Black Gems in STEM: An Academic Success Workbook for Grades 6-8

Description

Black Gems in STEM: An Academic Success Workbook for Grades 6-8 is an academic and activity-based workbook designed for middle school students. The purpose of the workbook is to foster the cultivation of future leaders in STEM by:

1. strengthening the students’ core fundamentals of education (reading, writing, and arithmetic) and
2. featuring Black people in STEM who can serve as role models for our children.

Each section of the workbook consists of: a biographical passage; reading comprehension questions; writing problems; mathematics problems; and a hands-on project.

• Biographical Passages – The biographical passages are either short biographies or historical fiction stories about the featured individual. Emphasis, in these passages, is placed on the individual’s contribution to the STEM fields.
• Reading Comprehension Questions ­­– Following each passage is a set of multiple choice questions related to the reading. The question types that can be found in these sections are inference, vocabulary-in-context, main idea, detail, and tone.
• Writing Problems – The writing problems involve identifying and correcting grammatical errors. One section includes a short writing prompt in lieu of the problems.
• Mathematics Problems – The math section consists of multiple choice word problems. The math concepts that are covered in these problems involve arithmetic, algebra, and geometry.
• Projects – The projects range from designing and building small scale pyramids to coding in Python. The projects relate to the area of expertise of the Black Gems in STEM and are intended to foster learning, critical thinking, and creativity.

List of featured Black Gems in STEM (in order by birth date):

• Thomas Fuller
• Benjamin Banneker
• Lewis Latimer
• George W. Carver
• Madam C. J. Walker
• Garrett A. Morgan
• Marie Maynard Daly
• Annie Easley
• Patricia Bath
• Mae C. Jemison