It’s Women’s History Month, but if we’re being honest we could do a better job of teacher our kids about the amazing accomplishments of women in history throughout the year. I decided to highlight women in STEM today but it’s always a great idea when covering a historical period or region of the world to make sure you’re touching on the women who shaped that history, too.
But looking at women in STEM is especially important for both girls and boys, because gendered stereotypes about who has careers in science start early.
While we all know about Marie Curie and Jane Goodall, there are so many women in the sciences to be celebrated. You can start by reading books about women in STEM. This list from Color of Us covers multicultural books about women in STEAM, including Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina in space; Wu Chien Shiung, the first female instruction at Princeton; and Maya Lin, who designed the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., among others. The books are arranged by age from preschool up, so there’s material for your kids not matter their ages.
Science Sparks has printable fact files for several women in science, including Rosalind Franklin, Florence Nightingale and Marie M. Daly. There’s also a list of movies and books in this post to help you learn more.
Parents Magazine has a good article about women in STEM we should be teaching our kids about, including historical figures and contemporary scientists.
Darcy and Brian has a great collection of women in STEM coloring pages you can use to help learn about different women. The post includes a little information about each person, as well as other activities, books and resources for learning more (the download is free when you sign up for emails).
Pick a woman for your child/each child in your class to research, or let them learn about someone in a field they are interested in.
[Photos via Science Sparks, Darcy and Brian.]
