Observed annually on February 11th, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science globally acknowledges the vital contributions of women and girls to STEM fields. This day offers an opportunity for educators to highlight famous women in science and also create learning experiences that engage students in hands-on learning activities.
As students participate in hands-on STEM activities, they begin to see themselves as scientists and engineers. The learning experiences below highlight the work of extraordinary women whose contributions continue to shape their fields—and whose stories help make science accessible, meaningful, and inspiring for every student in your classroom.
Elementary School (K–2): Scientists Are Curious Observers
Jane Goodall – Observation and Behavior
Invite students to follow Jane Goodall’s example and observe animals through a scientist’s lens. Have them watch class pets, playground birds, insects, or even livestream videos of animals. They can record what they notice through drawings or simple charts, then share and discuss their observations to see how careful watching helps scientists learn. Goodall’s pioneering work started with patient observation—something even the youngest learners can try to understand.
Supplement learning by creating personalized learning activities for students to use as part of a learning center. This activity is made using the Canvas feature of Google Gemini and includes a video, audio links to higher-level vocabulary terms, and an animal observation activity.
Marie Curie – Exploring Invisible Forces
Help students learn that scientists study things they can’t always see through typical magnet investigations. Ask your class to test which classroom objects are attracted to magnets, sort their findings, and look for patterns. Connect student observations to Marie Curie’s exploration of radioactivity, another invisible force. PHET (reviewed here) offers several engaging magnet simulations, perfect for early elementary students, including “John Travoltage,” which explores static electricity.
Upper Elementary (Grades 3–5): Scientists Test Ideas and Solve Problems
Katherine Johnson – Math in Motion
Katherine Johnson’s mathematical work helped astronauts travel safely to and from space. Your students can explore the power of math in science by designing and launching paper rockets at different angles. Have them measure the distance traveled, graph their results, and discuss how math helps scientists make predictions.
Try this interactive Paper Rocket Launch Simulator created with Canva for Education’s (reviewed here) AI Code. Ask students to print or take a screenshot of their journal to share, helping guide further instruction.
Ellen Ochoa – Engineering for Solutions
Astronaut and engineer Ellen Ochoa’s career exemplifies how engineers solve real-world problems. Challenge your students to try this water-filtration activity from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. During the activity, students design filters using materials like sand, gravel, cloth, or coffee filters, then test water clarity before and after filtration. As students explore options for designing filters, look for ways to encourage them to use the results to continue to improve water clarity.
Middle School (Grades 6–8): Science Uses Evidence to Explain and Protect Our World
Rosalind Franklin – Seeing the Invisible
Middle schoolers are ready to extract DNA from strawberries using soap, salt, and alcohol, a tangible way to observe something usually invisible to us. You’ll find complete instructions here. This experiment is also a perfect opportunity to discuss the importance of collaboration and recognition in science, given Franklin’s critical yet often overlooked contributions to the discovery of DNA’s structure.
Take your study of Rosalind Franklin further with an AI-powered interactive chat experience that lets students “talk” with Rosalind Franklin at SchoolAI (reviewed here). SchoolAI includes real-time monitoring, chat summaries, and provides insights into students’ thinking to support accountability and make learning with chatbots a safe learning experience.
Sylvia Earle — Studying Earth’s Systems
Sylvia Earle, a renowned ocean explorer, has devoted her career to the protection and comprehension of marine ecosystems. Have students simulate ocean acidification by adding carbon dioxide (using a straw or another safe method) to water containing a pH indicator, then observe the changes and discuss the impacts on marine life. Find complete instructions for this activity, including posters, graphs, and student materials, at this BioInteractive site.
High School (Grades 9–12): Science Advances Society and Raises Important Questions
Jennifer Doudna – Modeling Gene Editing
Jennifer Doudna won the 2020 Nobel Prize for her work on CRISPR, a tool that acts like “molecular scissors” to edit DNA. Students can model DNA with paper strips or digital tools and try editing sequences themselves. This activity is also a great chance to discuss the ethical questions that come with such powerful technology. For a fun extension, the Unlock CRISPR game offers an interactive activity with worksheets and a teacher’s guide.
Chien-Shiung Wu – Modeling Radioactive Decay
Physicist Chien-Shiung Wu’s groundbreaking work in radioactive decay made abstract physics concepts concrete. Your students can experience this by using coins or dice to model radioactive decay, graphing their results, and analyzing patterns. The story of Wu provides a critical opportunity to examine the historical tendency to overlook the significant contributions of women and minority scientists.
February 20’s Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day is more than a single celebration—it’s a powerful reminder of how essential it is to help every learner, especially girls and students from underrepresented groups, see themselves in STEM. By connecting hands‑on activities with the real women scientists and engineers who shaped these fields, we help students build not just scientific knowledge but scientific identity. And while the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11 has passed, its message carries forward throughout the month. Together, these February observances encourage us to keep elevating women’s voices in STEM and to create learning experiences that empower students to imagine themselves as part of STEM’s future.
We’d love to hear from you! How are you supporting girls and underrepresented learners in STEM, especially as we celebrate Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day? Add your thoughts and ideas in the comments below.