Activities

Click on the links below to access curated mini units of STEM-based curriculum from SDAN.

Activity Guide: Getting Electric

Activity Guide: Inside My Body

Activity Guide: Building Great Structures

Activity Guide: Harnessing Air 

Activity Guide: City Build 2040

Activity Guide: Star Wars

Activity Resources: Native American Heritage Resources

Activity Resources: Spooky Science Resources

Resources

Transformative Practices

The Million Girls Moonshot aims to raise awareness of the following four research-based practices — Equity and Inclusion, Engineering Mindsets, Role Model, Mentors, and Families, and STEM Pathways and Transition — proven to remove barriers to access and quality STEM learning experiences. Resources, toolkits, blogs, and activities that elevate these four Transformative Practices can be found below and on the Million Girls Moonshot Toolkit

• Equity and Inclusion

  • Access to STEM Framework: To improve the overall quality of out-of-school STEM programs, we need to address how program providers design and implement programming to increase access in STEM for youth who have been underrepresented in the STEM fields. Partnering with the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) and national experts, we have developed an Access to STEM Framework — a guide for supporting program providers in this transformation. Download the Framework.
  • Elevating Youth Voice in STEM Programming Webinar: One way to ensure your program is youth-centric is to elevate youth voice and empower youth to take charge of their own STEM experiences. In this webinar recording, presenters share their knowledge and first-hand experiences promoting or using their voices and developing leadership skills to support and promote STEM learning in their communities.
  • Cultural Competence in Afterschool Programs: A chapter on how programs address the increasing and cultural diversity in the United States. Program leaders need to consider how to adapt their program to make it culturally relevant to the youth and families they serve. This chapter explores the meaning of cultural relevance, how to design cultural competence afterschool programs, and how to tailor cultural competence to meet local needs. 

  Engineering Mindsets

  • Engineering Mindset Overview: An engineering mindset refers to the attitudes and thinking skills associated with engineering — using a systematic engineering design process, considering real-world problems, applying math and science, and working in teams. The Moonshot focuses on 10 engineering practices. An overview of each practice follows and subsequent briefs will explore each one individually.
  • Engineering Design Process: This resource helps educators understand design process and how to facilitate engineering activities with kids 

  Role Models, Mentors, and Families

  Role models, mentors, and family engagement in a young person’s STEM education leads to increased interest, greater self-confidence, and ultimately a stronger STEM identity. Developing a science-related identity increases the likelihood that students will work toward developing science literacy, or even pursue a career in a science or STEM-related field.

  • Video and articles: Greta Thunberg on how to tackle climate anxiety | The One Show – BBC (youtube.com)Greta Thunberg, the environmental activist who has been making headlines around the globe, is a 21-year-old Swedish girl. Greta Thunberg – Speech, Quotes & Activism (biography.com) She is a climate activist who has received worldwide recognition for her efforts to fight climate change. She has been nominated for the Nobel Prize.  Other remarkable environmentalists can be found here: Top 18 Famous Environmental Scientists You Should Know 2024 (scijournal.org)
  • Video: TEDxTC – Winona LaDuke – Seeds of Our Ancestors, Seeds of Life (youtube.com) Winona LaDuke is an Ojibwe conservationist who gives a cultural and scientific contest to why environmental conservation is so important. 
  • Article: How To Become an Environmental Scientist: A Step-By-Step Guide – Forbes Advisor This guide for older youth offers a step-by-step pathway to a career in environmental science. Explore details on an environmental scientist job description, available degrees and concentrations in the field, salary data and job outlook projections.
  • Video: video about barbara mcclintock – Yahoo Search Results Video Search Results Barbara McClintock was a scientist and cytogeneticist who received the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She earned her Ph.D. in botany from Cornell University and began her lifelong work in the development of maize cytogenetics. She eventually gained recognition as among the best in the field and was honored with several prestigious awards. 
  • The Importance of Mentoring to Increase Diversity in STEM: This is a personal recounting by Dr. Leslie McCollum on her experiences as she reached her PhD in physics. She highlights a sense of belonging as a key factor.
  • The Key To Diversity And Inclusion Is Mentorship: Mentoring increases the diversity of participants and increases their engagement. Recent research also shows that mentoring has benefits for the mentor and was identified in by mentors one study as an important aspect of their careers.
  • SciGirls Family Guide for Engaging Girls in STEM: The guide is designed to spark a curiosity for STEM in girls through activities that promote knowledge and discovery. This guide shares strategies and tips to support families in their encouragement of girls to pursue STEM.  

  Continuous STEM Learning Pathways

  Research tells us that continuous engagement and exposure rather than limited one-time opportunities are needed to nurture the interest and motivation necessary for children to pursue STEM pathways long term. The Moonshot aims to understand and support transitions and handoffs that remove barriers for youth by connecting STEM learning across ages and settings, ensuring youth interest and motivation persists.

  • Possible Futures — Career Exploration Curriculum: Open source curriculum that complements and enriches both school and afterschool settings 1) expanding career awareness through authentic experiential learning opportunities; 2) encouraging students to explore their diverse interests, talents, and options; 3) enlivening STEM subjects by bringing in real-world and career contexts; 4) empowering students to develop vital employability skills; and 5) engaging students in making informed choices.

  Below are some adaptations of the Possible Futures Career Exploration Curriculum specifically for afterschool and summer programs:

  • Career Foundations Adaptation: A collection of 14 lessons, a streamlined combination of the Lenses on the Future and Skills for Success units of Possible Futures curriculum.
  • College and Career Readiness Toolkit: Maryland Out of School Time (MOST) embedded the Career Foundations Unit of Possible Futures into this toolkit that serves as a guide for OST providers.