Charlotte Mohling

Wessington Springs School District

Peer Alliance for Gender Equity Leadership
Program (PAGE)
Funded by NSF and hosted by MN Science
Museum
Addresses gender, racial, ability, & class-based
achievement disparities in STEM Education
PAST Foundation
Combines anthropology and STEM to promote
transdisciplinary problem-based learning

What do each of these words mean to you?
NATIONAL RESEARCH
COUNCIL
The study of the natural
world, including the laws of
nature associated with
physics, chemistry, biology
and the treatment or
application of facts,
principles, concepts, or
conventions associated with
these disciplines.
SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MN
PD DEPARTMENT
A peoples way of coming to
know the natural world and
the knowledge and
understanding that result.
NATIONAL RESEARCH
COUNCIL
Comprises the entire system
of people and organizations,
knowledge, processes, and
devices that go into creating
and operating technological
artifacts, as well as the
artifacts themselves.
SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MN
PD DEPARTMENT
Consists of all the ways and
things we develop and use to
mediate our relationships
with the world.
NATIONAL RESEARCH
COUNCIL
A body of knowledge about
the design and creation of
products and a process for
solving problems.
Engineering utilizes concepts
in science and mathematics
and technological tools.
SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MN
PD DEPARTMENT
The use of culturally available
knowledge, tools, and
materials to design solutions
to contextualized problems.
NATIONAL RESEARCH
COUNCIL
The study of patterns and
relationships among
quantities, numbers, and
shapes. Mathematics
includes theoretical
mathematics and applied
mathematics.
SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MN
PD DEPARTMENT
The language of patterns,
quantities, numbers, and
shapes that allow a cultural
group to describe, manage,
and understand their
surroundings.
Video located at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlPJ48simt
E
Dwecks Self-Theories
Fixed mindset vs. growth mindset
Helpless vs. mastery response
Focused Conversation
ORID (Objective, reflective, interpretive, and
decisional questions)
Cohens Theory on Groupwork
Delegating authority to learners
Mutual interdependence
Equalizing status
Find an interesting object. Look at
the object through your
magnifying glass. Record your
observations.
Look at this object through your
systems boundary opticon (toilet
paper tube) with the point of
interest in the center of the circle.
Make observations and record.
Take 5 steps away from your object.
Locate the same place of interest
and keep it in the center of your
opticon. Make observations and
record them.
Take 15 steps away from your
object. Find the same spot your
made observations on before and
make new observations and record
them.
REFLECTION

How are the things you chose to
observe connected to other things
around them?

Imitating life or objects in nature to solve
human challenges
Developing designs and products not in
existence
Process of discovering the technological
principles of an object by taking it apart and
carefully studying its different parts
Product Nature
Swimsuits worn by Olympic athletes Dolphin and shark skin membranes
Re-usable adhesives Powerful adhesive abilities of geckos
and lizards
Glow sticks Fireflies
Hook and loop material (Velcro) Cockleburs
Super-strong & waterproof silk fibers Spiders
Self-cleaning exterior paint, tiles,
window glass, and umbrella fabric
Slick leaves of the lotus flower plant
& natural ability to wash away dirt
particles in the rain
Carefully take apart your flower and sketch its
different components.
Describe the colors and textures of the flower.
Why was the flower created with these
materials?
Describe the overall shape and structure of the
flower. What challenge might the flower be
solving by having this shape and structure?
How could you mimic the material, color, shape,
and structure of the flower to design something
new? Sketch a new product or design.

Full lesson plan at http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/design-from-nature/
Video located at
http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichi
e_the_danger_of_a_single_story

What stood out to you in the video?
What is your own experience of either
holding or being the object of a single story?
How did that experience of a single story
either limit your own understanding or lilmit
how others perceived you?
What are some of the single stories that get
told in our profession general education,
family and consumer sciences? What might
you do to combat these single stories?
Consumer services and product development
Dietetics, nutrition and wellness
Environmental practices
Food science and innovation
Human development and parenting
Interior/textiles technologies
Package the Pringle - design package to send a single
Pringle chip through mail
Paper Cup Challenge redesign paper cup and
reduce costs
Snack Attack Food Packaging designing
packaging to product from heat and water
Snack Bag Assembly - making systems more efficient

Corpulosity: A Study of Obesity cause and effect
relationships related to adolescent obesity
M0-bility: Movement by the Numbers forces
and motion in the human body
Engineering in Sports kinetic and potential energy
Harmless Holder - invent a holder for six cans thats
animal-safe, sturdy, convenient, and easy to carry
Life After Trash - creating useful product out of trash
Oil Spill Solutions development of system for
containment and removal of oil from water
The Total Package improvement of product package
design
Guilt-Free Chocolate - food processing and
chemical engineering
Solar Cooking creation of solar cooker
Shelless Eggs chemical reaction on eggshells
Biosensors for Food Safety identification of food
contaminants
Homemade Toys creation of toys from recyclable
materials
1, 2, Robot Hands Please Tie My Shoe physical
limitations and robotics
Engineering Pop-Ups creation of pop-up books
and forces
Seeing the World Through a Different Lens
physical limitations & biomedical engineering
Green Roof Design design of heat and water-
conserving green roof of plant material
Nano Waterproofing hydrophobic effect and
waterproofing
Winter Insulation - analysis of insulation materials
Zero-Energy Home Design - passive solar heating
Household Energy Conservation & Efficiency
evaluation of energy consumption & ways to reduce
consumption
What do you have a greater understanding of
after this session?
What do you still find confusing? What would
help?
What connections are you making between
you learning today and the work in your
school?
What name would you give your learning in
this session?
eGFI Dream Up the Future (created by American
Society for Engineering Education)
http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/
Teach Engineering Resources for K-12
http://www.teachengineering.org/
The Naked Scientist Kitchen Science
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/conte
nt/kitchenscience/
Teach Health K-12
http://teachhealthk-12.uthscsa.edu/
ScienceNetLinks project of American Association of
Advancement of Science
http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/
Books
Cohen, E. G. (1994). Designing Groupwork (2
nd
Ed.). New
York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Dweck, C. S. (2000). Self-Theories.Lillington, NC:
Psychology Press.
Pranis, K. (2005). The Little Book of Circle Processes.
Intercourse, PA: The Little Books of Justice &
Peacebuilding.
Standford, R. B. (2000). The Art of Focused Conversation.
Gabriola Island, BC, CA: New Society Publishers.

Done in complete circle
Only person with talking piece talk, rest listen
Talking piece passed in clockwise direction
Person talks until finished, being respectful of
time
Talking circle complete when everyone has had
chance to talk
Person may pass talking piece without speaking
Talking piece may be passed around again
What is said in circle stays in circle
Respectful of everyone as individuals and what
they have to say