In 1983 President Ronald Reagan declared February 11th as National Inventors’ Day, with the date chosen in honor of the birthday of Thomas Alva Edison. The United Nations deemed the same date the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in 2015 in recognition of the contributions of women to the field. Today, we’re proud to have February 11th as a celebration of STEM excellence from all inventors all over the world.
This February 11th, take a look at our Engineering is Elementary® Storybooks for grades 1-5, featuring real-world connections that build STEM literacy and ignite imaginations ! Through the diversity of cultures represented in the stories, the mix of boys and girls, ethnicities and abilities, children are better able to see themselves in the characters represented in the stories, making learning more engaging and personal.
Try these favorites, or check out all of our engineering storybooks!
A Reminder for Emily: Emily and her family live on a ranch in the Australian outback. Although Emily loves the sheep that belong to her family, filling their water trough every day is one of her least favorite chores. Inspired by her neighbor, Pete, a retired electrical engineer, Emily realizes she could make sure she does her chores on time by creating an alarm to remind her. With Pete’s help, can Emily engineer an alarm to prove to her family that she takes her chores seriously?
Lerato Cooks Up A Plan: Now that Lerato’s older sister has a job, Lerato must care for her younger brothers and sister. When Tsoane, a woman from Lerato’s village, returns for a visit during university break, she tells Lerato about green engineering and gives her a solar oven. If used correctly, the oven could eliminate the chore of gathering firewood. Lerato must use what she knows about heat energy and green engineering to improve the solar oven so it works.
Yi Min’s Great Wall: Yi Min, a young girl living outside of Beijing, China, has a problem. A hungry bunny has started munching on the plants in her classroom garden. A trip to the Great Wall of China inspires Yi Min to enlist the help of her friend Chen in building a Great Wall of their very own. Grandfather, a former materials engineer, tells Yi Min about the materials he developed in his work. Together, Yi Min and Chen design and build a bunny-proof solution for the school garden.
Don’t miss our Make STEM HerStory flyer for even more storybook favorites, perfect for celebrating!
Plus, here are some resources so you can highlight this National Inventors’ Day:
3 Female Inventors You Should Know!
Disabled Inventors To Know
Engineering Role Models
Computer Science Role Models
And, for resources specific to Girls and Women in STEM, check out:
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day
Women’s History Month 2021 Roundup
Professional Development Resources for Female Educators
