Some of my own role models include women who are playful and creative with science, like Leah Buechley, whose sewable Lilypad Arduino microcontroller has created a whole movement of wearable electronics. Or biomedical engineer Michelle Khine, who couldn’t afford the ultrasmall containers used in cell research and made her own out of Shrinky Dink plastic sheets. There’s also Margaret and Christine Wertheim of the Institute for Figuring, whose natural-looking models of coral reefs—made out of crocheted yarn using hyperbolic geometry—have been displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

Another way to attract girls to STEM pursuits is to show them how scientists and engineers help people live better lives. In a recent experiment, researchers discovered that girls were more interested in technology when it was described in terms of real-life applications—for instance, how lasers are used in plastic surgery.

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