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MEDIA AS a STEM TOOL Christine Milanese COVER STORY // MEDIA MAYIM BIALIK PHOTO © JAMES BANASIAK 5-E CLASSROOM STEM ACTIVITY: MEDIA AS A STEM TOOL Christine Milanese COVER STORY // MEDIA MAYIM BIALIK Mayim Bialik: The Making Mediaof a By Ellen Egley MayimMogul Bialik grew up on screen as the lead in the television show “Blossom” in the first half of the 90s. Throughout the show’s five seasons, viewers related to her character’s spunk, intelligence, and confidence as she dealt with coming-of-age issues with humor and sincerity. Now Mayim is best known for her role as Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler on the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.” In addition to her successful acting career, Mayim earned three degrees, including a doctorate degree in neuroscience. She also published a book on parenting in 2012, a vegan cookbook in 2014, and her newest book, “Girling Up,” is slated to be released in May. STEM Jobs had an opportunity to talk with Mayim about her incredible career, passion for STEM, and advice for students trying to find their way. 18 LATE SPRING 2017 // STEMJOBS.COM PHOTOS © JAMES BANASIAK STEMJOBS.COM // LATE SPRING 2017 19 MAYIM BIALIK STEM JOBS: You had a role taken on a life of its own in the movie “Beaches” and I have my own website at the age of 12. What I write for, GrokNation.com, sparked your interest in and in addition to my second acting at such a young age? book on plant-based eating, MAYIM BIALIK: I now have this book about I enjoyed being on stage in the science of growing elementary school. I grew up female! up in a traditional Jewish home where ‘performance’ SJ: What was the catalyst was part of weekly Shabbat for your newest book, services, Passover meals, “Girling Up?” and in training for my Jewish MB: My editor, Jill studies classes. Acting felt Santolopolo, read a piece comfortable and exciting and I wrote for GrokNation I loved making people laugh. about being a late bloomer and playing one on TV. She SJ: Many children wondered if that kind of and teens dream about perspective was something I being on stage or screen. wanted to share. I proposed What do you think would that we share not only on surprise students most that topic, but that she allow about theentertainment me to write an entire treatise business? on being female from the MB: It is a real business! It’s perspective of being open to a lot of meetings and politics all experiences, from puberty and contracts and lawyers to dating to learning to how and decision-making and we cope with hard stuff in planning and organization. life to how we build a life Being creative and talented that is meaningful - all with is a small part of what makes a scientific and anecdotal the business run! twist. She went for it and here we have this book which SJ: Your third book is was such a labor of love. about to be published. What inspired you to SJ: You mention start writing books? incorporating a scientific MB: I’ve always loved perspective in “Girling creative writing; my father Up.” How did you go from was a writer and both of playing Blossom to earning my parents were English a doctorate degree teachers so I had a love of in neuroscience? reading and writing inspired MB: I had a biology tutor by them. When blogging first when I was 15 who was started happening on the the first woman who ever internet, I was looking for worked with me one on ways to make money (I was one in science. She was in college at the time), and inspired, inspiring, brave, MAYIM BIALIK a friend of mine, Matthue hilarious, and passionate. DEGREES: BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN NEUROSCIENCE AND Roth, told me to share my She loved biology the way I HEBREW AND JEWISH STUDIES, stories with a friend of his thought you could only love PH.D. IN NEUROSCIENCE; who was starting a website art or poetry. She gave me PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY called Kveller. I wrote for the skillset and confidence SPECIALTY, CLEC (CERTIFIED LACTATION them for years and it was to believe I could pursue EDUCATOR/COUNSELOR) those experiences learning life as a scientist. At the STEM TYPE: INTEGRATOR to hone my voice that time she was a dental inspired me to write my student at UCLA; now she first book on parenting. My is a dental surgeon. I am career as a writer has sort of indebted to her. 20 LATE SPRING 2017 // STEMJOBS.COM I came late “to the world of science, since before 15, I avoided it like the plague.” SJ: What was the most challenging/rewarding have also been nominated for a SAG award and I won a part of pursuing your degree? Critic’s Choice Award two years ago, which is the first MB: I came late to the world of science, since before 15, I thing I have ever won. Although it’s not all about awards, avoided it like the plague. I had to do a lot of catch up and it is a big deal to be nominated and I am proud of that. never was a ‘natural’ in classes even through graduate school. I had to constantly work at my hardest and accept SJ: What are your professional goals for the future? that I wasn’t going to be an A student or win any grants. I MB: My website GrokNation has grown so much in its was diligent and persistent, but it was difficult the entire first year and we raised about $12,000 for a charity that time. The most rewarding part was finishing! I had one provides support and help for those living with mental mentor who wouldn’t let me finish until she believed I had illness. I hope the website can continue to grow and be completed the best thesis I could; she pushed me really a platform for more charity work in the future. I’d love hard and was very hard on me. I couldn’t see it at the time to do feature films, of course, but a lot of that is up to my but she was caring for me and my thesis very tenderly. I representatives to try to make happen! am so grateful for her. SJ: What advice do you have for middle and high school SJ: You play neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler students who are still trying to figure out what they on “The Big Bang Theory.” Is your background want to do after graduation? in neuroscience helpful in this role? MB: Well, gap year programs are a terrific option for some MB: Our writers are pretty smart, and they typically need to give you more time and life experience to figure it out. no help from me! But sometimes if we need me to be Getting a broad and varied education is my best advice, doing something in my lab, our director, Mark Cendrowski, as is deciding what kind of life you want. If you want a life will ask me for help in figuring out props for me to be that involves a lot of travel and free time, for example, using. For the most part, I just show up and say the lines! being a doctor isn’t the way to get that life. Find people But I admit that it’s sometimes easier for me to memorize who seem happy and content and ask what they did to things because I roughly know what the words mean! get there; that’s what I’ve done since college. If you’re a woman and you want to be a mom, ask professional SJ: What professional accomplishments women how they juggled it all, since some careers are you most proud of? lend themselves to being a parent more than others. MB: Earning my Ph.D. was a big one for me. In terms of Ultimately, know that money isn’t the only thing that acting, being nominated for an Emmy (four times) is the matters; living a life that is meaningful and allows you to highest honor for an actor so that’s a big deal for sure. I have time to enjoy the world and all it has to offer is. STEMJOBS.COM // LATE SPRING 2017 21 5-E CLASSROOM STEM ACTIVITY: MEDIA AS A STEM TOOL Here are some ideas for how high school teachers could use this story as a launching point for integrated STEM learning. Our activities follow the 5-E Learning Cycle Model. Background for Teacher: Too often we think of STEM subjects as being separate from language arts, but clear communication is absolutely key for every STEM professional. Imagine the scientist who spends eight years of her life researching a cure for cancer, but can’t clearly communicate her process and findings so they can be replicated. She might as well have spent those eight years binging Netflix as no one is able to benefit from her research and breakthroughs due to a lack of communication. There are many opportunities to integrate STEM and language arts, and this lesson plan is intended to create some of those opportunities in your classroom and serve as a springboard for future integrations. This lesson plan is also intended to build students’ critical thinking, analysis, and reasoning skills. Best of all, this lesson plan can be tailored to any concept currently being taught in your classroom. Part 1: Engage 1 Teacher will discuss/brainstorm with students: a. What comes to mind when you think of media? b.
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