Profile: The Gender Chip Curriculum

"The Gender Chip Curriculum," designed by Dr. Samuel D. Henry and Educational Leadership doctoral student Wendi Laurence, has been web published and is available for classroom use.

The curriculum, completed last November, under a National Science Foundation( NSF) grant, accompanies the documentary film, The Gender Chip: the story of five college women and their mentors studying in science, mathematics and technology careers. With lessons and units for boy and girls grades 4 and up, the curriculum promotes study, advising, and mentoring, as well as deeper understanding of the historic and current participation of women in science.

Henry, whose mother was a pioneer Black & female chemist at NIH during the 1950s, has designed numerous curricula including one for the Nathaniel Allen House Museum in West Newton, MA and co-designed the MA/MS FastTrack in addition to the Migration Studies graduate study abroad experience for teachers. He received a master's degree in curriculum development from Columbia University Teachers College and has been on the faculty for 14 years. Laurence, herself an elementary science teacher, also works with the PSU Center for Science Education, and promotes new approaches to science education assessment.

The curriculum has been web published by The Media Working Group and is available in pdf format for downloads by classroom teachers at www.genderchip.org/toolkit/curricula1.html