Biography for Dawn Pratt
Join Dawn on Monday, October 21st at 10am PT/ 1pm ET
Best suited for 8-14+ years old
Presentation summary:
In this challenge, learners will use what they know about and can investigate buoyancy, forces, and motion to design and build a small-scale engineering buoyant floatation system that will float self-balance, and hold the weight of rocks when they set trail on their waterway path. Just as Indigenous people had to develop solutions for water transportation for migration or trade, students will follow the engineering design process to design and build a buoyant self-balancing system out of cardboard, straws, balloons, and masking tape; floatation designs will be tested to hold weight while self-balancing and buoyant in a water environment.
Speaker Biography:
Dawn Pratt is a member of the Muscowpetung Anihšināpēk Nation. With varied experience in science education and an indomitable spirit, she has forged a professional consultancy company, askenootow STEM Enterprise, as an Indigenous STEM Educational expert for the past 20 years (STEM = science, technology, engineering, and math). Dawn earned a Master of Science degree with a specialization in the design of organic adsorbent materials directed
toward the removal of arsenic from contaminated water (University of Saskatchewan, 2011).
Dawn is fundamentally driven to reinstate Indigenous Elder and Knowledge Keeper teachings into STEM education for the benefit of Indigenous Peoples’
futures. She seeks to amplify Indigenous STEM role models and Indigenized STEM content by transforming instructional practices and curricula in ways
that embrace Indigenous cultural, linguistic, and land-based traditions and resources.
She remembers the moment her career calling took shape; in grade 4, her parents bought her a chemistry kit. Since then, she has pursued her passion
for understanding the chemical world and sharing the joys of scientific discovery with children, youth, and adults. As part of realizing her passions, she is deeply dedicated to raising her two daughters to approach the world with a curiosity for STEM, replete with confidence in the Indigenous heritage
she too derived from her family.
Click here to learn more about Dawn and her work!
