"Girl Code"
"Girl Code"
Reviewed by: Andrea, Emily, Rita, Savanna
This book is a good representation of diversity
and being aware of diversity for young adults. Because it does a great job at
showing how important diversity is, mainly in the computer science department
and that there tends to be a lack of diversity in coding programs. This book
would be a great tool for an English or Science class to focus on since coding
is predominately apart of science, but the authors also show how important
coding is to help find your voice and use it as a means of communication. “Girl
Code” by Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser is a nonfiction novel based on the
authors lives. This novel is told by both the narrators about how they became
‘girls who code’. Andrea, or Andy, has always gone above and beyond in
everything she does and decided very early on that she wanted to pursue
engineering as well as coding. Andy tells the readers how she pursued coding
during a summer program and fell in love with it. Andy was able to learn, after
many struggles during her experience with Tampon Run, how to balance her love
for coding and her social life. This struggle was something that she vocalized
quite often throughout the novel and was finally able to decipher how to live
her life with both things that she loved by the end of the novel. She then was
able to get into the girls who code summer program where she met Sophie. Sophie
grew up very shy and would have panic attacks anytime she had to speak in
public and she felt as though she lacked any self-confidence. During her time
at the girls who code camp and meeting Andy, Sophie was able to learn how to
communicate her ideas and find her voice through coding. She mentions quite
often how excited she was, and is, to be able to use her voice using coding and
how to control her anxiety. Finally, Andy and Sophie were partnered up for a
project at the girls who code camp which is how they became so close. While
working together on Tampon Run, they helped each other work through issues and
struggles pertaining to the game and to each other. Sophie was able to learn
that it is okay to ask for help or to speak up about being confused. Both Andy
and Sophie were able to learn so much about themselves during this summer code
camp but, they both also wondered if coding was what they wanted to pursue for
a career and lifetime. While Tampon Run was exciting and they were running
around, literally, promoting it, themselves, and all girls being empowered they
struggled between coding/Tampon Run and their other passions/friends. They each
divulge their fears and worries for what their futures might hold as well as
how they were able to overcome that and learn how to balance both of their
lives. This novel does a great job at empowering young adults and allowing them
to know that they can do whatever they put their minds to. Anyone who is
interested in coding or just interested in how to navigate young adulthood
would benefit from this novel. It is noteworthy because it shows young adults
to believe in themselves and to empower each other.
Author Biographies:
 |
| Andrea "Andy" Gonzales (left) and Sophie Houser (right) |
Born and raised in East
Village, New York, Andy’s parents pressured her to be either a doctor, lawyer,
or engineer- a job that would make her financially stable and happy. She chose
engineering, or computer science specifically. Inspired by Audrey Ramirez from
the Disney movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire, she wanted to
become a mechanical engineer just like her and figured that to do that, every
engineer needs to know the basics of coding. In eighth grade she joined a
summer coding program at Westchester called SummerTech Computer Camp. During
the summer before junior year she joined the Girls Who Code six week summer
program, where she met Sophie and borned Tampon Run by
combining her passion for video games and feminism. By the second half of high
school, her schedule was packed with robotics, choir, piano, volleyball, and
theatre on top of her coursework and coding. As of now, she is a Robertson
Scholar of Duke University and a junior at the University of North Carolina,
double majoring in computer science and journalism. Currently, she’s interning
at Microsoft with Excel and gives talks around the country about gender in the
video game and tech industry. She remains passionate about music, comic books
and video games.
Sophie is from Upper
West Side Manhattan, New York where she focused mainly on her writing. Anxious
and shy, she had a hard time doing any form of public speaking or asking for
help. Through therapy and an outgoing group of friends she made junior year, she
worked on improving herself and overcoming her anxiety. Her brother around that
time launched a custom T-shirt app and showed her that there was another
language she could express herself in: coding. That following summer, before
senior year, she joined the Girls Who Code six week summer program where she
met Andy and created Tampon Run. Through her time in the program, with
the press attention for the game, and all the interning opportunities she got
in that last year of high school, she learned to manage her anxiety and
overcame her fears of speaking out.
Currently, she’s a
senior at Brown University and majoring in computer science and regularly
gives talks on the menstrual taboo and the importance of women in the tech
industry. In her spare time she likes to “laugh with friends, wear interesting
socks, and photoshop funny scenes”.
Andy Gonzales and Sophie
Houser focus their work on feminist issues in the gaming industry, specifically
on the sexualization of women, violence, and the lack of women in the STEM
fields. Through their game they wanted a “entertaining, non-threatening way to
confront the serious issue of the menstrual taboo [...] We wanted to create
thoughtfulness and discussion around a topic that is normally off limits.”
While the book itself revolves around feminist issues, it’s a story that gives
easy to understand tips on getting started in coding and how to get around in
the industry.
- Subject(s): English & Science
- Topic or Unit of Study: Coding
- Grade/Level: High School / 9th and 10th
- Objective: Students will have a better
understanding of what coding is and how to apply it to their life, as well
as acknowledging empowerment for women within STEM programs.
- Time Allotment: 2 weeks
Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2
Write
informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts,
and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization,
and analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.1
Cite strong and
thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.Science-Literacy.RST.9-10.4
Determine the meaning
of symbols, key terms, and other
domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or
technical context relevant to grades 9–10 texts and topics
Implementation
Learning Context:
What do students understand about coding? How does this book teach about not
only coding but diversity within STEM programs? How do our perceptions as a
society in regards to representation and capabilities shown or changed within
the novel?
Procedure
- Entry-Level:
-Present the
Article Camp at a Virginia college shows girls a future in STEM read
independently for 10 minutes.Once completed discuss as a class what they found
interesting about the article, likes, dislike (gage interest).
-Pass out the KWL chart worksheet to each student
- Instruction: each student is to take a few minutes and write what they know about coding under the “K” section and what they want to learn or are curious about in regards to coding under the “W” section.
-Before playing the video: “What is Coding?” tell students to fill out the “L” section with what they learned and the answers to what they wanted to learn, if they were answered.
-After the video has ended ask students to share from their KWL chart.
-Remind students that they will begin reading “Girl Code” by Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser
-Pass out the KWL chart worksheet to each student
- Instruction: each student is to take a few minutes and write what they know about coding under the “K” section and what they want to learn or are curious about in regards to coding under the “W” section.
-Before playing the video: “What is Coding?” tell students to fill out the “L” section with what they learned and the answers to what they wanted to learn, if they were answered.
-After the video has ended ask students to share from their KWL chart.
-Remind students that they will begin reading “Girl Code” by Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser
- Formative:
-Before students begin reading the book,
students will have their journal notebooks out and will be given instructions
for Double-Entry Journals. The double entry journal serves both as a guided
reading tool and an assessment after each reading.
-Instruction: have students draw a line down the middle of each page they will use in their journal. On one side students will pick and write at least 2 passages that stood out to them for that day’s reading and on the other what about those passages or moments taught them something valuable about coding or in relation to the authors.
-Each day prior to reading they will turn in their journal to make sure the entry was completed for the day before.
-This will allow teacher to assess students learning and and progress of knowledge throughout the novel.
-Suggested book reading is 25 pages a day, there should be at least 10-12 journal entries by the end of the book.
-Instruction: have students draw a line down the middle of each page they will use in their journal. On one side students will pick and write at least 2 passages that stood out to them for that day’s reading and on the other what about those passages or moments taught them something valuable about coding or in relation to the authors.
-Each day prior to reading they will turn in their journal to make sure the entry was completed for the day before.
-This will allow teacher to assess students learning and and progress of knowledge throughout the novel.
-Suggested book reading is 25 pages a day, there should be at least 10-12 journal entries by the end of the book.
Assessment
Summative:
A. Essay (Exit Slip)
The last assignment
for this unit will be a typed essay about what the book has taught the students
about coding and whether this unit has encouraged them to engage in STEM
programs.
Essay Prompt: In the
non-fiction book, Girl Code by Andrea Gonzales and Sophie
Houser, we learned about coding and the level of confidence it takes to break
through in a field that is male dominated. In a 2 page paper describe what you
have learned about coding after reading Girl Code and the
assignments used in class. Has the book changed your perspective about coding?
Do you feel more encouraged to take part in any STEM/coding programs? Why or
why not? If possible use specific examples from the book in your answers.
Differentiated Instruction
a. Visual Learners: We will provide a
video about coding as well as computer coding games so that they will be able
to understand more easily how to process the information provided.
b. ESL Students: Follow up with
instruction and additional assistance if needed. If possible pair ESL students
and advanced learners together so that they may help each other process the
information provided.
A.
Instructional
Materials :
B.
B. Resources:
Links
to relavant online materials to aid in understand:
Girls in STEM Biases and Stereotypes at school… Sideline Girls
in STEM Encouragement keeps them in the game
GirlTalk Science Expo Encourages STEM Careers for Young Girls
Gender Gap Trends on Mathematics Exams Position Girls and Young
Women for STEM Careers
A Do-It-Yourself Approach to STEM Education for Girls
The
effectiveness of a one-year online mentoring program for girls in STEM
A study
of primary school students' interest, collaboration attitude, T and programming
empowerment in computational thinking education
Using
Eye-Tracking to Unveil Differences Between Kids and Teens in Coding Activities
