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summer STEM projects for kids

3 Summer STEM Projects for Kids [ep.161]

by Naomi Meredith

3 Summer STEM Projects for Kids [ep.161]

summer STEM projects for kids

Check out the full episode on 3 Summer STEM Projects for Kids:  

 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Have a STEM question? Leave a voice message for the podcast!

Episode Summary

With the days getting warmer and the end of the school year here, you and your students are most likely in summer mode. Or maybe the school year has ended for you, but you’re gearing up to teach summer camp. If you’re looking to keep your kids engaged, I have three summer STEM projects for kids that will help you do just that. The projects are also super low prep, making them perfect for summer.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • 3 summer STEM projects for kids that you can do at the end of the school year or during summer camp
  • An overview of each summer STEM project

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

The days are getting warmer, and you are finally finishing up the school year. What are some STEM activities that you can do with your students during these warm days? Or maybe you are hosting a summer camp, or maybe you're even looking for something to do with your own children. In this episode, I'm gonna be sharing with you 3 STEM activities that you can do during the summertime. Some of you out there are fortunate enough to have beautiful days all year long. So, really, these activities that I'm going to describe, you can do at any time of year. And you don't necessarily have to be outside, but I will be sharing some outside options for you. So if you do wanna take the learning outdoors, by all means, go for it. I'm not stopping you.


Naomi Meredith [00:01:03]:

I live in Colorado, and the weather is definitely up and down, and unpredictable. We can have very beautiful days, but in an instant, it can change to something else. So like I said, you could do these activities anywhere. The first STEM activity or theme of activities is all about STEM survival camp. STEM survival camp, if you haven't heard about it, is one of my favorite units that I have ever created from scratch, and I actually had it in mind for the outdoors. A little bit of background if you haven't listened to episode 4 where I explain every single challenge and what we do during this experience. I created STEM survival camp as a way to get my kids outdoors during COVID. It was the back to school time, so for me, the weather was really warm and nice, but I wasn't allowed to have my students share all of the supplies.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:02]:

I still wanted them to build and use the engineering design process, but I didn't have enough funds to supply everybody with their own items for their unique projects. So, during the summer, I actually developed this unit where students will use elements from the outdoors and minimal supplies from your Makerspace to solve various challenges that would happen if you were to survive in the outdoors. This is really great because if you're looking for a stem lesson that is camping-themed or you do want to build with those outside items, STEM survival camp is perfect for you. There are 6 unique challenges that go along with different ways that you would survive in the wilderness. I did this based on these challenges from the show alone. A loan does not fund them or anything like that or affiliated, but that's where I got the inspiration. But there are lots of different things that students have to do, like create a fishing pole and catch the fish. I had different fish templates for them.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:11]:

In one grade level, they actually learned how to sew, so they sewed a hiking backpack prototype, and sewing is a survival skill. That actually is a great thing to learn how to do. Funny enough, I learned how to sew at around 4th grade, but I still use that skill, maybe not so much surviving in the wilderness. But I did buy a dress the other day. And there was something like the dress didn't close the way that I wanted to at the top. So I actually sewed the dress while I was wearing it, and I was a little bit nervous I wouldn't be able to take it off. I was able to. I could take it on and off.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:48]:

I'm, like, alright. There we go. There's a survival skill. My cute dress that I was wearing, I fixed it, and it was good to go. But I also have had kids in that unit where they actually learned how to sew with me, and then they were able to sew things in their real lives, like sewing the patches on their boy scouts or girl scouts jackets, which was super exciting. So this is a really fun, exciting unit. You can do a new lesson each day. You can take this throughout the week.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:21]:

You can shorten it. You can lengthen it. It really is a great, great unit to take outdoors. I highly recommend it, and the summertime is a great time to teach it. The second summer STEM activities that you can do are quick one day challenges, and I call them STEM Career Quest Kits. Now, the reason for this name is that a lot of these kits connect with the episodes that I have recorded on my STEM Career Quest podcast or will be recording, and they are in the process of being renamed. So, if you already have these lessons, they're one day challenges. Like, you can complete them within an hour. They are pretty low prep.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:07]:

They might actually be things that you have at home, but I'm transferring the name from what used to be STEM snack packs to STEM career quest kits because a lot of kids and even parents thought that you eat them. I had a whole idea in mind, but it wasn't perceived how I thought. So they're in the process of getting named STEM Career Quest Kits, and currently, they are digital only activities. So I actually created these during the time kind of the same year. It's funny because I actually got really creative during that 2020-2021 year. I had a lot more time to think about things, which, funny enough openly, me working remotely was the same kind of thing. I'm always coming up with more ideas than I ever have before. Anyway, I created 6 different units, so 4 units in each, that had these STEM activities that were centered around the same theme.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:04]:

So at the time, the STEM Career Quest podcast didn't exist, but I did plan these activities with a theme, and I wasn't allowed to do after school club. So, instead, I had these paid take home stem kits. And so you're thinking, okay, but I'm not doing paid take take home stem kits. That's fine. I'm just kinda giving you a background about this, but the actual activities are activities actually I'm teaching currently in my STEM community events. So what's really great is they're one off lessons. So if you are short on time, you only see kids for 1 hour, You have only, like, a 45-minute session with them. You see the whole school.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:48]:

These are really quick and good activities for that. They do have some open-ended creativity. Some are a little bit more guided where they are creating a model, but they might add their own spin onto it. But I really love creating these because it's those quick one day challenges where all of the directions for basic things that you need to know are laid out for you in order. There is a video to give inspiration that needs to show how to do it. There are some extra challenges, the science behind the project, related stem careers, and additional resources to learn about the topic. So this is a growing collection I'm really diving into. As I said, I am beta testing them in the teaching side of things where I already know they work as a kit, but I'm also teaching them now in smaller groups and then hopefully in other ways as well.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:44]:

But these are really great because some of them actually lend themselves to the outdoors. There is a paddle boat challenge where there is water involved and kids can notice the kinetic and potential energy of the rubber band used. There are some other ones that will be popping up that involve water. So, if you do want very specific water challenges, that's really great as well. As I said, these are in the process of getting renamed, but some of the ones that are not in my TPT shop are actually in the STEM Career Quest club. So, every episode has its own listening comprehension guide and paired STEM activity, and they're usually things that I already have that pair well with that lesson. So there are some of these STEM career quest kit challenges that are in the membership already that I don't have anywhere else. Because at the time, again, I was testing these and pushing out this content where, they're not all beautiful and ready to be in my shop yet, but there are some things that I can put in the club.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:49]:

So, if you want exclusive access, make sure to join that. And there are a lot of other fun things as well, including my monthly virtual field trips. This is a bonus sim activity, but there is a virtual field trip with me teaching the lesson all about bugs. So that's a great connection to your outdoor learning. And the 3rd summer STEM activity that you can try is my engineer inspiration boards. Again, these are quick and easy to prep. They are a one pager. You can print in color or in bat black and white, and they are centered around various themes.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:27]:

I have them set up for the whole entire year. So I actually have seen a lot of teachers who purchase all of the themes, and then they put them in as a station. So maybe they always have this one building station, but they change out the inspiration board that they are using. So it's always changing up what the kids are creating, but the kids are used to that format. Some good summer themes that I have on these boards are pool, garden, and camping. I kinda feel like I'm saying, you know, in the Barbie movie, and they ask Ken, what's your job? And he says, beach. I kinda feel like just now, when I said the topics, that's what I was just saying. But, anyway, there are 9 different images that go along with that theme.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:16]:

I don't think the beach is a theme, but the pool is. But they go along with that theme, and then kids can build the items on those boards with anything they have on hand. And this could even be things from the outdoors. So maybe you have these boards printed out and ready to go. You have them in a binder or one of those 3 binder rings, 3-inch binder rings. And you have them on the go, and kids are building what you already have or things from the outdoors. So these are really, really fun. They're great for fast finishers as well.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:49]:

I actually bring these along to my community events, so I have some building materials on hand, some like hashtag blocks and some Lego bricks. And if I have kids who come in early or if they're finishing up fast, I have these as a fast finisher option. It just gives them some good ideas, some talking points to help build something that they see or remind them of something else that they already have thought of and seen before. One thing that I like to do as well, so I told you about the binders, is I also have those cool containers that are all colorful, and then they go in that carrying case or those photo containers, but teachers love them. I love them. I have a couple of them, actually. But I actually will print out the engineer inspiration board smaller and laminate and have the different options in those buckets. So when I actually create them, I create the smaller versions anyway.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:43]:

So when you get access to these boards, you have all those various sizes done for you. Just print the size that you want. This was a quick episode because I know that you are busy and on the go and you are looking for some quick solutions. So, as a quick recap, here are those 3 summer stem activities that you can try. First is the STEM survival camp. Next are those STEM Career Quest kits that are those quick one day challenges. Say that 5 times fast. And then 3rd are those engineer inspiration boards.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:20]:

What are some other cool summer STEM activities you like to try? Let me know. Send me a DM on Instagram at namiemeredith_. Or, if you are watching the video version of this, you can also add a comment below. Thank you so much. Hope you're doing well, and I'll see you in the next episode.

summer STEM projects for kids

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

 

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is an online K-5 STEM Coach in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there. 

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!

STEM celebrations

Your STEM Celebrations from the 2023-2024 School Year [ep.160]

by Naomi Meredith

Your STEM Celebrations from the 2023-2024 School Year [ep.160]

STEM celebrations

Check out the full episode on Your STEM Celebrations from the 2023-2024 School Year:  

 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Have a STEM question? Leave a voice message for the podcast!

Episode Summary

Another school year has come to an end, and you may be thinking about all the things that went wrong and what you want to change and fix for the next school year. Instead of focusing on what you could have done differently or what you want to change for the next school year, I want you to think about your amazing accomplishments this school year. In today’s episode, we are talking about your STEM celebrations for the 2023-2024 school year. I’m also sharing what I accomplished this past year. 

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • STEM celebrations teachers shared with me
  • My STEM celebrations for this past year

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

You made it through the school year, and it is time to celebrate. I know it can be really easy to think about the things that didn't go well, and you wanna reflect and change that. Keep doing those things. But let's take a moment and think about all of the amazing things that you have accomplished in STEM, both big and small. In this episode, I am actually going to be sharing with you those accomplishments that you shared with me. And at the end, I'm gonna give you an update of what I have been up to this past school year as well. 


Naomi Meredith [00:00:52]:

What can be a little bit tricky when hosting a podcast is figuring out a way to connect with all of you out there. And it's always kind of awkward, but not anymore, we're 160 plus episodes in, where I'm in my office looking right at my phone, talking to myself, but I really am envisioning all of you and how we can connect and bring this podcast to life in different ways. So, I'm always thinking of new ideas to engage you, get you excited, and involve you in this show because, ultimately, it's helping you and your students. And so I asked over on social media in a couple of different places, mostly on Instagram, at NaomiMeredith_, what accomplishments have you had this school year? And I loved hearing these answers. It's just really cool to hear what you have done and make that STEM world a bit smaller. And so I want to share with you those things.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:13]:

Thank you so much for responding. You all should be so proud of yourselves. These were some really awesome accomplishments.STEM is not easy to teach. It's so much fun, but it's a lot. And so, again, definitely be proud of your hard work. If you didn't submit something, maybe you have something in common with the people out there, but I still want you to celebrate as well. Atlibbyd said, and she was talking with me in my Instagram stories, and they were also chatting in the DMs, that 3 of her students entered a design competition and won.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:50]:

So she actually sent me some pictures and all that. I'm not gonna post those because it's of her students. But we were chatting for a bit, and it was so cool because she and her students actually got to work with a professional designer and a design student in Detroit. And then they actually are going to be making their prototypes. I'm assuming for them, so for the kids. And then on June 3rd, so coming up that should be coming up. Yep. Coming up, there is a ceremony where they will actually get to find out if they placed gold, silver, or bronze for their design.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:26]:

So that is so amazing. And, hey, way way to go to find that opportunity for your kids. That's awesome. Joey M had a great success. He was able to host his 1st carnival-themed family STEAM night. And, again, putting on an event, when you guys do all this extra stuff, I know how it is, it's a lot of work to get all the details and make sure it flows well. And so he sent, he had posted a picture, and it was really cool. It was like a really cool booth as well.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:56]:

Along those same lines, Leah V also was able to host their 1st school-wide cardboard carnival, and their 600-plus students played the games that their 5th graders made. So, what a cool way for students to share their work. Heather A also started STEM fairy tales with her preschool by implementing stations. And I know that STEM with the younger kids can be a great challenge. And so, one of the books we talked about in my STEM teacher bookshelf that we had is about STEM with the younger kids. So, way to go for you, Heather. Kelly from Mathematically Enthused which she has been on this podcast, so make sure to check out her episode, and we'll link that for you. She won a prize for their lab doing a Science Buddies challenge.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:53]:

She said that we've done it for 3 years, but it's the 1st year we entered our finished work. Then we took the prize money and put it towards LEGO Education Kits for next year. That what a cool way to win money for your school, and then you actually can put the money back into your program. That's awesome. Like, your STEM work actually helped out your program. That's a cool, full circle moment. Teaching fun in room 221. Oh, that rhymes when you read it out loud.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:22]:

That's so cute. Just her, she said just the students being introduced to a new way of thinking and how to solve problems. Also, how quickly they took anything coding related and how good they are at it. That is definitely a huge accomplishment. Having your students have a growth mindset in the projects that you're doing, it's, that is a huge challenge in itself, and I have seen it in my own program when I first started in the k through 5 STEM and also with the work that I'm doing in the community, kids who aren't exposed to these opportunities really, really struggle. I had an idea for an episode about that today, but that is definitely a huge accomplishment. All of these are. These are so great.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:06]:

Kim Koffler said I survived my 1st year of teaching elementary STEAM. Yes. Yes. You deserve all the adult milkshakes. I'm not afraid of coding anymore. Thanks for your podcast and the lesson ideas. You are so welcome. I'm so glad that you listened, and I can help you through that STEM journey.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:29]:

Alright. That wondrous teacher said, our school's opening a Makerspace this year. Students have been helping out by putting it together, and they also got funded by their school PTA. It's so exciting. And that is so exciting because it's so good to hear that there are programs that are getting up and started. They're not all getting shut down. I do see that a lot. But that is so good to hear that your school is supportive of this upcoming program, and can't wait to hear how it goes this next school year.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:01]:

Sarah from Miss Gigi Voucher said, and, Sarah, I don't know. Did I say your last name right? I hope I did. We talk all the time, but I hope I said your last name right. She said a big win for her was staying more consistent with units, doing our egg drop. Did any survive? Her first computer science night and the best was having a student dressed up as an astronaut for the solar eclipse. That is so, so cute. I love how they got all themed out. That's absolutely adorable.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:35]:

Thank you so much to those of you again for responding and bravely putting it out there on the Internet. I know you all did amazing things this school year, so definitely celebrate yourself. Do something not school-related. I mentioned adult milkshakes. That was something that I and my teammates would use as code when we wanted to go out after school and hang out, and we could talk about it. We actually didn't even say adult milkshakes. We just said milkshakes. Milk and cookies sometimes.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:04]:

That's how we would, like, say we wanted to hang out in front of the kids. So here's a little tip for you. Okay. Along the lines of celebrations, I said that I would update you with what I have been up to this school year. Back in episode 108, I actually talked about my journey in education. So, actually, how I got into teaching, what it was like for me being a classroom teacher for 6 years, being in then switching into the k through 5 STEM role for 5 years, and then what I was thinking about beyond the classroom. So I recorded that episode almost exactly a year ago, so you can hear that. I recommend watching it because I actually have a lot of pictures that I overlaid in that video.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:50]:

So that's actually a really fun video to watch. If you haven't seen it, it's on my YouTube channel. There's a tab that says podcast, so most episodes are actually recorded in video format. But I talked about my journey in that, and so a lot of you have been messaging me over the past few months or asking questions. What have you been doing? Yes. I'm not in a traditional STEM classroom, so I do talk about that in that episode. However, it's because I really am so passionate about elementary STEM that I knew I needed to get STEM out into the world in an even bigger way. And so that has really been my mission. A lot of things have been going on, a lot of testing things out and all these things.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:35]:

So, I wanted to share with you what I have been up to, and these are definitely an accomplishment. I forgot some of the things I actually had done. I'm like, oh, yeah. That was this year. Because I'm the kind of person I'm like, okay. I got it done. Awesome. What is the next thing I need to do? So here is what I have been up to.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:55]:

So, in June, let's backtrack a little bit. In May, I ended my K through 5 STEM teaching position and knew that I wouldn't be returning. That was the whole thing. And then I got married in June, and so we had a wonderful wedding. We had a 20-day honeymoon in Europe. That was absolutely amazing, and then back to the grind coming back. And so once we came back, I kicked off officially my STEM into Summer group coaching program where I worked with teachers who were thoughtfully planning out their year, having an audit of their curriculum and their materials, and creating cohesive lessons for their K through 5 STEM programs. So that was so much fun.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:36]:

That was such a motivating thing to come back to and really jump right in. I'm not hosting that group coaching this summer. However, I do have an event coming up in July that will revolve around STEM planning that I haven't done before, so keep an eye out for that. And then, moving into the fall, I was really okay. I really wanted to work on those collaborations and connections. So I started reaching out, finding different opportunities and started up with a few different contract roles that I was playing around with, and that were all centered around elementary STEM. One of them, I actually got to teach LEGO education kits for a few months for a program, and that was super easy because I already had done these in my classroom. So, that was a really cool opportunity to be around kids.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:28]:

I had a different set of kids every day, every single day at the after school time. We did those LEGO Education Kids, and I also had the chance to coach teachers and give them strategies on how to work with kids, along with writing curriculum for a different LEGO education kit. So there's a whole different, thing using my skills in elementary sem during that contract time. I also connected with We Are Teachers and started creating video content with them centered around science experiments and STEM experiences. So you can check out their YouTube channel. It's really fun because I get to write the scripts and figure out how I want to film it, and then they do all the editing and make it so pretty. So, that's been really fun working with them on various projects. Likewise, I also started other local STEM teaching, and it's at a local roller skating rink where I actually teach an hour of STEM field trips.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:28]:

So the schools actually book with the roller skating rink. They pick 1 of 10 STEM lessons that are already created, and I go in, teach for an hour, and teach the lesson. It's, like, a 100-ish kids at a time by myself. Sometimes, I have support from the teachers. Usually, I don't. So it's me managing 100 kids or doing some basic science and STEM lessons together, and then I leave. I actually don't stay for the rest of the field trip. I am if you're watching the video, I have my hand under my chin.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:57]:

I am the talent, LOL. But it's super fun. It's a fun mix-up in my day just to get out of the house and, again, teach some kids. And a lot of schools out there actually do not have STEM, and I can actually tell with them out without telling me. So again, it is so important to have these opportunities for kids, and I'm so glad that I get to teach them. And I know I'm doing a good job because that is what I love and I'm passionate about, so that has been really, really fun. This was like a crazy time. Like, it's all kinda all happened at the same time, and a lot of these are actually still going on right now.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:34]:

Some are, some contracts are done, but some are still continuing to go. I actually had a school district in New York reach out and ask me to write a differentiated K through 5 STEM curriculum for their STEAM Saturdays. And so that was really cool taking the projects that they kind of had it had in mind, sometimes creating new projects, but actually creating lessons where they are building background knowledge. What is the science behind it? Why are you doing this project? How can this connect together? Creating and pulling extra resources to make it an actual meaningful lesson. So we're really hoping that that's funded through a grant. So we're really hoping that, more can get funded for this program, and I will continue doing the work with them. Also, with curriculum, I know you're like, how do I do management? I don't know you guys. When I look at this, I don't know how I did this.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:29]:

But that, again, is my personality. Definitely working on my K through 5, 7 year long plan, making updates and changes to that, and thinking about how to best serve you in those ways. So, with my resources and recommending those, so really diving into my curriculum on the side. And then I also, was reached out to by one of my favorite ad tech companies. You might be able to guess who it is, but they reached out to me, and I've been running their social media since November. And so that's been really, really fun. Again, serving teachers with a product I am very passionate about and absolutely believe in that should be used with students. It does involve some coding, but it's something that I really, really love, and it's actually one of the first stem products that I ever used as a classroom teacher.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:24]:

And so it really is this full circle moment that I am actually helping share this product and showcasing it in a way that really is meaningful, and I really believe it works well in the classroom. So, that is a fun daily thing that I get to work on. Once the new year came around again, a lot of these projects were still going on. I also launched, a couple of workshops, and one of them actually was in the fall. But I launched a couple of workshops for you to help you with those extra things you might want to try. So I first launched my seller school-wide news workshop where I give you every single thing that I use to set up my prerecorded daily news that I did at my school. And I loved hearing the emails that you guys said, oh my gosh. I did this at my school.


Naomi Meredith [00:16:16]:

Thank you so much. We actually have news that is meaningful, and I love the systems and processes. So that's all set up for you. You can still jump in on it. All of my workshops are actually available at any time, even after I go live. So that is really helpful, something you might wanna explore this summer. Likewise, I also launched a workshop for you guys about setting up your own STEM career day. So taking you through the whole process, I saved every single email when I set that up for my school, and getting real experts into your school in front of kids and getting them excited about the possibilities in STEM.


Naomi Meredith [00:16:53]:

Along with that, that led to the launch of my kid podcast. I still have this one, the elementary STEM coach, but I also have a podcast for kids, the STEM Career Quest podcast, where I interview these experts in STEM fields to help inspire kids to what they wanna be when they grow up and hear these amazing and outstanding people who are so intelligent and really want to inspire kids. So 2 episodes come out in a month, and there are also extra resources inside of the club that you can make the experience come to life even more. This spring, while all these contract things were going, I also started branching out into pushing out my own programs into the local community. So, I started teaching STEM sessions at one of my favorite local coffee shops. I absolutely think they're all about bringing in community, so I've been doing those types of sessions. And then I'm working with and talking with other local programs and other locations and schools so that I can bring STEM into those schools, especially locations that don't have it. And so that's really awesome where I get to influence more kids in the community with things that I may or may not have taught before, but get them excited about how they can problem solve and explore the world in new ways.


Naomi Meredith [00:18:15]:

So that is a snapshot of what I've been up to. There are many other things. Feel free to ask me questions and DM me. I'm so excited for what is to come. I hope this time next year, there are some things I really am manifesting. I would love a Makerspace mobile, and I'm not lying about that. I would love to have my own Makerspace mobile. But there are so many cool things that I'm really trying to stay involved in STEM, teaching kids in different ways and making sure that I'm making an impact in this space by helping you, but really helping ultimately our future in STEM.


Naomi Meredith [00:18:50]:

Thanks so much for following along in this fun episode, and I will chat with you soon.

STEM celebrations

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

 

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is an online K-5 STEM Coach in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there. 

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!

end of year science activities

3 End of Year Science Activities & STEM Challenges [ep.159]

by Naomi Meredith

3 End of Year Science Activities & STEM Challenges [ep.159]

end of year science activities

Check out the full episode on 3 End of Year Science Activities & STEM Challeges:  

 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Have a STEM question? Leave a voice message for the podcast!

Episode Summary

It’s the end of the school year, which means it can be a crazy and overwhelming time in your STEM classroom. Even with the kids excited about summer break, you can still keep them engaged and learning in your STEM classroom. In today’s episode, I’m sharing 3 end of year science activities that you can easily implement in your classroom. Even if your school year has ended, these are great activities to use if you’re teaching summer camp or have your own kids home with you for the summer. 

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • 3 end of year science activities for your STEM classroom
  • Tips for easily implementing these STEM activities
  • Resources to make your end of year science activities easy to implement

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

The end of the school year can be crazy and overwhelming in any type of classroom. What are some STEM and science activities that you can do to keep kids engaged and still learning? I'm sharing with you lessons that are easy to prep and that your students will definitely enjoy. And if you are already done with school and you have kids of your own or you are gonna be teaching some summer camp opportunities, these also work well for summer learning. Okay. So, on to the activities. What are some fun things that you can still do at this crazy time of year? I know, like, I've been on both sides. So I was a classroom teacher for 6 years, and then k through 5 STEM. So, I understand the different ways that kids can respond in different spaces.


Naomi Meredith [00:00:54]:

But even as a classroom teacher, doing those hands on things actually are really, really good for kids, and they absolutely love it. And it's a great way to harness their energy and do something really productive. So, what are some kinds of things that you can plan for? First of all, think about some Makerspace challenges. And if you're in the classroom, like, nope. No Makerspace. I can't do it. Think really small. You can use things that you already have in your classroom.


Naomi Meredith [00:01:23]:

You can ask your kids for donations and maybe collect some things at home. You would be surprised how quickly things add up in your own home when it comes to cardboard or different cardboard tubes. They add up really, really fast. Another way I really liked collecting materials that added up very quickly as I put a box in our teacher's lounge, especially when you have no time to cook, you have no energy. There are so many things happening in school and also out of school at this time that freezer meals are a great staple. And so I would put a box in the teacher's lounge, and I wrote a little sign, like, put your empty boxes in here. I'll collect them. And those freezer meal boxes are perfect for building with, because kids can use their regular scissors to cut.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:13]:

And they are small, manageable size, and you didn't really have to do much, send another letter home or anything. This is also a really good way for kids to use up their school supplies before taking them home. So, when you are planning a Makerspace challenge, you can keep it very simple. They don't have to be overly complicated. One way to do this is to look at the standards that you have and the standards that lend themselves perfectly for building. So look for keywords that say create a model, demonstrate, and show the process. And it's okay if this is our review time of science concepts, or maybe there's something you did teach, but it wasn't very hands-on. There is so much to learn about science and look at it in a different way.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:03]:

I still taught with all of the standards in my STEM classroom, even though I knew the kids were learning it in their classroom, but they knew they weren't doing it in STEM ways. So don't feel like, oh, we already did it. No. There's so much to learn about science. Who knows if kids grasped it the first time? Do it again in a new way. You can also do this on the flip side, so we have that nonfiction way. Think about STEM and stories. This is a really great way where kids to build and solve a problem in the story or create an alternate ending.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:35]:

They can create a new solution. One way I know this isn't summer, but this is one that came off the top of my head. But think about the story of the gingerbread man. A traditional story where the gingerbread man goes in the water, and the wolf is like, oh, I'll, or the fox will help you. I'll help you. And, sadly, the gingerbread man didn't exist. So what if the gingerbread man was a little bit smart, had some engineering skills, and students could build a boat to help the gingerbread man get across? So, just a quick example there, pretty, pretty fun. Another way that you can do this Makerspace is I actually did this at the end of the year.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:16]:

I purposely tried it out brand new at the end of the year because I wanted to do Makerspace, and it was a great success. I did a whole STEMUSEMENT PARK theme, so every grade level was exploring force and motion, and had a different Makerspace challenge of a different area of the park, and they were building to solve that problem. It was amazing. Kids were engaged. It was a great way to clean out my supplies and get it all restocked and cleaned out and ready to go for the next year. So, I'm telling you, Makerspace is so much fun at the end of the year. Another way that you can keep kids engaged during this busy time is to take them outside. Yes, to play.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:00]:

We know that. We want to enjoy the air, fresh air. Here in Colorado, our weather is so crazy in the spring, it's hit or miss. But there is so much science outside. Maybe you do something, they have a nature journal where they're making observations, and you go out at the same time every day and see if there are things that they notice. And it could even be tracking the weather. I recently just got a bird feeder at my house and, that could be something, too. You could build a bird feeder in Makerspace.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:30]:

Bonus lesson for you. I just got a bird feeder at my house, and I actually had to move the bird feeder because in the first location, all the squirrels thought it was their own buffet, and they were fighting over the food. So I had to move it where the squirrels can't get it. And I got so excited when I've got my first two birds in my little feeder, and I could even I'm really trying to figure out what kind of birds they are. I need that look a little bit closer. So you could do the same thing with your kids. Also, along with that, if you're making observations, you can explore shadows and bring some chalk out there. Again, go out at different times of day and have kids trace each other, or maybe you have an object that they have to find the shadow and notice where how the shadow changes at different types of day, kinda like a sundial.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:20]:

You could notice bugs safely. Maybe, depending on where you live, you might know where to look for. Something that I've done I do this actually at the beginning of the year, but it would work very well at the end of the year. It's having a whole STEM survival camp theme where part of their building challenges, they actually have to go outside and find their materials. So you can even think about combining that Makerspace idea. Is there a way can they get materials from the outdoors to build their projects? And lastly, another way to keep students engaged, but you also would like a calm transition activity that is still learning. I did this all the time when I taught 3rd grade. Is and this is also really good too.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:03]:

If you come back from a field trip, it's not as stimulating as a show. But podcasts for kids are really, really great and a good use of having them practice their listening comprehension. You probably are doing read alouds in your classroom already, and podcasts are very similar, but even they can have more audio elements where it's kinda like watching a show, but you're listening and really comprehending what is happening. A great way to get started with a podcast is to have students draw what they visualize. They can do this on paper. I actually like to do this on Seesaw. It's free to get started. This is not an ad.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:45]:

I just love using it. But I would link in Seesaw 3 different episodes that were related to weather. That's what we were studying. Students got to choose their episode and then draw what they were visualizing. They could turn in multiple pages as they listened, but it was really, really cool and helped them think about the weather in a different way. You can also have guided comprehension questions that are related to the episode. So maybe you already pre listened to it. You can come up with some questions you guys are answering along the way.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:16]:

And then if it's your first time too with podcast, it is something to help students learn how to listen. And so you can even break up the podcast into chunks if it's their first time, so you could listen to a little bit each day. My favorite ones to use with kids are science-based, is brains on, super fun, tumble science, similar, similar vibes, different people. And then, I'm very biased, but my podcast for kids the STEM Career Quest podcast, where I interview people in STEM careers. So as a recap, the 3 ways that we talked about ways to keep kids engaged is trying out Makerspace challenges, taking your kids outside by making it a learning experience, and trying out podcasts. If you really want something low prep and you were really interested in that podcast idea, for my STEM Career Quest podcast, I've been really focusing on it from the beginning to make it very educational. And so, for every single episode, there are listening comprehension guides that are specific to that episode. So there are career quests where kids actually have to listen for the answer, and then I reveal the answers at the end.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:32]:

There are some fun facts about the topic. There are there is a video and audio version, so you can choose your own adventure. There are, slides of the video version that where it is broken up into those chunks, so you don't have to keep track of where you are. You can listen to or watch that segment to really go through that process throughout the week. Also, these are all inside my STEM Career Quest club. You also get a paired comprehension guide or paired stem activities. Yes, you get comprehension guides, but paired stem activities that go along with each episode so you can make those connections. A new feature that we just added is on demand virtual field trips.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:14]:

So it's an hour-long experience where you get to have me in your classroom watch at any time. There are guided activities that are differentiated and leveled that you can print out, and it's a visual interactive experience where they're not sitting, but there's an activity to go along with it. If this sounds perfect for you, you can find out more about the club at my website, naomimeridith.com. Click on the little tab that says clubs and then STEM Career Quest Club. It is all laid out for you, and it's always linked in the episode show notes for every single episode. Thank you so much for joining me. I hope this gives you some inspiration and some fun ideas to make the end of the year not so overwhelming. You can always send me a DM on Instagram.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:58]:

You can find me at Naomi Meredith_. Mention my website, Naomi Meredith.com, and you can find all the links to the things. But I would love to hear from you if you have any questions, and enjoy the rest of your school year.

 

end of year science activities

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

 

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is an online K-5 STEM Coach in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there. 

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!

environment education

Exploring Birds, Critters and Nature with Coordinator of Community Outreach & Environment Education Jeremy Pearson [ep.13]

by Naomi Meredith

Exploring Birds, Critters and Nature with Coordinator of Community Outreach & Environment Education Jeremy Pearson [ep.13]

environment education

Check out the full episode on Exploring Birds, Critters and Nature with Coordinator of Community Outreach & Environment Education Jeremy Pearson:  

 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Episode Summary

Have you ever been bird watching or just watched the birds you see when you’re outside? I recently added two bird feeders at my house, and after a few days, birds started coming to eat at my bird feeders. Nature is so fascinating, and there is so much you can learn about the animals and plants where you live. There are even people who research and explore nature where they live and teach others about it through different types of activities and adventures, which is what we are going to learn about in today’s STEM career quest!

In today’s episode, we get to hear from Jeremy Pearson, who is a Coordinator of Community Outreach and Environment Education. Jeremy takes us behind the scenes of what he does as a coordinator of community outreach and environment education. He also shares about some of the exciting things he gets to do in his job, what led him to this STEM career, and so much more. This episode is filled with so many exciting facts about his role as a Coordinator of Community Outreach and Environment Education. Don't forget to join our STEM Career Quest Club so you can learn even more about what it’s like to be a Coordinator of Community Outreach and Environment Education.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Want more ways to enhance your podcast listening experience? 

Click HERE to join our STEM Career Quest Club!

Inside, you get access to 

  • a private community of other STEM Career Quest listeners
  • comprehension guides for each episode
  • teaching slides for each episode, where it is broken up into chunks so you can listen in smaller segments
  • related STEM activities you can complete with simple materials
  • one monthly virtual STEM field trip

And more!

 

Meet Jeremy Pearson:

Jeremy Pearson is an Environmental Coordinator for the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

With over 15 years of work in the environmental field Jeremy has done it all. From catching fish in Windsor, Ontario to flying into remote lakes in Thunder Bay, to sampling water and tracking wolves. Jeremy has had a passion for the environment ever since he was a child, catching fish and finding frogs with his family in Canada. Now, he has the pleasure of sharing his love of then environment with interested families and volunteers in Southern Ontario. From bird watching and Hoot n Howl events where Jeremy and his participants look for owls and coyotes to Learn to Fish events where people learn how to ethically and sustainably catch fish, Jeremy is always eager to share his passion for the environment.

When Jeremy isn't working he is camping, preparing for his next triathlon or cuddling up with his two kitties, Meep and Mr.Grr.

Connect with Jeremy: 

See a Coordinator of Community Outreach & Environment Education in Action:

education environment

education environment

environment education

environment education

environment education

environment education

environment education

 

 

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is an online K-5 STEM Coach in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there. 

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

Connect with the Host, Naomi Meredith:

More About The STEM Career Quest Podcast

Have you ever found yourself asking this question… “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Maybe you already have an answer to that, maybe you don’t.

Both are ok!

Welcome to the “STEM Career Quest” podcast! A show made for kids like you to help you build your dreams, or even find new ones, in science, technology, engineering and math. Each week, hear captivating stories and interviews to explore the exciting world of STEM. Oh! And grown-ups and teachers, you can listen too!

We’ll talk to experts in STEM who are passionate about what they do in the real-world and how they make a positive impact in their careers. Created and hosted by K-5 STEM Coach, Naomi Meredith, this show will spark your imagination and passions.

Join us each week on our quest to explore the possibilities of careers in STEM, one episode at a time.

professional development for STEM teachers

Ideas for Professional Development for STEM Teachers 2024 [ep.158]

by Naomi Meredith

Ideas for Professional Development for STEM Teachers 2024 [ep.158]

professional development for STEM teachers

Check out the full episode on Ideas for Professional Development for STEM Teachers 2024:  

 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Have a STEM question? Leave a voice message for the podcast!

Episode Summary

Have you been wondering what types of STEM professional development you should be participating in? What are the best STEM professional development opportunities available? In today’s episode, I’m sharing ideas for professional development for STEM teachers in 2024. The resources and ideas I’m breaking down will cover three categories of professional development types, giving you lots of options.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • 2024 in person conferences and virtual summits for professional development for STEM teachers
  • Additional resources available for professional development for STEM teachers
  • Tips for getting the most out of these professional development opportunities

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

As a STEM teacher, what types of professional development should you be looking for? And, honestly, what is actually out there that will be helpful? In today's episode, I'm going to be sharing with you some resources and different ideas to help you with your professional development as a STEM teacher for 2024. 


Listener Message [00:00:56]:

Hi, Naomi. This is Evelyn. I was emailing back and forth with you not too long ago, just the other day. And I was wondering if you would have any insight on what the best professional development for STEM is, in terms of teachers just like you who are teaching pre-k through 5th to attend. I'm very new to STEM, just like you, and I would love to do some paid professional development that my school is actually willing to pay for. And so I'm researching right now, but I was wondering what it is that you would recommend.


Naomi Meredith [00:01:30]:

Thank you so much for submitting your audio question. I appreciate this so much. I love it when you guys ask me questions like this or when it's an audio message because they do actually pop up in my email, and it is just so fun to listen to your guys' voices. Because I am here in my home office, my little dog Frederick is staring at me. And so it's just so different when I can hear your voice and interact with you. So thank you so much. If you wanna record a message like this, if you have a question for me, you can do that from your phone. Just head on over to naomimeridith.com/voice.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:11]:

When I was teaching in a school so I teach them in lots of different ways. But when I was in a school, and I moved from being a classroom teacher for 6 years and into the k through 5 STEM space, I had a whole different appreciation for specials teachers when it came to professional development. And, really, a huge thing with professional development is it is targeted towards classroom teachers, which makes sense. That's the majority of the staff where they're working in their homeroom and working on all of those standards and learning goals, which, as a STEM teacher, you should be doing too, but in your own different way. But it often was really frustrating because none of the professional development was things that I wanted to learn about in STEM specifically. Like, is there something that will help me plan a STEM lesson that is engaging for the time that I have with students? What is the new technology out there I should be learning about? What are some topics that are important in STEM to make sure that my lessons are relevant and modern? Who are some other STEM teachers that I can connect with and learn from since I'm the only one in the building? You might have similar experiences as I did, and so I am coming at you with a list of things that you can do in 2024 starting this summer, and feel prepared to go into your next school year for whatever adventures you have in STEM. For this podcast episode, I have things broken up into 3 categories. For these categories and the things that I mentioned, everything is going to be linked in the show notes for you.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:01]:

So feel free to take notes, but also you can head over to those where things are clickable and easy for you to find. So, let's jump in. The first set of professional development opportunities to consider is conferences. And I don't know if you have seen the episode of Abbott Elementary. My teacher, Honey, and I love watching that show. But on one of the episodes, Janine and I forget her good bud that she really is friends with. She and the other guy, they are they go to a teacher conference, and they are so excited. They're making a list of all of the things that they want to go see, and they're super pumped up about all the things about the conference, the swag bags, and talking with other teachers.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:50]:

They are all about it. And then there's a couple of other teachers at their school as well who are more seasoned which is fine, but they're really not about the conferences. And that really is me. I love going to conferences. I love talking to people and connecting. And my teacher, Honey, not so much. So and he teaches Spanish, so he wouldn't be going to a STEM conference with me anyway. And so, if you are able to do something in person, I am going to mention some really cool conferences to keep an eye out for if you're able to go, but also check to see if there are local things as well.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:26]:

For this episode, I couldn't list every single conference opportunity that is out there in every single state. But if you are able to do something in person, I highly recommend it because the virtual stuff is really great, which I am gonna talk about, and I love the use of technology. Hence, this podcast, I am so grateful for technology, but there's something different about being in person and chatting with people and having those conversations and the body language and their voice interaction. Conference to conference to keep your eye out for, this is in Colorado. It's from June 19th through 21st in 2024. It is Steve Spangler's Science Conference. You probably have heard of Steve Spangler. He's actually a local, I guess, local semi-celebrity here in Colorado, and he's on our news all the time.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:27]:

I haven't met him yet, but he does a lot of cool things locally with kids. But he's actually hosting a conference that is hands-on and interactive and fun for teachers, where it has some more of that conference, but also workshop type style where you actually get to try out some things to do with kids. So that's here in Colorado. If you haven't been, check it out. But that also leads into the next conference I'm going to talk about that's also in Colorado. So you can actually stay. They go back to VACC, so stay for Steve's and then come to the other one. I will not be at Steve's conference, but that's something that is definitely up my alley.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:05]:

But I will be at this next one, and the next one is ISTE, which is a huge national conference. This is actually ISTE. They have it in different places, but it was in Denver another time before. And I was teaching 3rd grade at the time. I remember this. I went down with one of my good friends I taught with, actually, Becca, who you've heard on this podcast. We went down to the conference together. We were able to go, and it was such a pivotal moment for me that this conference really sparked so much in me to what technology and innovation and hands-on learning means with kids and something I found I was really passionate about and wanted to learn more.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:51]:

And so there's just so many cool things, soaked up all this different information, and it's really cool looking back when I attended ST at the time and where I'm at now where, yes, I get to be at sessions and still continue to learn, but I'm really excited to talk to people. You may or may not know this, Mommy. I love to chat with people. It's, like, one of my faves. So, I love to chat, and I'm so excited to go to this. I will be there all the days. And the board that I'm on for INEDCO Innovative Education Colorado, we typically put on a conference every summer as well. But because of ISTE, we are actually partnering with ISTE and supporting them with other things with the conference.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:36]:

Not a whole lot, but some items that we are involved in. And one of those is we are running playground sessions. So, if you go to ISTE and you look up playgrounds, I actually went toward the space a couple of weeks ago. It's like it's a newer build in this convention center, but if you go find the playgrounds, there's regional, there's other types of playgrounds. But if you look for the local playgrounds that are Colorado based, it's in this huge room. I might be hanging out over there or asking somebody with an INEDCO shirt. They'll know. They can text me.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:12]:

If you wanna meet, I would love to meet you. So, if you end up going, please let me know. Some of you have actually reached out to me on Instagram and asked if I'm going and if I'm presenting. So yes and no on the presenting part. I will be presenting some playground sessions, so they are more interactive, you get a chat with me, so not like a go, sit, and listen to type of thing. However, we were all told on the board that we all needed to have a couple of presentations in our back pocket if anything were to happen. So I could be doing, like, a pop up presentation. So keep an eye out.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:49]:

I definitely am active on social media. Message me on there. But this is just an amazing conference. It's all things innovation, not just technology. It has evolved over the years, but what does this type of learning look like in schools? What should we be talking about? A big thing I know is that there are a lot of sessions about our AI. So, keep an eye out. I would love to chat. Like I said, this is a great conference and so much fun.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:17]:

And Denver is a lot is a blast. It's actually at a really cool location, and there's a big bear looking into the building. So you'll have a lot of fun. Alright. If you wanna kick continue to book up your summer, here's another one shortly after ISTE, but you gotta make your way to Florida. That is a long flight from Colorado, and it is the Spaceport Area Conference. And so all things space, oh my gosh. I would love to go to this, but I can't fit in that many conferences.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:44]:

I wish I could. But it's at the Kennedy Space Center, and it's all things space. And this just sounds so amazing. And it is really important to see these things in real life. And even as a teacher, you have these experiences, especially if you're in a location that is doing such important work like space, you can take those experiences back to your students. So those are some fun ideas to get you started. Definitely look up again things that are local for you, because it is a game changer when you get to be in person with other people who are passionate about the things that you are doing. Likewise, there are a bunch of virtual summits that come out during the spring and into the summer.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:28]:

And it's really good to mix these into because this type of learning, you can definitely do on the go and in your own time. One thing I like to do with virtual summits, because typically they're prerecorded and there are some live elements, is if I, register for these types of summits, I like to watch the sessions, like, when I'm on a cardio machine. So that way, I'm still getting a workout in but also learning. That is a huge hack that I definitely have done. And if I'm not finished or wanna listen to another one, when I'm done showering, and I'm getting ready, blow dry my hair, I will have some earbuds in and tune in to that session. So if you're like, I don't have time to learn. I don't have time to learn. That it was it's a huge game changer.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:13]:

I do this all the time still. So if you're looking for ways to fit in those conferences and it's like, oh, it's one more thing, combine it with something else that you're already doing. So, some virtual summits, there's a bunch out there. One that came out today, at the time of this podcast recording, just in time for teacher appreciation week, is the Spring International STEAM Summit by Wonder Workshop. This summit is absolutely free. I actually was our keynote speaker last year, which was a super fun experience. The fun thing, too, I was actually at home, but it was live, so that was very different. I couldn't see everybody's faces.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:51]:

So maybe one day, I will be doing a keynote in front of a bunch of people live. We shall see. You heard it here on the podcast. But it's really cool. You don't have to have Dash the robot to be able to attend. There are a lot of sessions about that. I will be speaking about Wondermark workshop-themed stations that you can do, as well also why you would do STEM stations. But there are some other sessions as well that other people are presenting about that are all things STEM or STEAM.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:20]:

So really fun to check it out. There's a smaller list of presenters, which is okay because you probably can listen to all of them within a week or 2. So, definitely check it out. The live call kicks off tonight. It will be recorded. Make sure to register because there are some incentives and some prizes. Also, this is a time when they like to announce a lot of cool things that are up and coming, so make sure to find me there. Another summit that is a fun one with similar vibes, some are about the product, some aren't, is Seesaw Connect.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:55]:

Again, make sure to register. It says that spots are filling up where not everyone will be able to attend, which is new this year, so make sure you sign up. But it is free as well. And I'm also presenting at this one all about STEM Music Park, one of my favorite units to teach. I think I say that all the time that it's my favorite unit to teach because they are. But this one's really cool too. Again, it is prerecorded, the same kinda thing with some cool incentives, different ways to learn about STEM, and even ways to implement Seesaw in your classroom. This was a tool that I used all the time as a classroom teacher and then used it consistently and all the time when I taught STEM.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:36]:

So, if you want to learn more about what Seesaw is, this would be a great introduction to that. I have had some people wondering, well, how do I even connect this together? And so, just a really cool conference as well. That one isn't until August, so you have some time. Oh, and it's a summit, not a conference. And then another one that truly is on the go that is all podcast style, and I love that some of these summits are doing this where it's audio only, there's no video whatsoever, is this back to school audio summit. When I get more information, and maybe even by the time this episode comes out, I will have the links. But this one's really cool where it's a lot of different things about education, for elementary and and things that, again, can get you pumped up for the next school year. I am actually talking about things that are STEM-related that actually work for classroom teachers or homeschool parents as well.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:31]:

And during this summit, there are actually new things that come out each month. So things will come out in May, June, July. I think it's actually June, July, August. June, July, and August, new topics will be coming out in this audio summit. I'm not sure if it's free or paid. If it is paid, it's not very much. I'm so sorry I'm vague on the details, because I don't have all of them yet. But I am presenting 3 different things that can help you with your prep during the summer.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:59]:

And mine are about STEM, so, make sure to check those out. And the last set of things when it comes to professional development resources are things that I create for you. This podcast is called The Elementary STEM Coach for a reason, and I have those lesson ideas for you ways to help support you in your classroom. I create professional development. And so there's a lot of different options that are a lot like, more involved, less involved, whatever you're looking for. First of all, is this podcast, but make sure that you use the time you listen to this podcast each week. Turn in those hours. And you don't need to go through them, like, oh my gosh.


Naomi Meredith [00:16:41]:

How many minutes is this episode? What does this apply to? I've already done that work for you. So, I go in and update this spreadsheet. I sort all of my podcast episodes and categories, and I have all of the time stamps for you and a certificate that you can turn in for this professional learning. You're still learning. Hopefully, it's fun. I tell the kids at my skating STEM field trip that I'm not so bad. I'm pretty fun. So hopefully, you'll laugh a little bit with me.


Naomi Meredith [00:17:09]:

I have no idea. But keep track of that time. You can turn that in. I put this together for you, and I want this podcast to be useful. Along with that, a lot of you like to take the time in the summer to read books, where you really feel like you can chill, you can get that reading in, do some longer walks, and listen to audio. And I know that reading is so important in so many ways for fun and for learning. I'm always reading 3 books at one time. I always have a fiction book going for fun, a nonfiction book, whether that is for my business, just like business learning, or for my STEM teacher bookshelf.


Naomi Meredith [00:17:48]:

So I'll switch off between reading and audio for those two options, but I always have 3 going on at once. I don't watch a whole lot of TV by myself. I prefer books. I'm such a nerd. But in the STEM teacher bookshelf it's super low-key where we've modified the structure a bit where there is a Facebook group where we'll chat about some topics, some updates, some questions to answer maybe. And then, instead of a live call, because I know you're busy and we all live in different time zones, there are 2 private podcast episodes that come out each month. They are raw unedited. You get to hear all the things.


Naomi Meredith [00:18:24]:

If my dog barks, he barks, and we're that's where we're at. But at the beginning of the month, you get a private podcast episode where I talk about the book, why the book was chosen, and things to look for in your comprehension guide that I create for every book. And then at the end of the month, I will recap anything that happened in the Facebook group, some things to look forward to, and it resets from there. So you get to listen and learn on the go. Low key, I don't want it to be stressful. I really do try to choose books for the summer that have audio options when possible. So this springtime, there is a lot of audio, because if you're busy or cleaning your classroom, this is a great time to listen to books and get that learning in. And then this summer, I'm very, very thoughtful about the books and why I choose them for certain times, and you get to hear about why I chose the books for that time of month.


Naomi Meredith [00:19:17]:

So fun, low key membership. Would love to see you there. Also, if you're looking for very targeted learning and you wanna get something done, something prepped, you've been googling, you're like, I don't know what to do. I have some on-demand workshops. At the time, they were live, but you actually get to hear back the recordings. You can watch or listen. And I have different workshops to target different things that you were hoping to create. One that is very, very popular well, they're actually all really popular in their own way based on what you're looking for.


Naomi Meredith [00:19:51]:

A lot of you have mentioned I wanna do a school-wide news club. I might not wanna start at midyear. Where do I get started? Get this all prepped now, and I give you every single template and every single new thing you need in my school-wide virtual news workshop. In 2 hours, you will set up your whole news from start to finish. And I met with a teacher, and I'm saying this off the cuff, and you know who you are because I met with you on Zoom, and she did this workshop and implemented the news at her school. And then her students actually showcased their news at an awards thing in their district about technology. And the kids actually presented to me over Zoom their presentation and how they got started with their news and how it's going at their school. And it was so sweet.


Naomi Meredith [00:20:43]:

They even gave me a shout out. Like, that is so cute. But they were so proud of themselves, and I was proud of them, and they were I was not even in their classroom. I was over Zoom. So this is so, so amazing. So, a lot of you have reached out with emails saying, I implemented this news. It's going really well. So, if you just want everything laid out, I got you covered.


Naomi Meredith [00:21:05]:

Same thing with lesson planning. If you're taking a deep dive into your lessons, I have 2 separate workshops, shops, a k through 2 STEM planning workshop, and a 3 through 5 STEM planning workshop. There is a bundle. You can grab those together. But I do plan differently for each grade level. So, with the people I had live, we collaboratively planned units together, but you actually get to hear the thought process and the thinking out loud, which I think is very valuable. Also, if you're helping to put on a unique STEM event, I have a workshop all about STEM career day, where, again, I give you all the templates, all the emails, and everything you need to do to set up this event where students can see people in real life who are doing amazing things in STEM. And finally, if you are just starting from scratch, you're new to this position, you just found me, or you went through a year or 2, and you just need to really focus on your program and the systems and routines, how can you plan? What are some ways that students can collaborate together? How can I set up my classroom? I have that all for you in my STEM Teacher 101 course, where there is video.


Naomi Meredith [00:22:12]:

Again, audio. I'm very big on having both. But I will walk you through setting up your classroom. What should you look for? What routines do you need to have in place? How do you plan a stem lesson? What should you be doing to set that foundation? So this is really gonna build that foundation up for you, and you can do it in a weekend. It's not anything crazy, but you also have some handouts and some getting started things for you as well. So, as a recap, I gave you a lot of different options when it comes to professional development opportunities as a STEM teacher for 2024. Now, the things that I offer you are always there. But for 2024 we talked about how you can go to conferences in person, some different options for there.


Naomi Meredith [00:22:58]:

Check out some virtual summits that can be really fun, and also all the different things that I have created just for you based on request. Thank you so much again. I know this is a lot of information and resources, but, of course, check out the show notes so you can grab all the links and let me know how and what you end up choosing to support your STEM journey.

professional development for STEM teachers

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

 

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is an online K-5 STEM Coach in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there. 

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!

class schedule examples for elementary STEM

Class Schedule Examples for Elementary STEM [ep.157]

by Naomi Meredith

Class Schedule Examples for Elementary STEM [ep.157]

class schedule examples for elementary STEM

Check out the full episode on Class Schedule Examples for Elementary STEM:  

 

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Episode Summary

Are you looking to update your STEM schedule to coordinate with the other specials teachers in your school? Or is your school in the process of adding a STEM program and trying to figure out the best schedule? If yes, then today’s episode is just for you. I’m sharing class schedule examples for elementary STEM. These examples will give you several ideas for how you can structure your STEM schedule.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Class schedule examples for elementary STEM from my time teaching STEM and other STEM teachers
  • A breakdown of how often and how long students attend STEM 
  • Tips for navigating class schedule changes

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

Are you in the season where you are trying to update your STEM schedule and work it out with all the other specials teachers? Or maybe, on the flip side, your school or district is thinking about having a STEM program and wondering how we could space out the kids. In this episode, we are gonna be talking about different types of class schedule examples for elementary STEM to help you brainstorm and give ideas of what would work best for your school. When I was looking through my episodes and when you guys reached out to me, I really appreciated it when you asked if there was a podcast episode about this. And here and there, in my episodes, I have talked about my schedule in STEM, but I was looking through everything, and I didn't have one specific episode that talked about the different kinds of schedules I have had, and then also what your guys' schedules were. So, I really appreciate those of you who responded back to me on Instagram. Thank you so much for sharing your schedules.


Naomi Meredith [00:01:42]:

There are so many different ones that I've never even heard of, and I will be sharing those today. For this episode, there isn't any video, and I plan that purposely because I'm gonna be sharing a lot from my notes. When I record with video, I look at my notes, but then I look at the cameras at the same time. I stop, look, blah blah blah. And for this one, since I'm talking about a lot of time frames and sharing your responses, there is no video for this one. And it's such a shame because I'm all dressed up, and actually, my makeup looks really good. But before we dive into that really quick, I wanted to share with you that I will be presenting at Wonder Workshop's spring international STEAM summit for 2024. It's absolutely free.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:30]:

And if you're listening to this after the fact, that's totally okay. They usually have the replay somewhere. So make sure to check out their website or check out their Instagram at wonderworkshop, and you can see more about it and how you can register, and that is in the 1st full week of May. So super fun. Just in time for teacher appreciation, I will be presenting about Wonder Workshop Theme Station. So, that was really fun to plan and really incorporate all the different things that you can do with their tools, with the robot, that is my fave, and other things as well. Likewise, it's all about the presentations this month. Been working a lot on those and doing a lot of recording.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:15]:

But inside my STEM Career Quest club, an exclusive club for my ultimate questies, we have our 1st on demand virtual field trip coming up. So, I will be coming at you with an engaging presentation that is for your students, and this is something that they don't just sit and get. I will actually be asking them questions. There are interactive documents or worksheets. I hate saying worksheets because it's actually activities that go along with the presentation where I made 3 different levels for each activity. So while they're interacting with me, even though it is on demand, they will be doing a lot, and you actually will be pausing to complete the things, and we go over the answers and explore. So this month the on demand presentation is all about bugs, and I have some special never before seen clips with the bug chicks. When I recorded with them, we actually explored some bugs together with their microscope.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:15]:

So when you're in the club, you always have access to that. It's so perfect for the end of the year. I know a lot of you talk about life cycles and outdoor exploration at this time of year in the spring, so this is a great addition. If you need sub plans, it's me teaching your students. So this has been really fun to put together because I do this for you, but then for that other podcast and all that content, it's me teaching kids, which I also absolutely love. So those will both be linked in the show notes and excited to see you in both of those places. Alright. So, what can those different schedules look like? And when you are in the elementary space, what does it actually look like in terms of time frames? As I said, I know this can vary from school to school, but in my 5 years of teaching k through 5 STEM, I had different schedules.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:14]:

And I'm also gonna share with you what my schedule was like for specials when I actually was a classroom teacher. Alright. So, my 1st year teaching k through 5 STEM was very interesting. For the 1st semester, I only taught 4 days a week, and I actually didn't work Mondays. And it all worked out. I'm telling you, the schedule is so interesting. I only worked 4 days a week, and students had STEM on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I had the same 6 classes, k through 5 in a row.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:56]:

So Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, I saw the same exact kids. And we, at the time at my school, had a class called assets, which was all about character development and being kind and making good, social emotional decisions for yourself and for others. So those same kids that I had Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, they had assets Monday and Tuesday. So I told you I had Mondays off. I didn't have those kids on Tuesdays, and that was set up for me to co-teach with the teachers in my building to implement STEM and technology. So, we'll go back to the co-teaching model. So we'll get back to that. So Tuesdays was that open time.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:41]:

For their specials time, if the kids were in assets and stem, that was the same week. And then the other 3 grade levels, so we had 4 of each class. So 4 3rd grades, 4 4th grades, all of that. The other kids would have art for the week, PE for the week, music for the week. So I know it's super lucky that I saw the same kids in a row, but it was kind of hard that 1st year seeing them only 3 days a week because I was just getting started and figuring everything out. I did see the classes, 1st grade through 5th grade, for 45 minutes. So they would be 45 minutes. I would get about 5 minutes in between each class to transition, and I would do 3 classes in the morning, would have lunch, and then have 3 in the afternoon.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:36]:

For kindergarten at the time that year, so this is in 2018, kindergarten was only 20 minutes because they were half day. So, from what I remember, I actually had 4 in the morning, now that I'm saying this out loud. 4 in the morning, 4 in the afternoon, because we had the morning kindergarten come and then the afternoon kindergarten come. So 20 minutes was really, really fast. It was really good for kindergarten to have 20 minutes for that beginning of the year. That actually was enough time. But after winter break, it was way too fast. We couldn't get anything done.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:20]:

It was such a waste of time for everybody. So I thought it would be cool if we never did this. Eventually, our school went to full-time kindergarten, so my schedule changed, and I'll talk about that too. But I thought it'd be cool if it were still 45 minutes for kindergarten, and they would switch specials at that halfway point. So maybe they came to STEM for 20 minutes, and then they went to art for 20 minutes. So they could break up that stamina just for the 1st semester. And I have heard of schools and friends who taught who used to do this just to get the kids used to what specials is, because, you know, with kindergarten, they're like, where's my teacher? Who are you? Why are we here? I'm tired. So that was very interesting.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:02]:

So 45 minutes overall is a great amount of time. It does move quickly. If this is your 1st year or 2 teaching STEM, it moves by really fast, but it still works out. Then I had so that had that 3 days a week schedule. So Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, I had those same kids. On Tuesdays, I would co-teach. Then, in the 2nd semester, things changed, and on Mondays, I actually taught GT Science. So for some reason, we had a lot of kids identified with gifted and talented in science.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:37]:

So I did a lot of project based learning with a group of 3rd graders, 4th graders, and 5th graders on Mondays, and that was about 45 minutes to an hour on Mondays. And then the other times, I would use to do some technology troubleshooting because I was the technology person. Or I would flip flop some of that with my Tuesdays where I would meet with, classroom teachers to do some co planning or maybe I would pop in their room that day. So my set times on Mondays, when it lined up with their science times in class, were with those 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders separately. And then it was more flexible during the Monday Tuesday what worked best on meeting with the classroom teachers and what they needed. After COVID, things changed in our budgets, and that asset class, didn't exist anymore, but we still needed the kids to be in specials for a full week. So my last 2 years teaching STEM is when I went to 5 days a week, and that is when we had full day kindergarten, and everybody was 45 minutes. So that is when I had, everybody for 45 minutes.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:49]:

It started at I had my planned time first thing, so I didn't talk about that. That was for the whole 5 years. Plan time was always first thing in the morning, and so we had 45 minutes for plan time every morning for my 5 years. That was so amazing. I loved it in the mornings. 45 minutes, and then 5th grade started right at 8:45, had them for 45 minutes. There was a 5 minute transition, then I had 4th grade. I had a 10 minute transition by this point.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:17]:

Then I had 3rd grade for 45 minutes. Then I had my lunchtime, which I feel so bad for saying this, but I had a 45 minute lunch. So it just worked out. We had a 45 minute lunch, and I did not have to do any duties. I did not have to watch kids during this time. It was my lunchtime. So I had lunch, and then right at 12, so it was 11:15 to 12, was our lunch, specials teachers. Then 1st grade came in for 45 minutes, had a 10 minute break.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:50]:

Our transition is not really a break. Let's go to the bathroom. 10 minutes, and then kindergarten came in for 45 minutes, and then I ended the day well, 10 minute transition, ended the day with 2nd grade. Then that freed up some time. If we had after school duties, we could get to those on time, set up for after school clubs since me and my teammates all had after school clubs. So that was my schedule for the last 2 years. Back to that year or 2, it was a couple years. It was 3 years.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:20]:

Let's be honest. It was 3 years. COVID was a weird year. My schedule is different. But the years that I had the kids 3 days a week, there was a year where I was getting paid through a grant on Mondays. I didn't end up having GT Science for my last 2 years. I in the 3 days a week. On Mondays, I had 8 classes a day.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:43]:

I do not recommend having 8 classes a day. That was horrible. It was 35 minutes with 2 minute transitions between classes and a 30 minute lunch. It was so stressful. I was so sweaty. It was so, so fast. Teachers liked that bonus extra plan time, so that left I was teaching 8 classes a day on Mondays, co teaching on Tuesdays, and then that Wednesday through Friday schedule teaching STEM as a specials. It was insane, and I had talked to my principal, like, this is not good.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:18]:

I don't recommend it. If that's where your principal's thinking of doing, oh, you can do it. Just 35 minutes. You get nothing done. It's horrible. The behavior, it's just you have no patience after 8 classes. There's no way. And it would be 2 grade levels.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:31]:

So my worst days were when I had kindergarten, all 4 in a row, back to back to back, and then 5th grade, back to back to back. No. That's not true. It was 1st grade. You guys know how I feel about 1st graders and 5th graders. They're, like, the same. And I talked to my principal. I'm like, I can't I cannot do 8 classes a day.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:52]:

So we ended up splitting it where I had 4 on Mondays, 4 on Tuesdays, and then I would fill in the time with co teaching and technology troubleshooting. So very, very interesting, all the different schedules. I did mention co teaching, and so this was a model that I was doing. I built it in my schedule, talked to classroom teachers whether I was planning with them or I was teaching with them, all those things. I do have an episode with my friend, Becca McMillan, and she talks about her co teaching experience. And I do have an episode coming out this summer. I'm going to do a whole series of where STEM is in all sorts of places. And I'm gonna record one episode dedicated to co teaching.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:35]:

So I did map out my episodes. I do have that coming up this summer. When I was a classroom teacher, different school, STEM was actually not in the rotation ever. The kids never regularly went to STEM. STEM was actually a 100% co teaching, And we didn't have as many things. STEM was kind of new then, so we did do some coding and robotics. We did a lot more technology integration, but when this is when I was a classroom teacher when I taught 3rd grade, we would meet with our STEM technology teacher every trimester. We would sit down with her for a half day planning as a grade level, plan a unit thoughtfully, came up with the lessons, what are the students gonna be doing, and then we figure out the time she would be coming in and teaching that with our students.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:22]:

So that was really effective when it came to the planning side, where that was actually really respected and how that was set up. So that was really cool too. She would be in our room for about an hour, and it was whenever that worked best. So maybe we moved reading that day or, whatever was coming up. So that was a really cool model also. Alright. To your guys' schedules, this is what you guys told me, and so many different schedules. So thank you again so much for sharing.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:53]:

I think this is really helpful for people to hear. I'm gonna post these on the show notes. So for every episode, there are show notes. They go linked to my website. So I took screenshots, and so I will post those on the show notes so you can see what people say. So in no particular order, leapy 829 told me that her stem schedule is a 6 day cycle. Each day, it's a different grade. Then it's 40 minute periods, either 5 or 6 classes.


Naomi Meredith [00:16:29]:

So it sounds like on Mondays, it's all Tuesday. On Tuesday, it's all 3rd grade. On Wednesday, it's all 4th grade. That's what that sounds like to me for 40 minutes. So that's interesting. It would change things up for your planning. At missus_selee says, every class, once, every 2 weeks. And she has 1st through 5th grade for an hour and then little, so that could be kindergarten and or pre k, for a half an hour.


Naomi Meredith [00:16:59]:

So half an hour can be good. So every class once every 2 weeks. So, they have stem twice a month. At jackeline510 says, one thing I love about my schedule is I see the same grade all day, and she sent me a picture. I was able to take a screenshot. So while I'm looking at this, it looks like her plan time actually changes based on the day, which is so interesting because mine, I could count on. And it looks like her lunchtime changes every day too. So her prep, different every single day.


Naomi Meredith [00:17:41]:

It looks like she has a 40 minute prep consistently. And so if she is teaching kindergarten, she has kindergarten all day. And she also has open lab time. So I'm wondering if teachers get to check out their lab, which is pretty cool. And then it looks like she gets kids for 40 minutes. So it looks like she sees the whole school in 1 week, and then it starts all over again. So that would be a lot to keep track of. She has everything color coded, so I will post that picture.


Naomi Meredith [00:18:13]:

Atcaitlin_flynn19 says that her classes are 45 minutes. She sees k through 5 every 6 days in a rotation, and then she has middle school classes every day. So it sounds like from what I'm getting, having the having the same 5 classes in a row is very, very rare. I was talking to Sarah for a bit at miss geeky teacher and I heard I message a lot about other things too. So hope I get to meet you in person, Sarah. Whenever you listen to this, tell me in the DMs when you heard it. But she sent me a picture too. She sent me an image that, I will also post in the show notes.


Naomi Meredith [00:18:54]:

She has also same kinda thing, a 6 day rotation. So k through 5, so one every day, it's a different group. 50 minutes per class, so that's a cool at least you get that much time, and she only sees them once every 6 school days. Okay. So her is hers is very color coordinated for the schedule. And, you you know, when you look at other people's schedules, you're like, wait. What is the coding? So they have a a, b, c, d, e, and f group. And it looks like she sees one of each grade.


Naomi Meredith [00:19:30]:

So she'll see a different 1st grade class on Monday, a different one on Tuesday, different one on Wednesday. Same thing. So if, like, you're in the c group, she'll see all the c groups on Monday, and then she'll see all the c groups on Tuesday. Pretty sure I'm reading that correctly. So she'll always teach k through 5 what it looks like, but it's a different group every day. So I know there are a ton of other schedules out there. My personal preference is if you can see them multiple days in a row that you can do those longer projects. But if you can't either, that really can adjust your teaching where you have quick one day lessons.


Naomi Meredith [00:20:12]:

Maybe there is a related theme for the month, but maybe the project doesn't carry on. So I hope this really helps you when you are thinking about the schedule and how that can align with everything and what can work best for your school. Maybe it is a mixture of co teaching and they have specials. I do notice, like, with these trends, 40 to 50 minutes seems to be the best time frame. 30 minutes, like I said, can be good for the littles, 30 to 35 minutes. But I would not recommend for the older kids because, really, it's not enough time for the transitions, for the teachers on both sides, the classroom teacher who's giving them to you and for you. Likewise, if you are needing support with anything else, I do have all the episodes organized for free into playlist. So if there is a specific topic you really want to hear more about, maybe it's just robotics and coding, maybe you just wanna hear about systems and routines, I regularly go through and update and sort those, so it's pretty cool where you get that link, and then it pops up into your podcast player and sorts all of them, based on those categories, which is pretty cool.


Naomi Meredith [00:21:26]:

So same exact podcast, same thing for free, just sorted into categories, and would love to help with your prep. It also goes with a spreadsheet where you can keep track of the hours. If you need to turn in any hours for professional development, I've done that for you. And you can grab that all at Naomi meredith.com/podcastplaylist. Thank you so much again. I hope this helps with your planning. Thank you to those who reached out with this question. Now I have an episode for you, and thank you to the teachers who gave me their schedules.


Naomi Meredith [00:21:59]:

I appreciate seeing all that insight. Thank you so much, and I'll see you in the next episode.

class schedule examples for elementary STEM

class schedule examples for elementary STEM

class schedule examples for elementary STEM

class schedule examples for elementary STEM

class schedule examples for elementary STEM

class schedule examples for elementary STEM

class schedule examples for elementary STEM

class schedule examples for elementary STEM

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

 

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is an online K-5 STEM Coach in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there. 

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!

illustrator and speaker

Visualizing Science through Stories: Behind the Scenes with Children’s Book Author, Illustrator and Speaker Rachel Ignotofsky [ep.12]

by Naomi Meredith

Visualizing Science through Stories: Behind the Scenes with Children's Book Author, Illustrator, and Speaker Rachel Ignotofsky [ep.12]

illustrator and speaker

Check out the full episode on Visualizing Science through Stories: Behind the Scenes with Children's Book Author, Illustrator, and Speaker Rachel Ignotofsky  

 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Episode Summary

Have you ever done a school project where you had to research a new topic? You may have had to learn a lot of new facts that you had to share with your class. Did you know that there are people who do this for their STEM careers? They take the research they find and use it to write and illustrate their findings to teach others about this topic. The STEM career we’re going to explore today is what it’s like to be a non-fiction author and illustrator.

In today’s episode, we hear from illustrator and speaker Rachel Ignotofsky. Rachel is a New York Times Best Selling Author and Illustrator. She takes us behind the scenes of what it’s like to write and illustrate books that teach kids a variety of science topics. She also shares what led her to pursue this STEM career and so much more. This episode is filled with so many exciting facts about her role as an illustrator and speaker. Don't forget to join our STEM Career Quest Club so you can learn even more about what it’s like to be a non-fiction author and illustrator.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Want more ways to enhance your podcast listening experience? 

Click HERE to join our STEM Career Quest Club!

Inside, you get access to 

  • a private community of other STEM Career Quest listeners
  • comprehension guides for each episode
  • teaching slides for each episode, where it is broken up into chunks so you can listen in smaller segments
  • related STEM activities you can complete with simple materials
  • one monthly virtual STEM field trip

And more!

 

 

Meet Rachel Ignotofsky:

Rachel Ignotofsky is a New York Times bestselling author, illustrator, and designer. Rachel and her work have been featured in many print and online media outlets such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Scientific American, Science Friday, Brain Pickings, and more. She is the author of Women in Science, Women in Sports, Women in Art, The History of the Computer, and The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth, What's Inside a Flower? and her newest book What's Inside a Caterpillar Cocoon? She is a graduate of Tyler School of Art's graphic design program.

Connect with Rachel: 

See a Non-Fiction Author, Illustrator, and Speaker in Action:

The History of the Computer “Bedtime Story” from Rachel Ignotofsky on Vimeo.

illustrator and speaker

illustrator and speaker

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is an online K-5 STEM Coach in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there. 

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

Connect with the Host, Naomi Meredith:

More About The STEM Career Quest Podcast

Have you ever found yourself asking this question… “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Maybe you already have an answer to that, maybe you don’t.

Both are ok!

Welcome to the “STEM Career Quest” podcast! A show made for kids like you to help you build your dreams, or even find new ones, in science, technology, engineering and math. Each week, hear captivating stories and interviews to explore the exciting world of STEM. Oh! And grown-ups and teachers, you can listen too!

We’ll talk to experts in STEM who are passionate about what they do in the real-world and how they make a positive impact in their careers. Created and hosted by K-5 STEM Coach, Naomi Meredith, this show will spark your imagination and passions.

Join us each week on our quest to explore the possibilities of careers in STEM, one episode at a time.

robotics and coding for kids

Tips for Managing Robotics and Coding for Kids [STEM Project & Behavior Management Series] [ep.156]

by Naomi Meredith

Tips for Managing Robotics and Coding for Kids [STEM Project & Behavior Management Series] [ep.156]

robotics and coding for kids

Check out the full episode on Tips for Managing Robotics and Coding for Kids [STEM Project & Behavior Management Series]:  

 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Have a STEM question? Leave a voice message for the podcast!

Episode Summary

Coding and robotics are some of the most popular lessons in the elementary STEM space. It’s no surprise that there are so many different coding and robotics tools available. With all of these tools available, how do you manage them all in your STEM classroom? What are the best strategies for behavior management? What types of lessons should you implement? In today’s episode, we are diving into all aspects of robotics and coding for kids. I share the best systems, behavior management strategies, and lessons for coding and robotics in your STEM classroom.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Systems and behavior management techniques for teaching robotics and coding for kids
  • Why you shouldn’t only focus on coding and robotics in your STEM classroom
  • Robotics and coding lesson ideas

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

Coding and robotics are some of the most popular lessons in the elementary STEM space. But with so many different tools out there, how do you manage them all in the classroom? Likewise, what types of behavior management and routines need to be put into place to ensure that kids are being successful? And along with that, what are some great lessons to get started with? We'll be answering all these questions and more in today's episode. Even when kids are so excited about lessons and tools like coding and robotics, you still need to keep in mind and don't assume that kids already know how to use this technology. Yes.


Naomi Meredith [00:01:19]:

Kids are pretty comfortable using technology, but I have learned over the years working with kids when it comes to academic technology, it still isn't automatic in terms of how to do all the intricate things with coding and robotics. They will grasp the coding pretty easily, but it is all of the ways to access the platform and some of the problem-solving that really trips kids up. So I'm gonna be sharing with you some systems and behavior management techniques that are really gonna help you. And then the lesson ideas, there are so many and actually a lot of resources I've put together over the course of the years to point you in that direction. When I was planning this episode, I was definitely going back and forth. Should I do just a coding episode and just a robotics episode? And when I was mapping out the episodes and the outlines, there were so many similarities between the 2, and you might even be doing both at the same time. I decided to put them in the same episode. So, there's a lot of overlap between these resources and how you would use them in your classroom.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:40]:

When I did coding, I did specific computer coding during the hour of code, and that was in the month of December. So, all of December, I would do hour of code. You do not have to do this, but a big thing with this too, think about the time of year, December, you're tired. You really have no energy to plan a super intense lesson, the weather is a little dreary, and you could have snow days, delayed starts, or whatever if you live in a snowy place. And this was a great time. It was midyear. The kids were excited to code, and then this is something that I could refer back to in other lessons. And it also set us up for success in robotics that we would do coming back from winter break.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:28]:

So that is just my preference in terms of using coding and robotics as big units but fit these in, whatever makes sense. Also, really think about it, are you only just doing coding and robotics? Coding and robotics are so important in STEM, but I have seen a lot of times where classrooms that's all they do. And just so you know, not every kid likes it. Not every kid likes 3D printing. Not every kid likes Makerspace. But you really need to try to balance everything out. And if you're saying, oh, well, we only do coding and robotics, then your class is a coding and robotics class. It's not fully STEM.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:11]:

So, just keep that in mind. It is a component of STEM, but it's not the only way to teach STEM. So let's get into those systems that you should have in place. So there are specific things for each of these units you wanna do. For robots, if you're able to have a designated charging station. You might need to take some time, like 30 minutes after school, to create a little station where you plug in all the devices and have them ready to go. My favorite way to plug in multiple devices like robots is I invested in these plugs that have multiple USB ports in them, and then you can put all the chargers into that port. It depends on the robot.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:01]:

Some come with charging bricks to plug them in, but we know in classrooms unless you have a brand new classroom that's super remodeled, and even still, plugs are hard to come by. So, if you just invest in one of those USB charging bricks, that actually helps a ton. And then as you're cleaning up your robot station, you can keep the plugs plugged into that brick, and then you just pull it out when you're ready. I actually wouldn't keep up my robots plugged in all year because I didn't do robotics year round. This was also to preserve the battery life of my robots. I also didn't want my robots out in the open all the time. I know kids would mess with them because they were so cute, especially Dash, the robot. The kids would always turn their heads, even as many times as I would tell them to not, they still would.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:53]:

So I actually would put them away when we were I knew for sure we were done with the unit. Also, depending on the robot, some robots need to be named physically, so you need to write on the robot their actual name. If it's a fun name, great. If it's a number, great. And then also in the app that it's connecting to. Like I said, it depends on the robot, so just check out your robot if that's something you need to do. If it is something that you name in the app, it typically will keep its name, and then that should also be an expectation with kids. We do not change the names of the robots.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:30]:

Here and there, kids will do it, so you would need to say explicitly, do not change the names. When it comes to coding, I didn't have any laptops in my classroom or Chromebooks. When my room was remodeled, it was a computer lab, but then it got remodeled where they took the computers away, and then the school was 1:1 with devices. And so I made it a habit where in STEM, my 2nd through 5th graders would bring devices to STEM anyway, and that was just a great digital citizenship routine that we always had all year. And then when we got into coding, I had students bring in their headphones. And if they didn't have headphones, they could borrow some of mine in the classroom. I would hang up my headphones year round in those clear shoe pocket holders, and it was really nice because of depending on where you hang it on your wall, your oldest kids can grab it from the taller sections, and then your youngest students can access the ones lower. So those were really helpful just to have year round.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:37]:

And, also in my role, I was the school wide tech person, so people knew that's where my headphones were. If they were in a bind and needed to grab headphones, they could grab headphones and bring them back. There were some times when we did testing, we would just take the whole pocket organizer off the wall and put it in an area of the building where testing was going on. So that's just a nice organizing hack. Also, I really recommend having headphone splitters. They're extremely helpful. I had some older ones in my room that I knew were so old but worked great. And they only split into 2, so 2 people could be listening on the same device at the same time.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:21]:

You can definitely order different ones off of Amazon where they have multiple ports to split. Like, you could do a listening station. Really, you only need up to 2 or 3, in my opinion, but they're really helpful when you get into coding, and we'll talk about why you would want kids to share a device. Also, think about in your classroom, do you have an area that focuses on key coding vocabulary? Again, you could keep this up year round or just hang it up as needed. I had very limited wall space, so I would only hang up specific vocabulary when we were using it for that unit. So when we were doing coding and robotics, everybody at that time was doing coding and robotics, so then it was really easy just to keep that up, and for coding for the first unit, robotics the next, and just adding in a couple of things. You might also wanna think about some posters that show the different robots that you're using, and then those robot posters could also show, oh, on this part of the robot is a sensor, or this part is the power button. That can be really, really helpful.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:31]:

I do have some robot posters in my TPT shop for a lot of the common robots in the elementary stem space. If there are some you want to see, write a message on there or just send me a message on Instagram. Like the last episode in episode 155 where I talked about your robot recommendations, there are robots that I haven't heard of, so I can definitely do some research and possibly make some posters for those. Also, something that's really helpful is if there is a robot that's connecting to a platform, having those steps to log in and how to connect to the robot, having those readily available and hanging up is a great resource to have. Even if you print out some and you hand them to students, that's really helpful, too so that they can be independent and go through those steps. Also, if there are any class codes that are needed, write those up, whether it's class specific or just for your whole entire grade level. That's really great too. Most of the coding platforms have a very specific vocabulary that relates to their type of code, whether it's just a coding website or even coding with robots.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:44]:

So check out the websites for the platforms that they're using. A lot of times, they have resources already. For example, when I did Bitsbox, which is a coding platform that uses a form of JavaScript where the kids are typing their code, There are specific codes that create different images on their screen, and I had some posters I would hang up during this time that would show them that vocabulary and the codes and how to write it. So that was really, really helpful. I also know that Wonder Workshop has the codes from their platform Blockly, where they are print and go. So you can use them for a vocabulary wall and talk about what each of the different colors mean in that platform. And then you can also add it in with some coding unplugged. I didn't know where to put this part, but when you have robots that move forward in a specific length so let's say your b bot moves 30 centimeters in one forward move, consider creating a grid for these types of robots.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:51]:

This will help students visually see where their robot is going and where they need to code their robot. I do have quite a few of those grids in my TpT shop as well, and you can actually add in images, on top of that, which is really helpful. Those are really, really popular in there. So it's print and go. You can create whatever size grid you want. But creating a grid, I know you can purchase them too. That can be helpful. But if you're on a budget, you can definitely create your own.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:20]:

Also, with your systems, think about how you are going to share the coding platform, whether it's coding only or coding with robotics. Are you going to share with students a coding choice board that they need to access? Are you gonna leave the website in their learning management system? This is also really great for days you are gone. So think about your system of how you're gonna share the website they need to log in to. Okay. So, let's get into that behavior management. So, with robots in general, for the most part, pretty much the same. I always have their code on the floor. The only robot I would let them code on the table is Ozobots because they are super tiny, and they fit inside the palm of your hand.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:09]:

So those ones don't go fast enough where it matters that they need to be on the floor. But for every other robot, I have students code on the floor. I also would remind them to code their robot like a robot. Don't drive it like a car, meaning you can't touch your robot and push it back and forth, back and forth. That really messes up the motors. So make sure to remind students of that when they're carrying their robot to a new place, holding their robot with 2 hands, and then you also might have specific rules for each robot, again, that are in those posters that'll be really helpful for you. For coding, not as many rules, but there are some to help with behavior management. I would make students with their devices leave it flat on the table.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:56]:

I wouldn't let students move and code around the room because I wanted to make sure they were staying on task and staying on the website that I assigned them to. So it might seem kind of strict. It has to stay on the table. However, that way, I could see their screens are up, and they are doing what they're supposed to do. Same thing with iPads. If I had my younger students coding with an app on iPads, those had to stay at the table. They were not allowed to wander around the room with the iPad. Also, they need to make sure that they only have the tab or the app open for what they are working on.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:32]:

This is good habits to teach your kids that if you're finished with a task, close out the tab. You might see kids with 50 tabs open. They're like, why is my computer slow? Well, your cool math games in the background is making your computer slow. It's still running. It's still open. Your computer is still thinking about it. So that's just a really good habit to teach your kids, and, that way, they aren't flipping back and forth and doing other things. You know how it is.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:05]:

For my coding and robotics, I actually have very, very similar rules. And I talked about this in one of the LEGO episodes, but, I will have the roles of a driver and navigator and then robot wrangler, which is for robots. But you have a driver and a navigator, and this is called paired programming. This is a real thing that computer programmers use, And the driver is the one who is controlling the device, so they are the one clicking the mouse. They are the one touching the keys. It doesn't mean that they're actually thoughtfully thinking about all the work. Everybody else can pay attention and contribute to the code. And then the navigator is like that wingman.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:50]:

It's like checking things over, is helping out, and talking through it. So one person is literally controlling the device, the other is helping with that brain power, maybe of 2 navigators. And then once you get into that robotic side, you have those 2 roles, and then you have a robot wrangler. And that person is in charge of the robot, where they're not coding the robot. They need to make sure the robot is set up where it needs to be. It's in its starting position. Is it facing forward? Then when they run the code, they have to go get the robot and then bring it back to where it needs to go. This sounds like a silly task, but trust me, this will help so much, so kids aren't fighting over it.


Naomi Meredith [00:16:35]:

For this type of role, I might have kids switch about halfway through. So setting a timer on your screen is going to help with this because the kids can't always gauge, and then I would lose track of time myself. And so setting a timer that when the timer goes off, you are going to switch up your roles. Some groups wanted to do it day by day. And, again, just like when I mentioned with Allego, as long as the groups are agreeing and they think it's fair, then let them figure that out. But most kids will need that specific, you will switch at this time because you're teaching them how to collaborate well and being able to perform these different roles. Even if it isn't their favorite, they get a chance. Also, when it comes to your behavior management, make sure you show kids how to clean up at the end.


Naomi Meredith [00:17:26]:

Where do you want them to put their devices? Do you want them to plug in their devices? How do they save their work and close out their tabs so that their computer is running as efficiently as possible? Where do they line up at the end to make sure that everything is cleaned up and where it should be? So, that's really gonna help with that behavior management and making sure they stay on task. One big thing, this is what those little Ozobots I was mentioning. I would make sure that you count how many robots you start class with and how many you end with. I have had instances where students would try to take them, and they didn't know I was counting. And their class tried to leave, and I said no. We can't leave. We are missing a robot. And I ended up finding it, and, actually, the student tried to take the robot twice.


Naomi Meredith [00:18:22]:

That's a whole other thing. And I knew exactly who it was, and, you know, we had some we had some consequences. Mean Miss Meredith had to come out, but definitely count those smaller robots. It might seem silly, but trust me from experience, I sadly had to deal with that. Alright. Now on to the lesson ideas and materials. Coming up soon, if you're listening to this episode close to when it's being released, the Spring International STEAM Summit hosted by Wonder Workshop is going to take place in May, and they just announced that it is live to register. It's a free virtual Steam summit, and I'm actually going to have a session all about Wonder Workshop themed STEM stations that you can do in your classroom.


Naomi Meredith [00:19:18]:

So these stations actually are gonna be mixing in coding with the robots and also doing some digital work as well. So it is really along with this theme and works out perfectly. When I was map mapping this out, actually, I didn't think about how this would all align. So make sure you find me over there. Super fun. I love, doing their summit. I actually did their keynote last year, which I believe is episode 100, if you wanna go back and listen to that. For the lesson ideas and materials, this is gonna be a little bit different than the other episodes in this series because I've talked about robotics and coding a lot in different ways and just really wanted to focus on those systems and behavior management.


Naomi Meredith [00:20:03]:

This is all gonna be linked in the show notes for you. So, if you're worried, where can I find this? I can't remember. This is gonna help you out in time. In the last episode, episode 155, I talked about the robots that you have used in your classroom. So, thank you so much for messaging me and responding to me on Instagram. So you tell me about the robots you use and then how it's going. From there, in episode 43, I actually talk about my robot recommendations and the experience of different robots that I've used in my classroom what has worked well, and then some other improvements. In episode 99, I talk about cross-curricular lesson ideas that you can do with robotics.


Naomi Meredith [00:20:48]:

So just different ways where you're not just coding some random tasks, you're really integrating this content together. For coding only specific lesson ideas, I talk about Hour of Code, which, again, this can just be how you use coding platforms, I talk about coding specific lessons that you can do in episodes 38 and 136. So there are a ton of different ways that you can use coding and robotics. I talk about them in a lot of different avenues, so make sure to check that out. And, also, a little trick on my website, it might be easier if you're on a computer. On my website, naomimeredith.com, there's a little search bar, and you can search for any keywords on my website. And I actually search up my own website all the time. So, when I was writing out this outline, I was searching up robots.


Naomi Meredith [00:21:45]:

So if you just type in robots in my own search on my website, you can find every podcast episode and every blog post that I have done about robots. And, yes, there are blog posts on there. Same thing with coding. You can find all of that in all the other topics that I talk about. So this is extremely helpful. So, definitely check out that feature. I think that's a nice little hack how to navigate all of my resources, and make sure that I have something about it. And if I don't, let me know because that gives me inspiration for even more episodes.


Naomi Meredith [00:22:22]:

So as a recap in this episode about coding and robotics, we first talked about the systems to set up in your classroom. Next, we talked about different ways to handle behavior, and then I gave you a list of ways to navigate those lesson ideas. Again, definitely use that search on my website, and then I do have those episodes that are specific to coding and robotics grouped together in my free podcast playlist. So if you go to namiberedith.com/ podcast playlist, I categorize all my episodes. So if you just want episodes to play in order just about coding and robotics, those will all be there for you completely free, the same exact podcast as this one. It's just organized in a nice way so that you can get the content that you are looking for. Thank you so much again. I appreciate all of you.


Naomi Meredith [00:23:19]:

Thank you so much for reaching out and letting me know what you need and what you're searching for. I am never at a loss for podcast ideas. You guys are so awesome. Keep up the great work, and I will see you in the next episode.

robotics and coding for kids

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

 

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is an online K-5 STEM Coach in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there. 

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!

industrial hygienist

Science Solutions for Environmental Health: Behind the Scenes with PhD Chemist and Certified Industrial Hygienist, Dr. Yasmine Daniels [ep.11]

by Naomi Meredith

Science Solutions for Environmental Health: Behind the Scenes with PhD Chemist and Certified Industrial Hygienist Dr. Yasmine Daniels [ep.11]

industrial hygienist

Check out the full episode on Science Solutions for Environmental Health: Behind the Scenes with PhD Chemist and Certified Industrial Hygienist Dr. Yasmine Daniels:  

 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Episode Summary

Have you ever noticed all of the ways you are kept safe at school? There are fire alarms that let you know when there is a fire. You even practice how to safely exit the building in case there ever is a fire. The air vents at your school blow out warm air when it’s cold outside and cold air when it’s hot outside. Did you know that there are people who make sure that each of these safety practices is working correctly? This STEM career is called an industrial hygienist.

In today’s episode, we get to hear from Dr. Yasmine Daniels, who is a PhD chemist and certified industrial hygienist. She shares behind the scenes of what it’s like to be a PhD chemist and industrial hygienist, the exciting things she gets to do on her job, and so much more! This episode is filled with so many exciting facts about her role as a PhD chemist and industrial hygienist. Don't forget to join our STEM Career Quest Club so you can learn even more about what it’s like to be an industrial hygienist.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Follow along with the episode with the listening comprehension guide:

Grab it HERE in my TeachersPayTeachers Shop

Find it HERE inside the STEM Career Quest Club

Want more ways to enhance your podcast listening experience? 

Click HERE to join our STEM Career Quest Club!

Inside, you get access to 

  • a private community of other STEM Career Quest listeners
  • comprehension guides for each episode
  • teaching slides for each episode, where it is broken up into chunks so you can listen in smaller segments
  • related STEM activities you can complete with simple materials
  • one monthly virtual STEM field trip

And more!

 

 

Meet Dr. Yasmine Daniels:

Yasmine Daniels has a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry with a focus on Environmental Remediation and has conducted research aimed at developing fundamental tools to help design eco-friendly ways of removing toxic substances (like heavy metals) from the environment. With over 20 international and peer-reviewed journal publications, she is well-known within the science and social media community as the “Classy Chemist.” Dr. Daniels is also an Adjunct Chemistry Professor, an Occupational Safety and Health professional and STEAM advocate. She currently works full time as a Certified Industrial Hygienist in the US government, reviewing and assessing industrial & chemical hazards.

She is also a full time mom and wife, volleyball coach and mentor..

In 2021, she wrote a bestselling children’s book, Building My Self-eSTEAM in Science which helps to motivate youth to pursue STEAM. Her book has since appeared on Amazon Bestselling lists in three individual STEAM categories:

  1. Children’s Engineering Books
  2. Children’s Computer Hardware and Robotics Books
  3. Children’s Math Fiction.

In 2023, she wrote an award-winning children’s book, Black and Brown are Beautiful Crayons too!, which was featured on ABC7 News, on a segment which highlighted books that inspired and uplifted children during a time when literacy rates had plummeted.

Dr. Daniels has been highlighted as a Chemist who is, “breaking barriers” by the American Chemical Society Axial Journal and as a “Chemist Star” by the Chemical and Engineering News Magazine. She has a passion for ensuring that students are provided the tools that foster an equitable learning environment and she hopes to continue to inspire and support youth through her work.

Connect with Dr. Yasmine: 

See an Industrial  Hygienist in Action:

industrial hygienist
Yasmine working in the lab.

 

industrial hygienist

industrial hygienist

industrial hygienist

industrial hygienist

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is an online K-5 STEM Coach in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there. 

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

Connect with the Host, Naomi Meredith:

More About The STEM Career Quest Podcast

Have you ever found yourself asking this question… “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Maybe you already have an answer to that, maybe you don’t.

Both are ok!

Welcome to the “STEM Career Quest” podcast! A show made for kids like you to help you build your dreams, or even find new ones, in science, technology, engineering and math. Each week, hear captivating stories and interviews to explore the exciting world of STEM. Oh! And grown-ups and teachers, you can listen too!

We’ll talk to experts in STEM who are passionate about what they do in the real-world and how they make a positive impact in their careers. Created and hosted by K-5 STEM Coach, Naomi Meredith, this show will spark your imagination and passions.

Join us each week on our quest to explore the possibilities of careers in STEM, one episode at a time.

Which Robots for Kids Should I Buy? [STEM Project & Behavior Management Series] [ep.155]

by Naomi Meredith

Which Robots for Kids Should I Buy? [STEM Project & Behavior Management Series] [ep.155]

robots for kids

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Episode Summary

Have you been wondering which robots for kids you should buy for your STEM classroom? If yes, then today’s episode is for you! I recently asked over on Instagram what robots you are using in their classrooms and what challenges you are currently facing when it comes to robots for kids. I’m sharing those responses and other tips and strategies for incorporating robots for kids into your STEM classroom.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Teacher recommendations for robots for kids
  • An overview of each of the robots
  • Tips for getting funding for robots for your classroom

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

Which robots should I buy for my classroom? I asked all of you over on my Instagram at Naomi Meredith your opinion and what robots you buy for your students and the ones that you have experience with. I am sharing with you your responses as to what has worked well in your classroom and also what have been some sticking points for you. There are some robots that you guys told me about that I haven't used before. So this was a very exciting episode to put together and get all of your opinions and expertise. 


Naomi Meredith [00:01:11]:

I have done an episode like this before. It was kind of like a bonus episode, and I had asked over on my Instagram about the 3D printers that you have used and your recommendations and things that have worked well and what haven't. And that is a really cool episode because I had experience with only a couple of different types of printers. But knowing there are so many out there, I wouldn't have been able to experience them all. And so that is actually an episode I share with teachers all the time when they're asking that question just to hear other people's perspectives. So, that will be linked in the show notes for you because I think that is super valuable, and I wanted to create a similar experience here for this episode as it relates to your experiences with different robots. Also, back in episode 43, I gave my specific robot recommendations and why I suggested those, so my experience and what robots that I had access to. Out of all of those, and you can hear about all the different kinds, in my personal opinion, Dash by Wonder Workshop is my absolute favorite.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:25]:

There are a lot of runners up, but that's my preference for robots. To me, that is the most versatile user friendly robot. It can be used k through 8. It has a driving mode that is good for introducing this robot to younger students, but then you can get into that block-based coding that looks a lot like Scratch. And then a lot of people don't know this about Dash, but if you have any of the paid tiers of your Make Wonder program, there is actually JavaScript coding and more advanced block-based coding. So, that is a cool experience that you can bring to Dash when your kids need more of a challenge. And they also have in those paid tiers, it is a virtual Dash, so it actually interacts with the code just like the physical Dash, and students can take their learning home with their virtual dash or just have another option. So that's pretty fun as well.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:22]:

Something to keep your eye out for is their international steam summit that is coming up for Wonder Workshop for the springtime. So, there are things all things dash there, but also some really cool but also other really cool presenters and presentations that are all STEM based. So keep an eye out. I usually speak every year. I did submit a proposal, so fingers crossed I get chosen. But, it was fun. Last year, I did a presentation. I also got to be their keynote speaker, which was super, super cool.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:56]:

And I'm pretty sure I played that keynote here on this podcast. It might have been episode 99 or a100, which was pretty exciting. Alright. So in terms of robot recommendations, what are all of you using out there? And I thought this was really cool. I had so much fun talking to all of you on Instagram. So, thank you to those who responded. This was really fun to hear because there were a lot of commonalities with the types of robots that other teachers are using in their classrooms, and then also some newer ones on the market and their opinions. When you teach them, you often don't get that opportunity to observe and check out other classrooms and see what is being done and what works well and what doesn't.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:47]:

And so this was really, really exciting, to get this information and also share it with all of you. When I was talking to Christy B. Lewis, she uses primarily Dash the Robot, like I had just mentioned, but their district will not fund the paid version of Make Wonder, but using the freebies, which is definitely a great place to start with their freebies as well and totally understand, every district has different possibilities when it comes to funding and, what they want to fund and not. So, there are some really awesome things that they have for you to get started. When I was talking to her more, she also used these other little robots. They're called Root robots. And I was messaging with her, and I said, oh my gosh. Those look like little Roombas. And we were looking more into it, and we're pretty sure they are made by the same company, which, honestly, I don't think that's a dumb idea at all.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:51]:

When you think about our robot vacuums, there are those that are being coded. There is code in these robot vacuums. And so, why not make a kid version for kids to experience and understand how this piece of technology works in your home? I don't think they vacuum up anything, but it was pretty cute. They're like little baby Roombas, so she likes them. She said they've been pretty fun. Andrea_zimmermanstem. I was talking with her, and, she uses some different robots in her classroom. She uses the tail bot, t a l e, and the Vinci bot.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:34]:

And then Lego Spike and Vex Go are also robot options. And if you're thinking, wait, LEGO, I thought, was just building? I did have episodes recently all about LEGO Education, and some of the kids' students will build and code their creations. So, technically, it is a robot. I was asking her more about Marty the robot because I hadn't seen that. And so she sent me a picture of Marty, the robot, and in my opinion, I thought Marty looked like the robot. Like, if you ask students to draw me a picture of a robot, this is what it would look like. She said that when you are coding Marty, the robot it's using a remote control, and then the Marty blocks look a lot like Scratch Junior. If you're not familiar with Scratch Jr, that is strictly coding.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:33]:

It doesn't connect to any devices. There is a way to get it on Chromebooks. I think it might be in the Chrome Web Store. I'm not a 100%. I have seen Scratch Junior on Chromebooks, and then I've also used it on iPads. It is a free app. It's awesome. It definitely is very relevant for your youngest learners.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:58]:

So, that was interesting to hear about her experience using this Marty robot and that the code, it seems like, is made for younger students. I was talking with Amber Likes Books and Cats on Instagram, and she uses b bots and Scratch. I might also be mentioning coding platforms here and there since that was the question I asked. B-bots are those little robots that look like a little bumblebee. They are comparable to the code and go mouse. They do the same exact thing. If you are able to spend a little bit more, I do recommend getting the b bots. They are more hefty, heavier duty.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:42]:

They will last longer than your Code and Go mice. So if you're able to do it, do it. They are rechargeable. Code and Go mice use batteries that you do have to interchange. Now, if you get rechargeable batteries, that would work really well. But I recommend the bee bots. That is my preference since they will last you a lot longer. She also uses Sphero, but she also mentioned that they don't follow the code lines as well as they age.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:13]:

And I noticed that too with some of the Sphero that I had. I love Sphero, the ball robot, but as they got older, mine also had an issue with connecting to devices for a long time. They would disconnect quite often, and then the battery life died pretty quickly over time. There were also a couple of other teachers who used Spiro in their classroom. We have miss Geeky Tech, Sarah, who uses Spiro, and then also leapy829 uses Spiro. She also has the Sphero Indy, which I have heard really good things about that for little kids. It looks like a little car, and then there are these colorful squares that each color makes the robot do a certain or different action. So kids are moving these squares around on the floor, and the robot will move around and is looking for those squares to perform the action.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:09]:

So they look really, really fun, and I've heard really fun things about them from teachers who have used them. I also know that Miss Geeky Teach uses Dash. She just wrote a grant through DonorsChoose and got a ton of those funded for her classroom. So, again, if you are hoping, after listening to this episode, you kinda have an idea of what kind of robots you might want to try, DonorsChoose is a great option for that. I did speak with somebody who works for DonorsChoose, which we'll link in the show notes where she talks a little bit more about DonorsChoose, what their mission is, and some ways to help you get your projects funded, which was a really, really cool interview. Bree Smith 13 uses a lot of the similar items that we talked about, Sphero and Dash. For coding platforms, she also uses Codable and Codespark, which don't connect to robots but just some other coding platforms. And then she also uses Ozobots.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:11]:

Hopefully, I think you can buy Ozobots for a while. You couldn't, purchase them, but I think they're back in stock where Ozobots are pretty cool. They're these tiny, tiny little robots. They are, they can fit in the palm of your hand, and they read color patterns. So a lot like the indie where it's looking for colors and it will perform the action, Ozobot will do the same thing, but the colors are colored with a marker. And so those are pretty fun. I use this for quite a bit of time with my 2nd and third graders. A big tip with those is to make sure you count them before your class leaves for the day.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:54]:

I did have a student try to take them more than once, and so that was a practice that I put into place with the Ozobots because I wanted to make sure they didn't go anywhere because they are not cheap. For how little they are, they are not cheap at all. Back to Miss Geeky Teach. She also has the VEX 123 in her classroom, and she was saying that students use a coder where they slide in the code and then they hit play, and then it will run. She said that she has used the VEX 123 from kindergarten all the way to 5th grade, and they're actually really easy to use. And they come with a lot of pre done curriculum, which is easier to jump into. So, if you need more experience when it comes to curriculum, it sounds like this is a good starting place, which can be a sticking point sometimes. Also, she does love Dash and Spiro, but, also, when you don't have access to the curriculum, that can be tricky to get started.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:58]:

So definitely, for any robots, check out their websites. More and more robotics companies are trying to provide resources for you to get started because it is a newer thing, especially in the elementary space, and you wanna make sure that kids are being successful. So definitely check that out, but, when you are getting started with any of your robotics. I definitely have some resources for you to get started with robots, and continuously thinking about that for you as well. If you are hoping to dive in more about coding and robotics, what all of this entails in your STEM space, and what are some different things you can do around this topic, I do have a free podcast playlist that is all about coding and robotics, and I have my entire podcast categorized into categories. So same exact show that you're getting here, but I have all the episodes organized, so you don't have to go pick and choose and find all of the episodes that are related to coding and robotics. I have that all done for you absolutely free. So, it has all of the episodes listed in a spreadsheet.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:14]:

And then what's really cool is there's a special link for each of the playlists where you add it to your podcast player. And as soon as I organize the episode into that category, it pops up on your phone so those specific episodes for that category are already there for you. You can grab this free coding and robotics podcast playlist, oh, and all of the other free playlists over at Naomi Meredith.com/podcastplaylist. You just create a free little account. It's all there for you, and easy for you to find the topics that you wanna learn more about. Thank you so much again for following along, and thank you to everybody who was chatting with me over on Instagram. I love hearing what you're doing in your classrooms and being willing to share your experiences and what is working well and why what isn't working well because that's a reality of teaching. Right? So, thank you so much for sharing all that info with me.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:15]:

I definitely learned a lot of new things. Hearing what is going on in your classroom is super helpful for other teachers out there who want to add more robots in their space or don't have any at all and are looking for where to get started. Thank you so much again, and I will chat with all of you soon.

robots for kids

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More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is an online K-5 STEM Coach in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there. 

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!