Tyto Online can help engage your marginalized students in STEM

Tyto Online uses a variety of strategies to meet the goal of "All Standards, All Students" and keep middle schoolers engaged at a time when they are at risk for losing interest in STEM. And the data shows we have equal engagement across boys & girls, as well as white & BIPOC students

We were also selected as "Solvers" by MIT Solve for the Equitable Classrooms challenge in 2021.
See our winning pitch video below:

Experience what it's like to actually do science.

✋ Stereotype Busting
We fight back against the stereotype that STEM careers are 'weird' and focused on machines, letting students actually engage in collecting data and "doing" science.

👭 STEM Careers are Creative & Collaborative
We show students how scientists must work together and approach problems in creative ways. They aren't just in a lab by themselves, but out sharing work and winning people over! Read why this is important.

🔬 Focusing on "doing" science increases persistence
New research (2019) shows that girls persist longer on difficult science tasks when asked to "do science," rather than "be scientists." View the research.

Deep, inclusive & diverse representation

🦸‍♀️ Keep breaking down stereotypes
We ensure we are representative with gender, have a variety of skin tones, and also incorporate global cultures. Research shows that it helps to break down ALL stereotypes. Read more.

😎 Inclusive character customization
The students' characters have a variety of diverse options and are LGBTQ friendly as there are no forced gender/sex stereotypes based on body style chosen.

🦾 Connected to the act of doing science in Tyto
These diverse characters, both in the game world and played by the students, are engaging in the acts of doing science successfully throughout the experience.

Shows the social impact of STEM careers

😍 Why does science matter?
Students are more engaged when they understand that science actually makes a difference, it's not just about asking abstract, theoretical questions. We've designed around storylines that solve real, authentic problems for students to care about. Read more.

🏡 Connect to local context
One important aspect of making connections to impact, is making it matter to students. We include several types of ecosystems and practice/enrichment quests to help teachers find topics that matter to their students' lives.

Includes varied ways to show understanding

The new science standards are literacy-rich, which can be a challenging shift for students. We provide varied ways of showing their learning depending on the content:

🧩 Build an Argument from Puzzle Pieces
Rather than having to come up with all the language on their own, scaffold students with argument building they puzzle together with evidence.

✍️ Create a Flow Chart Model
Create models simply by connecting notes and submitting charts, rather than having to articulate verbally or in writing.

🌍 Simulation-Based Tasks
Students can also succeed in a simulation-based challenge, like keeping an ecosystem alive or bringing a planet to life.

We've been strengthening our culturally responsive approaches.

Culturally responsive work that reduces biases can be a perfect fit for science class! Researchers have designed curricula that directly addresses racist misconceptions by looking at the anchoring phenomenon of the genetics of race. Read more about that at the New York Times.

This inspired us, and we've started building more of our content from the basis of important, culturally relevant phenomena that we can use to address social justice directly.

Example Storyline

Sickle Cell Anemia

Students investigate a disease, sickle cell, including developing an understanding of how its protein shape impacts its function and causes the symptoms. They would then look into why the disease has persisted and its link to positive survival rates with malaria, impacting the populations that tend to have sickle cell.

To combat stereotypes about these types of diseases, we look into some similar hereditary disorders, as well!

Read more about this storyline.

Watch our 15m overview about how you can support culturally responsive instruction with Tyto Online.

We review culturally responsive concepts for science, and address how Tyto Online incorporates them into its curriculum.

Watch Webinar
eCourse: Culturally Responsive Science Teaching

This course is developed for anyone who wants to learn how to make their learning environment relevant to their students’ lives. It's made up of 5 Modules, including "Do the Inner Work," "Build Up the Learners," and "Establishing Community."

Webinar: Culturally Responsive & Antiracist
Science Teaching

A detailed review of research and resources into how to approach culturally responsive and antiracist science instruction within science courses. Minimal discussion of Tyto Online!

Select Blog Posts

Education

Supporting our LGBTQ+ Community

Read more
Education

How Tyto Online Supports Girls in STEM

Read more
Education

Anti-Racist Ways to Teach Science

Read more

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educators like you

“Students seemed to relate to the psychological impacts of the storylines. They could relate to the emotional and sociological nuances of the storyline as much as they could the scientific content. Tyto was great for keeping students engaged through distance learning and the content really aligned with his curriculum, so I was pleased to have something that would engage them remotely and also cover the content. I am absolutely going to use it again next year.”

- John, Science Teacher in CT

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