On March 2, 2018, CTI brought 70 books to Ted Miracle’s classroom at Devonshire Elementary School. Dr. Miracle, one of CTI’s crowdfunding grant recipients, received $500 of books to help implement his CTI-inspired, original curriculum unit, “Living Memorials to Spectacular Scientists, Engineers, and Mathematicians.” Dr. Miracle developed his unit as a 2017 CTI Fellow in the Memorials, Memories, and American Identity seminar. These 3rd grade students were overjoyed to see these new books donated to their classrooms. They also had a special visit from CTI Seminar Leader Emily Makas, architectural historian at UNC Charlotte, Scott Gartlan, CTI executive director, and Robin Mara, CTI associate director.
Through his CTI-inspired curriculum unit, Dr. Miracle seeks to inspire the next generation of scientists by introducing his students to underrepresented (e.g., African-American, Hispanic, female) scientists, mathematicians, and engineers. To do so, his students will read biographies of great leaders in STEM fields. Then, after choosing one especially inspirational to them, the students will research and build a memorial poster that they present to their class. The goal is to get students excited to excel in school and follow in the footsteps of scientists from long ago.
This project for 3rd grade students meets a critical need in education today and in the lives of the students in Dr. Miracle’s class. These books feature main characters that represent the diversity of the students in the classroom. Pursuing a career “in a STEM-related field can be a gateway to economic success”, observed Dr. Miracle. “In short, I think my curriculum unit has the potential to change someone’s life by giving them a vision they may not have otherwise had for themselves.”
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