Making Dioramas of Women Scientists Help Elementary Students Recognize Their Contributions

Jolene K. Teske¹, Phyllis Gray¹, Julie L. Klein¹, Audrey C. Rule^1,2

¹Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, USA.
²Center for Educational Transformation, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/ce.2014.523223                

Abstract

The STEM movement encourages girls to consider careers in science; however, for success, common misconceptions and biases need to be dispelled, while females’ spatial thinking skills are developed. All students, both girls and boys, need exposure to the accomplishments of women scientists to appreciate their contributions and to envision females as successful scientists. This one-week study conducted during a summer day camp examined upper elementary student (n = 15; 7 females, 8 males) attitudes toward science, women in science, and the possibility of a science career before and after participation in learning about diverse accomplished women scientists and making a diorama showcasing the professional work and caring actions of one of the scientists. The efficacy of this project for upper elementary students, conducted during a summer day camp, is supported by pretest-posttest data and attitude surveys. The five-day class showed positive changes in student plans for a career in science and improved attitudes toward the importance of females becoming scientists. Directions for constructing dioramas, examples of student-made work, and creative scenes made with given craft items are provided.

Keywords

Student Attitudes toward Science, Women in Science, Dioramas, Spatial Skills, Science Careers

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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