Category: Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

3 Last Minute Hour of Code Lessons for Elementary [ep.136]

Check out the full episode on 3 Last Minute Hour of Code Lessons for Elementary:

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

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Episode Summary

Another year of hour of code has arrived. Are you ready for it? If not, that's okay because, in today's episode, I am sharing three hours of code lessons you can implement in your classroom. These lessons do not require you to be an expert coder, and they are easy to implement.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

3 hour of code lessons you can implement in your elementary classroom
How I implemented each lesson for K-5
Strategies and resources for implementing these hour of code lessons

Resources Mentioned:

Hour of Code Free Resource Guide: naomimeredith.com/tpthourofcode
Hour of Code Bundle
Wonder Workshop Hour of Code: makewonder.com/hourofcode
Brainpop
Brainpop Jr.
Seesaw
Google Classroom
Schoology

Episode Transcript:

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

It's another year of the Hour of Code. Are you ready yet? It's okay if you're not because in this episode, I will share a 3 hour of code lesson that you can try last minute in your classroom. Before we jump on in, I wanted to read another awesome podcast review from 1 of you.

Naomi Meredith [00:00:53]:

If you haven't already, I would love for you to leave a review. So go in on Apple Podcasts and write a review. It would mean the world to me. Not only will let me know if you're enjoying the show but will also help other teachers like you find this show to learn all about the world of elementary STEM. This is from n c meg 1118, STEM power. If you are a STEM teacher or just a teacher who wants to incorporate more STEM into your classroom, this Elementary STEM Coach podcast is for you. Naomi is full of tried and tested and revised ideas and is a joy to listen to and learn from. Go no further if you are new to teaching STEM and want to learn and be empowered by one of the best. That is so nice of a review and it just makes my day.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:50]:

Like I said, I am in my cute little pink office when I am recording these. My little dog, Frederick, listens to me the whole time, and I'm just talking to my camera and to my microphone. So, reading these reviews totally make my day and just lights up a fire for me knowing that what I'm doing is especially important for you out there in elementary STEM and also, in turn, your students. If this is your first time hearing about the Hour of Code and you're wondering what this is, let me give you a little snapshot of what the Hour of Code is. This is like your Spark Notes version. If you know what I'm talking about, you know I'm talking about millennials, and the Hour of Code got started in 2013 as a way to engage kids and get them excited about computer science and coding. Now, I don't know about you, but with my series when it comes to computer science.

Naomi Meredith [00:02:48]:

I had a lot of it growing up, especially with my dad being a computer engineer. I had a lot of experience with having new technology all the time and problem solving with that technology. About one thing I for sure did not grow up with, and maybe this is unique to me, but also maybe you have a similar pathway, is I did not learn how to code as a kid. And it's so funny because when I talked to my dad, a little bit about elementary STEM, and I've joked about this before. When I first got my K through Five STEM job. He was like, how did you get that job? You don't know anything about computers. I'm all dad. This is basic stuff for little kids, like, if a little kid can do it, I can do it.

Naomi Meredith [00:03:35]:

So we joke about it now, and he'll ask me questions about what coding is like for little kids. But, anyway, this isn't always as common in the elementary space to teach younger students how to code, and even to this day in 2023, it's still not that common And so the hour of code is just one of many ways to spark this in a school of any kind. The 1st time I experienced the hour of code itself as an event was when I taught 3rd grade. It was one of those 1st couple years that I taught 3rd grade, and I was so amazed by what this actually meant with coding. Again, typically, with coding for younger students, you start with arrows or directional coding. There is no reading involved. Oftentimes that will move into still that directional coding but with some words attached to those arrows, and then they move into different forms of block coding where the block coding, they are blocks, like, just like you think of. They look like puzzle pieces, the block coding will move into blocks that have images on them that represent the action. Oftentimes, they are put together from left to right, but not always, it depends on the coding language, and then from there, the coding language will get more advanced, and it will be more of that traditional block space coding that you see in Scratch or a lot of popular programs where students are dragging the codes, and there are words that represent the action, and they are put together from top to bottom.

Naomi Meredith [00:05:19]:

You don't have to be an expert in coding to implement the hour of code. I will say I'm not an expert coder, but I can effectively teach younger children how to code and what this all means. And if you haven't done this with your students yet, you don't have to be a STEM teacher. This is a great way to get kids excited about this world of coding, how important it is in our lives, how relevant, and how much behind the scenes coding actually is. I've put together for you an hour of code freebie where I break down different examples of lessons that you can get started with your kids k through 5. Again, it's absolutely free. These are things that I've tried with my students over the years. That will be linked in the show notes, but you can also grab it at nami meredith.com/tpthourofcode.

Naomi Meredith [00:06:14]:

It breaks up different lessons and different little things that you can try with your students, different websites or apps, or maybe you find a similar website that has a certain language that aligns with that, but it's just a great way to help you get started because I know the Hour of Code website is an amazing, amazing resource, but it can also get very overwhelming. And we'll refer back to that because that is very important to remember when you launch this with your students. Also, go ahead and check out episode 38 of this podcast, where I talk about even more ideas when it comes to hour of code lessons that you can use in your classroom. Alright. So, if you haven't started planning yet and you're wondering how I should implement this in my classroom. Do I still have time? Yes. You still have time. I did hour of code for a month because I had 4 groups of kids, and I saw them 5 days in a row for 45 minutes each for each class.

Naomi Meredith [00:07:15]:

So I did Hour of Code for a month, and I usually started in mid-November because that's just the way it lined up with all of my lessons. So you can do this at any time, but all of these are easy ways that you can implement this, and honestly, it is the easiest unit that I have ever taught in STEM because everything else I've created from scratch, no pun intended, Scratch is a coding program, but everything else I created from scratch, the arrow code for me is so nice because I can just fit it in and everything is done for me. So, let's jump into those ideas. The first great way to implement Hour of Code in your classroom is to create a very, very simple choice board, and I did this in a couple of different ways for k through 5. For my 2nd through 5th graders, I created a 6 choice board with different coding challenges that went from a beginner level to a more intermediate experience for my students. I tried to pull in a variety of different coding languages that they could experiment with, especially for my students who had had me for many years. This is really great for them to experience different types of coding languages. So what I would do is I would start off my day with a coding video that would teach more about a concept.

Naomi Meredith [00:08:44]:

BrainPOP and BrainPOP Junior have a lot of great options when it comes to computer science and coding and different backgrounds of how different things came to be. I couldn't even finish all of the videos within the week, but there are so many amazing things on there. So, if you have a subscription to BrainPOP or BrainPOP Junior, check those out. There are so many different ones. You can also browse things on YouTube. SciShow Kids has some fun things about computer science that you can implement as well. So what I would do is we would introduce a coding concept, and then I would go over some of that key vocabulary.

Naomi Meredith [00:09:25]:

Most of that vocabulary is actually in my vocabulary cards or little anchor charts that I created that are in my hour of code bundle. So, I put together a bundle of activities that you can use and be ready to go. I even have a bulletin board in there for you where it's winter-themed, and you can hang that up as well. We would start with that video, we would go with the vocabulary, and then I would introduce the choice board. And I pre-created this choice board because, as I said, the Hour of Code website is absolutely amazing, but it is very overwhelming. It is pages and pages and pages of different coding programs. The one thing that is a little bit tricky on there is you do have to test them out or read more about that activity when you click on them because it will let you know what types of devices it's compatible with or not compatible with. There are some search features that you can click through that will help filter out those activities, but still, double check if you can even try to test it on your student devices just to make sure it will work.

Naomi Meredith [00:10:40]:

I initially made a choice board for my students where I linked all of those activities on the choice where it had an image of the game and then I had the link. That was it. That's that's the choice. And I made it at home, and one of them was so cool. It was about the FIFA World Cup, but the game actually didn't end up working at school, for some reason, it was blocked by our Wi-Fi server. So I was super bummed about that. So, just double check. It will help with the search features, but just make sure it will work on your student devices.

Naomi Meredith [00:11:17]:

So, on the 1st day, a little more talking, but I would talk through the different towns just kinda show them how they would all work, and then I sent the choice board into their Seesaw accounts. The cool thing about having this shared with them is if I had a substitute or something last minute, I could refer them to the hour code choice board for the second half of the year because I knew they already used it when they were with me. If you don't use Seesaw, you can share it on another platform of your choice, like Google Classroom, Schoology, or any of those types of places as well. But make it very, very simple. Have a picture. You can link the picture if you even make it in Google Slides. You can even make it in Canva if you want to, but having that 1-page grid, no more than 6 challenges. Even 10 is overwhelming because kids are just gonna click around and test them the whole time, and they're not gonna sit and focus.

Naomi Meredith [00:12:12]:

Six is plenty, and they can have at it. I also recommend having students bring their headphones, or if you have a class set of headphones on hand, especially if you teach all the classes in the school, the game sounds get super annoying when you hear at least 4 classes a day. I definitely recommend having the kids bring headphones. It will keep your sanity. For k through 1, I actually did something similar. I had access to iPads, and I had the students experiment with different apps I found that would work well for their grade level. So check out the different apps I mentioned in episode 38. I'm not gonna go through all of those, but definitely, if you can just search for great free coding apps for younger children, there are a lot of great options for you.

Naomi Meredith [00:13:04]:

But I would do the same thing where I had certain apps loaded on the iPads for this hour of code time, and then I had the same thing on the screen just on my TV screen, where I have the different pictures of the apps and then the students could all try them during our class time together. So I also did the video and the vocabulary thing, but when it came to the actual devices, we used the iPads. Another tidbit with this is I actually didn't keep my iPad loaded up with apps all the time. I only kept certain apps on the iPads for very specific units. And if we were done with that unit, I would actually take the app away because I knew I wasn't gonna be using that, and I wanted kids to be focused, and I didn't mess with any of that management software because also we weren't allowed to use that in my district. But I actually would take away applications, so the iPads weren't very fun because I didn't leave any games on there throughout the year. So we did that the 1st day and then the 2nd and 3rd ish days, we would do half and half. So half of the class would be coding on the iPad, trying those different applications.

Naomi Meredith [00:14:17]:

For the other half, I did something screen free, coding related or or not. It might even have been free building with Lego bricks just to help them, you know, get their energy out, and then they would switch halfway through. Then the 4th and 5th days, I would have them on the iPads, and then I also use the Osmo coding kits, which is so much fun, and it is a great tactile way for kids to actually do coding hands on and what they do in real life. It's augmented reality. So what they do in real life is like a backward augmented reality, what they're doing with the little chips. It reflects back onto the iPad, and then it checks their work, and the kids absolutely loved it. I did that half-and-half method, or I might have even done, like, 3 groups of kids just because I didn't have enough of the Osmo kits.

Naomi Meredith [00:15:14]:

But that was a really cool way to implement those coding kits, and it comes with 3 different apps that actually work with the same pieces. So if you're looking for something to buy, I recommend those. That was a lot. That actually was only one of the 3 ways, but the other 2 won't be as long for you. The 2nd way that you can have some last minute prep ideas for Hour of Code is look for what edtech companies are promoting and providing. Hour of Code is a really cool event where not only teachers who are in this space come together and are bringing this experience for their students, but EdTech companies like to give back during this time and help show you other ways that you can implement coding in your classroom during the hour of code and also beyond. And a lot of times, they're offering free workshops or free resources or things to try. So definitely follow your favorite brands on social media because I'm sure they're talking all about it and want to give that support to you.

Naomi Meredith [00:16:23]:

One of my favorites that I have seen is with Wonder Workshop. Again, they actually have a whole landing page of things to support you with the Hour of Code. Now during the time, the week of Hour of Code, on Monday, so in the afternoon. If you're listening to this live, my episodes come out on Monday. But Monday in the afternoon, they actually have a live webinar from Brian Miller, who I've had on this podcast, you've actually heard from a couple of times, who works for Wonder Workshop and he's hosting a free webinar that is actually for your students. So it's pretty cool where he'll actually chat with the kids, they'll learn a cool coding concept, They'll plan that concept of the code and then they'll actually be able to implement the code and see it in action with virtual dash. So we all know, Dash the Robot is my absolute favorite robot, but they actually have a virtual dash option in their Make Wonder paid platforms, which is so much fun. And I know that they are giving free access to virtual dash for the week of hour of code, which is a huge deal.

Naomi Meredith [00:17:31]:

You can have 1 to 1 robotics coding. So pretty cool. They have some other resources of coding activities, short term thing, and they also have some past challenges from their WonderLink robotics competition, all for free for you to use to help empower your students. So I definitely recommend I'm not sponsored by them to mention all this. I just really love what they do and how they help support teachers in this coding space. So definitely check out Window Workshops and what they're providing and also see what are your other favorite EdTech companies offering and how they can support you in our code. And the last idea to help you with your hour code is trying coding unplugged options. The kids don't have to be on the devices the whole time.

Naomi Meredith [00:18:16]:

They don't. And it's okay if you give them options that are off of the computer. I like to use this station if I did a 3 station rotation with my younger students, is doing a human robot coding where the students are coding their friends to perform different actions, which this is another activity that I have in my hour of code bundle where it has all the cards and all the directions ready to go. I might try this with my dog and see if he will listen to me if I can code my dog unplugged, but we'll see. I don't know if he'll like it very much. I've also seen this too where you have printed block codes that students can create a code and actually plan what their robot might do or plan what the code would do and then implement it with the device. Another fun way that I've done this with my students is we did a Goldilocks game. It was actually it goes along with the story where, for digital citizenship.

Naomi Meredith [00:19:17]:

Goldilocks isn't very safe. She shares unsafe information, and the bears catch her and it's a whole big deal. With actually talking about private and personal information and you create a whole coding unplugged game, which is also in the bundle too. So there are some really neat things also on the hour of code website where it is coding unplugged, so check that out. It is a nice break for students to think through those big problems, how to can they have that computational thinking, and really be hands on with their coding experience where it doesn't always have to involve technology. As a recap, here are my 3 last minute ideas when it comes to our code activities that you can try with your elementary students. 1st is you can create a choice board where there are specific activities that you want your students to try out for the week. Next, look for some online events and resources from your favorite EdTech companies.

Naomi Meredith [00:20:17]:

And finally, try some coding unplugged options where computer devices or robots aren't always needed. I hope you have so much fun with this amazing event and spark that interest when it comes to coding in all sorts of forms for your students. And if you need even more help, I've put together a free hour of code guide that you can download, which will be linked in the show notes. Also, there is a brand new bundle that I put together of Arab code activities and resources. There are many coding unplugged options and vocabulary in there to help support your week and make it not overwhelming but a very fun experience in your classroom.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

Check out more inspiration on her website: naomimeredith.com
Connect with her on Instagram: @naomimeredith_
Watch this episode on her YouTube Channel: Naomi Meredith
Join the Facebook Group, The Elementary STEM Coach Community | Technology & STEM for K-6 Teachers

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a former classroom teacher turned current K-5 STEM teacher and coach. Her role not only includes teaching over 500 students in her school, but also leading professional development and co-teaching with teachers to help them integrate STEM & Technology.

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology 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!

Earth’s Engineers Makerspace: Earth Science Curriculum Project [ep.135]

Earth's Engineers Makerspace: Earth Science Curriculum Project [ep.135]

Check out the full episode on Earth's Engineers Makerspace: Earth Science Curriculum Project

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

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

Episode Summary

Makerspace projects are so much fun for kids to build and explore. When they are thoughtfully planned with standards in mind, you can make a bigger impact on the types of projects students can explore. Take, for example, Earth science curriculum projects. In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing with you what I teach inside of my Earth’s Engineers lessons for K-5 and how they connect to Makerspace.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How to plan and implement Earth science curriculum projects
Strategies for creating Earth's engineers Makerspace units
Implementing Makerspace units for different grade levels

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript:

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

Makerspace projects are so much fun for kids to explore with recycled materials. When these types of projects are thoughtfully planned with the standards in mind, they can explore the world in so many different ways than from the traditional science classroom. Take, for example, Earth science. In today's episode, I will be sharing with you the lessons that I teach k through 5, as it relates to Makerspace inside of my Earth's engineers lessons.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:04]:

Before we jump on in, I wanted to read another awesome podcast review from 1 of you. These mean the world to me and also for other teachers who are also looking for a podcast that fits their elementary STEM needs. This is from a stegosaurus teacher, and they say standing out in STEM. I'm leaving 2nd grade this year and moving into a k through Five STEM position. It's exciting but also overwhelming. I'm grateful for all the tips and advice you share through your podcast. I'm looking forward to listening to more. Thank you for sharing this content.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:45]:

Thank you so much again for this review. If you haven't already written a review for this podcast, pause this podcast if you're on Apple Podcasts. Go on over there and write a review. I think you can also actually leave star ratings on Spotify. I'm not 100% sure about that, But that would mean the world to me, and it costs absolutely nothing. And, again, help other teachers like you find this podcast. If you have a very limited budget when it comes to purchasing your stem supplies, Makerspace projects are an Excellent way to go. In fact, you could do Makerspace projects all year if you really wanted to.

Naomi Meredith [00:02:29]:

I was really lucky when I was a k through 5 STEM teacher, and I had a fairly flexible budget. And I was very strategic in my purchasing, so the years where it was really low, I really zoned in on those consumable products to build up my maker space. I also think that it's so important for kids to explore with recycled materials, and I don't think kids do that enough. For a while, when I wasn't able to do STEM clubs Due to COVID restrictions, I actually had some take home STEM kits that I sent with students because parents were asking me, what can I do at home? What can I do at home? And a lot of the materials where recycled materials are very simple things that kids could get their hands on, and they absolutely loved it. I'm in the works with something else with this right now, but I'm currently not doing those kits, at the time of this recording. But it's So cute. I would always give my neighbor's kids a set of these kits. I did it for 6 months, and they are still asking me, it's a couple of years later, do you have any more of those STEM kits for us? We love them so much.

Naomi Meredith [00:03:45]:

So think about your students and how Makerspace can be so much fun. It doesn't have to be Crazy. And it can also be really purposeful in the way that you present this to students. I don't see it as a free for all. I'm not like that when it comes to anything that I do in the classroom. It's not a free for all, but I do allow a lot of choices in strategic ways. In the terms of the flow of my k through 5 STEM year long plan, which you can get the whole year long plan for free at Naomi Meredith.com/yearlongplan and see all the lessons that I taught to my students k through 5 in the order that they happened. Here is how the beginning of my year would go.

Naomi Meredith [00:04:31]:

I would start off the month and kick everything off with STEM survival camp, which you can listen to in episode 4. Then we would go into a digital citizenship unit where I utilize A lot of the digital citizenship curriculums that are out there and also integrated my own hands on way to implement those themes. You can hear more about all of those in episode 28. Then moving into the 3rd unit, this one that we're going to talk about today is my Earth's engineers Makerspace unit. And this is where we were really diving into my entire Makerspace of supplies. STEM survival camp had little bits of Makerspace, but it wasn't open to everything that students can choose from. There were very limited supplies in each grade level that students could use. So Earth's engineers, we are gonna be exploring today all the things in my Makerspace accessible to students? But again, not a free for all.

Naomi Meredith [00:05:33]:

Now how did this entire unit come to existence. Some of the origins of my units are really creative and some are just, Well, here's how it is, and this is just what happened. And so with Earth's engineers, I knew I wanted to do Makerspace for my 3rd month of the year. By this point, let's say, they come to school August, September, October, They're ready for some Makerspace time. And so I knew I wanted to do Makerspace. And as I was mapping out my whole Prior year, my k through 5, 7 year long plan, I was taking a look at all of the standards k through 5, and I noticed that there was a lot of standards in all of these grade levels that have to do with Earth science, which makes sense. That's a really important topic to talk about. But I also knew that I didn't want the kids to do the same thing that they were doing in their traditional classrooms during science time as they were in STEM.

Naomi Meredith [00:06:37]:

I was always thinking of how can I do this differently where maybe some of the Concepts are repeated? There is nothing wrong with that. I would even tell my students, if you are hearing things over and over again. It must be important and it must be something that you want to remember. So the concepts, Sure. Maybe they have learned about it before, maybe they hadn't. I didn't always line things up with classroom teachers because, again, If they're building a background knowledge with me, great. Or if they're hearing it in a different way in STEM, great. So I took upon on those standards and thought of ways how I can make this more hands on and implement Makerspace, which I knew at my school was something that wasn't happening in all of the classrooms.

Naomi Meredith [00:07:24]:

And so I had a safe bet that these lesson ideas were going to be good to go. Implementing these lessons during the 3rd month or the 3rd unit of the school year was awesome because by this point, My Makerspace was set up and ready to go. So that's a good little trick for you. If you don't have everything set up yet, Don't plan lessons with those items. And then if you know it's gonna come up, then you can take your time to get it all set up. And this is actually there was 1 year where I Was working on the labels with my Makerspace labels that have words and pictures, which you can get all of those. There's even options to create your own, All the colors, all the things. So when I was switching out labels, I was so thankful that this unit was 3rd on my list because my labels weren't ready to go until that 3rd unit.

Naomi Meredith [00:08:14]:

Also, I just made sure that all of my supplies were ready to go, so all the recycled things were stocked inside of their drawers. If I needed to ask for any donations, that was something that I would do. If there were things that I knew I Could just personally collect at home, I started doing that. I even put in the teacher's lounge a box collecting thin cardboard from all of those teacher lunches, And teachers were, like, hey. No problem. And they're just throwing their cardboard in there, and I had more than enough for this unit and many more units to come. So knowing that, not starting off the school year with a full fledged Makerspace project, it does, again, give you time to collect and organize those materials, so we were good to go as well. Now I'm also gonna talk about in when I'm explaining the lessons that each of them had certain materials that were specialized to them.

Naomi Meredith [00:09:06]:

So I also gathered those materials as well that were reusable that were being added to those designs. So when you're thinking about your Makerspace projects, not every single little thing in their project has to be consumable, meaning when they use it up, it's all gone. You can even think about depending on the project, But you can even think about if students don't want to keep their project or if that's not even an option, They have to deconstruct those things and put the items back if they can be reused again. And it's a great way to even teach a simple way of conservation, and how things can have more than 1 life. I also for this unit, because it was a full fledged, you get all access As to everything in my Makerspace, I did use my Makerspace money and menu where students, when part of their planning process, would create a shopping list of what supplies that they wanted to use within their budgets, and then they would purchase their supplies before they would start building. If you wanna hear more about those 2 systems that I use in my classroom, so how I set up my Makerspace, labeling with pictures and words, And also the Makerspace menu and money, I recommend for you to go back and listen to episodes 5 and 6. Alright. So what are the things that students did in this Earth's engineers unit? Well, They, I, I would tell them you are studying the earth and you have a different role of being an engineer to learn all about it.

Naomi Meredith [00:10:44]:

We're gonna start with 5th grade and go all the way down to kindergarten so you can see the whole scope of how this entire unit went with my students. 1st up with 5th grade, we talked about ecosystems and how there is a transfer of energy within those different food webs. I did know that my 5th graders actually had some background knowledge when it came to ecosystems coming into my classroom. This is a 5th grade standard normally when it comes to the ecosystems and, by diversity in ecosystem and transfer of energy in the Next Generation Science Standards. At the time, my district actually wasn't requiring us to teach the new standards. So for Colorado, in 4th grade is when they would learn those things, and we were still teaching them. Now for me and my STEM classroom, I was teaching the current standards. So I was really trying to do that for them because That's what they're being tested on anyway.

Naomi Meredith [00:11:43]:

But I just wanted to make sure I was teaching the current next generation science standards. But my students did come in with a background all about ecosystems, and they did a whole project. I even helped the teachers do a whole project on this. But I did also create the resources about those different ecosystems if they wanted to research or explore more about them. This Makerspace project was very unique because they did have access to those consumable items, so cardboard, paper, tape, but they also had specialty items that they could purchase from and use over and over again. So their challenge was how can you create a Rube Goldberg machine to show the transfer of energy within an ecosystem. When I proposed this challenge, the kids were like, what did you just say? And I'm all, okay. Trust There's 2 things going on.

Naomi Meredith [00:12:36]:

You're making a Rube Goldberg machine, and you are showing the transfer of energy in an ecosystem, and you're putting them together. And I did have to give that background knowledge on what a Rube Goldberg machine is. And once I started showing them videos and all of that, they're, oh, okay. That's what it is. And even 1 student said, You know in home alone, there's a Rube Goldberg machine. I said, oh my gosh. You were so right. Let's look that up.

Naomi Meredith [00:13:05]:

If you are to do that in your classroom, there is a video about the child setting up the whole Rube Goldberg machine for the robbers. Don't play the video of it actually hurting the robbers. It's not a 100% school appropriate. But, I mean, you can kind of infer what's going to happen when he's setting it up. So just Just beware. But I had different resources to share with them what a Rube Goldberg machine is and also the research resources for them to pick out the ecosystem that they wanted to represent in their Rube Goldberg machine, and then they set up a small version of the Rube Goldberg machine that would show the transfer of energy. What was really hard about this challenge is that they had to set it up and take it down every class time, And so they really had to be strategic in the way that they built their designs. Hence, I had them take a lot of videos and photos in Seesaw because they could rewatch their work and help them remember what went well, what didn't, and how did we set this up the day before.

Naomi Meredith [00:14:05]:

For 4th grade, they took on the role as a civil engineer, and they were to design a city based off of the data that they were given, and also what are the needs of that city. So they're kind of creating a model using fake data or GIS data, geographical information systems data, that I gave them. So we learned about different roles that civil engineers can have, how they can work with architects in a space, and what are those things that Communities typically need to get started to run effectively. So we combine that knowledge, And then with the data that I gave them, the data showed them where certain things in their landscape were located, where the grassy fields were, where a muddy pit was, where the river ran through, where there was a tiny lake. They had that data, and then depending on the time I had with them, there was also data showing how High, each of the features were in inches, and they had to add on the clay to show the landscape. You don't have to do the 2nd part. It's really up to you and the time that you have. The 1st time I ever did it with the clay, I I had the most disastrous experience.

Naomi Meredith [00:15:26]:

I personally made salt dough at home, and I made it way too sticky, like Extremely, extremely way too sticky. It was all over the place. The kids are screaming. I was laughing because I thought it was really funny. It was all over the place. I skip the clay part just with time, but it's actually a really, really cool part of the experiment because it does actually change how they will build things in their landscape. Using their landscape and using the list that I give them, then they create their tiny city and also how it would function in a, well, functional way. For 3rd grade, we touch on different natural disasters, and then we really zone in on flooding and different flood inventions.

Naomi Meredith [00:16:08]:

And they are challenged to create an invention that will help keep the house safe from the flood. Through that research, we look at current inventions, and they can even improve those inventions that already exist or create an entirely new one. And then I even taught students this is a math standard, but I taught students how to measure with measuring cups to gather the water and pour it in increments to see how much of the house can withstand when it comes to the water. This is a fairly new update, so if you do have this lesson or you have the k through 5 semi learning bundle or a variation of that bundle, the 3 through 5 or 3rd grade bundle, Then I would go and read down that lesson because that math piece is added where students actually keep track of those increments and if the house actually got wet. The kids are actually way more excited about pouring water and measuring the water because I showed them how to do that. A lot of them have Done that before, which is exciting. And then they were excited to keep track of how much water that their house could handle. In 2nd grade, their challenge was to create an invention that will help slow down or possibly stop water erosion.

Naomi Meredith [00:17:23]:

We did talk about the other ways how erosion can happen, but like 3rd grade, we zoned in on one type of erosion and that was water erosion. I've done this one a couple of ways. It depended on the weather. Colorado has really crazy weather, but I have had buckets of soil where I actually reuse it each week because on Friday, it would dry out over the weekends, and then throughout the week, it'll be dry for all the students. But I had buckets of soil that students could actually put their inventions in to help test and then using the water. But I also have taken students outside, and they carried a cup of water and a measuring cup, and then we went outside. A little tip for both of these lessons, because they do involve water, is I asked classroom teachers if they had any measuring cups in their science kits, And I knew not everybody was doing an experiment with this in their classroom at the time, and so I got a ton of of donations where I could borrow their measuring cups and then give them back when we were finished. I also always kept on hand a ton of dry wicking towels, So they would soak up the water.

Naomi Meredith [00:18:35]:

I always seem to be using these a lot. I did a lot of experiments and things with water. Having those on hand is extremely helpful. Going into 1st grade, their challenge was to learn more about Earth's light and how this can be seen naturally through bioluminescence. The 1st graders were super impressed with themselves that they were learning the word Bioluminescence, which, yes, that is a very big word. We researched about that, and I actually wrote articles, Short little articles for the students where has my voice reading to them about different things in on Earth that have bioluminescence. From that research, students were thinking of a living thing that they wish had bioluminescence, and then they had to explain how the bioluminescent would actually help that living thing. So I always would give the example that I always wish that my dog, Frederick, his big little ears, he's a 10 pound chihuahua mix, so I call his big little ears, would glow because if we take him out at night to go to the restroom, then we would more easily be able to see, you know, what that comes out of his body.

Naomi Meredith [00:19:47]:

So, that was my example. I can draw a little Fred pretty good. And so the kids really enjoyed that project using the Makerspace, and then Depending on the year of my budget, I would have glow sticks that they could use to show the bioluminescence. If I didn't, they would use shiny aluminum metal or shiny bubble wrap or yellow paper to show the parts that would glow. Really, for 1st grade, we talked about how different animals change the land to create their homes, and we zone in you get the theme here. I really zone in a part of that standard, but zoned in on ants and how ants, they change the land to create their home. I always make them laugh when I would say, you know, A little ant and their ant friends, they don't have a Home Depot where they can go get some shovels and say, hey, let's build our house right here. They literally have to figure it out and create the homes themselves.

Naomi Meredith [00:20:42]:

So we talked about Anthills and how different rooms have different purposes, And then they created a marble cardboard maze that shows a different anthill, the different homes, and then the marble represented the ant. For kindergarten and 1st grade, I did bits and pieces of the engineering design process, and we finished their projects in in 2 to 3 days. And then my other 2 days of the week, because I did see them 5 days in a row, I played around with some different stem stations, which I don't have available quite yet. But I played around with some different stem stations, and that worked out really, really well. You do get your hands on those lessons. I always give you more than enough than what you have to teach because I don't even know what of your teaching. A lot of you are in the STEM space, but some of you are in library or maker spaces. Some of you teach homeschool.

Naomi Meredith [00:21:34]:

Some of you teach gifted and talented. And even a growing number of you are in the classroom and you need more of that support. So I always give more than enough in my slides, but then pick and choose what would work best for you. As a recap, here are the 6 lessons that I taught in my Earth The engineers Makerspace lesson that you can try with your students, and they're also included in my k through 5 STEM year long plan or also bundled in their own little bundle. 1st, we have 5th grade, and they created a Rube Goldberg machine to show the ecosystem, and the transfer of energy. So we have 4th grade, and they were creating a model of a tiny city using GIS data. Then we have 3rd grade. We zoned in on the natural disaster of flooding, and they had to build a structure to keep the house safe.

Naomi Meredith [00:22:27]:

Then we had 2nd grade where we talked about water erosion, and they had to create an invention to either slow it down or stop it. Then we have 1st grade and we studied Earth's light, and they did that by creating a living thing that could possibly have bioluminescence. And finally, in kindergarten, we talked about how animals changed the land to create their homes, and we zoned in on anthills and Made a little cardboard marble maze for that. If you haven't tried Makerspace yet or you're hesitant, this is A great way to integrate those standards in your classroom and also get the hang of doing a Makerspace project. It isn't perfect. It might not turn out exactly how you want it, but again, this is a really cool way for students to floor the world in a different way, and also hit those important standards.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

Check out more inspiration on her website: naomimeredith.com
Connect with her on Instagram: @naomimeredith_
Watch this episode on her YouTube Channel: Naomi Meredith
Join the Facebook Group, The Elementary STEM Coach Community | Technology & STEM for K-6 Teachers

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

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

Welcome to STEMusement Park: Force and Motion Projects for Makerspace [ep.134]

Check out the full episode on Welcome to STEMusement Park: Force and Motion Projects for Makerspace

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

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

Episode Summary

Are your force and motion projects in need of a refresh? If so, I have just the project for you! In today's episode, I'm breaking down my STEMusement park force and motion projects for K-5 STEM. These projects are engaging, and your students will look forward to them every year.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

The inspiration behind STEMusement park force and motion projects
Why doing Makerspace at the end of the school year is a good idea
How I set up my classroom for STEMusement park force and motion projects for Makerspace
An overview of how I implemented the STEMusement park force and motion projects with each grade level

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript:

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

It seems when teachers teach force and motion, you see the same science experiments over and over again. A lot of times, the kids see the same experiments over and over again, and they get a little bit bored. Well, your force and motion lessons are going to change with this fun STEM twist. Welcome to STEMusement Park.

Naomi Meredith [00:00:53]:

Before we jump on in, I wanted to read an awesome podcast review from 1 of you. This is from ARC610 and they say, “Binging this podcast. This podcast has been so helpful for me to listen to this summer before I step into the role of STEM teacher for the 1st time. It's helped me feel more confident instead of overwhelmed. Thank you.” Thank you so much for your review. I love seeing these, and they don't always automatically pop up In Apple Podcasts, so when they do, it absolutely makes my day.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:37]:

I don't always know who is listening out there. I am here in my home office talking to my phone when I record these, and my audience is my little dog Frederick, and that's about it. So, reading these reviews is so amazing to me and also really helpful to other teachers like you out there. So, if you wouldn't mind taking a moment, pausing this podcast, and writing a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, that would absolutely mean the world to me. What in the world is STEMusement Park? Well, here we are with another STEM themed unit of lessons, and you all know that I am the type of person and teacher who loves a good theme. This was my way of teaching a force and motion to my students k through 5 in a more creative way that can also build up those connections. So the benefit of teaching in units where you have a theme for all of your lessons And also looking at similar trends when it comes to standards, students can have that progression of learning and differentiation year after year. It does take some time to set this up and really think through your lessons, but when you do, it is So powerful and you're also creating an experience for students that they will always remember.

Naomi Meredith [00:03:06]:

So where in the world did STEMusement Park come from? Now, with any of my lessons, there is always some inspiration for why I do what I do. For this unit, I actually was in the process of teaching my K through 5, 7-year long plan that you can actually teach to your students as well that is in my t p t shop, Naomi Meredith. And I was in the process of teaching and refining those lessons and figuring things out, and I typically taught at the end of the school year, my LEGO education kits because they took 0 prep, they were ready to go, and students were engaged. Well, I ended up moving my LEGO education kits to when students do state testing because in my role when I was a k through 5 STEM teacher, I was also the technology point of contact. When it came to state testing season, I was basically on call like a doctor, and I had to run and handle a situation. When I had the LEGO Education Builds going during this time, I could leave the classroom, or oftentimes we would get a substitute for those 2 weeks of testing, they could handle that lesson, and then I was available. With that, since I moved all of those lessons, this freed up the last month of school. Just like the crazy teacher that I was, I decided that it was a great idea to start something brand new that I had never taught before at the end of the school year.

Naomi Meredith [00:04:49]:

Thank goodness this was not the year that I got married. I don't think I would have done that. But, hey, here we are. I tried it all out. When I was exploring the standards, I noticed that there was some sort of variation when it comes to force and motion. And I always wanna try to give my students a way to connect our learning to the real world. And amusement parks are a great example when it comes to force and motion and how it is used in a lot of different ways. And so, as I was planning and as I was brainstorming, I came up with the theme of STEMusement park.

Naomi Meredith [00:05:31]:

So STEMusement park. Not amusement park, STEMusement park. And the kids loved it when we did STEM survival camp at the beginning of the school year, which you can hear back in episode 4. The kids loved that unit so much. They kept asking me throughout the year, are we going to do some survival camp again? I said, no. That's not until next year. But I knew that they loved that so much and it was something interesting for them. So I came up with STEMusement park, and all of the lessons built off one another.

Naomi Meredith [00:06:07]:

Now, you might be listening and thinking, “That is absolutely insane. Why would you do Makerspace at the end of the school year?” And I'm going to propose the question to you: why not? It's actually a really good time to do a Makerspace project because the kids are doing a lot of things with their hands. And the way that I had my classroom set up, all of my Makerspace supplies were ready to go at all times, so it wasn't really extra work for me in terms of prepping materials because the way that I have students gather supplies is through my whole Makerspace menu and Makerspace money. All I had to do was think of the lesson and the progression of the lessons and how that would go and then we would figure it out. So that actually didn't worry me at all and this was a good time to actually go through my supplies and get things organized so that I knew what I needed to order for the next year or different types of donations I would be looking for or even things that I would just be collecting over the summer so I could replenish my Makerspace for back to school. We know that students, before long breaks and before summer, they have a lot of energy. This is a really good time to do Makerspace projects because the possibilities are endless, and they can always add to their designs and make it better. It is collaborative and hands-on and so this actually turned out to be an awesome time for this project.

Naomi Meredith [00:07:41]:

But you could really teach it at any time of year, this is just what worked best for me with my schedule and how things laid out throughout the year. So what did I do in terms of setting up the classroom? While I didn't do a full-fledged room transformation since it was the end of the school year, There were some pops of things that I added within the classroom to make it really exciting. I did make sure that I had plenty of storage space. So I emptied out my shelves, made sure that we would have room for all of our amazing projects, and then I did a little bit of classroom decor. I created a bulletin board that was all about different things along with force and motion and had a fun roller coaster design on there. I also hung up some balloons so that it could look more like the carnival section of the amusement park. I also played some carnival music and had a roller coaster going on the TV the 1st day when kids came in so that they would be curious and wonder what are we going to do in our STEM week. When I proposed this challenge to the students, STEMusement Park, I let them know that they were creating 1 section of the amusement park and they're going to be in charge of that.

Naomi Meredith [00:09:05]:

Students actually thought that we were going to combine all of our projects And we didn't do that but I also thought that was a really cool idea. So if you are doing some sort of STEM showcase or a STEM night, this unit would actually be perfect for this because when we get into all of the projects that are in this unit, They're very interactive and this would actually really do well in a showcase where the parents and the families can interact with the actual projects. So if that is something that you are thinking about for this time of year at the time of this recording for midyear, I would definitely recommend this unit for that. Also, for setup, I had all my materials ready to go and I also made sure that all of my Makerspace money, I had enough, I had enough wallets, And that was all set up along with my Makerspace menu. If you wanna hear more about my organization of my Makerspace and the management system that I use. Go back to episode 5 and episode 6 and you will find a lot of useful information there. Now for each of the grade levels, what did they actually do and explore in STEMusement Park? I'm gonna go through each of the challenges and give you a snapshot of all the things that the students did k through 5, And you can find those all within my TpT shop, Naomi Meredith, where all of the lessons are individualized for you. There is a bundle of STEMusement Park, and these lessons are also included in my big overall k through 5 STEM year long plan of lessons.

Naomi Meredith [00:10:49]:

In 5th grade, we explored force and motion and potential and kinetic energy with our rockin' roller coasters. Now, this isn't a completely new idea, but I did have more parameters on their designs so that they were not ginormous and took up the whole classroom. Their roller coasters had to be able to fit on 2 pieces of printer paper and so they had to really get creative with their designs so that they could fit those restrictions. As a class, we researched all about potential and kinetic energy. We looked at different examples of roller coasters, and students had to figure out a way to get their marble through their track. Now, as students' designs were progressing, they even tested their designs with different mathematical tests to see how fast the marble would go through their racetrack and keep track of all of their designs and some other math connections. For 4th grade, they were in charge of the race car ride. Now mind you, this is entirely a Makerspace project.

Naomi Meredith [00:12:06]:

We did not add any electronic components to these cars that they created. But if that is something that you are looking for, that can definitely be implemented in this lesson if that is something that you want to explore with your students. In this challenge, students were designing a race car That could be part of the race car ride section of the amusement park and we explore the different physics when it comes to race cars and what makes them really fast, Why do they have certain things on their designs? And then we actually design our own race cars that would roll. I taught them a technique that actually would help them with their wheels and axles where those would stay in place and attach to their car but then still be able to roll on their design. We did race their design. Students created a track that they would race each other through the use of having an inclined plane. So they were able to, have their cars roll down the track, but it was such a cool experience, and students came up with some really fun and creative designs for the race card ride. In 3rd grade, we explored magnetic energy by creating transportation within our STEMusement Park, and students created maglev trains that would transport people throughout the park while providing a different form of energy that could be used in this situation.

Naomi Meredith [00:13:37]:

We looked at different examples of different maglev trains in real life, and they were so amazed that they can go really really fast because of the use of these powerful magnets and the way that they are engineered. Students had large pieces of paper where they design a mini amusement Park like kinda like a prototype or tiny city of an amusement park so that their train could travel throughout the park and get the people to their different destinations and where they wanted to explore in that area. It was really fun having students collaborate on these and they did make everything three d and pop up, And they're actually able to have the train move around in the park and really explore with those magnets. For 2nd grade this design specifically I was inspired by my teacher honey because he loves to golf. And he is also a golf coach at his school and I thought that he would be really proud of this lesson. And he also has a ton of golf balls in our garage and so I donated those to my students every single week and they could actually keep them because that helped keep the golf ball situation a lot smaller in our garage. But anyway, 2nd grade their challenge was to design A mini golf game and all of the games could actually be a whole mini golf course which is pretty cute. And students Actually created a game that their golf ball could roll through a real golf ball, and we explored different properties of matter where different things might Speed up or slow down the ball and different ramps and different obstacles could do that as well.

Naomi Meredith [00:15:30]:

It was a bit of a challenge because the A golf ball is a lot heavier than they thought and they wanted to think of creative ways to demonstrate their part of the mini golf course. I was lucky enough that our PE teacher had some putters that we could use where students could actually putt the golf balls for real. But if you don't have that type of situation, you can even have students design a putter, which could be another part of the challenge. In 1st grade, we talked about light and sound communication and how in STEMusement Park, specifically in this section where there's all of the carnival games, light and sound is relied upon heavily to get the attention of people to come play the games. And also a lot of light and sound happens while people are playing the games Whether they score a point or whether they're playing, there's music going or maybe they lose a point. So light and sound is constantly communicating ideas and it gets really crazy when you get to that part of an amusement park because there is a lot of light and sound going on, and can be very overstimulating. Kind of the same thing with our challenges. So, students in 1st grade were tasked to create a carnival game that use some form of light or sound communication to get an idea across.

Naomi Meredith [00:16:59]:

So maybe if somebody scored a point, something made a sound, maybe certain balls had different sounds when they threw them and it meant something, maybe there were lights around the biggest scoring point of the game. Students had a lot of fun and creative ideas, and they loved playing each other's games, just like they loved playing each other's mini golf games as well. And so they were really proud of their designs because they had to really get into the rules and how to play the game and make sure that it makes sense to other people. And finally in kindergarten, we talked about force and motion and how different things can change the direction of the ball by creating wall mazes. This was the only project out of all of STEMusement park that students weren't able to keep their designs, but we were able to keep them up throughout the week. I invested in a lot of tape during this time of year and a lot of different materials. And students were building their wall mazes and we left them up on the wall. The students really loved being able to test each other's designs and try different marbles and different balls in their different wall mazes And even a fun challenge, they thought it was super fun in kindergarten, was chasing the ball across the classroom because it went really really far.

Naomi Meredith [00:18:28]:

So that was a good learning opportunity where I told students we might want to have something at the end of our wall maze where it could actually catch the ball. So this whole STEMusementement Park experience was an absolute blast. Again, students would look forward to this experience year after year and it was another great way to incorporate those standards while also making it hands on. As a recap, here are the 6 different challenges that students were able to experience in STEMusementement Park. 1st, we had the Rock and Roller Coaster Challenge for 5th grade. Next was the STEM Race Cars for 4th grade. 3rd, we had the MagLev transportation for 3rd grade. Then we had the mini golf course creations for 2nd grade.

Naomi Meredith [00:19:21]:

5th were the light and sound communication carnival games. And finally, the different cardboard wall mazes in kindergarten. If you're looking for a different way to teach those force and motion standards and want to make it hands-on, I encourage you to try out this STEMIUSEMENT PARK challenge. This one is so much fun, can harness your students energy but also help them learn those important STEM concepts. Thank you so much for being here, and I'll see you in the next episode.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

Check out more inspiration on her website: naomimeredith.com
Connect with her on Instagram: @naomimeredith_
Watch this episode on her YouTube Channel: Naomi Meredith
Join the Facebook Group, The Elementary STEM Coach Community | Technology & STEM for K-6 Teachers

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

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

3 Strategies for Grading with a STEM Project Rubric [ep.133]

Check out the full episode on 3 Strategies for Grading with a STEM Project Rubric:

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

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

Episode Summary

Is grading STEM projects a task you don’t enjoy? If so, I can relate. Trying to figure out the best approach for grading STEM projects can feel overwhelming. In today’s episode, I’m sharing three strategies for grading using a STEM project rubric.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

3 strategies for grading with a STEM project rubric
The why behind each strategy
Things to consider and do for successful grading with a STEM project rubric

Resources Mentioned:

STEM Teacher 101 Course

Episode Transcript:

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

Grading STEM projects. I don't love it; you probably don't love it, but in reality, this is increasing in popularity the more we gain elementary STEM in our spaces around the world. So, how do you even grade a project like this? In this episode, I will give you some strategies on how to grade a STEM project using a rubric.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:01]:

Before we jump into the episode, I wanted to read another amazing 5-star podcast review from one of you. This is from ParksTeam, and they say, “So helpful. I especially love the 6 part series broken down by grade level. I struggle with finding things appropriate for kindergarten, so this episode was so helpful. Thank you, Naomi.” Thank you so much for your review. Reading these definitely makes my day. I absolutely love that this podcast is making a positive difference in your teaching and, therefore, your students.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:38]:

If you wouldn't mind taking a moment and heading on over to Apple Podcasts and writing a 5-star review, that would mean the absolute world to me. It costs nothing and helps other teachers like you find this podcast. Over in my Instagram DMs at Naomi Meredith_ I got a message from 1 of you, and you wrote me saying, “Hi Naomi, just found your podcast and loved it. I tried to see if you already talked about this, but my STEAM is struggling with grading. Do you have an episode on how you do grading in your room?” This is an excellent question, and I have actually received similar questions from a lot of you out there over in my Instagram DMs and also by way of email. And it is an important concept to consider. Now, spoiler alert, I technically didn't have to grade and give grades when I was a K through 5 STEM teacher. I know that sounds absolutely insane, and you might be saying what, that's not fair.

Naomi Meredith [00:02:47]:

I know it kinda wasn't fair because the PE, art, and music teachers did have to give grades, and I did not. I was told because there aren't any STEM standards in Colorado that, I wasn't required to give grades, so I didn't. But I always thought about it if they ever changed their minds or they ever said when grading times came around, I had a plan in mind if that was something that I needed to do. And have no fear, this isn't a fluffy episode where I just pulled something out of thin air. This is literally exactly how I would grade projects. When I taught in the classroom, I would grade projects like this. And I also was on committees to grade things using rubrics and also to design them for these types of things. I did a lot of project-based learning when I was a classroom teacher, so I would be using that experience if I ever were to grade.

Naomi Meredith [00:03:43]:

So don't write me off saying you don't know what you're talking about. I do, and this is exactly how I would grade a STEM project and really any hands-on project. First, you want to make your STEM projects standards-based. Now, when you're thinking about backwards design and planning your lessons, you should be looking at the standards anyway because this will make it a lot harder to grade if your lessons aren't standards-based, to begin with. You do wanna keep this in mind, which is why in my entire K through 5 STEM year long plan of lessons, they are all rooted in NGSS standards along with an integration of common core literacy and math standards and the ISTE standards for students. All of my projects that I do k through 5 are revolved around this. And if it ever came down to grading, I wouldn't be stressed or stopped because I knew my lessons were standard space even when we were doing something with robots, even when we were doing something with Makerspace or coding.

Naomi Meredith [00:04:50]:

It all connected together. So you need to go and start there. I do have some episodes that talk all about how to plan a stem lesson. So those will be linked in the show notes if you need some help with that, but you need to start there. You need to have your lessons be standards-based because what are you gonna grade them on? Now, maybe your school grades on character traits like collaboration and critical thinking. Amazing. Awesome. There actually are some common core standards in speaking and listening that talk about explaining ideas and working together as a group.

Naomi Meredith [00:05:24]:

But if you're gonna have to really grade, think about your lessons. You might need to start there with the grading piece. If you're just doing surface-level activities where they're just playing with robots for the day. You might need to rethink what you're doing with your kids. From there. So let's say, okay, Naomi, I do this, I plan with standards in mind. How are we gonna do this? How are we going to assess these projects? And like I mentioned, I like to use a rubric because it has a whole variety of things when it comes to an actual project.

Naomi Meredith [00:05:59]:

And when you are designing a rubric, I highly recommend creating a rubric that involves the process versus the product. It has both of those intertwined. So again, if you are planning with the standards, you might have ways where students are demonstrating a specific science standard in their actual project, and that might be the grade level indicators that you put in the rubric, and then, of course, you go up from there. So I like to use a 4-point rubric, four being the highest, 1 being the lowest, and then 3 and 2 are in the middle. So 3 would be what I would expect for a grade level 2, they need to do it with support. Four is above and beyond. 1, they didn't do it all, like, they might have some things or were absent. And so, having those indicators maybe have those specific science standards.

Naomi Meredith [00:06:52]:

How are they demonstrating this in the project? How are they demonstrating specific math concepts in their project? Are they doing specific parts of the engineering design process? Are they demonstrating those things? So you're merging those standards together where they maybe have 5 different levels. Some of the standards actually would overlap. So, just the way that you write the rubric is really important as well so that students can find success. Also, if you create this rubric while you are planning, you know how you should teach the lesson so that students can succeed in this overall grade. You could give honestly whatever points you want. If you had 5 categories, each category is worth 20. That is correct.

Naomi Meredith [00:07:40]:

That is the correct math. That is the m and stem. Good job, Naomi. But if you do that, then you could have a score out of 100, and you would be good to go. Creating standards-based rubrics is actually one of the 2 updates that I am putting in my k through 5 stem year long plan of lessons because this is actually a really highly requested nature that I told you a lot of you have been asking about. So this is something if you see the lessons, my lessons are $10, if you see that price difference, then that means I have updated those lessons with me teaching the lesson. So you actually get to hear how I teach the lesson to students. I create a video about me actually explaining the whole thing in the product, and then there's also an update with standards-based rubrics and more math connections.

Naomi Meredith [00:08:31]:

So, the sooner you jump in on those, the better. You get all the updates for free, so you can have a rubric already set up for the main grade level that I plan it for. And then, if you need to adjust it for other grades, you can have a sense of what that could be like. And finally, when you are creating rubrics for your students, I highly recommend writing them in kid-friendly language. If you have students in 2nd through 5th grade, this actually might be a little bit easier because you're writing in a way that if they read the rubric or if they were self-assessing, they could understand what is happening. I recommend doing a self-assessment on these rubrics with your students that can be a whole other topic, but that way, you're not creating 2 different rubrics. When I taught writing, we graded on the student-friendly rubric, so there wasn't any miscommunication about what they needed to add, and then it made sense. This might be a little more tricky for k and 2, maybe a little bit of 2nd grade, where you might have to add some images on this student-friendly rubric.

Naomi Meredith [00:09:40]:

But honestly, you could do the same thing. You could still grade them on the same thing. It doesn't have to be this whole overcomplicated thing when it comes to creating a rubric for students, write it in a way that a student would understand. And that way, you as a teacher be like, okay. They did this, or they didn't do this. So then you don't need to create 2 different things. That is my philosophy on it, especially if you're making it standards-based anyway, why do you need to have the teacher's language? Now, maybe you have student examples on the side of, oh, here's what a 3 looks like, here's what a 2 looks like. Awesome.

Naomi Meredith [00:10:16]:

But really, it saves a lot of time. You're getting at the same idea. If it's standards-based, you'll be good to go. If you are interested to see in exactly how to create a rubric from scratch where it is a 4-point system, learning how to put the standards together, and putting together that Process First product, I invite you into the self-paced signature course of mine, STEM teacher 101, where there's a new module that is all about how to grade using a rubric. So there's a section already about self-assessment and explaining rubrics and different ways to do that and examples for you. And then the new module is actually going to walk you through how I create a rubric with that process first product and really the whole explanation of that. As a recap, here are the 3 ways that we talked about how you can grade students' STEM projects using a rubric. 1st is making sure that your lessons and the rubric itself is standards-based.

Naomi Meredith [00:11:25]:

Next, we talked about creating a rubric that combines the process of how the project is made and the final product. And 3rd, we talked about writing those rubrics in kid-friendly language. It will save you time. And also, as the teacher understands, hey, this is what is expected for this type of project. As a reminder, don't forget to jump in on my signature course, STEM Teacher 101. It is never too late to jump on in our community of teachers, and I am continuously listening to you and seeing the needs that you want for your stem space and adding in those modules. Also, the cool thing about it, I added a private podcast feature. So, if you are busy on the go like most teachers, every module has a podcast pairing.

Naomi Meredith [00:12:18]:

So when you sign up, you get that private podcast, and you can actually listen to the entire course and not feel like you have to be stuck on the computer watching my cute little face. So I invite you in there. The link will be in the show notes, and I will see you in the next.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

Check out more inspiration on her website: naomimeredith.com
Connect with her on Instagram: @naomimeredith_
Watch this episode on her YouTube Channel: Naomi Meredith
Join the Facebook Group, The Elementary STEM Coach Community | Technology & STEM for K-6 Teachers

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

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

How to Teach Students to Work in Groups for STEM Projects [ep.132]

Check out the full episode on How to Teach Students to Work in Groups for STEM Projects:

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 wanting to implement group STEM projects in your classroom but aren’t sure of the most effective approach? As educators, we understand the importance of collaboration in fostering teamwork skills. However, it's not always easy teaching students how to work in groups. In today’s episode, I’m breaking down how to teach students to work in groups for STEM projects and sharing examples of each approach.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How to teach students how to work in groups
Tips for effectively implementing these strategies to teach students how to work in groups
Examples of how I implemented these various methods for teaching students how to work in groups

Resources Mentioned:

Some items are linked to my Amazon Affiliate account. When you purchase through my link, there is no added cost to you, but I receive a small commission in return.

Episode Transcript:

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

We know as teachers that it is important for students to work in groups when they are creating collaborative projects, But it doesn't always go the way that you hoped and planned. In this episode, I'll be sharing with you ways that you can teach your students to work in groups on their STEM projects and the types of tips that I have used in my own classrooms to help students work together successfully. Before we jump into this episode, I wanted to read an awesome podcast review from 1 of you.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:08]:

This is from mamabarker0616, and they say, life saving. This podcast has given me so much Actionable tips. I cannot even begin to express how thankful I am that you put in your time and energy to help so many people. Any STEM teacher or teacher implementing STEM should listen. It is worth it. Thank you so much, mama Barker. If all of you out there haven't taken the time to write a review, I would absolutely appreciate it. If you wouldn't mind going over to Apple Podcasts, write a 5-star review.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:49]:

It would absolutely mean the world to me. It costs nothing, and it helps other teachers like you Help them find this podcast. More and more teachers these days are getting into elementary STEM, and I definitely wanna be in their back pockets like I am for you each and every week. I recently wrote an article for an upcoming publication in a STEM magazine for teachers and parents. and I was asked to give my perspective on really anything as it relates to elementary and maybe some lessons that I learned in that type of position of being a k through 5 STEM teacher. Now, I knew exactly right off the bat what I wanted to say, and one of the points that I made in the article was how collaboration is so important for students and a really big thing that we try to teach in the elementary STEM space. Once that article comes out, we will link it in the show notes. Not sure when the time frame is, but keep an eye out for that.

Naomi Meredith [00:02:59]:

Of course, especially as a STEM teacher, working in groups is so important, and continually sharing examples with students of how people work together in real life, especially in STEM roles, is extremely important so students can actually visualize why we're having them work together. One example that I like to use with Students is thinking about rockets built by NASA or really anybody who makes rockets. and I asked the kids, Do you think that 1 person built that entire rocket all by themselves? They built the rocket, they planned the rocket, they got all the pieces, they launched the rocket, they've tested it, and the kids giggle, and they say no, like, exactly. So when we are working together on projects, we need to use all of our skills and work together so that it can happen. This isn't a by yourself activity. I want you to talk and collaborate. Well, easier said than done in a lot of instances, but it doesn't mean giving up on having students collaborate in groups, we as teachers know it's important, but outside of teaching, in the books that I read in my book club membership, the STEM teacher bookshelf, 2 other business books that I listen to, Many of these books either directly or indirectly talk about ways that they collaborated with others. These people outside of the classroom are telling us how important collaboration is and how it is a vital skill that we teach our students so that they can be successful in the real world.

Naomi Meredith [00:04:55]:

Two books in particular that are on the top of my head that are related to STEM and one we read in the STEM teacher bookshelf, and one sneak peek that we will be reading, first one is Limitless Mind by Joe Bowler and the other book is Visual Thinking by Temple Grandin. That's not the whole base of their books, but they do talk specifically about why we need to have students collaborate together. Jo Boaler actually really gives some good suggestions inside of that book that you can check out. You can still join my book club at any moment. I have a reading guide that goes along with this book, and there's a whole section about collaborating with students. Okay. So we know it's important for students to work together in groups, but how do you teach them to do it? It's more than, alright, you're working in a group today, and the end. We need to be more specific in the ways that we teach students to work in groups, and we have to continually do it even if it's not working out the first time.

Naomi Meredith [00:06:03]:

Just like we tell our students, we don't want them to give up when things don't work, they need to continue working on being together in a group. and I do have some stories that I'm gonna share with you along the way. The first way that you can teach students to work in groups is to have a gradual release of how big the group sizes are. I don't recommend starting groups in groups of 4. That is a lot of kids, especially if you are starting this out at the beginning of the year, mid-year, where you haven't seen these students yet before. They don't really know each other, and there's a whole trust thing going on, and it might be an actual disaster. Likewise, if you are a specials teacher, you need to know the dynamics of their classroom coming into this space. This might be a little tricky if you don't ever leave the classroom.

Naomi Meredith [00:07:00]:

I recommend that you have an administrator or even a sub come in where you can actually observe students in their classrooms. I was lucky enough to do this because when I first had my role in k through 5 STEM, I did STEM as a specials, and then I also got to co-teach in the classrooms, and I was brand new to the school. I didn't know anybody. I didn't know the teachers. I didn't know the students. So I actually took the 1st week to see the teaching styles of the teachers in the building because I didn't know what was going on and also how students were in their classrooms. and throughout the year, I did have the opportunity to see how it grows because it is different at the beginning of the year, but that was extremely insightful for me. I had a 5th-grade class who could never collaborate together.

Naomi Meredith [00:07:52]:

They weren't allowed to be in their classroom. When I would go into that teacher's room, they actually sat in rows, and it wasn't a testing season. They sat in rows, they sat by themselves. When I would teach a lesson, I wanted them to work together, and the teacher didn't want them to work together. and it really wasn't a behavior thing where, oh, they can't be with this, they can't be with that. This teacher didn't believe in having students collaborate together. They always thought that it should be an isolated task and not group work. So that teacher is getting really stressed out when the noise level is going up a little bit because I wanted kids to work together, they didn't like that.

Naomi Meredith [00:08:33]:

Likewise, when these students came into my classroom, They really had a hard time collaborating because they didn't know how to do it. They weren't allowed to do it. and the art teacher saw the same thing, and so did the PE teacher. and I gave them that insight, this is something we're not allowed to do in their regular classroom. So we had to take a step back, and STEM and also PE, art, and music, where they had a lot of chances to work together, we had to take a step back and have them work in smaller groups. We had to figure out how to have them work together in just a simple partnership, and that was a great start. Eventually, I could get into bigger groups of 3 and 4, but we had to start small, and that's where that class was at. Sometimes, some classes might not ever get to work bigger than a partnership, and it might be a behavior issue.

Naomi Meredith [00:09:29]:

This was a teacher's philosophy. This was because they weren't allowed to do this in their classroom. I had a class when I taught 3rd grade, and I knew I was meant to be their teacher. I definitely was the right teacher for them, But having all those students in my classroom mixed up together was a horrible combination. I tried everything, classroom community, all the things. It was just oil and water every day, and the biggest groups we could ever have were partnerships. That's the best that we could do. That's literally where we were at with that classroom. So you just have to be comfortable engaging your classes to see where they're at.

Naomi Meredith [00:10:11]:

It might be smaller groups the whole year, like my 3rd-grade class, or it Might be something you start off small, and you work up to it. So keep in mind the sizes of your groups. The next way that you can teach Students to work in groups is hosting STEM stations. I am a huge fan of doing STEM stations with my younger students, kindergarten through 2nd grade. But I also did play around with STEM stations with my older students in 3rd through 5th grade, my 1st couple of years in STEM. In fact, this is something that we explored and planned for in my group coaching program, which will open back up in the summer, But this is something that we did where we actually planned out specific STEM stations that would relate to an overall theme. I really like this especially for the younger students, because working on a project for little kids doesn't take the whole week. I've tried it.

Naomi Meredith [00:11:10]:

It is like pulling teeth. It takes way too long. So, mixing in projects and STEM stations is a really great way to help them with their group work. With STEM stations, I see it as a form of parallel play. Sometimes, the task that they are working on at their station is something that they could work together. But a lot of times, they each have their own set of the same materials where they can talk together about what is happening, but they don't necessarily have to collaborate on the same task. So a lot of that parallel play where they're kinda working together, but not really. You see that a lot with toddlers.

Naomi Meredith [00:11:54]:

Now the older kids, they kinda older, meaning, like, kindergarten through 2nd grade, they learn to kinda help Each other out a bit better and they're more aware that there's other kids in their group. But this is a really great way to help them understand, okay, We are working on the same task together. We have about 4 to 5 kids in this group and we are going to get the job done. This also helps when they're cleaning up materials, making sure that they are on task, but there's not as much pressure when it comes to working in a STEM station as it is on a project where you have to really finish that. These Stem stations, the way that I do it, they have more of a flow where you get as far as you can and that's amazing. If you're interested in learning more about STEM stations, I have my on demand workshop all about primary planning. You can grab that at nami meredith.com/primaryworkshop and also one of the modules in my guided STEM teacher 101 course. There's also a whole section about STEM stations as well.

Naomi Meredith [00:13:01]:

and finally, the third way that you can teach students To work in groups is assigning roles. This really helps too if you have those smaller groups, you can actually assign roles when you are teaching them how to work in groups. and there's a couple of ways that you can do this. 1st is giving them the language of how they should talk to each other in certain situations. You can practice this as a whole class. This can be a mini lesson or it can also be something in the moment. Maybe you even have a different sentence starters that they can use when they talk together, which I do have that in my STEM teacher one zero one course where I actually give you the language that students can use with each other when they're working in groups. But having them have that language of how to speak is extremely important for all students, All of them.

Naomi Meredith [00:13:58]:

Not just students who are learning English, all students need to learn how to talk to one another. I had this situation happen the moment, you probably already do this more than you think, but I had a student in one of my LEGO after-school clubs that I host, and they were frustrated because there was a misunderstanding on the directions where the group actually was following directions. In the LEGO Education lessons, there's a little story, and I wanted kids to listen to the story, and then it connects to the LEGO build. Well, the student who was upset didn't get that part, and they knew that one of my roles is to stay on task so that they could get the work done. and that student was upset because they thought that the group wasn't staying on task when they actually were. They're doing exactly what they're supposed to do. So I went and talked to this student and finally clarified that, and then I was like, Okay. You can go back.

Naomi Meredith [00:14:55]:

Like, that's part of the challenge. and they really wanted the other group to welcome them back. and so I the other kids in the group were really, really sweet. I helped give them the language in that situation where I'm frustrated right now. Here's why. and hey, we're working on this. Do you wanna join us? Or even things like, Hey, how can I help? So a lot of times kids will shut down and if they're frustrated they don't know what to do. If there's a disagreement where this was a misunderstanding but if there's a disagreement That's okay.

Naomi Meredith [00:15:32]:

How can we problem-solve through this instead of shutting down and screaming at each other? So giving kids Specific language in certain situations, whether it's in the moment or something you guys even talk about as a mini-lesson is extremely important and also aids to that social and emotional learning. I have a whole episode that I talked With a guest, Jill Loesch, where we actually talked about SEL in the STEM classroom, we'll link that in the show notes. That's a really great one for you to keep in mind especially when you are talking about group work and how it actually just STEM projects in general does take that level creativity where it is more of a vulnerable situation. So assigning those certain roles, giving them that language and also having different roles for different tasks. It depends on the project that I'm working on, but I would say most Of my projects, I have specific jobs, especially if they're very hands on and everybody wants to do something at once, which great you want them to be involved, But you also want them to be involved in productive ways. So for different types of things like Lego kits, Lego building kits, they have different jobs. For robotics, I give them different jobs. Sometimes when we do makerspace projects, I'll give them different jobs depending on the class and what level of support that they need with group work and also when it comes to coding, I will give them different jobs.

Naomi Meredith [00:17:03]:

So this helps students realize, okay, when I have this role, I am responsible for this. and it also really, really helps kids who need that actual visual of how to work with someone. Again, in one of my Lego after-school clubs, I have a partnership of these 2 boys who take their roles very seriously, and they're extremely productive. They work Amazing together. But I have a student who needs that explicit level of support where I have a job, this is what I'm doing in the job, When we turn the page, we're going to switch jobs and they actually physically switch spots which is absolutely adorable. They don't need to do that. Maybe not the most efficient, but they are very clear on the roles that they have. and some students, they're just like, okay.

Naomi Meredith [00:17:54]:

Like, I'm gonna do this job for today. You can do it tomorrow. But there are some students, you could probably think of them right now, who need that explicit, this is my job and this is what I do and I am going to do it until we switch. You can think about switching if it's page by page, if it's like a Lego education build, Maybe when a timer goes off, you could set a timer. They have that job for that amount of time. When the timer goes off in the class, they switch or even day by day. and, again, it depends on the class and the groups, and also the project that you're working on. So inside of my STEM teacher 101 course, I actually give you different roles with visuals, a definition of what the job is, and how you can actually use it in different projects along with those sentence starters that are really helpful for kids when they are working in groups That could be something that is laid out for them or even things that you print out and hang on your wall that you can refer to.

Naomi Meredith [00:18:57]:

As a recap, here are the 3 different ways that we talked about how you can support students in your classroom When working on STEM projects and working in groups, first is starting small and building up to those larger groups. Next is trying out STEM stations, maybe with everybody, but really for those primary students. and finally, consider assigning roles. Having students work in groups is definitely a process but a very important one that we as teachers, I know can be really frustrating, especially when there's classes that it doesn't seem like that they can get along, But try out these things. It is worth it. I promise you. and for those different visuals and levels of support and considering the types of roles that you can have in those STEM groups, I invite you to join in the self-paced course by signature course, STEM teacher 101, where not only this is a lesson inside of the modules, but we also talk about systems and routines, so giving those a refresh in your classroom, different types of planning structures, and even ways that you can Have students self assess and have ways to help you with grading. Thank you so much again for being here, and I will see you in the next episode.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Episode 31: Ideas for SEL in Elementary STEM with Jill Loesch

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

Check out more inspiration on her website: naomimeredith.com
Connect with her on Instagram: @naomimeredith_
Watch this episode on her YouTube Channel: Naomi Meredith
Join the Facebook Group, The Elementary STEM Coach Community | Technology & STEM for K-6 Teachers

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

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

5 STEM Project Plan Examples for Students [ep.131]

Check out the full episode on 5 STEM Project Plan Examples for Students:

Embed YouTube video hereSubscribe to the podcast <a href="https://pod.link/1629221483">HERE</a> on your favorite podcasting platform.Have a STEM question? Leave a voice message for the podcast! <iframe loading="lazy" data-src="https://www.speakpipe.com/widget/inline/xuz5gqaq2t2aspjudg0cjtg2hax48ofm" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" data-mce-fragment="1" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" class="lazyload" data-load-mode="1">

Episode Summary

Do your students struggle with effectively planning their designs for their STEM projects? If yes, you’re not alone. This was something I saw with many of my students when I was a STEM teacher. They would create plans, but they weren’t plans that supported them in the building process. Knowing this needed to change, I pulled from my teaching experience, tested out different ways to support students with planning their projects, and came up with five effective ways to teach students how to plan effectively. In today’s episode, I’m breaking down these five STEM project plan examples for students.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

STEM project plan examples for students
The benefits of implementing each of these STEM project plan examples for students
Tips and strategies for supporting students with planning their designs

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript:

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

Having students plan their designs when they're completing STEM projects can feel like quite a chore. Sure, you might be having them draw their ideas before they start building, but is there a better way? In this episode, I'm gonna be sharing with you five ways that students can plan their designs before they get into building their STEM projects. The inspiration for this episode came about from my own observations of my students when I taught k through five STEM and in those beginning stages. Once we were getting the hang of the engineering design process for pretty much all the projects that we were completing together, I was having students plan their designs. But what I noticed with their plans is that their plans weren't very good, and their plans weren't even helping them with the building process anyway. They were just scribbling something down on their paper just to say that they created a plan, and well, that's about it.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:41]:

Does this sound familiar in your classroom? I knew that this needed to change and that the plan is actually a really important step when it comes to thinking about your design. So, I took a step back and thought about my classroom teacher days. I was a classroom teacher for 6 years Before stepping into my K through 5 STEM role, and I thought about when we were doing the writing process and how the planning stage is extremely important to pull out all of those ideas. So, of course, you have ways where you are building backgrounds, and we were doing that really well in our engineering design process projects, But the plan wasn't that great. So I tried and tested a lot of different ways to plan, and from there, we had way better plans that were actually thoughtful and helping students. And I even have a little story I'm gonna share with you in a little bit in this episode where the students actually really like to plan more than they thought. So, let's jump into these 5 ways that students can plan their designs. You don't have to do all of these with your students.

Naomi Meredith [00:02:57]:

Pick and choose what works best, But I'm going to explain what these things are and how they helped out my students' plans. The first way that students can plan their designs is to just talk through their ideas. This is the quickest way to plan, and this works really well if you're doing one-day challenges. I didn't do this method very often, But it was great when we were in a pinch, and we were going to go through the engineering design process pretty quickly in our time together. One way that I did this is that I had to co-teach with our PE teacher at the last minute because she found out that school pictures were going to be in the gym and not in our main hallway that day. So my PE teacher and all of her classes for the day Had to get moved to a new location, and I volunteered to have her and her classes come into my room so we could do a fun STEM challenge together. There were some simple building supplies for this challenge students were creating a catapult to launch into a basketball hoop. I don't currently have a lesson for this, but I do have a video on my YouTube channel where you can actually see how we built the catapult.

Naomi Meredith [00:04:17]:

But before students built their designs, their catapult, and the basketball hoop, they had to talk through their ideas. And that was it. That was their plan. We gave them a couple of minutes to talk, and then they got the materials, and then they got to build. That was all that we did. Funny enough, a few years later, I had an interesting week with 1 of my 5th-grade classes, And they were working on my Rube Goldberg Ecosystem project, which is in my TpT shop. We had a weird week where they didn't have the full 5 days in a row, and they still needed to plan their ideas, but I really wanted to get them to build. So I gave them the option that they could just talk through their ideas and then jump into the actual building.

Naomi Meredith [00:05:08]:

Well, funny enough, mind you, this is when I've had these kids for 5 years. I have had them since 1st grade. It was so interesting because I gave them the option where they just had to talk about their designs, but all of them ended up trying their designs anyway. So think about what you're doing if you're really being purposeful in the way that you are having students draw their designs. They might want to do that anyway. But they did have the option to talk through it because, again, we had a weird week. But it made me so proud as a teacher that the kids actually wanted to do a step in the engineering design process that they actually wanted to do. The next way that students can plan their STEM projects is kind of similar to the first one but a bit more hands-on, and it's that students can gather their materials and talk about it, but there is a caveat to this: you don't let them have any sticky things yet, so no glue and no tape.

Naomi Meredith [00:06:13]:

The reason for this is really great where, again, if you are pressed for time, if drawing isn't an option, you're doing a quicker challenge. And this is really great for younger learners where drawing and labeling can be so taxing on them. Think about the time of day you might have your youngest learners. Mine were in the afternoon, right after my lunchtime, I believe after their lunchtime, and they were tired. And drawing and labeling every single time we did a project wasn't going to happen. The one time I did have kindergarten in the morning, we flip-flopped their times because of a field trip. They are different children. And you know I love kindergarten so so much, but they are completely different in the morning.

Naomi Meredith [00:07:03]:

They are nice to each other. There are kids who are friends I never knew were friends because all they did was fight when they were in my class, so this method, when you are gathering the materials and having them talk about it, is another great alternative. I did this one time again, another co-teaching lesson with a kindergarten teacher they came into my classroom for a bonus STEM lesson, and we were doing a gingerbread man boat challenge. So they were doing a whole gingerbread unit in their class and reading different variations of the gingerbread man. And we talked about What if the gingerbread man was actually smart and had some building skills and could actually build a boat to get away from the fox. I had different materials laid out. Those were the things that they could choose from, and we gave them a limit of 5 items that they could take. These 5 items did not include the gingerbread man, the tape, the water, the scissors, all of that, those were not included in their count. However, they could gather 5 items with their partner that would help them with their gingerbread band design.

Naomi Meredith [00:08:19]:

Once the students grabbed their 5 items, they had a few minutes to talk about with their partners how they were going to use these items together to create their design. This is really great because while they were talking, sometimes students switched out their items because they might have grabbed something that wouldn't work. And I did add some items in there that purposely wouldn't work. I wanted to see if they could figure that out, like coffee filters, paper, and things that would get wet and eventually sink. So once students had the time to talk about the supplies with their partners, we gave them the sticky things, we gave them some tape, then we gave them scissors, and then they could build their design. The 3rd way that you can have students plan their design is probably what most of you are doing, but there is an additional step, and that is draw, label, and explain the steps in your design. Back in a guest interview that I had with Kelly Hogan, She talked about this where she actually has students write out the first few steps of how they're going to get started with their project. This is really great because this is going to help students be very purposeful with the materials that they're going to have and not be wasteful.

Naomi Meredith [00:09:39]:

She doesn't have them write out every single step of the entire project because, again, you do want students to actually get to building and not take the whole time to plan, but this is a really great way for them to be thoughtful and how everything is going to connect together. This is definitely the opposite of the Ikea building plans. If you've ever bought furniture from Ikea, When you get the plans, all of the plans are in drawings. There are no words. I've heard different theories behind this as to why there are no words, and this actually makes my teacher honey, very upset because he wishes there were words. And so we actually have a plan when we build. I find the pieces, and I tell them where to put them because I like reading the plans. But anyway, when you have students draw, label, and explain, This is again a great way for them to be thoughtful and why they are designing it the way that they are.

Naomi Meredith [00:10:38]:

The 4th way that you can have students plan their designs is adding on to the previous tip, but it's to create a shopping list. This doesn't work for every type of stem project. This one is really great when you are doing Makerspace projects, and they have tons of materials to choose from. So let's say you are not keeping the supplies limited like I did for that gingerbread project, but they have open access to all of the supplies. Having students draw and label their plans thoughtfully but also adding a shopping list does add a different element to their plans because it is a plan. I always tell the kids when I am going to make dinner, I make a plan of the ingredients that I need, and then I have to create a shopping list based on those ingredients and what I'm going to cook. So it's just like when you're building, you need to plan out what you are going to purchase. But this list isn't just a list of materials.

Naomi Meredith [00:11:44]:

It can be if you have younger students and you don't want to add in math. But for the most part, it's adding in the prices of each of the items, how much it's all going to cost, if there is any money left in their budget, and how much they are going to spend. Back in episode 6, you can hear all about how I use this Makerspace money and menu in my classroom, and there's definitely a link in the show notes where I Have it all set up for you, suggested price plans, and literally step by step by step on how I do this with my students when I get into deeper Makerspace projects. This is also really great because if you are planning a STEM lesson and you need more elements of math, all students can benefit from counting with denominations of 1, 5, tens, and twenties. I don't add the fifties and the hundreds. You can if you want to have more change, but I have seen such benefits from this type of math with numbers within 20 and also doing a bit of mental math when they are checking out with me at the cash register. So, definitely check out that episode. Grab the menu in the show notes. It's all done for you.

Naomi Meredith [00:12:58]:

It's very, very helpful, and that was a huge game changer in my classroom. Also, my supplies didn't deplete as much because students were being way, way, way, way, way more thoughtful in the supplies that they were using and how to be innovative with the stuff that they purchased. And the last way that you can have students plan their designs, and this is also building upon the last 2 steps. You can do all of these if you want. I eventually did all of these leading up to this by having a rubric on which students can base their plans. This rubric for planning isn't something that I use for grading but really more for a self-evaluation tool to help students improve their designs. When I introduce this rubric to students, I like to compare it to when inventors are creating a patent to turn in so nobody can copy their designs.

Naomi Meredith [00:13:58]:

And in fact, if you're watching the video version, I am holding up an example. I found on one trip to Chicago, I was walking through the Chicago Cargo midway, and there was a little wooden shop that had all of these laser-cut items, and something caught my eye. I'm like, oh my gosh, I know what that Is it is the patent image of the Lego brick, and it is so cool. You can Google this, but mine's way cooler because it's etched into wood, and I had it hanging up by my 3D printers. But it's so cool and a great visual for kids to see because it's literally showing every single layer and every single element of the Lego brick. But if you look closer, there are a lot of numbers, there are arrows, There are little headings that say figure 1, figure 2, and I tell kids about this when I introduce this rubric that when inventors are turning in a patent, it's not just the drawings but they explain Every single thing about their invention so that nobody can copy anything from their design. And so all of those little numbers and arrows are referencing a huge document that is talking about each of those pieces. The students really like this example of a patent.

Naomi Meredith [00:15:24]:

It's a great way to get that little vocabulary and history lesson in there. Then, I present to them the rubric that I have for their plans. There are 4 different categories as to how their plans should be, and I talk about each level where they should be at for that grade level based on what's typical for that grade. And this has really been a game changer when it comes to their actual plans. This rubric also has examples of a sample project because students who are rushing through their plans just to start building have really slowed down to make their plans even better. Also, for me, as a teacher, this helps me help them as to what they can do to help with their plans. I literally have a reference on the screen that I can point to and tell them, hey, you need to add this to your plan. You didn't do it. And then the students believe me because it's like The law, as soon as I hang it up, it's like that is the rules, and that's what's gonna happen, and so they will go back and modify their designs.

Naomi Meredith [00:16:37]:

This rubric and how I teach it, the template, and what this rubric actually looks like is a new update in my STEM teacher 101 course. So there is a whole module that I'm updating with innovative practices, and this is one of those ways if you are looking to Level up your plans and your student projects. I break this all down for you, and I also include a sample video of me teaching How I would actually teach this lesson to my students. So you can hear that language of how you can introduce it to your kids, or you can even just play that part of the video of me teaching it, and then you can just add in your own 2¢ while I am talking. This course will be linked in the show notes, and there's also a podcast version where you can listen to the audio on the go. And if you have this course, make sure to log in and check out this new update because this template is not even in my tpt shop and definitely something that will save you time and also level up your plans. As a recap, here are the 5 ways that you can have students Plan for their STEM projects. 1st, students can talk through their ideas.

Naomi Meredith [00:17:51]:

Next is gathering materials and then talking about it, but don't let them have the sticky stuff yet. Third, students can draw, label, and then explain each step or just part of the steps on how they're going to build. Fourth, students can make a shopping list, and this can build off of that drawing and labeling. Fifth, you can build off the drawing and labeling and then build off that shopping list. Students can plan using a rubric. I hope with all these ideas of ways to plan will make this stage in the engineering design process way less stressful and also help students create meaning as to why this stage is important. Also, I invite you to join my STEM Teacher 101 course, where not only is this rubric lesson about planning going to be added to that module, but this is also a great course to help you build up your systems in your classroom or rethink the ones that you might be having, adding in those routines that are going to make a smooth flow of your classroom, and also find ways that you can plan different types of stem lessons. The entire course is available in a private podcast so you can actually listen to the whole thing on the go.

Naomi Meredith [00:19:12]:

You don't have to sit in front of a computer if you don't want to. And there are tons of templates and resources to help you be successful. You can grab that link in the show notes or find it at Naomimeredith.com/stemteacher101.

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More About your host, Naomi Meredith

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

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How to Teach Simple Building Ideas for STEM Projects for Elementary Students [ep.130]

Check out the full episode on How to Teach Simple Building Ideas for STEM Projects for Elementary Students:

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Episode Summary

Have you been wondering about the best way to teach simple building ideas for STEM projects for elementary students in your STEM classroom? Well, I received this question from a listener, and I’m excited to answer it in today’s episode. I also share some tips and strategies for teaching students how to build.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

3 ways to teach simple building ideas for STEM projects for elementary students
The stages of the Engineering Design Process in which I teach building techniques
Tips and strategies for effectively planning and implementing STEM projects

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript:

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

When teaching STEM to our elementary students, we always want to encourage that creativity and even celebrate that all of their projects look different. That is an amazing thing. You don't want everything to look the same. It's okay if they see the solution to the problem all differently, but at the same time, we still want to teach our students strategies and ways to build different things so that it can push their creativity along and even make their designs even better. How do you balance both when you are teaching STEM projects? In this episode, I'll be sharing with you three ways to teach simple, building ideas for your elementary STEM projects to not only keep that creativity that they are showing in their designs but also ways that they can improve their projects.

Listener Question [00:01:17]:

Hey, Naomi, thank you for your podcast, and congratulations on your wedding. I am new to teaching STEM this year, and a question that I have is, do you go over building principles with such as if you're doing a bridge, do you touch on different types of bridges in a minilesson and then let them go? Or do you wait on that until you're in the improve stage of the engineering design process? Also, for maker space stuff like working with cardboard, do you teach the kids different ways to work with cardboard and do different sorts of attachments, or do you let them figure out those things on their own? Just trying to plan my lessons and see what would work best for an experienced STEM teacher. Thank you!

Naomi Meredith [00:02:53]:

This is such an excellent question, and thank you so much for submitting this. If you want to submit a voice question like this, you can do this at naomimeredith.com/voice, and it's also in the show notes and in every podcast episode. You can find this link because I love hearing your questions. Not only this audio message did I receive with this question, but a lot of you have asked this to me over on Instagram as well at Naomi Meredith underscore, and it is a little bit of a tricky one. How do you balance the actual teaching of the project and also those building strategies, and when do you do it? The first few years when I started teaching K through Five STEM, I had taught for six years prior to this as a classroom teacher, and when I stepped into this K through Five STEM role, I was given a brand new classroom with limited supplies and zero curriculum. On the flip side, I also didn't know my students, and they didn't really have a stun class before. And let's be real, their projects weren't really good when we first got started. Yes, it was my teaching, but also, they weren't used to doing hands-on projects before, and they weren't that great. They didn't look very good. And so it really developed over the years. Of course, again, with my teaching, but also, this is a skill that students have to learn.

Naomi Meredith [00:04:12]:

They have to learn how to be creative and let that shine. And it's okay to make mistakes and also learn those building techniques. And this isn't to say that I had kids do everybody do the same project, everything's going to look the same. I don't believe in that in STEM projects unless it's a Lego build, that's completely different. But for the most part, everybody's projects are going to look different. And that is scary for kids where there's not exactly one right answer. But at the same time, you still want to teach them those techniques that are going to make their designs even better. What you are doing with your students when you're teaching STEM, whether you are a STEM teacher, a specialist, or even a classroom teacher who's implementing STEM, what you are doing is so important.

Naomi Meredith [00:05:06]:

Keep on doing what you are doing. This is so important for kids, and it's really going to shine. And they love these types of projects. Also, think about it too if you are teaching STEM as a special subject, you're not seeing kids as often as a classroom teacher. They are going to see growth a lot faster than you are. If you really think about it too, even go down to counting out the number of days that you see students and the amount of time you are spending on projects, it is way less than a classroom teacher, more often than not. And so that growth in their actual projects and what things are going to look like is going to take some time. The types of projects my students were creating my first couple of years weren't as detailed, and they were more simple because that's where my students were at.

Naomi Meredith [00:06:00]:

But by the time we got into the fourth and fifth years, their projects were more complex. They had more tools in their belt per se, no pun intended, but they had more skills, and they had a lot more background, experience, and knowledge with these types of projects. So, in turn, their projects got a lot better. This is going to take some time with your students. It can even take years. Don't forget to teach these things. So say, oh, they'll get it later. Every single year is extremely important.

Naomi Meredith [00:06:31]:

But don't put a lot of pressure on yourself if it doesn't work out exactly as planned because it is going to come. And so these strategies I'm going to teach you when it comes to actually teaching those skills when it comes to building your projects. Keep doing these things. But again, the students are going to get better and better and better, and it also depends on the project and even the experiences that they might have outside of your classroom. Now, two out of the three tips that I'm going to be sharing with you two of them go along with when you teach certain parts of the engineering design process. Now, if you want more background on exactly what the engineering design process is and more examples on how to teach it, I encourage you to go back to Episode 15, where I have a series all about the engineering design process. So, I break down every single step of the process to help you better understand what that is and what it can look like in your classroom. But for this episode, we're going to talk about a couple of different stages of when I teach those building techniques that can help out students' designs.

Naomi Meredith [00:07:41]:

The first time I will teach students different building techniques is during the beginning of the project, the Imagine stage. So, in the engineering design process, you have the ask, what is the problem they're trying to solve? And then the Imagine, where you're gathering as many ideas as possible before you start planning. This is when we first talk about different building techniques and getting as much information as possible. For all of my projects in my K through five STEM year-long plan bundle of lessons, I pre-research everything. And there are a couple of reasons why I do this for STEM in a specific STEM class, there's not a whole lot of time when it comes to an open-ended Google search, and that is a whole skill in itself. Now, if you are a technology and STEM teacher or you teach both subjects, definitely zone in on those research skills. They're very important if you're a classroom teacher, zone in on those research skills. I definitely did that, especially when I taught third grade.

Naomi Meredith [00:08:49]:

We focused a lot on how to research, but at the same time, I also gave them pre-researched resources because the goal is for them to have them gather information from these sources and if it's credible or not and all those things. So I really try to save time, and I pre-research everything so I know the resources that they are going to be looking at are going to give them the right types of ideas. So it's open-ended in a sense where they have some choice as to which resources they can use. But it's very focused also with that. If you are pre-researching, you might often come across times when you have this very high-level topic, but then there aren't any resources available for your grade level. One project that comes to mind is when I was designing a strap motion animation lesson that is in the bundle for pollination, and I was finding really great resources about different types of pollinators, but it wasn't really answering the question I wanted them to solve for this project. So what I did is I pre-researched using many different resources, and then I ended up writing my own articles. So that is also a time when you are getting that background information as a teacher so you can share that with your students.

Naomi Meredith [00:10:18]:

So, pre-research and have those resources in that Imagine stage. So again, maybe it's articles, maybe it is resources that will really help answer that ask. It can also be videos that teach the science behind it that can be really helpful as well. Maybe they are showing why things are happening or even why things are built a certain way. And that could even be like if you're doing something with birdhouses, like a birdhouse unit that I have for second grade, they create a birdhouse to help birds in the area. Well, we watched a video as to how birds build their nest and, using those ideas as to why they build a nest the way that they do, that helps students design a birdhouse that birds would actually like based on the nest that they make in nature. So, making those types of connections can really help when it comes to their building design. Also too, in this Imagine stage, this is a great opportunity for you to share pictures of real life examples.

Naomi Meredith [00:11:27]:

Again, I like to pull things that are related to the topic, not usually doing an open-ended Google search because we know the filters aren't perfect and they might find some inappropriate things like, well, I'm not going to mention what I've actually seen students look up, but you know what I'm talking about. So having those real life pictures is really helpful. And if you have done the project before, having physical models of what students have built in the past is really helpful. Or I go ahead and take pictures of my students' examples, and those are already there for you. So if you're teaching any of my lessons in that K through five semi-long plan, you actually have student examples to help give a basis as well. When you are adding in those real life examples or those student examples, it isn't really meant for kids to copy exactly what they see. But more so inspiration as a starting point, I will say when students aren't used to doing hands-on or creative projects and they have examples like this, more often than not, they might copy exactly what they see because really think about it, they're a little bit unsure how their own creative idea is going to work. So, they might feel more comfortable copying the idea up on the screen, which is fine.

Naomi Meredith [00:12:55]:

That is a great point. They are trying their best, and they're going to keep growing from there. So just give them some grace if that is happening. I don't say, oh, here, we're going to make this exactly like the picture. I usually say things like, oh, this is how another student thought of this project. Maybe there's something in this project that you really like. So, having those examples is really helpful. Now, I taught six classes a day, so K through five.

Naomi Meredith [00:13:25]:

I didn't keep every single physical example. That's why taking pictures and videos, you as a teacher, are really important. And even having students take their own pictures and videos are really important as well. That's why I loved using Seesaw in my classroom because we could have a whole bank of different resources, and I would often go through and even download the pictures that were really great in their accounts and then save them for later. Another way to give students some ideas during this Imagine stage, especially when it comes to a maker space or hands-on type of project, is having different examples of the type of thing you want them to build and having a T chart so two columns and have one column be try and not try. I did this with my build a shelter unit. Actually, most of the lessons in STEM survival camp, we did this where we saw examples of the thing that they were going to build, and then they would sketch or draw ideas of things they wanted to try in their design, and then things that they didn't want to try in their design. And this is also a great time to share some non-examples.

Naomi Meredith [00:14:37]:

Not everything in the videos is going to be perfect or even feasible for the materials that you were going to give them. So this is a really cool way to help students really think about how they're going to build their design by seeing something else in action and what they could actually try. And things that for sure they definitely couldn't do. Like with the Build a Shelter challenge, some of the shelters actually did not have doors on them in the videos that I gave them. And so some of them said, I actually want to add a door because for the purpose of our challenge, the videos weren't really showing examples that exactly matched what we were trying to solve. Likewise, our Hiking Backpack challenge it showed backpacks having zippers, and some students actually really wanted to try a zipper. But I did tell them, hey, adding in a zipper is a whole other skill when it comes to sewing because they are sewing a backpack prototype. So that is something for this challenge we won't be able to explore.

Naomi Meredith [00:15:44]:

So that is when students actually added that option to the not try because adding in a zipper would be great, but we just didn't have the time actually to add that type of item. The next place in your teaching where you can teach students simple building techniques is during the Create stage. Just because students have gotten all these ideas from the Imagine stage. They made a plan they're ready to create. It doesn't mean they know how to build everything. Again, this isn't a time where you teach students step by step by step. This is how you are going to build. This is a great way to show them strategies on how to build different things.

Naomi Meredith [00:16:29]:

If I am doing a maker space project and they actually have an open-ended selection of all the Makerspace supplies within reason, using our maker Space menu and money, which you can definitely check out in the show notes. I also have a podcast episode where I talk all about that and have the menu all set up, especially if there are things that are open-ended, and I'm showing them all of the supplies before they go start shopping for everything. This is a time when I might show them, oh, this would be a good tool for this. Or if you don't have enough money for this, you can use this instead. And it kind of does the same thing. So even giving them some suggestions on how materials can be used is really helpful. A lesson that I actually don't have in my year-long plan. But it was something that I did when I was co-teaching with first grade.

Naomi Meredith [00:17:24]:

We were talking about insects, and then they were designing an insect using all of the things that insects have. And I gave them some ideas of how materials can be used. For example, for the antennas on the top of their heads, I showed them that they could use a bendy straw as an antenna. So I had like on the poster antennas, and I gave some options on there. I also put some Qtips on the antenna side. For wings, we had tissue paper. So, I showed on that poster how tissue paper can be crunched up. So again, I wasn't showing them, oh, here's every step on how to make your insect, and all of your projects are going to look the same.

Naomi Meredith [00:18:07]:

Yay for you. You did it. It was just more of those strategies of ways that they could add this to their design. I also did this with my rock and roller coaster unit for fifth grade which is in the year-long plan. And they were building a roller coaster that a marble can roll through. And a lot of them wanted to use either tubes or straws to be the base to hold up their roller coaster. And they were having a hard time having the tube stay flat on their platform. They were building it on a cardboard platform so that their roller coaster could be moved at the end of class.

Naomi Meredith [00:18:47]:

So I noticed this while they were building. So they didn't have a problem of shopping for supplies. They knew what they needed. They were in fifth grade, but that strategy was really tricky for them, and they were actually wasting a lot of tape because every time they taped their pole to the cardboard, it kept falling over. It wasn't sticking to the base of their roller coaster, and it wasn't sticking to the platform. And so this was an opportunity where I actually paused the class during creating. We already had the minilesson or whatever, but I showed them, hey, there's a strategy I want to teach you. I've been noticing this issue.

Naomi Meredith [00:19:24]:

This is something that can actually help improve your tubes holding up things. And it's called a phalange. I'm not kidding you. It's called that. Look it up. I actually have a video on my YouTube channel. It's called a phalange. So what you do with the tube is you cut slits a little ways down on the tube, and when you fold them back, then it will actually make the tube stand up flat because you tape down the little flaps.

Naomi Meredith [00:19:52]:

So just a simple technique. I didn't teach them this right off the bat because you kind of want to see if they can figure it out. But I noticed no one was figuring this out yet. And so, just that quick teaching while they were building took me a couple of minutes. It drastically improved their designs, and they were able to keep their roller coasters steady. Now, some concepts during this Create stage, I will specifically show them how to do it. This doesn't happen very often, but if I know ahead of time, this is something they probably do not know how to do. And this is going to be a troublesome point, different than the roller coasters.

Naomi Meredith [00:20:37]:

They're actually doing fine. They just needed one little tip. But I'm talking more about something that is definitely going to hinder their design. And everybody's going to be asking you, how do I do this? How do I do this? You kind of want to problem solve and think, what is something they specifically need to know? And I will teach them that right before they start building. So maybe not so much during the plan. Some kids might even ask, oh, how will I do this? And I'm going to say, hey, we're going to talk about this tomorrow. When we get to the create stage, I'm going to show you specifically how to do this step. Put it in your plan, and I'm going to show you exactly how to do that.

Naomi Meredith [00:21:13]:

So, a big example of this is when we were doing STEM race cars in fourth grade, part of our STEM amusement park. And what we wanted for our race cars was that the wheels could actually turn, and they were making a race car out of maker space supplies. So when you think of if you're listening to this, you're like, oh yeah, how would you make the wheels actually turn? So, I pre-made a video, and this is in the lesson. Or you can pre-teach them, but I made a video where I specifically showed them how to add a piece to their car that will hold the axle that will actually allow the wheels to turn. I showed everybody in the class before they even started building because I knew this would be a troublesome point, and everybody had to have this in their car. Everybody needed wheels because they needed their car to roll. So that's a time when, okay, this is when I'm going to teach you all of this. Another thing that I've done this for is when we were testing flood inventions for third grade.

Naomi Meredith [00:22:20]:

So, in my Earth's engineer unit, students were going to be adding different measurements of water to test their design. So a little bit different. They already had built their designs, but I specifically had to show the class beforehand how to measure with a measuring cup because they hadn't done that before third-grade standards, but they were very excited to pour their own water. But I did have to show them specifically as a whole class, hey, this is how we get water, this is how we measure it, and then this is also how we keep track of it. So really think through your lesson. Not everything is going to have something very specific like this, but if you know it's going to be a troublesome point for all of your class, that's a great time to stop the class mid-teaching or just start it off. This is how you do this. And then they still have all those creative pieces.

Naomi Meredith [00:23:19]:

The last way to teach those simple building techniques in your STEM lessons is by having STEM stations. I highly recommend having a balance of STEM projects and STEM stations for your primary students. And I teach all about that in my STEM K through 2 planning workshops where you can go through the workshop on your own in 2 hours and learn how to do your own STEM stations and even have a unit plan for you. But having STEM stations where aside from the projects, this is a great time for your younger learners to experiment with materials they might not have tried before. Not all of my STEM stations are building stations, but again, it helps them see, oh, this is how some materials can balance on top of each other. This is a way that different materials can connect together. So give those time for your younger students to explore when they get to their maker space projects. Within that same school year or even years down the road, they have more experiences where they have been creative with different things, and they can make those connections with the materials they used at their STEM stations and also with their building projects.

Naomi Meredith [00:24:38]:

Also, with these STEM stations, it's a great opportunity for students to work in small groups and talk about the things that they are doing and problem-solving together. This is a low-stress way where they're using reusable materials. They are figuring out this is how this material works. Oh, you built it like this. I'm going to try it like this, where they can talk about how these materials are being used. Likewise, as a teacher, when you are introducing these STEM stations, you can give them some ideas on how to use the materials. And again, this exposure is going to be helpful with those longer-term projects. As a recap, here are your three tips for teaching those simple building ideas for your STEM projects.

Naomi Meredith [00:25:30]:

First, we talked about introducing these building ideas during that Imagine stage. Next, we talked about ways where you can add this into the Create stage. And finally, we talked about ways students can explore materials in those younger years by using STEM stations. Again, teaching these building skills is definitely going to take some time. It won't always be perfect. And for you as the teacher, you are going to be learning new strategies and things along the way. Just like listening to this podcast, you might have heard some tips or tricks that you hadn't thought before, and you can go back to teaching your students, which is exactly why you are here. But also for your students.

Naomi Meredith [00:26:15]:

They are going to be learning some tips and tricks from each other and from you, and their projects are definitely going to get better along the way. If you are looking for further support for your STEM lessons, as the elementary STEM coach I am, I have been behind the scenes working on updating all of the lessons in my K through Five STEM year-long plan with me actually teaching the lessons. This has been a highly requested feature, and I've heard you, and I am working on it. It's definitely taking me some time, but I feel like it's so helpful for you to hear me talk through all of the slides that are included in the engineering design process of that project and why certain things are laid out the way they are. But I also am teaching the lessons where you can actually hear the language of how I would teach these things to my students, including these building techniques. Now, at the time of this recording, not everything is updated yet. It's going to take me some time. So, definitely jump in on any of those lessons in that bundle.

Naomi Meredith [00:27:25]:

Now, whether you do the full K through five STEM year three through five fifth grade only, grab those now because as I am updating those new things and also new slides, the price definitely does go up. But I really feel like it's so important for you to have the support where not all STEM resources have this extra teaching component. So, thank you so much for requesting this. I hear you. I am working on it and definitely feel like there's a lot of value in this component in these lessons. I'm so passionate about creating for your students as I was about creating them for mine. Thank you so much again for being here and for sending me your request, your questions, and all those things. I hear you.

Naomi Meredith [00:28:11]:

I appreciate all of you so much, and I'll see you in the next episode.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

Check out more inspiration on her website: naomimeredith.com
Connect with her on Instagram: @naomimeredith_
Watch this episode on her YouTube Channel: Naomi Meredith
Join the Facebook Group, The Elementary STEM Coach Community | Technology & STEM for K-6 Teachers

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

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

7 Spooky STEM Activities to Try [ep.129]

Check out the full episode on 7 Spooky STEM Activities to Try:

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

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

Episode Summary

Are you looking for fun ways to celebrate Halloween in your STEM classroom without any chaos or your students bouncing off the wall? In today’s episode, I’m sharing seven spooky STEM activities that your students will love. Whether you’re looking for fun activities for a Halloween party or to incorporate some fall-themed activities into your lessons, these spooky STEM activities are perfect for your STEM classroom.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

7 spooky STEM activities
An overview of the materials needed for each spooky STEM activity
Tips and strategies for implementing each activity

Resources Mentioned:

(Witch's Hand) Human Hand: STEM Snack Pack
Monster Mouth
Robot Coding: Jack-o-Lantern & Skeletal System
Exploding Jack-o-Lanterns
Flying Ghosts
Kid-Safe Slime
Magic Potion Bulletin Board/Halloween Bulletin Board
Halloween Bundle: Grab it now before all of the activities are added and the price goes up!

Episode Transcript:

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

Looking to add an element of spookiness to your STEM lessons? Well, I have the perfect amount of ideas for you. Whether you are looking for something to do with your whole class or a lot of different STEM stations. These 7 ideas are definitely going to add in that spooky factor. When I first started teaching, I taught 2nd grade for 2 years and 3rd grade for 4 years. Once I got my feet underway after teaching 2nd grade, I moved on to 3rd grade in a new school, new district, and I had parents plan and host my classroom parties. Well, after that year, that was something I told myself, never again is that ever happening. They were absolutely out of control. The kids ate way too much food, and who was left to deal with them all day? Me.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:04]:

And it was absolute chaos. So I said from that day on, any party or event, I will get this covered. I know that I can plan this perfectly fine all by myself, and the kids will be calm. And let me tell you, it definitely works and why I would do the controlled chaos, but the kids were definitely productive during my parties and had a great time, and didn't eat too much sugar. This really went on in my K through 5 STEM role where really it's like throwing a birthday party all day at least 6 different times. So whether you're hoping to add an element of STEM into a Halloween or spooky fall party, these ideas would be perfect for that, but also a great addition to your Halloween STEM bundle, which you can grab in my TPT shop Naomi Meredith, and if they're not in there yet at the time of this recording, definitely grabbed the bundle now while it's at its cheapest because whenever I add anything new, the price goes up and you always get those updates for free if you already have the bundle, so jump in on that as soon as possible. If you're looking for the link, that will be linked for you in the show notes. The 1st spooky STEM activity is a witch's hand.

Naomi Meredith [00:02:28]:

Don't worry, it's something that you will make on your own, and using cardstock, straws, plastic or paper, whatever you have, and yarn, students will actually create a hand that will open and close, and you can even have it try to pick up different things like candy corn. This activity does take some time and patience. So, if you are going to do this with younger students if you have older helpers or buddies helping out. That is a great option because it does take some time really tracing the hand, adding in those spooky elements, and then cutting the straws and placing them where the joints would be so that the hand can open and close efficiently. But once you get it, it's actually really, really cool, and it does help students understand how hands basically work with your muscles and with the joints. So pretty cool to see that inside view of a hand by adding in that spooky element. The 2nd spooky STEM activity is creating monster mouths. I tried this for the 1st time a few years ago when I hosted a Lego after-school club, and this is actually probably when I was first getting started with clubs.

Naomi Meredith [00:03:50]:

This is one of my clubs. If you wanna hear more about my clubs, I do have an episode about the 8 different types of STEM after-school clubs that you can host. So check that out. That'll be linked in the show notes. But this was really fun in our Lego 101 club where we just did some fun building challenges, and I just made this one up where students had those little Halloween monster teeth, googly eyes, and Lego bricks, and they had to design a monster that could hold the little mouth in place without being taped in, and then they put the googly eyes 2 or more or what however many googly eyes they wanted to create this cute little monster. They didn't turn out very scary. They were absolutely adorable, and even one of my students figured out how to make their monster mouth open and close, which was so cute. So you can go through the whole engineering design process with this, or if you just want to do the building challenge, that is an option as well.

Naomi Meredith [00:04:54]:

The 3rd spooky STEM activity is exploding jack-o'-lanterns. If you listened to my last episode, I shared with you all different kinds of pumpkin STEM activities. So, if you haven't checked that out, go back and listen. That'll give you some more ideas if you're looking for things that are more around pumpkins. This one is fun. You don't have to use real pumpkins unless you really want to, but instead, you can grab some orange cups, orange plastic cups, baking soda, vinegar, and even a little bit of food coloring or glitter if you would like as well. And you are going to have students create like that volcano experiment but using the cups to represent a jack-o'-lantern. So before they add in all of those elements, they can actually draw on a face, or maybe you have some stickers that they could use.

Naomi Meredith [00:05:50]:

You could even find those stickers that you see that kids decorate pumpkins, and they can decorate their cup to be their jack-o'-lantern. And then adding in those mixtures and solutions. They can have their jack-o'lantern explode. But before throwing it away, You could actually even put a glow stick in there, and this could be decoration throughout the day, and students could come and pick up their jack o'-lantern before they go home. So just a fun activity where you can talk about the states of matter but also add in that jack-o'-lantern theme. The 4th spooky STEM activity is flying ghosts. To help students understand the third law of motion by Sir Isaac Newton. With every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction.

Naomi Meredith [00:06:39]:

So, thinking about how rockets explode, that there is all that pressure building up that when it explodes, the rocket is blasting off in the air, and then so are the flames going back out of it. So that opposite and equal reaction. So same kind of idea, students will have white balloons, and they will design their ghost face, and then they will create their rocket that the ghost will travel on to fly throughout their zip line. So this can be pretty fun, too. Students can actually design the track and how that will go and how that actually makes a difference in how fast or how far the ghost can travel, and then they can definitely experiment with the different sizes of the balloons and all of that. This can definitely keep your kids engaged with a lot of different variables, and they could even think about having a ghost race. The 5th spooky STEM activity is having jack o'lantern and skeletal system robot coding. These are 2 different activities that have similar vibes.

Naomi Meredith [00:07:45]:

So you'll have 2 different sets of cards. So don't mix them up it kind of actually won't make sense. But for the jack-o'-lantern coding on your cards, you'll have different faces that go along with different complete jack-o'-lantern faces. So, for example, 1 jack o'-lantern might have a certain pattern of eyes, nose, and mouth, and then all of the pieces on the cards are separated and mixed up. So you probably have about 5 or so complete jack-o'-lanterns, and students have to take turns coding their robot to collect the pieces to complete the jack-o'lanterns first. You could do this in a lot of variations, maybe all of the cards are facing up, and they can see the cards. You can make it a lot harder and make it a memory game and then add in that element of coding. So this would be really fun and a lot of problem solving to finishing these jack o'lantern puzzles.

Naomi Meredith [00:08:40]:

The other robot coding game that you can do is all about the skeletal system, and this can help students understand the different major parts that are in the skeletal system. Likewise, they can collect all of the pieces that are on the card to finish up the skeletal system. I recently taught a STEM field trip here at one of our local facilities. And it was all about STEM and health and wellness and the human body, and it was 5th graders, and they hadn't yet had their human body lessons, which I know that they would do eventually, that's just something that they do in science out here in Colorado, but there are all these pictures of the different body systems and the kids were like, ew, that's so gross. I'm like, you guys haven't had your human body lessons yet, have you? And they're no. I'm like, yeah. It is a little bit gross, So just be aware of your audience and also the images that you're using because this legit is probably the most spookiest of them all that I am talking about. The 6th spooky STEM activity that you can try is kid-safe slime.

Naomi Meredith [00:09:50]:

Now, I know parents don't love slime, and so this is a great opportunity to do this at school, and parents will be so grateful for that because they really don't wanna do this at home. And really, don't send it home with the kids. It's better off if they put it in the trash based on experience. But I have 3 different slime recipes that I actually broke down and rewrote them into smaller proportions. Because if you're teaching a lot of kids throughout the day, you will run out of supplies really, really fast. So, using those smaller proportions, they can try different slime experiments and compare and contrast the different types of slime, and one of those uses glue. I tried this specific recipe using glue and switching out the glue for glow in the dark glow. I was hosting a STEM after-school experience.

Naomi Meredith [00:10:45]:

It was a prize for something with our fun run. And I decided to do a STEM glow party, which I am gonna do a whole episode about it, I haven't forgotten about this. I have it saved for in the future. But one of the stations was creating glow-in-the-dark slime, and it actually worked. It was super, super cool. We did have black lights going, so it did amp up the glow feature, but I'm pretty sure if you leave the glow-in-the-dark glue in sunlight, it will glow in a dark room. The black lights just really amped it up and made it look a lot cooler. And the final spooky STEM activity that kind of as activity, but not really more of decoration, is having a magic potion bulletin board. Now, when you are thinking about STEM and really the whole purpose of teaching STEM, what is the whole purpose? Is it all of these fun and amazing hands-on activities? Yes, that's part of it.

Naomi Meredith [00:11:44]:

But a lot of the reasons why that we teach them and why it's important is all of the soft skills that you are teaching students, collaboration, perseverance, grit, creativity. Those are the true magic potions of STEM. So, just using my bulletin board kit where you just print, cut, and hang. It has all of those magic potions where you can decorate your space, your bulletin board or your door, whatever, your windows to get in the mood of spooky season. When I print these out, cut them out, and try it, I usually print out 2 sets. And I gave a whole set to one of my STEM teacher friends, and she was like, oh my gosh. This is amazing. This takes me hardly any time to hang up, and it looks really, really cute. So definitely a fun way that you can decorate for this season where it's STEM themed, but then you can also laminate and keep them for year after year.

Naomi Meredith [00:12:42]:

As a recap, here are those 7 spooky STEM activities that you can try in your classroom. 1st is the witch's hands. Next is the monster mouse. 3rd are the exploding jack-o'-lanterns. 4th are the flying ghosts. 5th, the robot coding stations with jack o'-lanterns and the skeletal system. 6th, kids safe slime but make it glow in the dark, and 7, the magic potion bulletin board. I hope that all of these activities get you in the mood for spooky season.

Naomi Meredith [00:13:21]:

And if you don't feel like putting them all together yourself, I've done all of that work for you. You can check it out in my Halloween STEM bundle at my tpt shop, Naomi Meredith, just to save you some time, and so you can just focus on your Halloween costume. Hint, hint, I am, and make sure to go and check it out on my Instagram page. Thank you so much for being here, and have a happy spooky season.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

Check out more inspiration on her website: naomimeredith.com
Connect with her on Instagram: @naomimeredith_
Watch this episode on her YouTube Channel: Naomi Meredith
Join the Facebook Group, The Elementary STEM Coach Community | Technology & STEM for K-6 Teachers

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

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

5 Pumpkin STEM Challenges to Try [ep.128]

Check out the full episode on 5 Pumpkin STEM Challenges to Try:

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

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

Episode Summary

With fall upon us, that means it’s time to start planning fall-themed activities for your STEM classroom. In today’s episode, I’m sharing 5 pumpkin STEM challenges for you to implement in your classroom. These STEM challenges were such a hit with my students, so I know your students will enjoy them, too.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

5 pumpkin STEM challenges
Tips and strategies for implementing each pumpkin STEM challenge
How each activity connects to the standards

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript:

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

Fall is here, and it's all things pumpkin over at my house. Take this theme into your classroom with these 5 STEM pumpkin-themed activities. I am getting in the mood for fall in this episode, and I am wearing the only orange shirt that I have in my closet, and it is a jack-o'-lantern shirt. So, if you're watching the video version of this podcast, you can check out the shirt that I found at Target 1 year ago.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:00]:

And you guys know I love a good theme and that it really involves teaching my whole k through 5 STEM year-long plan where every month has its own theme and tool that it's working on. But there are also times when I have liked to add in those themed seasonal activities, and the kids like it, too. So, it's fun to mix these things into your lesson plans. And also they can also make great backup sub plans if you can't seem to find out where to fit it in. So I saw over on Instagram the other day. It was a funny video. This guy was making something called a boo basket, where it's a basket of things for your wife that have to do with fall. And you said, dudes, if you're making this fall basket for your wife or your girlfriend, whoever, you have to figure out if she is a fall girly or a Halloween girly.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:58]:

There is a difference between the two, and you might even be laughing out loud because I did. And I'm, Oh, I'm a fall girly because I feel like with fall decorations. These are things that you can keep up from September through November. And you just add in those little pops September through November, and you just add in those little pops of Halloween when you want. I have a few little pops of Halloween and Dia de los Muertos because my teacher honey is a Spanish teacher, so he likes those little things as well. I do have these skeletons that are taking a selfie, which is super cute. And I do have some other skeleton pieces and all that. But I really go for the fall vibes in terms of what I have going on in my decor.

Naomi Meredith [00:02:44]:

The same is true for these STEM activities, these pumpkin activities, you can do these from September through November, and it will work at any time during those months, and it won't exclude anybody or isolate anything when it comes to specific holidays, and pop them in when you need a little bit of refresh in your classroom. So let's get into these fun 5 pumpkin-themed stem activities. Most of the lessons that I am going to be talking about I have them all bundled up together in a pumpkin-themed bundle. So you can check that out in my tpt shop, Naomi Meredith, or check it out in the show notes. Some of the things I don't have an official lesson plan for, so I'll mention that along the way, and just maybe there will be something one day. You never know. Sometimes, I just like to create ideas and think of them, and then you guys can just run with it. The first activity is pumpkin life cycle coding.

Naomi Meredith [00:03:41]:

All you need for this is the robots that your students will code with for their grade level and the pumpkin life cycle cards. This is a great way to really learn any type of life cycle. And there are a few variations that they could play with this. I recommend when you are using robots, have a grid where each of the grid spaces is measured so that the robot can travel to each space within one forward movement. So you do have to do some playing around with this to figure out the grid if you don't wanna purchase 1. I do have, separate from the pumpkin bundle, for most popular robots that you use in your classroom, some editable squares that are already perfectly measured, and they can cut those out and everything. But have a mat for your robots, and then you have the cards that go along with the life cycle of a pumpkin, and students can code their robot to go in order of those things. You can add in other fun variations, like a matching game or a memory game.

Naomi Meredith [00:04:44]:

You can add in dice where they have the code to a specific part. So there are lots of different variations. I have that included in that lesson plan ready to go. But another way to think about that s, science, and stem and add in that element of coding. The second activity is pumpkin digital activities. And I have 2 different variations because if you're teaching all the grades, you need a lot of different things to make sure you're hitting all those standards and have those age-appropriate activities. For k through 2, my students really, really liked this one, and they added it in as a STEM station for one of the stations they could attend to.

Naomi Meredith [00:05:25]:

But for K and 2, I had this pumpkin digital activity where every slide had something different to accomplish. It had a lot of different cross-curricular connections and even audio of me reading the directions. I created a version for Seesaw, also Google Slides, and PowerPoint. It's the same exact thing. My preference is Seesaw. You guys know that is one of my favorite tools, but the activity slides are really fun because they stay on that slide. They can listen to the directions being read to them, and then they can independently or even with a partner complete those activities, such as measuring the pumpkin vine with Unifix cubes, digital Unifix cubes, and see how long it is creating a pumpkin face using the different shapes. There's even a chance to match the letters to spell different words that are related to pumpkins and even labeling a pumpkin digitally.

Naomi Meredith [00:06:23]:

The kids really liked it. They felt excited about each of the activities, and they wanted to have me make a lot more of them. Though. This is something that I really enjoy doing as a stem station. Likewise, you could do this as a stem station or even something that students can go to throughout the week if they finish a project, but have for 2nd through 5th grade, a pumpkin digital interactive notebook. It has the same kind of vibes as the kindergarten version or the primary version, but of course, activities that are more at their level. So compare and contrast. What do you notice in this picture, looking at a graph and finding out data and things that they notice about the graph?

Naomi Meredith [00:07:06]:

So, again, this could be something that they can get to throughout the week. It doesn't have to be your day lesson. It can be if you have classes on a holiday. You know, students can be a little bit crazy if you're having classroom parties, and when they come into specials, you might need a more chill activity. I would do these digital interactive notebooks all the time when I was a 3rd-grade teacher and had them themed and related to the topic. And, again, this is something that they could get to if we finish the other projects or, like, as a may do thing like a fast finisher. So that is something that you can add to your curriculum. The next activity is to design a spooky pumpkin.

Naomi Meredith [00:07:47]:

This is something I don't currently have in my shop, but maybe sometime in the future. But using Lego bricks or if you have even some LEGO education kits like LEGO We Do 2.0. I know that kit is discontinued, but is still an excellent, excellent kit. Or maybe you have the upgraded, the newer versions like the Lego Spike essential kit. Students can create a spooky pumpkin, and using the motion sensor, they can code the pumpkin to make a sound. And this is a lot like when you see the decorations that you move past, and as soon as you move past that decoration, then it freaks you out. It makes you really scared. Oftentimes, those are turned on in stores, and you're like, oh my gosh, it's this, like, decoration is alive.

Naomi Meredith [00:08:38]:

So, the same kind of vibes and students can create that. And in the LEGO We Do Kit, the pieces aren't exactly orange. There are more orange pieces in the LEGO spike essential, but you get the idea, and they can get creative with that project. The next activity is building pumpkin bridges. This is something that you can go through the entire engineering design process, or if you wanna pair it down and feed through some of the steps, you could also do with this in one day. The goal for this challenge is for students are creating a bridge to hold as many pumpkins as possible. You can use a lot of different things for the bridges, such as pumpkin candies or unifix cubes, or maybe students have to make their own bridges, but this is a fun one that, again, you can stretch out as long as you want. Go through it fast and see the different types of bridges students come up with, and you can even talk about the engineering of bridges as an architecture piece.

Naomi Meredith [00:09:40]:

This is in the bundle that has everything laid out for you. And the last STEM activity is a 7 stories reading, how many seeds are in a pumpkin. This is something that I did again as a classroom teacher, but you could do this as a STEM teacher. And I had some kids donate pumpkins that they had or went and grabbed a pumpkin. And we had a few different pumpkins in the room, and we did different experiments and things that involve math with these pumpkins. So first we tested things like Do you think the pumpkin is going to sink or float? Why do you think that's going to happen? What is the outside like how many ridges are on the outside of the pumpkin, what does the pumpkin feel like, how many unifix cubes tall or you can even add in measuring with inches and centimeters. Students can even compare the data if you have multiple pumpkins in your classroom. And then students also had to guess how many seeds were in their pumpkin.

Naomi Meredith [00:10:41]:

And we did open the pumpkins up. And students scooped out the seeds. We had butcher paper all over. The students were on the floor, and they had to determine the best way to count all of the seeds in their pumpkin. And the great way of using butcher paper for this activity is that students can actually put the seeds in equal groups, they can draw, they can label, it does get a bit messy. So if you don't like messes, don't do this one. But it is a lot of fun for them to think about carving a pumpkin in a different way. Maybe some of your students have never done this before.

Naomi Meredith [00:11:16]:

You never know. You will definitely find out when you have them open up the pumpkin, and so are just another great way to get hands-on and make it a fun math activity. As a recap, here are the 5 pumpkin-themed STEM activities that you can use in your classroom. 1st is pumpkin life cycle coding. Next is pumpkin digital activities. 3rd, are creating a spooky pumpkin out of Lego bricks. 4th is designing a pumpkin bridge, and 5th is that STEM and stories connection, how many seeds are in a pumpkin, and dissect those pumpkins. Most of these lessons are packaged together nicely for you in a bundle so you can just grab and go and implement these in your classroom.

Naomi Meredith [00:12:01]:

You can find that in the show notes for this episode or even check it out on my TpT shop, Naomi Meredith. Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you later, pumpkin.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

Check out more inspiration on her website: naomimeredith.com
Connect with her on Instagram: @naomimeredith_
Watch this episode on her YouTube Channel: Naomi Meredith
Join the Facebook Group, The Elementary STEM Coach Community | Technology & STEM for K-6 Teachers

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

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

How this Teacher Successfully Wrote a $1000 STEM Grant [STEM Teacher Pathway Series] [ep.127]

Check out the full episode on How this Teacher Successfully Wrote a $1000 STEM Grant [STEM Teacher Pathway Series]:

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 ever felt frustrated because you don't have certain materials to implement innovative STEM lessons? One way I’ve been able to navigate this issue is through writing grants for the materials I need in my STEM classroom. Grant writing is a great way for STEM teachers to secure the resources they need to incorporate fun and engaging STEM activities in their classrooms. In this episode, I’m sharing how I supported one of the STEM teachers in my group coaching program with successfully writing a $1,000 STEM grant. I’m taking you behind the scenes of how we strategically prepared for the grant writing process, decided on what materials to write a $ 1000 STEM grant for, and so much more.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How I supported a teacher in my group coaching program with writing a $1000 STEM grant
How we decided on what types of materials to write $1000 STEM grant for
Things to consider when writing a grant
Tips and strategies for successfully writing a $1000 STEM grant

Resources Mentioned:

Group Coaching Cohort: STEM into Fall: naomimeredith.com/stemintofall
Private Podcast: My (Not So Straight) Pathway to STEM Teacher Success [and what I would do different today]- naomimeredith.com/STEMpathwaypod
Pitsco Education: https://resources.pitsco.com/pitsco-grant-app
Toshiba K-5 Grant: https://www.toshiba.com/taf/k5.jsp
DonorsChoose
Amazon Wishlist:

Episode Transcript:

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

Frustrated that you are required to teach innovative lessons but don't have the materials to do so? While it does take some thoughtful prep work from the beginning, grant writing is an amazing opportunity to take advantage of as a STEM teacher and gather the materials that you are hoping to use in your classroom with your students. When it comes to grant writing, you want to be strategic in the type of materials that you are writing a grant for, the longevity of that tool, and how it's going to impact not just 1 set of students but students for many years to come. In this episode, I'll be sharing with you a STEM teacher's success when writing a $1000 STEM grant and the things that she did to prepare for this opportunity. A big benefit of working together with me and other teachers in my group coaching program for STEM teachers is we take a look at your overall lessons and how they fit into a cohesive year-long plan, and we also take an inventory of the supplies that you have and how those things fit together.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:42]:

From there, a really big benefit is that we get weekly live calls together that are customized based on the group needs, and also a group chat where we can talk about the topics that are related to the live call or other questions that you have in your STEM space. Now, another thing that we do in the months that we have together in this group coaching program that I haven't talked a whole lot about yet is grant writing. Grant writing actually has a really big impact on your STEM program because you want to use all of these amazing tools for your students. And unless you had a big huge overhaul and all of this money put forth into your program, more often than not, you have to fit all the puzzle pieces together and figure out how you're gonna get materials at certain times and build up to the program of your dreams. Because of the work together in our group coaching program, I actually have, as the coach, the overall view of where everybody's lessons are at, but also the types of materials and how that can even go into the grant writing process and what to even write a grant for. There was a teacher in my program that I want you to meet, the one who was able to write a successful $1000 STEM grant for her program. This teacher teaches pre-k, so even the little ones, pre-k through 5th grade STEM, twice a week, and like many of you, she is responsible for building up her whole program when it comes to lesson plans, figuring out supplies, and all of the things in between. She had a really great start to her year-long plan and even had some of the things from my k through 5 STEM year bundle of lessons, but I also felt like with the things she had and then didn't have, her lessons were kind of all over the place.

Naomi Meredith [00:03:40]:

So she wanted to create a more cohesive curriculum, which, by the end of our program, we were able to do, and also add in more structures when it came to STEM stations. If you go back to the last episode, episode 126, you can hear more about the lesson planning that we did as a group and how we integrated materials that the teachers already had and planned an amazing k through 5 STEM ocean unit, and we even added in different types of STEM stations. So you can finish this episode and then go back to that one if you haven't checked it out already. Towards the last part of our group coaching program, once we've done the lesson planning, we have our year-long plan figured out, and what we're going to be teaching, teachers have the opportunity to work with me when it comes to writing their grant. And this teacher that I'm talking about had a really great program, especially when it came to coding lessons and the tools available for that. But they really needed more things when it came to hands-on coding and robotics. And we know that STEM materials are pricey, especially if you want to invest in things that have a longer shelf life and can be used with a lot of kids. You really want to get high-quality materials.

Naomi Meredith [00:05:02]:

Now, the timing of this was absolutely perfect. Great writing was something we were already going to be working on, but this teacher's principal actually sent a grant opportunity her way to look into. Now, a little caveat to this: this teacher does work in a private school. And so, if you are a teacher who's working in a private school, make sure you read the fine print when it comes to the type of grants that you can be eligible for because every grant has its different rules and regulations, and all of that. I do have other episodes that I'll link in the show notes when it comes to grant writing and other tips and tricks that you can use along the way, as well as some different grants that you can look into to help you get started. So the principal sent her a grant this way, which was funny because this was actually one of the ones that was on my list, and she was thinking about, okay, how can I really make the maximum effort for this grant? In my experience as an educator, especially in my k through 5 STEM role, I have written a lot of grants. And you really can write a grant for anything. My biggest ones were $1000 STEM grants, so the same amount that this teacher was looking for.

Naomi Meredith [00:06:15]:

And the biggest thing when it comes to grant writing is not so much the tool but how you can create an engaging and innovative variance for the students where it is impacting the students that year but also years beyond, and also thinking about those cross-curricular connections. Now, if you're thinking, okay, great, it doesn't matter about the tool, it kind of doesn't because let me tell you this, my school needed document cameras. Our document cameras were really old, and these are an essential tool in the elementary space. My teacher, Honey, who teaches high school, doesn't really so much use a document camera. But in elementary, it's super essential, and the ones that we're having were dying, they were bulky, they had 5,000,000 cords, and we needed document cameras. Well, honestly, when you talk about it, it doesn't really sound like that innovative of a tool. However, the way that I wrote that grant, I was actually able to get all brand new document cameras to outfit our whole school, just by the way that I wrote that grant. So that is one of many that I did in my experience.

Naomi Meredith [00:07:24]:

So, really, it's just how you word things and put it all together. When it came down to it with recommendations and looking at her year-long plan and things that would benefit her program, even based on the supplies that she had and didn't have, we decided on writing a grant for coding and hands-on materials like robots. The coding materials were things that she could use in STEM stations, which was a big thing that this teacher wanted to do in her year-long plan anyway. And with those STEM stations, you don't have to figure out every single little thing and create it from scratch. There are a lot of great tools out there that lend themselves to STEM stations. So, we figured out a couple of things that would work really well for STEM stations. And even if students use them repeatedly over the years, this program actually has different apps where students can progress at different levels. So that was super great and, again, hands-on.

Naomi Meredith [00:08:21]:

And then we also added in some robots so she could build up her collection from there. With our collaboration together and from our live lessons, I was able to help her write a rough draft when it came to the questions for the grant writing. So I definitely recommend when you are writing a STEM grant, to figure out what the questions are when it comes to the grant, you might need to create an account, they're always free to create your account. So create your account, figure out the questions, and then type those out on a document on the side. So when you get to filling out the actual well application, you can just copy and paste. I actually was writing a couple of grants for something else this morning, and I did the same exact thing. Because a lot of times, when it comes to these grants, you can't see ahead what the questions are. Or sometimes you can't, like, while you're filling it out, like, you can't go forwards and backward.

Naomi Meredith [00:09:18]:

And then, sometimes, with the grants, it won't save your progress. So, if you make an account, see the questions, and type up your answers, this can also help you with spell check and everything. The couple of grants that I was writing today had a word limit. So, I was really limited to a specific amount of words to get all of the information in there. So that is something that we did. This teacher and I worked together. She added her own story, which is also really important when you're writing any kind of grant. And if it's a STEM grant, what is the story? Why is this going to have an impact on your students? Who are your students? Why do they need these tools? We, the people who are reading your grants, know that it is expensive, but why is this something that you need? So that is something that she and her principal really worked together once she had that draft that we did together and was able to put forth that information that was very specific to her school.

Naomi Meredith [00:10:18]:

The cool thing about this is that this document is actually available to everybody in the group because those specific things she added in on the side on her own copy, but we were able to brainstorm together as a group different opportunities, different types of grants you could apply for, What are those limits to the type of grants? What are certain materials that would work well? And what are different lesson plans you could plan forward to? There are tons of grants out there. I recommend going even for those smaller grants. You have a better opportunity when it comes to getting those materials, but also be really thoughtful with those things that you were hoping to get. With our time together in our group, this teacher was able to write her a first $1000 STEM grant for these STEM supplies and turn it in way ahead of the timeline. We are hoping to hear back, but the process was so fun and collaborative, and really no stress at all because we were able to bounce off and talk about ideas together. If this is an area that you definitely need support in, and also when it comes to thinking through your year of lessons, having somebody having that overall picture of what your year can look like and also taking a deep dive into your supplies and what would work well for lessons, but also what could work ahead in the future, I have some a few spots available in my STEM into fall group coaching program. The spots are limited, but we have a great time together as we meet for a course of a few months to really help you feel successful in your space and also have that community support that you have always been hoping for in this STEM role. I invite you into this program and would love to work with you. You can find the information in the show notes or go directly to Naomimeredith.com/STEMintofall.

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More About your host, Naomi Meredith

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

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