Seeing the I in Science: Diversity in Science Fiction
My students need science themed books with protagonists of color, such as Shadowshaper, The Summer Prince, and Binti, to connect and engage with science and literacy.
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
My students come from across New York City and make up a school community that is mostly minority backgrounds. Our school demographics are 62% Hispanic, 28% Black, 5% Asian, and 3% White, with 85% of students receiving free or reduced lunches. My students come to school every day from all five boroughs with various needs, persevering against all the challenges life has thrown at them.
I have students who come to school with so little; students coming to school without breakfast, and without backpacks.
Some cannot live at home with their parents, and some do not even have place to call home. Our students deal with many challenges, including mental health issues, domestic violence, and pregnancies and often it is a staff member who is there for a student no matter the situation. Whether it is showing up to a basketball game, bringing flowers to a theater performance, or providing a collared shirt before an interview, we try to support our students however we can.
My Project
Often curriculum texts reflect the thoughts and opinions of white male authors, yet I work in a school where minority backgrounds are the majority. My students do not see their own views and ethnicities represented, and that lack of representation has repercussions. Fewer minority students graduate high school wanting to go into STEM fields compared to white students. When students do not see themselves reflected in texts, they do not see themselves as scientists, doctors, engineers, or astronauts. And no student will engage and be willing to read when they cannot imagine themselves in what they read.
I want to create a classroom filled with books that reflect my students, encouraging them to read and believe that they can be part of STEM fields when they grow up.
Reading is a skill students need across all subjects, and I have seen students with low reading comprehension completely tune out of science classes because they cannot engage with the textbooks and articles. These science based novels will show my students that people who look and sound like them can be part of STEM fields and inspire them to take an interest in science and technology. Through reading books that students are interested in, they will also build strong, lasting literacy skills that will aid their learning in the classroom. These books will also help build bridges to science content, and allow us to unpack the science concepts behind science fiction. These teen oriented titles will hook my students on reading and open up a variety of different scientific wonders and fields for my students to explore.
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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