WEBVTT

00:00:00.396 --> 00:00:05.656
[Music] Welcome to the overview on
teaching spatial skills to girls.

00:00:08.045 --> 00:00:10.036
Ms. Lee's geology class is learning

00:00:10.036 --> 00:00:12.026
about different rock
layers below the earth.

00:00:12.556 --> 00:00:14.976
They're deeply engaged
in a class simulation--

00:00:15.276 --> 00:00:18.116
pretending they're oil
prospectors looking for sandstone...

00:00:18.726 --> 00:00:22.136
The first step involves cross-
sectional charts of the rock layers

00:00:22.136 --> 00:00:26.216
where students need to imagine the shape
and location of the sandstone layer.

00:00:26.776 --> 00:00:28.626
The boys immediately dive in,

00:00:28.856 --> 00:00:32.886
but many of the girls are having a
difficult time creating a 3-D mental

00:00:32.886 --> 00:00:36.296
image of the sandstone layer and
can't understand how that fits

00:00:36.296 --> 00:00:37.966
with their existing 2-D chart.

00:00:38.546 --> 00:00:41.686
It doesn't take long before some
of the girls completely give up,

00:00:42.016 --> 00:00:44.276
happy to let the boys
finish the task for them.

00:00:44.926 --> 00:00:47.886
Clearly, the girls are lacking
the spatial skills required

00:00:47.886 --> 00:00:50.756
in this activity-- a common
problem throughout the country.

00:00:51.946 --> 00:00:54.916
So what are spatial skills,
and why are they important?

00:00:55.666 --> 00:00:59.366
Spatial skills help us visualize
two- or three- dimensional objects--

00:00:59.806 --> 00:01:03.726
skills that are especially important in
math, science, and numerous professions.

00:01:04.896 --> 00:01:08.556
In math, for example, spatial skills
are needed to calculate the height

00:01:08.556 --> 00:01:11.046
of a mountain or the
volume of an unusual shape.

00:01:11.646 --> 00:01:14.436
According to the National Council
of Teachers of Mathematics,

00:01:14.546 --> 00:01:18.266
enhancing spatial abilities should be
one of the primary goals of geometry.

00:01:19.006 --> 00:01:23.166
Spatial thinking is also essential for
science, because it helps us imagine,

00:01:23.166 --> 00:01:25.146
represent, and manipulate information--

00:01:25.416 --> 00:01:27.976
skills required to solve
a wide range of problems.

00:01:28.646 --> 00:01:31.856
For example, spatial skills make
it possible to imagine things

00:01:31.856 --> 00:01:35.346
that aren't visible to the naked eye,
like the interactions of molecules.

00:01:36.496 --> 00:01:39.376
Spatial skills are essential
to many careers as well.

00:01:39.806 --> 00:01:43.776
An architect needs to envision a bridge
from all angles before it can be built.

00:01:44.076 --> 00:01:46.756
A geographer needs to
translate a topographic map

00:01:46.756 --> 00:01:48.696
into a visual image of the landscape.

00:01:49.136 --> 00:01:52.276
And a building manager needs to
imagine floor plans for offices.

00:01:52.976 --> 00:01:55.746
People also use spatial skills
in their every day lives,

00:01:55.906 --> 00:01:57.326
regardless of their profession.

00:01:57.606 --> 00:02:00.566
It's how we compare the view from
the driver's seat to the route shown

00:02:00.566 --> 00:02:04.976
on a map, or help us pack a suitcase
more efficiently, or judge the distance

00:02:04.976 --> 00:02:06.386
to the end of a skateboard ramp.

00:02:07.586 --> 00:02:10.006
But why do we need to help
girls with spatial skills?

00:02:10.776 --> 00:02:13.876
Research has found that boys
regularly outperform girls

00:02:13.876 --> 00:02:17.066
on tests involving spatial
skills, especially when it comes

00:02:17.066 --> 00:02:20.156
to "mental rotation"-- imagining
what an object will look

00:02:20.156 --> 00:02:21.846
like when it is rotated in space.

00:02:22.356 --> 00:02:25.296
For example, the largest
disparity between boys and girls

00:02:25.296 --> 00:02:27.476
on the SAT test is in geometry,

00:02:27.766 --> 00:02:30.176
where questions rely
heavily on spatial skills.

00:02:30.716 --> 00:02:34.546
Because these items make up about
one third of the SAT math section,

00:02:34.796 --> 00:02:38.596
girls without strong spatial skills
are at a considerable disadvantage.

00:02:39.806 --> 00:02:42.246
The good news is that
these skills can be taught.

00:02:42.746 --> 00:02:45.956
Children who are taught specific
spatial skills not only improve

00:02:45.956 --> 00:02:49.736
on spatial related tasks, but they
also make noticeable improvements

00:02:49.736 --> 00:02:52.676
in other areas of math and
science, such as geology.

00:02:53.346 --> 00:02:57.366
Early development of spatial skills
can deeply impact a child's learning.

00:02:57.776 --> 00:03:00.076
For example, a kindergartener's
ability to pick

00:03:00.076 --> 00:03:03.446
out different shapes is a predictor of
their fourth grade math achievement.

00:03:04.606 --> 00:03:08.496
Strong spatial abilities also influence
which courses high school students

00:03:08.496 --> 00:03:12.406
like best, such as advanced math
and science, and play a role

00:03:12.406 --> 00:03:14.416
in a student's decision
to choose careers

00:03:14.416 --> 00:03:16.236
in math, science, and engineering.

00:03:16.666 --> 00:03:18.986
In one case, college
engineering students

00:03:18.986 --> 00:03:21.716
who received spatial skills
training earned higher grades

00:03:21.716 --> 00:03:24.816
in their drafting classes and
were more likely to stay enrolled

00:03:24.816 --> 00:03:26.106
in their engineering program.

00:03:26.376 --> 00:03:28.596
This was especially true
for female students.

00:03:29.846 --> 00:03:33.386
How can classroom teachers help
students develop better spatial skills?

00:03:34.496 --> 00:03:37.936
Let's see how Ms. Lee directly helped
her students learn mental rotation...

00:03:38.406 --> 00:03:42.176
First, she asked her students to
make a "building" out of six cubes.

00:03:42.616 --> 00:03:45.416
Next, she had them draw the
same building on grid paper

00:03:45.416 --> 00:03:50.046
from three different angles: from above,
from the front, and from the left side.

00:03:50.316 --> 00:03:53.956
This helped the students
envision a 3-D object on a 2-D,

00:03:53.956 --> 00:03:56.216
paper-based environment--
and vice versa.

00:03:57.516 --> 00:04:00.336
These same methods can be
used by any teacher who wants

00:04:00.336 --> 00:04:02.166
to help girls learn spatial skills.

00:04:02.666 --> 00:04:06.606
Specific instructional techniques
include: encouraging young girls to play

00:04:06.606 --> 00:04:11.256
with building toys such as Legos,
blocks, and Tinkertoys, designing tasks

00:04:11.306 --> 00:04:15.556
that require visual responses, rather
than just written or verbal responses,

00:04:15.986 --> 00:04:19.236
and providing specific instruction
on mental rotation of images,

00:04:19.406 --> 00:04:21.846
spatial perspective,
and embedded figures.

00:04:23.076 --> 00:04:27.076
The research is clear: girls continue
to lag behind boys in the area

00:04:27.076 --> 00:04:29.916
of spatial skills, especially
the visualization

00:04:29.916 --> 00:04:31.856
of three-dimensional rotating objects.

00:04:32.116 --> 00:04:34.996
This deficit directly impacts
girls' performance in math,

00:04:35.326 --> 00:04:37.506
science, and other academic areas.

00:04:38.296 --> 00:04:40.756
Luckily, spatial skills can be learned,

00:04:40.996 --> 00:04:44.996
and through targeted instruction girls
can master these skills just as well

00:04:44.996 --> 00:04:49.236
as boys-- providing a solid foundation
for success in math, science,

00:04:49.236 --> 00:04:52.876
and a wide range of careers.

00:04:55.046 --> 00:04:56.396
To learn more about teaching
spatial skills to girls,

00:04:56.396 --> 00:04:59.196
please explore the additional resources
on the Doing What Works website.

00:04:59.196 --> 00:05:00.150
[Music]