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In this episode of Rosie Reads we’re learning about Dr. Patricia Bath in the book The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath by Julia Finley Mosca. Dr. Bath was the first African-American female doctor to earn a medical patent in the United States. She’s definitely on our list of #STEMinists to admire! In this book, we’ll discover more about Dr. Bath and her work developing a new medical discipline (community ophthalmology), founding the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness, and developing the Laserphaco Probe for cataract removal.

While reading The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes, ask kids these comprehension questions:

  • What toy inspired Bath’s career as a doctor?
  • How did Bath’s gender and race impact her education and career?
  • What has changed since the 1950s-1980s and what hasn’t?

For our Rosie Reads activity, dive into more STEMinist stories! Ask your kids to name some other inventions by women. This will likely be tough, and there’s ton of reasons for it (gender discrimination, racial discrimination, lack of access to STEM fields, lack of recognition in STEM fields, appropriation of ideas, etc.).

Talk about these barriers with your kids, and watch this eye opening video by Microsoft. End the activity by researching more women inventors and the things they created.