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Mrs Diaz,
Engaging students in science, especially female students, is as easy as providing Reality Based Instructions into the topic. Take for example the topic of “Erosion”, which when expressed as the result of tools used by “Mother Nature” gives each child a visual that causes Erosion. Mother Nature, like Dad’s all across the world, has a toolbox she uses to “change the face of the world”.
Introduce how the “Water Cycle”, especially the components of the cycle, are tools found within Mother Nature’s Toolbox. Show videos that showcase a few of her tools and share how Mothers at home have these same tools when they work within their gardens.
Showcase how Four Tools Mother Nature uses are: Ice Wedging, used when water enters the pores and cracks of rock - freezes and as the water turns into ice, the ice expands and cracks or breaks the rock into sentiment. Mom uses this method to chill soft drinks; water gets into the pores and cracks of ice, and the temperature difference causes the ice to crack and break into pieces.
Another tool Mother Nature uses is Plant Roots, which spread throughout the ground, the root hairs sense moistures and minerals within rock - directing the roots to dig into rock, grabbing hold to rock, and crushing same for the moistures and minerals inside the rock. Mom finds this within her yard garden, and everyone can see how tree roots are up throughout sidewalks.
A third tool are animals who reside below and above the ground. Humans are classic examples of above ground animals who uses our hands and other tools to dig into the ground, while changing the face of the Earth. We are Tools Mother Nature uses, especially at Construction Sites. Below ground animals, such as gofers, will dig and remove rocks in their path. The removal of a rock, that is currently holding up soil, will result in a cave in from the top of the biosphere downward to where the rock once stood.
There is another I could mention here, and many others, but I believe the ones mentioned has gotten your attention as it will your students. Have your students work in small groups and come up with four of their own (tools found within Mother Nature’s Toolbox) and outline how each are used to “Change the Face of the Earth”.
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