What grade do you teach?

sixth grade
What discipline of science do you teach? general science
What is the distribution of male and female students in your class?
1st hour: 16 girls and 17 boys
2nd hour: 17 girls and 15 boys
3rd hour: 9 girls and 22 boys (this class is also a co-taught with special ed
students)
4th hour: 15 girls and 19 boys
Total: 57 girls and 73 boys = 130 total
How is your class structured - hand-on, discussion, or lecture? My class is
mainly hands-on with class discussions. Very limited lecture.
Is the class required or optional? My sixth grade science class is required.
What literature do you incorporate in your classroom? What specific
textbooks? Our district uses a program called Premier Science that was
produced by Frey Scientific. It is a series of inquiry activities and cd-rom
information. The copyright was 2002.
Do you do anything to support inclusion of the genders? I always try to pair
students up into teams of 2 boys and 2 girls for teams whenever possible.
Do you teach examples of both male and female scientists? Whenever possible,
I include both examples of male and female scientists. This is not always easy.
What is the distribution of grades across male and female students? I have a
fairly even distribution of both male and female at different levels (A,B,C etc.).
Currently, I have slightly more boys struggling getting D's or E's. Most of this is
attributed to work completion.

Is there a difference in class participation between male and female students? I

use a random student selector to pick students for answering questions. This
allows for a varied participation. Students also work with teams and each
student is assigned a job (recorder/reader/gather materials/reporter) and these
jobs rotate each lab.
Do you feel that male students are more encouraged to pursue STEM careers?
I feel our district does a good job of encouraging both genders to enter STEM
careers.
Do you discuss gender inclusion with your colleagues? We discuss this on
occasion.
Do you have any opinions on gender inclusion in science classrooms? I feel that
the way my classroom is set up, it encourages and includes all students.
Do you see students of a certain demographic more engaged in a topic than
others? If so, do you modify your lesson plans to include other students? I
often find that my economically disadvantaged students struggle a bit more.
They often do not have the background knowledge or experiences. Many have
moved frequently and there are gaps in their education, so they don't feel as
confident in their learning and participation. I try to meet with these students in
smaller informal groups during lunch or recess. We also have a short 15 minute
end of the day period where we can work with students.