What other inspirational teens do you know? Share and get a free resource

As you know, I have been really digging into the idea of a growth mindset and creating readings and reflection questions for students on a growth mindset, and a series of young innovators.

I have written the following set of blog posts, related to this topic:

• Can I really be a scientist?
• Be Inspired by Successful Teen Role Models
• Mindset and Characteristics of Successful People: Teaching It!
• Young upstanders and innovators: Check 'em out!

I have a long (and growing) list of inspirational and upstanding young people. However, I am also always looking for new inspiration.

Ideally, the people featured in this series would be a minority/low income/diverse backgrounds and overcome some type of difficulty to pursue a dream or create a science or STEM resource or invention.

My vision is that students be able to see themselves in these stories of students, and both better view themselves as scientists and be able to see the growth mindset characteristics in action and see their importance.


As of this writing, there are articles, written on two different reading levels, complete with questions for each of the following:

• Trisha Prabhu
• Boyan Slat
• Kai Kloepfer
• Deepika Kurup
• William Kamkwamba
• Shubham Banerjee
• Jack Andraka

You may see different news stories than I do, and I would love your help.  If you know an inspirational teen, I may not know them.  Please, take a minute and fill out this form!   Give me your suggestions, and if I use your suggestion, you will get a free copy of the resource that I create based on the teen you suggest!

How Can We Attract Students To STEM?

How Can We Attract Students To STEM?

Note: This is a guest post for Science in the City.  Author Bio is listed at the bottom

Today’s generation of teachers know the value and importance of STEM education, as society continues to need people with skills in science, technology, engineering and math. Many teachers are acting as mentors for their student’s specific interests – educating them on STEM-related role models in current times and throughout history.

However, establishing role models in the STEM world is beneficial, but not always enough. One female-graduate STEM student commented that Jane Goodall had always been her role model, but she never met Goodall. The student says that in her opinion, real-life mentors are more important than role models.

Articles on how-to-teach-STEM appear almost daily in journals designed to help teachers reach students who express little or no interest in those subjects. To meet this challenge, educators are becoming aware that it takes more than reading chapters in a book or filling in blanks on worksheets. So how can teachers – with the help of those outside of the classroom - encourage the next generation to consider pursuing a STEM-related education and career?

Stimulate and Encourage Curiosity

Students of all ages must be encouraged to ask “why” questions. Give students the opportunity to taste, smell, touch and watch. Provide them with items to play with and analyze. As one teacher stated, “We must simply give them the resources that feed their curiosity. Growing fruits and vegetables in a garden, building forts, and playing with blocks can all be uniquely valuable.”

Toddlers who play with blocks and build forts increase their spatial abilities. Hands-on learning opportunities, such as puzzles or cooking in the kitchen, can drive a young person’s life-long interest in a subject.

Provide Real-Life Exploration Activities

Most adults recall their elementary school science project of creating an erupting volcano out of ordinary household items. The thrill of experiencing the result of a hands-on project stays with them for a lifetime.

A few years ago, the Massachusetts state education department implemented a “Got Math” program as an experiment for elementary and middle school students using real-life situations to learn the importance of developing their math skills. For example:

• Students met with local businesses that taught them how to shop with coupons to reduce the cost of their purchases.
• Students visited with architects who taught them how to use measurement and problem-solving techniques to design and build a foam model house to scale.

Other examples of real-life exploration activities include:

• Young students experiment with objects to learn why some float and some sink.
• Older students may watch crime-solving television programs and learn how the use of science techniques help solve crimes.

There is really no limit to how students can learn through experimentation.

Role Models, Industry Leaders and Mentors

Exposing students to role models and industry leaders is a good thing. They learn about the success of anthropologist Jane Goodall, engineer and entrepreneur Elon Musk, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Bill Gates of Microsoft fame, astronauts and NASA scientists, and other famous people. Students can see how they can similarly use STEM education in their lives.

Active mentors who guide students, and who can see the world the way their students see it, are priceless. Mentors are known for igniting their students’ life-long passion for succeeding in their chosen STEM field.

Introduce Students to STEM Jobs

STEM jobs pay well. According to one report, in 2018, the median earnings in the country for all non-stem jobs was $19.30 per hour. For STEM jobs, the pay averaged $38.85 an hour. As STEM talent becomes harder to find, the pay will only increase. Plus, it is expected that there will be more STEM-related jobs every year. As of 2019, there were approximately 2.4 million vacant STEM jobs in the country. Showing students these jobs can provide a financially bright future may entice them to pursue a career in that direction.

What are some examples of STEM careers? Below are a few examples you can provide to students:

• Creation and improvement of cellphones, computers, tablets and videogames
• Cybersecurity
• Anything to do with artificial intelligence
• Manufacturer
• Engineer
• Geologist
• Paleontologist
• Volcanologist
• Archeologist
• Anthropologist

And as STEM- related fields keep expanding due to innovation there will be jobs available in areas not yet even known.

Educators who capitalize on the innate curiosity of children — and who give them the hands-on experiences they need to encourage exploration and inquisitiveness — can find a classroom full of motivated learners. The long-term results may be college students pursuing their dream of finding a well-paying STEM career. Society, in general, will also likely progress as STEM education will help lead it in that direction.

Author bio:

Chris Hobbs has more than 25 years of manufacturing experience in various hands-on and managerial roles such as machine builder, reliability engineer, maintenance technician, maintenance management, consulting, and more. Chris is currently the Technical Training Program Manager at Advanced Technology Services where he oversees the SkillPoint™ program comprised of electronic and mechanical courses to improve technicians’ skillsets and meet the needs of modern manufacturing.

How and Where to Connect with Science in the City

I love to connect with fellow teachers. We all learn from each other, and become stronger by communicating and sharing.

Some people prefer to connect in different ways. I am in a lot of places around the internet, and I’d love to connect wherever you are.

• Email: Feel free to shoot me an email. I am usually pretty quick to response to email, and I love getting responses or questions from you. This is probably the most individualized way to communicate.
• Mailing list: I send out free resources, updates, sale announcements, and subscriber only exclusives.
• Blog articles approximately every 2 weeks on various science and teaching topics (as well as the occasional guest post or giveaway exclusive for readers).
• Facebook Page: My Facebook page is not super active, but you will see upcoming news, newsletters, occasionally new resources, some humor.
• Facebook Group: The best place to connect with me as well as other science teachers from around the world. There are 2500 members, science teachers from around the world. We share resources, and ask and answer questions.
• Pinterest: I have many active boards of my own, and well as collaborative boards with other science teachers that cover many commonly taught science topics, as well as technology, differentiation, literacy, and more.
• Instagram: I am not super active on IG, but I do occasionally participate in giveaways, and post pics of things going on in class, or new blog posts.
• Twitter: Again, I’m not super active on Twitter, but if you prefer twitter new articles are posted there, and sometimes other updates.

Hope to talk to you soon!! 

Young upstanders and innovators: Check 'em out!

Young upstanders and innovators: Check 'em out!

Throughout the last several posts here, here, and here I have discussed the importance of students viewing themselves as scientists, having role models and examples of scientists who come from diverse backgrounds, and explicitly teaching and reinforcing the mindset and characteristics of successful scientists. 

How to do it? 

The question is how to do this?! This all sounds great on paper, but not so easy to implement in the classroom.

I struggled with this myself, as well as ways to increase engagement, and work on reading comprehension.

It was for all of these reasons, and out of this need that I began to create a series of reading comprehension articles on young people who fit all of these characteristics.

What's Included?

• This reading set includes a two page article on each person listed and their work, as well as reading comprehension and reflection questions.
• This is part of a series or articles on students who are innovators and upstanders, and have made a difference in their world.
• Each article is provided at two reading levels (approximately 10th grade and approximately 7th grade). Also included are two differentiated sets of response questions, as well as an answer key.
• These articles can be used as sub plans, as a way to integrate growth mindset and literacy into class on a regular basis, as a station, as a means of engaging students in science and helping them to see themselves as scientists.
• This set will continue to grow and include at least 10+ articles. The price will increase as more are added. By purchasing you will receive all future articles as well.

This addresses some of the concerns listed in the past 3 posts - students seeing themselves as scientists, qualities that make for successful scientists. See the mindset and characteristics of successful scientists, and give them positive role models.

What are people saying about them?

Mindset and Characteristics of Successful People: Teaching It!

Mindset and Characteristics of Successful People: Teaching It!

What characteristics make a successful scientist? 

Many students believe that these characteristics are innate characteristics that someone either has or doesn’t have. This could not be further from the truth. In reality, characteristics of scientists, and characteristics of successful people in general, can be learned. Mindset can change and develop! 

Dataquest defines traits as “a mental habit with broad applications” and defines the five essential traits as curiosity, clarity, creativity, skepticism, and humility. In this article the author outlines steps to take to develop each of these traits. Again, these can be learned.

Human Nature Concepts also writes about the 10 Characteristics of scientists, and identifies them as follows: curiosity, open-minded, keen observer, resourceful, purposeful, good communicator, persistent, creative, critical thinker, and courageous.

Michigan State University also answers the question of “What Makes a Good Scientist?” with a very similar list: curious, patient, courageous, detail-oriented, creative, persistent, communicative, open-minded, and critical thinker/problem solver.

Lastly, the Nobel Prize Inspiration Initiative has several different interviews on the topic of “What Makes a Good Scientist?”

All of these have many qualities in common, as you may have noticed. Are these qualities that you see in your students? If not, how can we teach/emphasize these qualities to students?

How do we teach these skills?

We can (and probably do) teach many of this skills as part of science. I know we try to teach observation, skepticism, and problem solving (certainly part of the new science standards). I’m sure we teach lessons that work on creativity and resourcefulness (perhaps integrated with engineering design, or creating a presentation. But how to we encourage these throughout the year, and really get students to think of themselves as having these skills? Although these lessons are great, and they introduce these skills, students need to see them on a regular basis, and see them applied. Otherwise it’s far too easy for these to be removed from real life, and become another abstract classroom lesson

We need to practice, demonstrate, and reinforce these skills on a regular basis to change students’ mindset, and self-image.

As science teachers, it is likely that we practice those that are more traditional science skills throughout the year, such as observation, and communication, but what about things like persistence, courage, and curiosity. These can be encouraged in the classroom through both the frequent use of examples and role models, affirmations, and a change in classroom culture.

These characteristics are very similar to the idea of growth mindset. Here is a great article on 6 Tips to Help Students Develop a Growth Mindset. Interestingly, one of their strategies is to Read books with characters who face challenges and develop strategies to overcome them, in other words, to utilize role models, similar to those discussed in my last post.

It is also a great idea to change the language in the classroom, to model it yourself, and to utilize affirmations and inspirational bulletin boards. Here is a huge list of free printables that you could certainly use in your classroom.

It is equally important to tie these to real-life examples, however, such as other people who have demonstrated these skills. Some examples can be seen in this Growing Bundle.

I’d love to hear your ideas for particular lessons or things that you do in class that help students practice and reinforce the mindest and traits of scientists. Do you have an particular lessons that are great ways to teach these skills? If so, feel free to comment below, or jump in our Facebook Group and share!

Be Inspired by Successful Teen Role Models

Be Inspired by Successful Teen Role Models

For students whose parents are engineers, scientists, or who have friends or family friends in these roles, it is easier to picture themselves in that role. When students have good role models of scientists, problems solvers, and engineers as a part of their daily life, they see that as a path they can follow to do the same. When most people you know have gone to college, you also assume that you will go on to college.

But what about those students who don’t have those role models in their everyday lives?

Many of our students are from a poorer demographic, don’t have friends and family who are very educated, don’t speak the dominant language etcetera, and may have a more difficult seeing themselves in this role. As they grow up they may not even think that being an engineers, scientists, or other type of educated professional, having a patent, or being a ‘leader’ in this sense is an option or a possibility for them.

How do we fix this problem?

As teachers, I believe that part of our role in education is to show students examples of people similar to them who have been successful as engineers and scientists, even through non-traditional paths. Several scientific inventions have been made through hard work on a different path, or even through an accidental discovery that led to a greater invention.

Sometimes this can be through being that role model, as outlined in this article. It also helps build connections. The author states that “Students can sense that I understand their experiences, that I’m rooting for them, and that success in whatever field they choose is within their grasp.” There are several articles, such as this one, and this one that emphasize this idea of students benefiting from having teachers whose background is more similar to their own.

What if we are not from a minority group?

If this is not our personal story, however, we can help present students with success stories, even if they are not our personal story. I don’t believe it is only minority teachers who can help bring this benefit to a classroom of minority students. It has been shown that “Good Teachers Embrace Their Students’ Cultural Background.” In fact, in a study of high achieving urban environments, some of the deciding factors were the “development of a belief in self, supportive adults, interaction with a network of high-achieving peers, extracurricular activities, challenging classes such as honors classes, personal characteristics such as motivation and resilience, and family support” as cited in this article. As teachers, we can help support these skills and qualities. When we bring examples of pictures of scientists into class, it is critically important that they look like our students. This idea is further explored in this article, the authors state that reading acts as both a window and a mirror…. “mirrors in that they can reflect on children’s own lives, and windows in that they can give children a chance to learn about someone else’s life.” Additionally, “while it may be ideal for children to actually meet people from different backgrounds [or from a similar background, but with a different ending] in person, if that isn’t possible, books can serve as a first introduction to an outside world.” The article does a great job of explaining the importance of introducing students to these examples. This is the idea behind the book Wonder Woman, by Sam Maggs, explored in this article “Why it’s so important for girls to find role models in female scientists.”

This is all a part of being a teacher too. We need to help students see that science is more than the type of science in the textbook for which they are graded and tested, and that it is something accessible to them. We can do this by showing them examples. As you bring in famous scientists to talk about in class, new articles to use, or other examples in class, make an effort to showcase people of various backgrounds. It adds value to both the students, and to the class as a whole!  Some great examples are William Kamkwamba, Deepika Kurup, and Trisha Prabu, but there are many more out there! Utilize them in your class with your students!  See how they react!

Can I Really Be a Scientist?

You may think of your students as ‘scientists’ and you may even refer to them as scientists.  But what do they think a scientist is?  Do they consider themselves scientists? 

Draw a Scientist

Many of you may have done or seen the ‘draw a scientist’ activity.  If you haven’t heard of it, it is an activity where students draw their idea of "a scientist doing science." The exercise surfaces students' prior understandings of the nature of science and the demographics of scientists.

Unfortunately, the results show that many students don't see themselves as scientists. According to an article written in 2018, students are still primarily drawing white males as scientists. Over the past 50 years the number of female scientists being drawn has greatly increased, but is still only 28%.   The authors of this article stated that “stereotypes of scientists not only shape ….perceptions of who is a scientist, but also influence their perception of who can be a scientist.”  The researchers also mentioned that these stereotypes go beyond gender, 79% of the scientists drawn were white.

This is a problem.  This is a especially a problem for minorities, females, foreign students, etc.

When we are teaching students who don’t match this image (who are female, darker skin colored, etc) it is even harder for them to see themselves as scientists.

Why is this important?  

This puts students one step farther away from what we are trying to teach them.  This is yet another way that they feel disconnected from school, and feel that it doesn’t apply to them.
We are teaching students science, and we want them to see themselves as part of science, and the scientific process.  However, many students don’t see science as relevant to their own lives. They science as only a subject in school that they need to pass, but they are, in fact, not part of it.

This couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Science should be relevant to students’ lives. Science involves problem solving from everyday life, their own bodies, and the world around them.  However, this is not always what students see.

As educators, part of our role ideally is to help bring students to a place where students can see the connections to their own lives.

Your Challenge

I challenge you to try the “Draw A Scientist” lesson with your own students. It can be a quick activity that takes 10 minutes at the end of class, or a full blown lesson.  I’d love if you’d report back with the results. Are your students drawing white male scientists? Are they drawing scientists that look like them?  It would be really cool to have some discussion or reflection to go along with this.  Lastly, what if you showed some other examples of minority or female scientists and then had them draw?  Would you get different results?

If I taught elementary I would absolutely read them this book first and see if it changed my results.  Maybe I would read it to high school too?

Try it out!