Danielle Spencer – Australian Science

If Ada can, so can we

Danielle Spencer — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 00:03:30 +0000

I have written before about the need to encourage our girls to pursue science in school and beyond. From my experience, girls at school are often reluctant to participate in science at first, until they are shown the possibilities that science offers. Girls need people to aspire to. Girls need to be shown that they are just as capable. With the recent celebration of Ada Lovelace Day last month, I set two of my young 12 year old female students on a mission: to find out about the significance of the day and explore the roles of females in science. The following piece is their writing.

Ada Lovelace was born in 1815 and died in 1852. She was the daughter of the famous poet Lord Byron and Anne Isabella Byron. Her parents separated when she was only 1 month old which made her life very hard and held her back from being successful. Despite this, Ada Lovelace was a mathematician at a time when females were not into those kinds of things. We now have a day in October every year to remember and celebrate what she did and what other women do in science.

Back then science wasn’t something that women did, so men would just do it. Women were not known for being scientists. Women didn’t work as much as men did. Women were the ones who looked after the house while men were at work. It would not be common for women to be seen working back when Ada was young. Ada never had a female scientist to influence her but she still went for it. Maybe having hardship like when her parents separated made her not worry what people thought. There were still a few female scientists but not enough to show that women were just as important as men.

Women were very courageous to be scientists back then because men were always the ones with the good jobs while women were mostly at home. There are more women role models these days to encourage young women to become scientists. This means that more women want to be equal to men and have just as good jobs. Now women have just as many rights as men do and this is a good thing because women are standing up for themselves and taking part in jobs that only men used to do. One of the reasons this is happening is because there are more female scientists to be role models for other women.

It is important for girls like us to have good female scientist role models because even if someone doesn’t like science as much as others they still get the idea that women are allowed to be scientists without men over-taking them. Girls like us find it good to have these sorts of role models because that makes us not only think about male scientists but women scientists and for once females are equal to men in science.

We personally would not enter a science field because that isn’t on our radar and neither of us think it’s the kind of thing that we would be great at. But that doesn’t mean that science is for males. All it means is that we would not like to be scientists. There are plenty of girls out there who do want to be scientists because there are more females who are encouraging them to be what they want to be. I think that science is not something that only one gender can do. Both male and female are able to do science because it’s not like males are smarter than females and both genders can be anything that they want to be. I think that female scientists have definitely grown from where they used to be. Overall women scientists did become as equal to men, thanks to people like Ada Lovelace.

Eva Hall & Rowena Fuhlbohm

Now neither Eva nor Rowena is particularly gifted in science but they are inquisitive and eager young things. I would also imagine that neither of these girls will enter science fields professionally, but what was important for them I think, are the following highlights;

they collaborated on this piece together,
they completed this piece of writing in addition to their normal curricular studies,
they believe in gender equality in science, and
they believe that women like Ada Lovelace led the way.

Cite this article:
Spencer D (2013-11-13 00:03:30). If Ada can, so can we . Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/women-in-science-2/if-ada-can-so-can-we/

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Where does the Sun Go at Night?

Danielle Spencer — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 00:20:07 +0000

Most of us are curious beings and we attempt to make meaning from our lives, our world, the universe and all the ‘stuff’ within. Children are no different and they often have built elaborate ideas for why things happen. Quite often though, the ideas are disorganised or have no scientific basis. These preconceived misconceptions may be deeply rooted and very difficult to shift. This is particularly so for concepts regarding space.

As a diagnostic assessment to my current space unit, I wanted to assess my student’s preconceived ideas about the Earth, Sun and moon system. By Grade 7 (age 11- 12), students will have completed two previous science units on space and have observed phenomena from the sun and moon on countless occasions. Despite this, a significant portion of both classes I assessed (n = 46) had a limited understanding of scientific explanations and had built their own misunderstandings for various phenomena such as day / night, moon phases, seasons and the tides.

Question	Correct	Most Common Misconception	Sample Responses
Where does the Sun go at Night?	n = 11	the sun moves to the other side of the earth(n= 21).	the sun goes behind the moon (n=7)to space behind the cloudsthe sun and the moon both shine on different parts of the EarthThe sun rotates around our planet so when the sun passes us we have daylight.It goes around the galaxy
Why does the moon change shape at night?	n = 10	The clouds are covering it(n=7)	the moon has different partsthe moon is a planet so it will keep movingbecause of the seasonsbecause the dark side changes each nightit’s getting lateonly some of it can light upit came out earlier and the sun rotates around itother planets get in between the moon and the sun
Why can you see the moon during the day?	n = 4	clear sky (n = 4)	Because there are no clouds to cover it upYou might not be fully around to see itThe moon might be moving to Europe* several children provided no response to this question (n=24)
Why do we have seasons?	n = 3	We are closer to the sun in summer (n = 10)	if we are facing the Sun that’s summer, if we are not facing the Sun that’s winterit gives the universe time to blend togetherthe weather causes themin winter the moon is out more so its colder, in summer the Sun is out more so its warmerit happens when the moon goes around the earthglobal warming caused themsometimes the planet doesn’t always orbit the sunthey change when the moon orbits around the earth
Why do we have tides?	n = 7	The moon is a water magnet / magnetic forces (n = 7)	The moon makes light waves that moves the waterThe waves push the waterWhen two plates under the ocean move it causes the water in the ocean to moveThe windThe moon changes shapeThe earth turning

Now other than being highly entertaining to read, identifying children’s misconceptions is an important part of science teaching. Whilst admittedly some of the above responses may have been guesses, the children were asked to provide their best reason. The responses included here are a sample of the wide variety provided by the children.

For children to alter their preconceived ideas, they must face an unsettling period of cognitive dissonance. Teachers must expose the children to enough examples that challenge the child’s way of thinking. Mostly in science, this is done through experiential learning. When children witness with their own eyes something that is in conflict with their preconceived misconceptions they begin to alter their understandings to a more accurate scientific accurate way of thinking.

The challenge then for learning concepts about the Earth, Sun and moon system is to provide the children with a variety of models to demonstrate space phenomena. Polystyrene balls become model Earths, torches become suns, Oreo biscuits can become moons. Thankfully there is a wide range of interactive resources available to support the learning as well. One of my favourites would be the Sun Moon Scope on http://www.solarsystemscope.com/sunmoonscope/ which enables the children to select any date of the year to observe the trajectory of the Sun and determine the moon phase. With this resource, children can see cyclical change in moon phases. Oreo Moon Phases

Obviously, it is my aim that by the summative assessment stage of this unit most of the children will be able to answer the diagnostic assessment questions with greater scientific accuracy and clarity. Reminds me though of the study by the Australian Academy of Science earlier this year, where some 40% of those people surveyed did not know that it takes one year for the Earth to orbit the Sun. Seems some misconceptions are hard to shift. Just as I tell the children, we must keep on learning.

Cite this article:
Spencer D (2013-09-04 00:20:07). Where does the Sun Go at Night? . Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/education/where-does-the-sun-go-at-night/

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Seriously, NAPLAN to include Science?

Danielle Spencer — Thu, 02 May 2013 00:09:23 +0000

In the last few weeks in Australian politics there have been critical discussions regarding the inclusion of science in NAPLAN (the National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy). Without entering too much into the debate regarding the reported advantages or disadvantages of NAPLAN, it is heartening to hear that science is at the forefront of political agenda.

NAPLAN is a series of standardised testing given to all Australian students in Grades 3, 5, 7 and 9. Beginning in 2008, these pencil/pen and paper tests assess children in set skills relating to reading, language conventions, writing and numeracy. ACARA, Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, claim that “NAPLAN tests identify whether all students have the literacy and numeracy skills that provide the critical foundation for their learning, and for their productive and rewarding participation in the community

Cite this article:
Spencer D (2013-05-02 00:09:23). Seriously, NAPLAN to include Science? . Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/education/seriously-naplan-to-include-science/

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The Story of a River

Danielle Spencer — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:02:21 +0000

Every now and then you do a lesson that sticks. ‘The Story of a River’ is a simple interactive demonstration lesson, yet it provides a provocative view on environmentalism and sustainable practices. The original version “Who Polluted the Potomac

Cite this article:
Spencer D (2013-03-07 00:02:21). The Story of a River. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/the-story-of-a-river/

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Talking the Language of Science

Danielle Spencer — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:35:34 +0000

I have mentioned before that part of the reason why I like science so much is that you get to play with stuff. It might come as no surprise then that I begin each year with a game called “Mrs Spencer Says

Cite this article:
Spencer D (2013-02-21 00:35:34). Talking the Language of Science. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/education/talking-the-language-of-science/

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We’re Just Playing. Science by Stealth

Danielle Spencer — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:25:23 +0000

One of my students asked me the other day why I like science so much. “Easy

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The Gender Myth and Science. Our Response at SC@M

Danielle Spencer — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 01:09:05 +0000

Girls are just not as good at science as boys. Men do hard sciences, women do soft sciences. Gender stereotypes have existed long-term throughout the spectrum of sciences. Most people have witnessed it first-hand. Patients question expert female doctors, yet implicitly trust their male counterparts. Laboratories are full of female scientists with male leads. Why do we trust the judgement of men in science before females? Just where do these gender stereotypes come from and when do children start believing in them?

SC@M (Science Club at Mitchelton State School) began mid-2012, attracting 45 students from Grades 4-7. Of the applicants, 21 were girls, 24 were boys with their ages ranging from 9-12 years. Included in the SC@M application process, students were asked a series of gender and science related questions to elicit their current opinions. Not surprisingly, some of our SC@M applicants did indeed hold some gender stereotypical views, which were compelling to examine. Unexpectedly, it was a minority of applicants that held these views.

Question 1: Boys understand science easier than girls. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

*Agree n = 15*	*Disagree n =30*
*Boys like it moreBoys listen more, girls talk too muchAll the famous scientists seem to be maleMost scientists on TV are male***	Boys and girls learn the sameGirls listen better so they understand moreBoth girls and boys can be good at scienceYou just have to work hard

Question 2: Men are better at science jobs than women. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

Agree n = 12

Disagree n = 33

Women are not as good at maths Most scientists are men Men are braver Men think it’s more fun

Men can deal with more energy correlations and stuff

Boys do technology stuff

They are equal, we have equal rights It just depends on how hard you push yourself Men may be stronger but science doesn’t require strength I have only ever been taught science by ladies

Notably, of the children who agreed with these statements, several described the dominance of male scientists portrayed by the media. Doesn’t every Australian know of Dr. Karl? He hosts radio talk-back science shows and Sleek Geeks on ABC TV, is the science-guru guest on numerous morning shows and the author of over 30 books. Many would consider Dr Karl as the face of Australian science. This misrepresentation of science and gender subtly endorses the view that boys are simply better at science.

It was pleasing to note that the majority of our applicants disagreed with these statements and most suggested that science was accessible to both genders. Given current research suggests girl’s interest in science diminishes towards late high school, it would be worthwhile to re-examine this same cohort of children at a later stage to determine any change.

Question 3: Currently there are more men in some science jobs (like engineering) than women. Why do you think this is so?

Typical responses

Men like it more. Women don’t want to get dirty.Men are stronger.Boys just like building things.

Women have a family.

It’s too hard for girls.

Girls like dancing and other jobs.

Women are more suited to caring and developing jobs like childcare and nursing.

There has always been more men in engineering.

Although 75% of applicants thought that science was accessible for them, the majority of children responded with gender-biased statements when responding to Question 3. Sadly, none of the applicants provided an opposing side. Women are under-represented in engineering fields and other physical sciences. We need strategies to encourage girls to enter these fields, not allow them to simply accept that “it is just too hard for girls

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