Name/Period: ______

THA #2

Annotate the article by doing the following:

  • Commenting on 3 things that surprised you in the margins.
  • For each of the 5 myths, highlighting the main“truth” that is given to prove it wrong.
  • Defining “gender gap” and 1 other unknown word or idea here and circling them in the article: ______

Closing the Gap

FEB 24, 2016, by Kio Herrera, Time for Kids

In the field of engineering, men hold most of the jobs. But DiscoverE is hoping to change that. On February 25, DiscoverE, formally known as the National Engineers Week Foundation, will celebrate its annual Girl Day, dedicated to inspiring girls to pursue engineering careers.

Although women fill close to half of all jobs in the U.S. economy, they hold less than 25% in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The agency also reported that women hold a very low share of college degrees in these fields, particularly in engineering.

With such a large gender gap in STEM jobs across the country, DiscoverE says its goal is to demonstrate to girls the different fields available to them. It also intends to debunk the various myths that may be causing girls to shy away from this line of work. Time for Kids spoke with Valecia Maclin, a director of cybersecurity at Raytheon, a technology company and one of DiscoverE’s corporate partners. Maclin addressed the five most common myths that the company has observed about engineers.

Myth #1: Engineers aren’t creative.

According to Maclin, the opposite is true. “Engineers need to be very creative in order to solve problems,” she says. And girls, Maclin adds, are great at problem solving.

Myth #2: Engineering is harder for girls, mathwise.

Maclin finds that math is an equalizer, meaning that it allows students to be on an equal level, no matter what their gender is. “Math is either right or wrong and always equal,” she says. “That equal sign meant that I was equal to all the boys in my class.”

Myth #3: You’ll be the only girl in your engineering class.

Maclin admits there are usually very few girls in engineering classes. Such was the case in her own experience, but rarely will there be only one girl in the class. She believes that this can work in favor of girls. “No one will forget who you are and everyone will know who you are,” Maclin says. She adds that the pressure of being part of a small group can do more to fuel determination, rather than intimidation.

Myth #4: You’ll get paid less than the male engineers.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women working full time only make about 79% of what men earn. However, STEM careers are usually in such high demand that even starting salaries are high. “In engineering, your performance is the driving force behind what you get paid, regardless of your gender.” Maclin says.

Myth #5: You have to work with nerds who love videogames and build robots for fun.

Maclin admits to loving this misconception, and attributes it to what kids see on television and social media. “The engineer is always seen as the smartest person in the room who doesn’t get along with people, and that could not be farther from the truth,” she says. Engineering is collaborative, according to Maclin, It takes a team to build anything from apps to programs used by the U.S. government that are expected to work properly.

Maclin hopes that exposing the truth behind these myths will help kids, and girls in particular, to see that engineering is a fun and creative career path. She also hopes that tech-savvy kids will pursue careers in the field because many already have a good foundation. “Today most kids know how to use cell phones and apps, and how to send instant messages to their friends,” Maclin says. “What they don’t realize is that all those things were created by engineers.”

1)What is the topic of this article? (Topic: In one or two words, say what this article is about.)

2)Which sentence best summarizes the central idea of this article?

a)Boys are better than girls at math.

b)Engineering jobs are only for nerds.

c)Men hold most engineering jobs.

d)Girls should seek jobs in engineering.

3)What is the central idea of the bolded paragraph?

a)Only popular, noticeable women take engineering classes.

b)Being one of the few women in a class can push you to succeed.

c)Ms. Maclin was one of the only women in her engineering classes.

d)Being a woman in engineering classes can be frightening.

4)Which of the following details would NOT belong in this article?

a)Girls who want to become teachers will likely have lots of women in their college classes.

b)Girls should learn about female role models who work in STEM fields.

c)Real-world, problem-solving activities can show girls how science and technology can be fun.

d)Girls need early experiences with science and math games and activities.

5)What is the most important thing for girls to know about jobs in STEM? Write an SREE.

6)How does this article affect your thinking about gender and STEM?