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Cuốn sách này bắt đầu như một bài tập được giao cho học sinh của chúng tôi với mục đích giúp các em hiểu cách đưa trẻ em lứa tuổi tiểu học hòa mình vào thế giới kỳ diệu và thú vị của Khoa học, Công nghệ, Kỹ thuật và Toán học (STEM). Mặc dù chúng tôi không yêu cầu học sinh của mình viết một câu chuyện (tức là tường thuật) về một người trong lĩnh vực STEM, nhưng chúng tôi đã yêu cầu các em viết tiểu sử của nhiều cá nhân khác nhau mà các em quan tâm và những người mà các em nghĩ rằng trẻ em tiểu học cũng sẽ thấy hấp dẫn. Nói cách khác, chúng tôi yêu cầu học sinh tập trung vào những đoạn trích chính trong “câu chuyện về cuộc đời” của những cá nhân trước đây hoặc hiện đang làm việc trong một trong các lĩnh vực STEM. Mục tiêu cuối cùng của chúng tôi là giúp học sinh nhận ra khía cạnh con người của STEM
Inspiring STEM Minds Inspiring STEM Minds Biographies and Activities for Elementary Classrooms Aaron D Isabelle and Nataly Z Valle State University of New York at New Paltz, USA A C.I.P record for this book is available from the Library of Congress ISBN: 978-94-6300-350-6 (paperback) ISBN: 978-94-6300-351-3 (hardback) ISBN: 978-94-6300-352-0 (e-book) Published by: Sense Publishers, P.O Box 21858, 3001 AW Rotterdam, The Netherlands https://www.sensepublishers.com/ Every effort has been made to contact the copyright holders of the figures which have been reproduced from other sources Anyone with a copyright claim who has not been properly credited is requested to contact the publishers, so that due acknowledgements may be made in subsequent editions Printed on acid-free paper All Rights Reserved © 2016 Sense Publishers No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work Table of Contents Prefacevii Acknowledgementsix Chapter 1: Introduction1 STEM Policy The History of STEM in Elementary Classrooms Purpose of the Book Organization of the Book Chapter 2: Science9 S.1 Jane Goodall S.2 Neil Degrasse Tyson S.3 Galileo Galilei S.4 Mary Anning S.5 Daniel Bernoulli S.6 Sir Isaac Newton S.7 Alfred Nobel S.8 Alfred Wegener 13 17 21 25 29 34 38 Chapter 3: Mathematics43 M.1 William Playfair M.2 Roger Penrose M.3 Emmy Noether M.4 Leonardo Pisano Bigollo (a.k.a Fibonacci) M.5 John von Neumann M.6 Georg Cantor M.7 Marin Mersenne M.8 Sofia Kovalevskaya 43 47 52 57 66 72 78 82 Chapter 4: Technology87 T.1 Ada Lovelace T.2 Steve Jobs T.3 Alan Turing T.4 Marissa Mayer 87 92 95 100 v Table of Contents Chapter 5: Engineering103 E.1 James Dyson E.2 Nikola Tesla E.3 Alexander Graham Bell E.4 Joseph Lister 103 108 113 118 Chapter 6: Concluding Remarks 123 About the Authors 125 vi Preface Let us start by telling a story – a personal story about mathematics Once upon a time there was a little girl who didn’t believe she was good at mathematics In fact, although she was a good student, her lack of confidence and quiet demeanor often made her feel invisible in the classroom One day in prealgebra class, she was introduced to inequalities and systems of equations She learned several ways to manipulate them in order to, as her teacher put it, “solve for x.” Although it would take decades for her to understand what the unknown actually was referring to in an equation, she was entranced with the mathematical process itself, seeing it as a game that had many strategies and only a few key rules Unfortunately, the game became more difficult for her as the rules and the process became more rigid as the lessons progressed Then, one day the teacher told her a story about Albert Einstein When he was working on a problem, Einstein would often take long walks outside and he especially liked to play his violin during the times when the solution proved most difficult In fact, it was during one of these intense music/ walking sessions that Einstein discovered the General Theory of Relativity Coincidentally, the girl also played the violin, and who doesn’t like taking a walk to clear one’s head? Mathematics became a game again, and the girl soon found out that not only did she enjoy this game, but that she was getting pretty good at it, too While it is clear who the little girl is, it may not be clear to the reader yet why this story is important for this book Stories compel us in many ways, evoking powerful emotions, stirring us to action, and causing us to make connections in our lives we may not otherwise Stories are important educational tools, as well, but often are not pedagogically theorized or explicitly drawn out in lesson plans as they ought to be This book began as an assignment given to our students for the purpose of getting them to understand how to immerse elementary age children into the wondrous and exciting world of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Although we did not have our students write a story (i.e., narrative) about a person in the STEM disciplines, we did have them craft biographies of various individuals who they were interested in and who they thought elementary children would also find intriguing In other words, we had our students focus on key excerpts in the “stories of the lives” of individuals who either previously or currently work in one of the STEM fields Our ultimate goal was to help our students realize the human side of STEM vii Acknowledgements We would like to extend a sincere thank you to the following individuals who contributed to this book: Brianna Aldrich Melissa Allen Marianne Badalamenti Jamie Crofoot Stephanie Flynn Leticia Fronek Noelle Grande Shayna Greenspan Melissa Hoffstatter Helen Huang MaKayla Jahn Caitlyn Lee Jennifer Lutz Sarah Manganella Bermary Maria Amanda Mastrantone Lauren McLachlan Caribel Mejia Brooke Mistretta Elizabeth Morgan Alanna O’Connor Shena Rodriguez Rebecca Rothman Alexandria Rumfola Patricia Staats-Velez Pam Sunderland Corrine Vertescher Anna Weinstein ix Chapter References Hardesty, J., & Hardesty, J (n.d.) Potential energy: How does it work? Retrieved March 11, 2014, from http://www.pbs.org/tesla/tt/tt01.html Nikola Tesla: The Genius Who Lit the World (n.d.) Retrieved from http://teslasociety.com/ biography.htm Nikola Tesla: Life and Legacy (2004) Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/tesla/ll/index.html Nikola Tesla in Strasburg, France, Where He Built the First Induction Motor (n.d.) Retrieved from http://teslasociety.com/strasbourg.htm 112 Engineering E.3 ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alexander_Graham_Bell.jpg Biographical Background Alexander Graham Bell was born on March 3, 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland Bell did a lot of work with the hearing impaired in his lifetime He followed his father’s footsteps in working with these people, but was mostly inspired by his mother He grew up with a deaf mother leading him to make the discoveries we know him for today Bell came up with a special way to communicate with her; he discovered that if he spoke close enough to the top of her head, she could feel the vibrations from his voice This sparked his passion in working with the deaf Later nicknamed, “Father of the Deaf,” Bell moved to Boston at the young age of 24 and became a teacher; he founded the “School for Deaf-Mutes.” Working with the hearing impaired day after day gave Bell a desire to invent a machine that would assist their hearing further He worked on a machine that sent sound waves from one end to another; it was a voice-transmitting device Bell was actually in the process of perfecting his device with his partner Thomas Watson, a brilliant electrician, when he accidently spilled acid all over himself Bell cried out to Watson who was in the other room the infamous words, “Mr Watson, come 113 Chapter here I want you!” and that was when Mr Watson heard a sound coming from the other end of the device This device was soon after named the “telephone” and that accidental spill led to the first telephone call ever made Although Bell successfully developed his invention, he still faced many trials for his patent He was also falsely accused for not being the first to invent the incredible machine The website, Biography, tells us that he and his company, “The Bell Company” faced 550 court cases against him, but luckily he surpassed them all (2015) The telephone was not perfected at the time of its invention, but rather was redesigned and improved upon again and again, as it still is today with our modern cell phones With the first telephone, it was necessary to shout into the line for anyone to hear; it’s amazing what modifications and advancements have been made with the technology since that historic day on March 10, 1876 Bell lived the rest of his life continually contributing to the wonderful world of technology; he later devoted time into “aerial flight” discoveries Alexander Graham Bell passed on August 2, 1922 at the age of 75 The website, Biography, also tells us that when Bell died, the telephone system was put down for one minute in memory of its marvelous discoverer (2015) Inspiring Children Alexander Graham Bell was someone that I learned about in my early years of grade school, and his contribution to technology is just as valuable as it was when I learned about him I admire the inventor not only for what he discovered, but also for his passion of working with the hearing impaired I like how he was inspired to create a machine for communication out of his passion for the people that he worked with I think that’s an important fact that many people don’t know about him or the telephone With that being said, it is also easy to see why the telephone is so important to us today, specifically to this generation with the growing usage of cell phones When introducing this inventor to elementary children, I would create a timeline of the telephone and have the class help me fill it in as best as they can, so they can see the advancements that have been made in technology The timeline on a simple scale would show the drastic difference in advances, going from a large telephone that one needed to shout into to a slim touch screen phone you can fit into your pocket It would be safe to tell the students that without Bell, they may not even have their cell phones today Depending on what grade I would be teaching, I may even be able to open up the discussion by saying, “Raise your hands if you have a cell phone,” since 114 Engineering it seems younger ages are getting them every day! I think the telephone is an excellent subject to teach about because everyone in this day can relate to it, and it’s something that has become almost necessary to have in this technology-focused generation Classroom Activity For young elementary children to gain a better understanding of how the telephone works based on sound vibrations, I think a good hands-on activity would be to have them create a simple telephone In doing this activity, students will gain a clearer understanding of how sound travels Materials Needed (per pair of students): • Two paper cups • Strand of string, at least 6–8 feet long • Pen point or scissors (anything with a sharp end) Procedure: • Explain to the class that they are going to be making their own telephone The teacher would continue to explain that they need to imagine the cup as the telephone and the string as the wire that runs from the telephone to an outlet • Students will poke a hole in the center of the bottom of their paper cup, tying a small knot on the inside to keep the cup and string intact • Each pair of students will spread out in the classroom Every student will have one cup One student will be standing with the cup at one end of the room while their partner holds the cup on the opposite end; the string should be taut • The teacher will explain to the students that while one student speaks into the cup, the other student will observe the string, taking note of what happens when words and noises are spoken into the cup (Note: students should be encouraged to lightly touch the string to feel the vibrations) • Before the children begin the experiment, the teacher will ask the class what they predict will happen when their partner speaks into the cup • The students will perform their experiment At this point, the students should be making certain observations such as “I can see the string vibrating” or “I can feel the string vibrating.” 115 Chapter • Students should be able to conclude that the sound (energy) travels (through vibrations) along the string from one end to another making the cups vibrate Our ears and brains interpret the vibrations as spoken words that we recognize This is essentially what happens inside a telephone; however, the wires used in Bell’s telephone transmit electrical signals • The students will perform the activity once again with one modification – this time they will stand closer to one another and let the string fall gently so that it is not taut The students should note if there is any difference in the quality of the sound that travels along the taut versus the non-taut string • For the third experiment, they will cut their string shorter and re-tie it into the cup, noting if the sound looks or sounds different when they have a shorter length of string between themselves (Brainpop, 2015) Connection to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Standard: K-2-ETS1 Engineering Design Performance Expectation: K-2-ETS1-1 Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool Science and Engineering Practices: Asking Questions and Defining Problems; Developing and Using Models Disciplinary Core Idea: ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems A situation that people want to change or create can be approached as a problem to be solved through engineering; asking questions, making observations, and gathering information are helpful in thinking about problems Cross Cutting Concepts: Structure and Function The shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are related to their function(s) Interdisciplinary Connections Common Core State Standards Connections: ELA/Literacy – RI.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text 116 Engineering W.1.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of “how-to” books on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions) Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) PS4.A: Wave Properties Sound can make matter vibrate, and vibrating matter can make sound 1-PS4-1 Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate References Alexander Graham Bell (2015) The Biography.com website Retrieved January 28, 2015, from http://www.biography.com/people/alexander-graham-bell-9205497 Alexander Graham Bell Activities for Kids | BrainPOP Educators (2015) Retrieved January 29, 2015, from http://www.brainpop.com/educators/community/lesson-plan/alexandergraham-bell-activities-for-kids/ Gordon, J (1991) Alexander Graham Bell Retrieved January 28, 2015, from http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/alexander-graham-bell 117 Chapter E.4 JOSEPH LISTER Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_Lister_1902.jpg Biographical Background Joseph Lister was born on April 5th of 1827 in Essex, England and was one of three children His father was Joseph Jackson Lister who was a wine merchant; he was also an amateur opticist who invented the double lens system later used in the compound microscope His mother’s name was Isabella Harris Although Lister had an early interest in surgery, his first Bachelor’s Degree was in the arts obtained in 1844 After his first degree, Lister enrolled in the University of London once again to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in medicine which he obtained in 1852 That same year, after passing all the exams that he had to take, he became a fellow in Ireland at the Royal College of Surgeons Two years later, Lister started working under the guidance of a professor of clinical surgery, James Syme in Edinburgh James Syme also later became Lister’s father-in-law because of the marriage between his daughter, Agnes and Lister When Lister was a surgeon in Edinburgh, he saw that quite a number of patients died from infections after surgery After realizing this, Lister was on the search to find out how he could stop these infections Before Lister made his discovery, surgeons believed that infections grew from within the 118 Engineering wound They didn’t take the precautions that we today by scrubbing or washing their hands, and they did not change their clothes that had blood on them already because it showed experience to have blood-stained clothes So, Lister decided to change all of these things; he washed his hands before and after surgery, and always changed his clothes when they were dirty This helped the death rate go down at many different hospitals; however, this didn’t change the procedures or precautions that anyone else took until Lister discovered the real reason why wounds got infected After reading Louis Pasteur’s research, Lister learned that germs were airborne, which means they can contaminate non-living matter, proving that infections don’t come from the wound itself Lister began testing for a solution to stop infections in wounds He learned that carbolic acid was used in sewers to exterminate the parasites that lived there First, Lister used the acid to clean his hands, instruments, and the bandages; he would soak the instruments and bandages in carbolic acid prior to a surgery Soon after, Lister invented another way to bring carbolic acid into the surgery room; he put it in a pump spray After realizing that this method worked and definitely helped to decrease the death rate from infections after surgery, many other hospitals decided to adopt Lister’s techniques and follow the procedures that he did before surgery (Note: the spray was not used for long because carbolic acid damages human flesh and breathing it is also dangerous; what was more successful were the special bandages that Lister developed which contained carbolic acid, but contained a barrier to keep it away from the skin) Due to Lister’s research and application, antiseptic surgery was born Inspiring Children I find Joseph Lister interesting because recently, I began to realize to a greater extent what a germ filled world we live in Lister realized that germs were airborne from Louis Pasteur’s research and figured out an important application for it during surgical procedures In doing so, he essentially inspired a long-line of ideas and inventions to kill germs, like hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes After reading about Lister, I realized that there really is no escape from germs, so we need to our best to prevent ourselves from getting sick by washing our hands and changing our dirty clothes My students would find Lister interesting because they most likely wonder why they need to wash their hands before and after every meal, after using the 119 Chapter bathroom, or after they come back from playing outside Learning about Joseph Lister will help children to realize that hand-washing and good sanitary habits are a necessity, not just something teachers and parents tell them to just because they want them to Classroom Activity An activity that I would have my students is one showing how germs spread, and then washing their hands as a solution to stop the spreading of the germs Materials • • • • • • Hand lotion Glitter Sink or large bucket Paper towels Soap Water Procedure • Have students put a drop of lotion on their hands and rub them together to spread the lotion out evenly • Put a pinch of glitter in the palm of each of your students’ hands • Students will make a fist with the hand that has glitter on it, then spread their fingers out Ask “What you see?” (Answer should be along the lines of glitter all over my hand.) • Now they press the palms of their hands together and pull them apart Ask “What you notice about your hands?” (Answer should be along the lines of glitter getting all over.) • Students make a handprint on a piece of white copy paper Ask: “Now you see anything on your hand?” (Answer should be yes.) • Students get a paper towel and use it to wipe their hands clean of all the glitter Ask “Is it working?” (Answer should be no.) • After using the paper towel, and failing, have the students wash their hands using soap and water Ask “Did the glitter come off?” (Answer should be yes.) 120 Engineering Using this activity, explain to the class that the glitter represents or simulates the germs in the air or on the things that we touch, except you can’t see the germs on your hands like you see the glitter Ask the students what happened when they tried to make the handprint on the paper or use the paper towel to try to remove the glitter Then conclude the activity with the fact that we need to wash our hands regularly because germs spread very easily; if you touch your face or eat with hands filled with germs, you can get very sick, and make others sick as well An extension to this activity is for children to create their own hand sanitizer Students should know that an alternative to washing their hands is using hand sanitizer which actually kills the germs Students can research which ingredient in hand sanitizers is essential in killing germs Another area of appropriate research would be on the antiseptic mouthwash, Listerine, named after Joseph Lister Connection to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Standard: 3-5-ETS1 Engineering Design Performance Expectation: ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems Possible solutions to a problem are limited by available materials and resources (constraints) The success of a designed solution is determined by considering the desired features of a solution (criteria) Different proposals for solutions can be compared on the basis of how well each one meets the specified criteria for success or how well each takes the constraints into account Science and Engineering Practices: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations Disciplinary Core Idea: 3-5-ETS1-1 Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost Cross Cutting Concepts: Influence of Engineering, Technology, and Science on Society and the Natural World (People’s needs and wants change over time, as their demands for new and improved technologies.) Interdisciplinary Connection(s) Common Core State Standards Connections: ELA/Literacy – W.5.7 Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic 121 Chapter Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) LS1.A: Structure and Function Plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction (Note: the focus here is on human immune system) 4-LS1-1 Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction (Note: although the formal introduction to cell structure and function, as well as single-celled organisms occurs in the middle grades, this is the perfect activity to introduce the concept of germs and to convey to children that there are airborne living things that can make us sick.) References Germs Science Projects (n.d.) Retrieved February 16, 2015, from http://www.hometrainingtools.com/a/germ-science-projects-for-elementary/ Lister, J (2015) The famous people website Retrieved February 16, 2015, from www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/joseph-lister-508.php Science Museum (n.d.) Brought to life: Exploring the history of medicine Retrieved February 16, 2015, from http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/people/ josephlister.asp 122 Chapter Concluding Remarks The activities in this book are meant to inspire teachers to bring the human aspect of STEM education into their classrooms while still aligning with their existing curriculum and the National Standards; however, we encourage teachers to modify each classroom activity to better suit their grade level, as well as the needs of their particular children Since this book is a rather short list of STEM biographies and related activities, they are meant to model how biographies in STEM can be effectively used in the elementary classroom It is our hope that these biographies about mathematicians, scientists, engineers, and inventors (or technological experts) inspire children and adults alike Guided by the recommendations of NCTM, NGSS, CCSS, and Partnership of 21st Century Skills, to name only a few, the biographies and classroom activities in this book promote authentic problem-based, inquirybased learning Due to various time constraints and other external factors in elementary classrooms, it can be a challenge to incorporate fun meaningful, and content rich activities in a consistent basis We hope that this book inspires teachers to continue with their exemplary work and emphasis on STEM learning References 21st Century Community Learning Centers (2003, February) Non-regulatory guidance: U.S Department of education office of elementary and secondary education academic improvement and teacher quality programs America Competes Act (2007) One hundred eleventh congress of the United States of America at the second session (H R 511, Public Law 110-69), August Bement, A., Dutta, D., & Patil, L (2015) Educate to innovate: Factors that influence innovation: Based on input from innovators and stakeholders Washington, DC: The national academic press, national academy of engineering, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign Brown, R., Brown, J., Reardon, K., & Merrill, C (2011) Understanding STEM: Current perceptions Technology and Engineering Teacher, 70(6), 5–9 Bybee, R (2010) Advancing STEM education: A 2020 vision Technology and Engineering Teacher, 30–35 Dejarnette, N K (2012) America’s children: Providing early exposure to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) initiatives Education, 133(1), 77–84 123 Chapter Hagen, J B (2000) Innovations in education: Using history of science in college biology courses History of Science Society Newsletter, 29(4) Retrieved from http://www.hssonline.org/publications/newsletter_oct00.html Matthews, M R (1994) Science teaching: The role of history and philosophy of science New York, NY: Routledge National Core Arts Standards: Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts (NCCAS) (2014) Retrieved from http://nationalartsstandards.org/ National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM] (2014) Principles to action: Ensuring mathematical success for all: Executive summary Retrieved from http://www.nctm.org/uploadedFiles/Standards_and_Focal_Points/Principles_to_Action/ PtAExecutiveSummary.pdf National Educational Technology Standards (2015) International society for technology in education (ISTE) Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Offices (2010) Common core state standards for mathematics Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/Math National Research Council (2012) A framework for K-12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas Washington, DC: The National Academies Press NGSS Lead States (2013) Next generation science standards: For states, by states Washington, DC: The National Academies Press Rising above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future (2007) Committee on prospering in the global economy of the 21st century: An agenda for American science and technology, committee on science, engineering, and public policy Washington, DC: The national academic press, National academy of sciences, national academy of engineering, institute of medicine Sanders, M (2009) STEM, STEM education, STEM mania Technology Teacher, 68(4), 20–26 Zimmer, J E (2015) Using history and biographies in science Retrieved from http://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Help/13/Using-History-and-Biographies-inScience/88 124 About the Authors Aaron D Isabelle joined the School of Education at the State University of New York at New Paltz in 2003 During his initial appointment as Assistant Professor of Science Teacher Education in the Department of Elementary Education, Dr. Isabelle served as Coordinator of the Master of Science in Teaching (M.S.T.) program He then served as Chair of the Department of Elementary Education from 2008–2011 Dr. Isabelle was promoted to Associate Professor in 2009, was the 2013 recipient of the Provost Award for Excellence in Teaching, and currently serves as Associate Dean of the School of Education and Coordinator of the Master of Science in Education (MS.Ed.) program Previously, Dr Isabelle was an Assistant Professor of Elementary Education for years at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania and also served as Program Director He completed his doctoral work at Clark University in 2000 with a focus on storytelling in science, and his passion for teaching and research in science education are a direct result of his practical experiences as a teacher of general science to middle school students in Worcester, Massachusetts Dr Isabelle is an active member of the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) serving as a manuscript peer reviewer, conference proposal reviewer, and previously serving on the committee for professional development He currently serves as the Assistant Editor of The Science Teachers’ Bulletin, the official journal of the Science Teachers’ Association of New York State (STANYS) He has authored or co-authored numerous articles on university-school partnerships, alternate conceptions in science, and inquiry-based teaching methods for improving the teaching and learning of science In addition to frequent presentations of his scholarly work at local, national and international conferences, Dr Isabelle’s work has realworld application in the form of professional development workshops for elementary and middle school teachers and university-school partnership initiatives 125 About the Authors Nataly Z Valle is an Assistant Professor at the State University of New York at New Paltz Her primary teaching responsibilities are elementary mathematics pedagogy courses Dr Valle also teaches several STEM related graduate courses; of particular note is a workshop in environmental/ outdoor education, which focuses on integrating environmental and sustainability awareness and experiences in elementary mathematics and science curricula Prior to coming to SUNY New Paltz in 2014, Dr Valle taught at Bergen Community College and was a graduate research assistant at Montclair University, where she completed her doctoral studies Her dissertation work analyzed the philosophical assumptions embedded in STEM education policies and initiatives Her public education teaching career began in 2001 in a middle school just outside the New York City limits, where she taught mathematics and writing It was there that she experienced first hand the difficulties that many students face learning mathematics and the vital role social and cultural influences play both in and outside the classroom This book stems from her continuing mission to help children succeed and feel empowered in their mathematical abilities Currently, Dr Valle is the coordinator of the Master of Science in Teaching Graduate Program She is a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the International Mathematics Education Society She has authored several peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and presented in local, national, and international conferences Dr Valle’s area of specialization is in STEM policy and mathematics pedagogy Her research interests focus primarily on the way in which mathematics is entwined with society at large, particularly in relation to social justice and ecological issues Her other interests are understanding how the philosophical assumptions about the nature of mathematics influences pedagogical and curricula choices When she is not writing or teaching, she enjoys visiting schools and sharing her knowledge and experience Last, but certainly not least, Dr Valle facilitates a free after school club, called Numeracy Club, that aims to inspire elementary children (and pre-service teachers) about the engaging fun world of mathematics, science, technology, and engineering 126