About the Author xv Acknowledgments xvii Foreword by Dr. Tyrone B. Hayes xxi Introduction xxiii CRT, CRT, or CRT? Culturally Responsive Teaching versus Culturally Relevant Teaching versus Critical Race Theory xxvi The STEM Equity Odometer xxviii An Open Invitation to Reflect on Anti-Racism in STEM xxxvi Part 1 Connect 1 1 What Is Your Why? Our Vision 4 Justice in STEM Education 3 Recognize 5 Dismantle 10 Rebuild 12 2 Creating Your Squad: The Professional Learning Squad 15 Everyone Has a Culture 17 Culture of Power Dynamics 18 Crafting Your Squad 19 Building Collective Definitions 22 Finding a Seat at the Table 23 Building My Own Table, through STEM4Real 24 3 Who Are My Students? The Case-Study Student Analysis 27 Exploring the Case-Study Student Analysis Protocol 28 Case-Study Student Analysis through a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Lens 30 Why Are Students of Color Pushed Away from STEM? 34 Why Do This Part? What Does the Research Say about Case-Study Student Analysis? 36 A Window into the Student Is Their Family 37 The CASEL Framework: Social-Emotional Learning Is STEM Learning 39 Incorporating Cultural Relevance as a Tool for Engagement 40 Say My Name: Do Systems Stifle Relationship Building in STEM? 42 Implications for Increasing the School-to-STEM Pathways 43 4 It Takes a Village: The Families and Communities of My Context 45 Who Are Our Students? Leveraging Demographic Data 46 Data as a Storyteller 48 What’s Not in the Data? Conducting an Ethnographic Tour 49 Community Knowledge and Environmental Science 51 Survey of STEM Resources 52 STEM and Social Media 53 Who Is Responsible for STEM? 54 Expanded Learning Programs 55 Curriculum and Community: Consequences of Omitting the Community 55 Creating Access to STEM for All through Project-Based Learning 57 STEM through the Eyes of Community Events 57 Part 2 Create 61 5 Culturally Responsive Phenomena: Standard-Hook–Society (SHS) 63 Think about a Moment in Your Teaching. What Worked? What Didn’t Work? 64 What Is Phenomenon-Based STEM? 64 Phenomenon versus Topic 65 From Phenomenon to Culturally Responsive Phenomenon 67 Standard 67 Hook 68 Society 70 What Is the Why behind Your Instruction? 72 Additional Standards to Consider 73 The Phenomenon Find! 74 Intentional Inquiry versus Activity for Activity’s Sake and Whiz-Bang Science 74 6 Creating Justice-Centered STEM: The 3D5E Instructional Learning Sequence 77 The DO-KNOW-THINK Framework and 3-Dimensional Learning 79 Dimension 1: DO (More Than Just the Scientific Method) 80 Dimension 2: KNOW Core Learning Content through a Justice-Centered Lens 83 Dimension 3: Think across the Content with the Cross-Cutting Concepts 84 The Great Dreamstorm 86 The 5E Instructional Design 87 The 3D5E Instructional Learning Sequence Planner 89 What Culturally Responsive Teaching Is Not 91 7 Anticipate and Assess: Bursting the Bubble 95 Creating a 3D Assessment 96 The Do-Know-Think Frame 98 Brainstorm All the Ways to Elicit Student Sense-Making 98 What Do Students Already Know? 99 It’s Not about the Answer; It’s about the Question 99 CER and the Evidence-Gathering Organizer 102 Project-Based Learning 104 Student Voice and Student Choice 108 Modeling Iteration: Assess, Revise, Assess Again 108 The Worksheet Is Not Working: STEM Notebooking 111 Anticipate Student Responses 113 8 Observe and Debrief: Opening Our Classrooms for Student Learning 119 Creating a Mindset for Open Doors 121 Creating Indicators for Observation 122 Forms of Data Collection 126 The #4Real Observation Tool: Observation in Collaboration versus Evaluation 126 Universal Design for Learning and Teaching for Robust Understanding 128 Case-Study Student Analysis: Observation Stage 131 Observation and Anti-Racism 132 Debriefing the Observation: From Evaluative to Collaborative 133 How Does Your Observation Connect to the Student Work Artifact? 134 9 Diving into Student Work: How Are Students Demonstrating Their Understanding? 137 Recap of Our Journey: From Connecting to Creating 138 A Note on Equitable Grading 139 Grading versus Analyzing 141 Refer Back to Your 3D Learning Goal 142 Reconnect to the Lesson Debrief 145 Tools for Self-Assessment 147 Universal Design for Learning and the CAST UDL Guidelines 147 NGSS Evidence Statements 148 Metacognition 149 Example Meta-Strategic Questions 150 Analysis of Student Work as an Act of Justice 150 Part 3 Cultivate 153 10 Classroom Culture, Discourse, Identity, and Belonging 155 Audit 155 Belonging 157 Cultivate the Culture 159 It’s Never Too Early for STEM! 160 Special Education: Co-Plan, Co-Teach, Co-Assess, Co-Conspire 162 Emergent Multilingual Learner (EML) Instruction and Newcomers 163 Alternative Populations, Community Schools, and Court Schools 166 Putting It All Together: Discourse: Giving Them Something to Talk About 168 Academic Discourse around Social Justice Issues 170 Discourse Connected to the Science and Engineering Practices (Do) 171 11 The Culture of STEM: Indigenous and Ancestral Knowledge 177 Honoring Indigenous Cultures 178 Immerse in the Culture 180 Redefine the Native Narrative 181 Explore the Similarities and Differences 181 Storytelling and Wayfinding Protocol 182 The Nā Hopena A‘o (HA) Framework 184 Is the Environment Racist? Environmental Justice 185 Community, Culture, and Normalizing STEM 187 Tokenization of Indigenous Cultures 188 Nurturing and Creating an Authentic Sense of Belonging 189 12 STEM Teachers Are Not Exempt: Anti-Racism, Anti-Bias, and Cultural Responsiveness 191 Use of Street Data versus Standardized Data to Inform and Revolutionize 192 Black Students Matter 192 Black-Escalation Effect 193 Changing the Narrative through Reframing 194 Conduct the Racial Stereotypes Activity (Modified for STEM4Real) 195 LGBTQ in STEM 195 Revolutionary STEM Teaching 197 Service Learning as an Act of Anti-Bias in STEM 198 STEM or STEAM? 199 Make It Happen with Maker Education 199 Computer Science, Coding, and AI in STEM 201 Hip-Hop Hooray! 202 Hip-Hop Ed Argumentation Protocol 203 Anti-Racist Collaborative Work via Student Grouping 204 Expanded Learning Needs to Expand 206 Critical Race Theory as the Boogeyman 207 The Systems Game 208 Part 4 Commit to STEM for All 211 13 Leading and Coaching 4 JUSTICE: Transforming STEM Education 213 Recognizing Systemic Racism 214 Recognizing Situations 215 Dismantle Inequitable and Racist Systems 217 Examples of Dismantling 219 Rebuild 220 Multi-Tiered System of Support: Focus on STEM 222 The “Can’t Fail” Experiment: A Tool for Innovation 224 Questions to Ask Your Organization 226 Next Steps: Standards, Initiatives + Anti-Racism & Justice: You Don’t Have to Choose 226 STEM and Early Learning 227 School-to-STEM Career Pathways 228 Sitting in Compliance or Standing Up for Justice 229 Afterword 231 Stem for All, #4real 233 References 235 Index 237

“Bakshi McLean has created a roadmap for educators who are beginning to braid together NGSS-aligned standards, principles of belonging, and culturally responsive pedagogy. She offers a call to action to find our professional learning squad so we can collectively uplevel STEM instruction to meet the needs of all students, with a steady eye on those who have been historically marginalized.” — ZARETTA HAMMOND, teacher-educator and author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain “This is a must-read for STEM teachers and educational leaders who are passionate about inclusivity, equity of opportunity, and children’s deep learning—Dr. Bakshi McLean demonstrates the power of connecting classroom experiences with students’ cultural and family backgrounds, in ways that make every individual feel seen, heard, and capable of constructing knowledge of the world around them.” —DR. MARK WINDSCHITL, professor of Science Teaching and Learning, University of Washington A practical guide to improving STEM interest, access, and scores in students STEM for All helps teachers engage students in science and mathematics using a three-part framework that educators can pair with Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core State Standards, or other state and national initiatives. Offering a clear-cut journey from theory to practice, this book enables educators to quickly identify what students are doing and what they need to know. The lived reality of many families and students, especially in our most vulnerable populations, is an opportunity gap and a lack of access to STEM. STEM for All is an essential guide for educators, including teachers, instructional coaches, and leaders, on how to prioritize STEM subjects and create a real access point for every student, regardless of background.