Million Girls Moonshot – December 2022 Resources

Posted on December 5, 2022 by - Blog, Million Girls Moonshot, STEM

Vermont Afterschool is proud to be part of the Million Girls Moonshot initiative, working to inspire and prepare the next generation of innovators by engaging one million more girls in STEM learning opportunities through OST programs over the next five years. The Million Girls Moonshot is an initiative of the STEM Next Opportunity Fund. The Million Girls Moonshot seeks to re-imagine who can engineer, who can build, who can make. See below for some information and resources that can help advance this goal!

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It’s Computer Science Week December 5-11! The Million Girls Moonshot is is excited to partner with Code.org, to expand the Hour of Code into afterschool. During Computer Science Week, tens of thousands of Hour of Code events will happen around the world. Afterschool programs in Vermont can join this effort by registering as an official event and adding their location to the global map (download the Afterschool Guide). Access the Hour of Code resources and register register here!

No Cost Professional Development

Computational Thinking and Coding Activities

    • Girls Who Code – Code at Home (Home Activities) – These activities help girls and youth build computer science skills through interdisciplinary topics with real-world application, each featuring a pioneering woman in technology. Activities include unplugged and online options of varying levels of difficulty. 

    • Hour of Code Activities (Home or Program Activities) – A collection of one-hour tutorials designed for all ages in over 45 languages. Join millions of students and teachers in over 180 countries starting with an Hour of Code!

    • PBS Kids: Teaching Coding Resources (Program Activities) – A collection of PBS Kids support videos and a self-paced educator workshop to explore the why, what, and how of creative coding for children ages 5-8.

    • Common Sense Media’s List of Cool Coding Apps and Websites for Kids (Program Activities) – This list offers ways to jump-start a coding adventure. It also encourages kids to become creators and not simply consumers of technology. Teaching everything from simple commands to complex programs, Common Sense Media’s favorite coding apps and websites come in a range of formats designed for different ages and abilities.

NASA Engineering Playlist Activities

Looking for a sequence of activities you can implement in your afterschool program today? Say goodbye to googling or searching on Pinterest. Use the following activities in sequence to support youth in building an engineering mindset with NASA activities.  

  1. How Can the Little Moon Hide the Giant Sun? (Engineering Design Process Activity) – This activity targeted for grades 3-8th offers great hands-on exploration of how distance can affect the way we perceive the size of an object. It makes a good introduction to solar eclipse as well as Sun and Moon’s sizes and distances from Earth. The idea behind this activity is very simple and the activity itself is easy to do, making it accessible even for young kids. 

  2. Design a Crew Exploration Vehicle (Engineering Design Process Activity) – Using the engineering design process,  students will design, build, test and improve a crew exploration vehicle capable of carrying two 2-centimeter-tall “passengers” and floating in water for one minute without leaking.

  3. Hubble Telescope and Careers (Career Connection) – Hubble careers are as diverse as the people who hold the jobs. Members of the Hubble team, both past and present, have come from small towns and big cities, worked in the military and in factories, knew from a young age what they wanted or slowly discovered their calling.  Meet the Hubble scientists and engineers! Great videos and activities on the Hubble site.  

  4. Women @ NASA (Role Models and Mentor Connection) – Meet Rachel Hsiong, an engineer at NASA. She is designing components of the upcoming Artemis mission to put a woman on the moon. She is proud and happy to be part of a larger team that will accomplish this great feat. 

  5. Women @ NASA (Role Models and Mentor Connection) – Meet Annette Moore,  an engineer at NASA  Meet Annette Moore and hear her inspirational story of success. Watch the video and have a discussion with the students about how they are the same/different from Ms. Moore and how they can use some of her strategies to be successful. 

Looking for EVEN More at NASA?!

Engineering is Elementary’s NASA Partnership free units – This activity toolkit features a suite of free NASA-funded STEM resources for students in grades 3-8. All resources are research-based and classroom-tested. They are designed to support students’ understanding of space, while helping them see themselves as capable problem solvers.