What do you see in the picture? Who do you think is in the space suit, what do they look like in person? What kind of person becomes an astronaut?
This is Katya Echazarreta, Katya was an immigrant in America who was working in McDonalds serving fries aged 17. Today she is the first Mexican born woman to travel to space.
- What is an immigrant?
- What is a stereotype and how is Katya challenging stereotypes about immigrants?
Katya is an engineer and science communicator.
-What is an engineer?
- What do you think a science communicator is?
Katya says travelling to space has a huge impact on her and she wanted others to have the experience; "The only thing I could think of when I am back down was that I need people to see this. I need Latinas to see this. And I think it just completely reinforced my mission to continue getting primarily women and people of colour up to space and do whatever it is they want to do."
Lot's to discuss in that quote- what do you think of what Katya says?
- What is a Latina?
- Why is she saying she wats to get primarily women and people of colour in to space; is that fair?
"Our greatest wish is that this experience encourages young people and children to dream and to dedicate themselves to STEM and to build a better future for all."
- What is STEM? (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics?
- How can STEM build a better future for us all?
- why does Katya want young people to dream and dedicate themselves to STEM?
Katya was an immigrant as a 7 year old when her family moved to America. She felt like an outsider because she couldn't speak the language. A teacher at the time told her she was not making progress and would have to be held back in class; "It just really fuelled me, and I think ever since then, ever since third grade, I kind of just went off and have not stopped."
- What made Katya feel like an outsider; her language or something else? (it was the other pupils not making her feel welcome)
- Do you think the teacher was right to say that?
- why didn't Katya give up in school?
Aged 17 Katya was determined to go to college so she had four jobs, including one at McDonalds, to earn enough to pay her bills and feed her family.
- why do you think college so important to Katya?
Katya is now doing a masters degree at John Hopkins University and she works at NASA. She wants to be a role model for others.
- what is a role model?
- who do you think she wants to be a role model for?
Katya says, "Throughout my journey in engineering school, I was very aware of the lack of women in the field. I've been given the opportunity to help guide those girls and women who, like me, are looking for someone with experience in what they are going through. in the field"
- why do you think there are a lack of women in STEM?
- do you thin there are still stereotypes about scientists today?
- what can we do about this at our school?
- what can we learn from Katya?
- Why is this about No Outsiders?
- Which British Value is this about?
No Outsiders: We belong here by Andrew Moffat (scheme of work for primary schools)
