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​ ​ ​ Women In Physics Featured in STEM Magazine APRIL 15, 2021 Women in Physics, the third book in the Science Wide Open series, has a 10-page feature in April 2021 issue of STEM Magazine! Check out the magazine to read more about the book and about the pioneering physicists. About STEM Magazine

​ ​ ​ Women In Physics Featured in STEM Magazine APRIL 15, 2021 Women in Physics, the third book in the Science Wide Open series, has a 10-page feature in April 2021 issue of STEM Magazine! Check out the magazine to read more about the book and about the pioneering physicists. About STEM Magazine

¿Hablas español? Haga clic aquí para resolver... January ​ ​ Selected from: One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math! Setting the Date One night, Elijah and Kevin were watching the debate for the upcoming presidential election. They were in Kevin’s family room taking notes about the topics that were being discussed and the main points each candidate was making. There was going to be a quiz on the debate in their social studies class the next morning. ​ Kevin’s younger brother, John, was sitting at the computer in the corner, working on the invitations for his birthday party, which was going to be on January 6th. He always had his party on the actual day of his birthday, even if it was a school day. He was getting excited about it already, even though it was more than two months away. Kevin had helped him get started on the computer program, but had to move over to the TV when the debate came on. John read aloud what he had written so far: “You are invited to a party for John’s birthday on . . . something, January 6th. Kevin, what day of the week is my birthday going to be? We don’t have a calendar for next year yet.” “How should I know?” Kevin said. “I’m trying to watch this debate.” “Do you remember what day of the week your birthday was on earlier this year?” Elijah asked John. “Sunday,” John replied. “I remember we watched a pro football game on TV during the party.” “Well, then shouldn’t it be obvious which day of the week your next birthday will be?” Elijah asked. REVEAL ANSWER

As a kid I was obsessed with geology. My bookshelf overflowed with books about volcanoes, rocks and minerals, earthquakes, and other planets, and I used my elementary school science fairs as an opportunity to try identifying random rocks I found. Did I grow up to become a geologist? No, not at all, but my early exposure to STEM got me to ask questions about the world around me and taught me how to investigate my interests both inside and outside of the classroom. National STEM Day is celebrated annually on November 8th to emphasize the importance of introducing children to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Each year on this day the internet is flooded with stories about how STEM education is important because it sets children on a path to work in high paying, in-demand jobs. While that certainly could be one benefit, STEM education teaches valuable skills that all children will benefit from, even those who don’t grow up to pursue STEM professionally. STEM invites curiosity All science starts with a question: why does the moon change shape? What makes soda fizzy? How do animals communicate? STEM educators actively encourage children to be inquisitive and investigate the world around them. Whether it is by testing a hypothesis in a lab or checking out a library book, learning STEM is an exciting process of discovery. Each answer breeds more questions, and STEM education helps to foster a natural love of learning. STEM fosters creative problem-solving Learning STEM is all about trial-and-error. Whether they are testing a hypothesis in science class, solving a difficult math question, or programming a computer game, STEM challenges students to approach a problem from multiple different angles. They learn how to create new, innovative solutions, and this form of creative thinking can be found behind many of the world’s most influential inventions and discoveries. Beyond STEM, a person with strong problem solving skills will be a valued member of any team. STEM builds perseverance In addition, STEM teaches children that failure is a normal part of the process. If one approach doesn’t work, then try the next one. Rather than giving up in the face of adversity, STEM teaches kids to keep testing new hypotheses, running new lines of code, and trying new strategies until, at last, it works! This resilience is an important tool for every child to build because it prepares them to overcome both academic and personal challenges. STEM teaches teamwork Hollywood likes to portray people in STEM as lone geniuses, obsessing over their research in a cramped lab until finally, through sheer intelligence, they discover the solution. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. The field of STEM is defined by constant sharing of ideas and collaboration among teams. While working together in lab groups, children learn how to communicate their ideas to others, how to respect the ideas of their peers, and how to compromise when there are disagreements. Communication and teamwork are often rated among the most important skills that employers look for in candidates. Early education reduces the gender gap in STEM It is well-known that women are underrepresented among many STEM professions. Currently, women comprise only 15% of engineers, 25% of programmers and computer scientists, and 40% of jobs related to the physical sciences. Less well-known is that many of the societal forces that steer women away from STEM begin impacting children at a very young age. Multiple studies have shown that children as young as six are more likely to associate math with men than women. Introducing young girls to STEM topics early and actively encouraging their curiosity can help counteract these social forces and keep the door to a career in STEM open. STEM encourages environmental stewardship The natural sciences are a key component to STEM education. Often through hands-on experiences, children learn about how the Earth supports life and how various plants and animals interact to form an ecosystem. Learning these topics at a young age helps children build an emotional connection to the natural areas around them and encourages them to be conscientious stewards of their local environment. Teaching these topics early can also help kids establish lifelong sustainable habits like reducing their waste and energy consumption. Children who learn STEM build skills that will serve them well no matter where life takes them. At Science Naturally, we believe that books are a great way to foster STEM learning, and you can also check out some of these free online resources!

Enjoy this excerpt from a Dallas Morning News OpEd by David Hu, author of The P Word, in which he discusses the importance of education and open dialogue, even in the face of book bans. Read the full article here. Banning books won’t stop puberty I’m a scientist, I’m a parent, and I’m an author. All three of these things mean that I’ve been paying attention to the rise in book bans in schools and public libraries across the country — particularly when it comes to children’s books about marginalized groups, health and sexuality. Last year, there were demands to remove over 2,500 books from library shelves. More than half of the attempted book bans targeted materials in school and classroom libraries. Of school bans in the past couple of school years, 38% featured themes of health and wellbeing and 41% featured LGBTQ+ themes. These books are hand-picked, put on shelves, and recommended by librarians who understand the needs of their schools and community members. These librarians talk with parents and spend time finding the right books for their library’s patrons — not to mention that many library books are requested by patrons, meaning actual, local community members could be requesting these reading materials. It’s no surprise — nor is it unintentional — that these topics make up a majority of the bans. With bans continuing across 26 states, more than 4 million children are losing access to books that could help them better understand themselves and their peers.

In our continued celebration of Women’s History Month, this week we’re featuring just some of the many women who have contributed to the evolution of botany over the past five centuries. Botany is the scientific study of plants, from their physiological structure and genetics to their classification and importance in medicine and health. Not only are there millions of plant species in the natural world, there are also endless ways botanists can use their skills to make the world a better place. Ynés Mexía discovered hundreds of new plant species and classified them using the Linnaean system. Other botanists specialize in experimenting and finding new uses for plants, such as Loredana Marcello, who used her garden to create remedies for the plague. Others work on caring for the environment, like conservationist Dr. Wangari Maathai, who made a name for herself by planting over 50 million trees in Kenya and winning a Nobel Peace Prize. Want to know where you would fit in among these innovators? Take the quiz below to find out!