The S in STEM stands for science. Through observations and experiments, scientists are able to learn about the world around them. A scientist tries to understand how the world and other things work. They ask important questions and do lots of research to find the answers.

The T in STEM stands for technology. Technology can be used as part of the STEM process to enhance learning and help to solve problems and answer questions. The world is always changing, and new technologies are always being invented. Technology can be used in the process of STEM, or it might be the final product created. A few examples of technology in STEM are: computers, 3D printing, game development, coding, and much more.

The E in STEM stands for engineering. Engineering is the process of creating something. Engineers design, build, test, and re-build devices or technologies to help solve real-world problems. Designing and building windmills, water filters, or even planning building designs are only a few examples of engineering.

The M in STEM stands for mathematics. Mathematical skills are needed in order to help solve problems and create designs and plans for new technologies. This includes problem-solving and critical thinking.

Stephen Hawking was a theoretical physicist and mathematician. He taught both subjects during his career but was most famous for his research that helps us to understand the universe and how it began.

He used his understanding of physics to study different parts of the universe. Early in his career, he became interested in exploring black holes and discovered that black holes emit radiation. This became known as Hawking radiation.

One of the most famous books he wrote was called A Brief History of Time. His idea for this book was to share science in a way that helped everyone to enjoy and understand it. It took him 6 years to write this book!

In 2013, Stephen Hawking won a Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for his discovery of Hawking radiation from black holes and for all of his other contributions to understanding how the universe began.

Did you know? He also wrote a series of six adventure novels about science with his daughter Lucy Hawking.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google, one of the largest companies in the world. In 1995, they met as PhD students at the computer science program at Stanford University.

They worked on a project that was meant to improve people’s experience when they searched for information on the Internet. The project focused on organizing and sharing important and key information with the user. This is called a search engine.

Page and Brin continued to develop their project. They needed to figure out an algorithm that used the way the Internet is organized to sort relevant web pages. Over time they worked to continue to develop and improve the search engine.

Now, Google is the world leader among search engines. Google has changed peoples’ daily lives, making it easier than ever before to access information.

Ursula Franklin was a metallurgist, research physicist, and educator.

She received her Ph.D in experimental physics at the Technical University of Berlin in 1948 and then joined the Ontario Research Foundation. She taught and researched in material sciences and the impact of technology on people in society.

She helped to develop archaeometry, which is how we can use science and modern technology to examine and understand archeological findings (i.e. ancient ruins)

She joined the University of Toronto’s Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science in 1967 and taught for many years.

Throughout her career, she published more than 70 papers and contributed to various books on the topic of the “structures and properties of metals and alloys”.

She won many awards throughout her career for scientific research and humanitarian efforts. In 2002 she won the Pearson Peace medal.

Katherine Johnson was an African American space scientist and mathematician, and a leading figure in American space history. Katherine has made huge contributions to America’s aeronautics and space programs with her computing tools.

She played a big role in calculating key trajectories (flight paths) in the space race — calculating the trajectory for Alan Shepard, the first American in space, as well as for the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the moon. After Johnson retired, she continued to encourage students to pursue careers in science and technology.