Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated between September 15th and October 15th each fall and it brings a great opportunity to address Equity in STEM career fields. A recent publication of The Science Teacher Editor’s Corner noted that Latinx accounted for only 6.3 percent of the engineering degrees awarded in 2010 with 1.2 percent of those awarded doctoral degrees. African Americans represented 4.8 percent of the workforce in STEM.
What can we as science teachers do to encourage ALL students to pursue, or at least consider, STEM careers?
Here are some resources that may be helpful for discussing this topic.
Unladylike2020
Ynés Mexía: Accomplished Latina Botanist: Learn about the life and scientific achievements of botanist, explorer and environmentalist Ynés Mexía, in this digital short from Unladylike2020. Using video, discussion questions, classroom activities, and teaching tips, students learn about the historical period in which Mexía lived and her impact on science and the environmental movement.
Lesson Resources:
PBS Learning Media
Young Scientist Lab
Lizelena Iglesias