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Why You Need a Station Rotation in STEM

Why You Need a Station Rotation in STEM

station-rotation

Wondering if a station rotation is worth having in a STEM space? Why even get started with this instructional model? While stations don’t have to be used every class time (they definitely can!), it’s worth adding into your instructional model. Below are the benefits I’ve seen in my K-5 STEM classes when using a station rotation. 

 

Click HERE for your free STEM Station Rotation Planning Guide.

 

STEM Station Blog Series:

station-rotation

Station Rotation | #1 More Experiences in Less Time

Lack of time is a common thread in the teacher community. To maximize the time you are given, stations are a great way to do this. Instead of working on one project during class time, students have opportunities to experience more. 

With stations, many bite-sized activities can happen over the course of a couple of days. Experiencing robots, a building challenge, making scientific observations and attacking a math challenge can all get done at once. 

When planning units, think about the lessons that aren’t as intense and save those for a station rotation. These experiences are still meaningful, but don’t require an entire class time to complete it. 

 

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Station Rotation | #2 Less Materials Needed 

Buying quality STEM supplies isn’t cheap! Of course, buying supplies isn’t always needed to get started with STEM. [You can read about how to start your Makerspace by clicking here]

When purchasing materials is an option, don’t feel obligated to buy a class set. Or even half a class set! Station rotations make it possible when you only have 4-6 of an item. 

In my STEM classroom, I only have 5 Bee-Bot robots since they are expensive. However, that has been plenty in my classroom since they are a high quality robot for primary students and they can be used at a station easily. 

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Station Rotation | #3 Opportunities for Small Groups

There are many opportunities when students need to be explicitly taught concepts in STEM. Sometimes, this can be difficult in a whole group setting. 

With a station rotation, this can naturally bring an opportunity to pull small groups. Or, if you don’t want to take students away from the experiences, have one of the stations be a teacher-led station. 

Some teacher-led ideas can be: 

  • teaching a new tech skill
  • introducing a new app
  • completing a first step in a bigger project
  • catching up on past projects

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Station Rotation | #4 Easy to Manage

The biggest goal when hosting station rotations is to build student independence when exploring STEM concepts. Once this is implemented in the classroom, station rotations are fairly easy to manage. 

With minimal materials and student directed, this is a great time as a teacher to facilitate the learning. Helping individual students can often be easier during this time since students all have a task they are working on. 

So what are some management tips? 

Stay tuned for the next blog post in this series: Tips for STEM Classroom Management During Centers

Station Rotation | Let Me Help You Plan!

Planning out your STEM Rotations doesn’t have to be difficult. Click HERE to grab your FREE STEM Rotation Planning Guide. Inside are templates and ideas to get you started with implementing your first round of STEM Rotations! 

Don’t forget to grab your FREE Guide before you go!

Other Blog Posts You Might Enjoy:

station-rotation

What questions do you have about these activities? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ or send me an email, contactnaomimeredith(at)gmail.com, and I would love to chat with you!

More About the Author, 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!

STEMTech Co. Navigators Ambassador Program

STEMTech Co. Navigators Ambassador Program

Are you an innovative teacher? Do you enjoy implementing STEM & Technology into your elementary classroom? Are you willing to jump in and try new things? How about collaborating teachers and sharing ideas on social media? 

 

If any of these sound like you, then it’s your chance to be a STEMTech Co. Navigator! 

 

What does participation as a STEMTech Co. Navigator look like?

As a STEMTech Co. Navigator, you will be part of a group of other educators to help teachers all over the world navigate STEM & Technology in their K-5 classrooms. You’ll have the opportunity to implement and use STEM and technology lessons sent monthly, created by Naomi Meredith.

Collaborating with other Navigators will also be available to bounce ideas off of these lessons and other classroom topics. After using these lessons with students, you’ll share your ideas on social media to let other teachers know about the great things that are happening in your classroom! This is a minimum of a 6 month commitment and your participation will be reassessed at the end of that time.

 

What are the benefits of being a STEMTech Co. Navigator?

  • A minimum of 3 FREE Technology & STEM lessons sent to you monthly to try and use with your students
  • Monthly coaching call to understand how to prepare and use the lessons in your classroom 
  • Exclusive email signature badge
  • Profile info on Naomi’s website, naomimeredith.com
  • Opportunity to collaborate with other like-minded teachers
  • Sneak Peeks to upcoming products and provide feedback
  • Role of taking pictures and sharing how lessons were used in own classroom

 

This sounds great! How can I sign up!?

Use the form below to join the waitlist!

Have questions about this program? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ or send me an email at contactnaomimeredith@gmail.com and I would love to chat with you!

 

How to Do a Virtual Read Aloud Tips and Tricks

How to do a Virtual Read Aloud Tips & Tricks

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Have you wondered how to do a virtual read aloud? How can kids see the pages? What tools do you need? How hard is it really? Here are some tips and tricks when hosting a read aloud online. While these work well for remote teaching, a lot of these hacks can be used during in-person teaching as well.

This video originally aired LIVE on my Facebook Page; Naomi Meredith: The STEMTech Co. 

Come and join in on the fun on Facebook, or watch the recording of this episode.

How to Do a Virtual Read Aloud  | Watch the recording down below:

How to Do a Virtual Read Aloud  | #1 Picture & Google Drive Mash Up

This hack works well for when you only have a hard copy of the book. Now this tip isn’t meant to infringe on copyright and have you share with the whole world what you created; classroom use only. This method is extremely helpful to help the kids see the pages on a video call while the teacher doesn’t have the hold the book awkwardly to the camera. No document camera is needed!

If you know me, you know I am a HUGE fan of using Google Tools in the classroom as well as my person life. First, download the Google Drive app onto your phone. (Login of course!) Next, lay the book on a flat, clear surface with plenty of lighting. After that, using the Camera on your phone, take pictures of the pages in order. Edit and flip any pages now while in the Photos app.

Go into the Google Drive app. Hit the plus sign (+) and create a new folder while naming it the title of the book. Keep that new folder open and hit the plus sign again. Next, click ‘Upload’, then ‘Photos and Videos’ choose all of the photos of the book. They’ll upload in the order of when the photos were taken.

Once they are uploaded into Google Drive, you can actually delete the photos off your phone to save space. It won’t delete the pictures from the Drive.

Finally, when you’re ready to read, open up the book folder on your computer during class and share your screen. All you need to do is click through each of the pages as you read the story live.

Click here for a FREE printable version of the steps listed above.

 

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How to Do a Virtual Read Aloud  | #2 eBooks

Before taking pictures using the method above, see if there is an eBook version already accessible. Again, share your computer screen with the class once the desired book is chosen. Below are great resources to use that I’ve used consistently with my classrooms.

  • Epic! Books (getepic.com): This is a free for teachers eBook library to use in classrooms. Not only are eBooks abundant, but audio books, read-to-me, chapter books and video clips that aren’t connected to YouTube. Regardless of read alouds or not, this is a MUST USE resource in your classroom.
  • Your Public Library: Most public libraries have some sort of version of digital books that are available to check out. By using your library card, see what is already available for free! Don’t live near a public library? Many public libraries located within a school district will give a card to teachers who teach in that area.
  • Amazon Kindle Books: A Kindle device is not needed for this method. In fact, the Kindle app can be downloaded into a computer device for free. Often, publishers will have flash deals where books are offered for free that you can download to your account. Also, Amazon gift cards can come in handy when wanted to buy the digital copy of the book. One word of advice; purchase/download Kindle books to your personal account. That way if you were to ever leave districts, you still have access to all of those books!

How to Do a Virtual Read Aloud  | #3 Audio Extras

Bring a read aloud to life and help with visualization with audio extras! Build background knowledge about the topic about to be read by finding a video clip that helps explain a difficult word or concept.

Also, check out the app Novel Effect. Again, another great resource for teachers! While reading the book out loud, Novel Effect will listen in real time by adding in sound effects that relate to the page. Some books even have music that will play along, like Pete the Cat.

Check out their growing collection of supported books here. 

 

How to Do a Virtual Read Aloud  | #4 Collaborative Read Aloud

This tip is a great way to get students involved with the read aloud experience. I would suggest using Seesaw with this method since it has the best tools to fit the job. Flipgrid could also be a great alternative as well.

Create a Seesaw Activity where each page is a different page of the book. Next, assign a student to a specific page to record themselves reading. You could even have each child read the whole book, then select one page from each child’s submission for the final read aloud. Finally, during whole group time, share the collaborative read aloud.

Need help with creating a Seesaw Activity? Download these free visual steps here! 

Click here for one free month of Seesaw Plus to be added to your account using my Ambassador link! 

How to Do a Virtual Read Aloud  | #5 Pre-Record

This method works well of course with remote teaching, but also for homework assignments, substitute plans and even book groups. Pre-recording readings of a book don’t have to be fancy. For this method, I’ll typically use Screencastify. This is a Google Chrome Extension that is used on the computer when Google Chrome is open. It can record your screen only, screen & face, or just face.

Once the recording is complete, it saves automatically to your connected Google Drive. There is even the option to upload to YouTube right away. (I recommend making the YouTube link ‘Private’ or ‘Unlisted’ unless you have permission from the author/publishing company.) This extra time saving step allows the user to grab the share link right away and plop it into the desired assignment.

Screencastify is a freemium tool; the free features are great and can get the job done. But for unlimited use, the paid version is inexpensive & worth it. (I always renew my subscription).

Consider pre-recording picture books and chapter book chapters. This is incredibly special for your students when you have a substitute and the students can still hear the “correct voice” reading all the chapters.

This method can also be used for independent reading of book clubs. When the audio version isn’t available, send students the link to your video to help them read through their assigned work and understand the fluency and key vocabulary.

Get started with Screencastify here! 

Products mentioned in this post:

Other blog posts you might enjoy:

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What questions do you have about these activities? Have any other ideas to share? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

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In-Person Hour Of Code Activities to Try

In-Person Hour Of Code Activities to Try

Here are some Hour of Code Activities to try in your classroom while in person. There are so many options to choose from! I’ll share the ones that have been the most successful in my K-5 STEM classes. These are all low-prep, and highly engaging to help expose students to the world of coding.

This video originally aired LIVE on my Facebook Page; Naomi Meredith: The STEMTech Co. 

Come and join in on the fun on Facebook, or watch the recording of this episode.

Click here for the FREE printable PDF of this resource.

Hour of Code Activities  | Watch the recording down below:

Here are the key takeaways from this episode:

Hour of Code Activities | Resource Prep

Before getting into the lesson planning, these are questions that I ask year after year to ensure that I’m prepared for the Hour of Code unit.

    1. Check out hourofcode.com for ways to promote Computer Science at your school and promote to families
    2. Prep necessary vocabulary that will aid student instruction. I created Coding Vocabulary that you just need to print-and-go!
    3. Organize supplies so they are easy for students to access and clean up when finished. I like to use clear plastic containers to leave in the center of each table with the necessary supplies for the lesson. Especially as a specials teacher, this helps tremendously so I am not running around in between classes gathering supplies!
    4. How you will share computer coding links with students? {Google Classroom, Seesaw, Schoology…}
    5. Do you need to set aside instruction instruction time for students to set up any coding accounts? {Example: Scratch}
    6. Will kids be using one device for paired programming or each student code on their own device?
    7. Is a station rotation model or whole group going to work best for your class?

 

You can teach these lessons in a way that works best for your kids, your classroom and the resources you have available. Each resource below is clickable or type in corresponding link.

Click here for the FREE printable PDF of this resource.

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Hour of Code Activities | Kindergarten

Day 1 & 2: Teaching the Difference Between Software & Hardware

Day 3: Device Coding

Day 4 & 5: Coding Unplugged & Device Coding *1/2 class do an activity a day

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Hour of Code Activities | 1st Grade

Day 1 & 2: Teaching the Difference Between Software & Hardware

Day 3: Device Coding

Day 4 & 5: Coding Unplugged & Device Coding *1/2 class do an activity a day

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Hour of Code Activities | 2nd Grade

Day 1: Device Coding

  • Intro Video: The Hour of Code is Here
    • Student Practice: (iPad/tablet) Scratch Jr.
    • Under ‘Teach’, there are 9 great beginner printables that progress off one another for students. I like doing pair programming the first day to help students problem solve together. I also made a little checklist to help students check off when they complete a challenge.

Day 2 & 3: Device Coding & Coding Unplugged

Day 4 & 5: Device Coding & Coding Unplugged

  • Intro Video: Computational Thinking by Brainpop Jr. & Conditionals by BrainPop Jr.
  • Student Practice: Robot Turtles Board Game
  • Since only half the class is playing at a time, when I’m introducing the game, we will play as a group in teams of 4. Once they get the hang of it, I will split them up onto the 2 remaining game boards.

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Hour of Code Activities | 3rd Grade

Day 1: Device Coding

Day 2 & 3: Device Coding & Coding Unplugged

Day 4 & 5: Device Coding & Coding Unplugged

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Hour of Code Activities | 4th Grade

Day 1: Device Coding

Day 2 & 3: Device Coding & Coding Unplugged

Day 4 & 5: Device Coding & Coding Unplugged

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Hour of Code Activities | 5th Grade

Day 1: Device Coding

Day 2 & 3: Device Coding & Coding Unplugged

Day 4 & 5: Device Coding & Coding Unplugged

Other blog posts you might enjoy:

 

hour-of-code-activities

What questions do you have about these activities? Have any other ideas to share? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

Want more resources to support Technology & STEM all year long? Grab this FREE downloadable guide that I’ve put together for you!

digital-interactive-notebook

How to Use a Digital Interactive Notebook in the Classroom

How to Use a Digital Interactive Notebook in the Classroom 

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When I was a classroom teacher, I needed a way to integrate non-fiction resources to help build background about topics for literacy and science. 

There were plenty of books in the school library that we were using, but I also wanted students to access information using online resources.

Soon, I came up with a digital interactive notebook template that I could send to students with a variety of resources to engage and learn from. 

 

These can be an asset in your classroom and be used in any content area. 

 

Digital Interactive Notebook: What is it? 

A digital interactive notebook is a way to combine all of your digital resources for students in one file that is already organized for you! Students have access to all the links and places to respond within one paperless platform. 

There are still benefits to interactive notebooks that involve cutting and pasting. Having digital options allows for less prep time and assigning quickly to students. 

Using this technology option also helps build students’ digital literacy skill; copy & paste, resizing images and toggling between website tabs are just a few skills students will continue to practice. 

 

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Digital Interactive Notebook: How Do I Prepare One? 

I prefer creating my templates in Google Slides and save the template as the background. I then add the moveable and editable pieces on top that I want students to access. 

The same templates I create in Slides can also be downloaded and used in Seesaw or Powerpoint. 

If you are using a premade template, there are some steps I typically go through to make sure the content fits my needs. 

  • Delete, add & duplicate slide templates that you think will work best for your content
  • Layer & link your content over the top
  • Delete any unwanted text boxes and tables. The design in the background is ‘glued down’ to protect the rights of the original artists
  • If you are worried about the original being shared with students, make a master copy of your edited notebook as a backup.
  • Share your final notebook with your students on the digital platform of your choice
  • If possible, the checklist on the last slide works well printed out. However, this isn’t necessary and can be filled out digitally.

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Digital Interactive Notebook: How do I assign it? 

There are many ways to share digital interactive notebooks easily with students. Here are some of my go-to ways: 

  • Share the link with students in Google Classroom, Seesaw, Schoology or other platforms your school uses!
  • When posting in Google Classroom, make sure to click ‘Make a Copy for each student’ before posting!

Click here to watch my free, 3 part video series all about Google Classroom. 

  • Create an activity in Seesaw. With Seesaw Plus & For Schools, you can create multi-page activities that work well for digital interactive notebooks.
  • When using PowerPoint, share in Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Teams using other Microsoft tools.

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Digital Interactive Notebook: Are there templates I can use? 

I have created a growing collection of templates that you can edit and use to fit your content needs.

These sides are already organized for: 

  • Before exploration reflection
  • Vocabulary
  • Videos
  • Photograph Observations
  • Graphs & Analysis
  • Individual Articles
  • Paired Selections & Comparison
  • Maps & Noticings
  • Podcasts & Reflection
  • Scientific Process
  • Engineering Design Process
  • Data Analysis based on Observations
  • Labeling an Image
  • Analyzing quotations
  • Digital Creation

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As a bonus, there are student checklists to help students keep track of their progress for each slide. There are also video tutorials to share with students (or use while you’re creating) to help you with Google/PowerPoint creating. 

  • Creating & Editing a Text Box
  • Using the Shape and Line Tools
  • Inserting Your Own Images
  • Inserting Images from Google
  • Adding & Duplicating Slides

Each template includes various digital file types to meet your sharing needs: Google Slides, PowerPoint & Seesaw.

 

All Seesaw files are pre-loaded into activities. Upon purchase, you’ll get the share link to copy & edit and add to your Seesaw Activity library, then assign to students. I saved you A LOT of steps!

Grab your favorite template style here from my shop! 

 

Digital Interactive Notebooks: Are there any that are already created for me?

Yes! I also have content specific digital interactive notebooks that have all the resources linked inside for you. Check out my growing collection here! 

 

Other Blog Posts You Might Enjoy: 

Getting Started with Google Classroom: Video Series 

How to Teach Online for Home Learning

digital-interactive-notebook

Have you tried digital interactive notebooks in your classroom? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

Want more resources to support Technology & STEM all year long? Grab this FREE downloadable guide that I’ve put together for you!

Dot Day Ideas for STEM Classrooms

Dot Day Ideas for STEM

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This post contains affiliate links. When purchasing through the link, it’s no extra cost to you, but I get a kick-back in return. 

 

What is Dot Day? 

Dot Day is an international celebration of inspiration and creativity. After reading the book The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, help students express their creativity in a variety of ways by creating their own ‘dot’. 

Click here to read more about it on the official website. 

 

Creativity is such a large component of success in STEM. Here are 3 activities that I tried that went well in my K-5 STEM classes that your students will love as well! 

These were all one day, 45 minute lessons, which is just enough time to celebrate! After reading or listening to The Dot, try one of these experiences with your class. 

 

Dot Day Ideas #1: Augmented Reality

I taught this lesson to my Kindergarten and 1st grade classes. This lesson requires tablets and having the free app, Quiver, downloaded before-hand. 

Next, print out the free Dot Day coloring sheet. Make sure to have extra printed because students will want to color more than one! I printed mine 4/page to save paper and to make it easier for students to capture the whole image on their tablet camera. 

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Discuss with students the difference between virtual reality and augmented reality. I have this anchor chart and response sheets that you can use to make it easier to explain! 

This dot will be transformed into augmented reality; it will look like the object is in OUR world.

Students will color their dot page. Markers work best and really make the colors stand out. Within the app, they will hold the camera over their dot and see it magically appear in the classroom!

 

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Dot Day Ideas #2: Spirograph Dots

I taught this lesson to my 2nd and 3rd grade classes. 

There is so much beauty and symmetry to well designed spirographs. This lesson helps students so much with their touchpad control. 

 

Beforehand, figure out how you will share this link with students for this online spirograph. When I taught this lesson, a login wasn’t required. 

 

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If you don’t want to use the digital version, I’ve snagged plastic spirograph sets from Dollar Tree before. 

Explain to students what spirographs are. You can use the anchor chart from this post I made that you can use with your students to help explain this concept! 

 

This video also shows artists who create spirographs for a living which is interesting for students to see. 

 

Finally, students will create their spirograph dot. If they want to save their design, taking a screenshot works well and uploading to the platform of your choice (Seesaw, Flipgrid, Google Classroom…). 

 

Dot Day Ideas #3: Dot Launchers

I taught this lesson with 4th & 5th grades. 

The Dash robot is a wonderful asset to have in your classroom. If you happen to have the launcher accessory, this lesson is for you! 

 

Students will launch their ‘dot’ (the ball), aiming towards a STEM identity word that they view themselves as. Some words include: mathematician, innovator and creator. 

 

 

Aiming for a target with the launchers is more challenging than you think! If possible, have students in groups of 3 and assign roles and have them rotate through:

  • Driver: Tapping the code on the device
  • Navigator: Ensuring that they agree with the code and give suggestions
  • Retriever: Finding the balls once they are released

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You can get the target board here from my shop (with other ways to use these STEM identities in your classroom!)

 

Other blog posts you might enjoy:

5 EASY WAYS TO INTEGRATE AUGMENTED & VIRTUAL REALITY IN THE CLASSROOM

Best Robots for Kids for STEM & Technology Lessons

 

 

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What Dot Day activities have you tried in your classroom? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

Want more resources to support Technology & STEM all year long? Grab this FREE downloadable guide that I’ve put together for you!

Back to School STEM Activities Shopping Guide

back-to-school-stem-activities

Back to School STEM Activities Shopping Guide

This Back to School STEM Activities guide is to help you find resources that will be perfect for your STEM & Technology instruction. Whether you are teaching in-person, hybrid or remotely, I have resources already created to meet your needs. 

 

Back to School STEM Activities Shopping Guide: How to Get the Most Out of It

  • Print this out to read it like a magazine or view digitally
  • The clickable Table of Contents will direct you to a topic you’re interested in learning about more
  • All images are clickable and will take you directly to the product they are show
  • All images also have a corresponding number. Find the corresponding description for that page to read more about it

Click here to grab this FREE download!

 

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What’s included in this guide?

  • How to use this guide
  • How to get free TpT Credits to Spend on Future Purchases
  • 6 Back to School Essentials for Any Classroom Setting
  • In-Person Learning Resources
  • Google Tools Scavenger Hunts
  • Digital Interactive Notebooks
  • Distance Learning Resources
  • Thank You!
  • Connect with Me!

Click here to grab this FREE download!

 

Other blog posts you will also enjoy: 

back-to-school-stem-activities

 

Need more help finding a resource that fits your Back to School needs? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

Want more resources to support Technology & STEM all year long? Grab this FREE downloadable guide that I’ve put together for you!

spring-stem-activities

5 Spring STEM Activities & Technoloy Lessons You Need Now

spring-stem-activitiesThe end of the school year is the best time to experiment and try new things with your students. Here is a list of 5 Spring STEM Activities & Technology lessons that your students will love!

This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through the link, no extra cost to you, but I receive a kickback from purchases. 

 

#1 Spring STEM Activities & Technology Lesson: STEM & Stories

Integrate your favorite Spring stories with a fun STEM challenge. Try these two STEM & Stories lessons for After the Fall by Dan Santat and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.  

 

After reading the story, integrate a STEM challenge to help build comprehension. Build a wall for Humpty Dumpty to sit on to keep him safe. You can read more about how to teach this lesson by clicking here.

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 Reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar? Code the robot version of the caterpillar to collect the food in the order that he eats it. In addition, have students create the food to fit the mouth of the the cardboard version of the caterpillar. You can find the entire lesson plan here.

spring-stem-activities 

#2 Spring STEM Activities & Technology Lesson: Digital Interactive Notebooks

Cutting and pasting paper is wonderful but can definitely get an upgrade. Try these digital interactive notebooks. With this format, students can learn content by building their technology skills at the same time. Read here how these can help with remote learning as well!

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 My 3rd graders loved having access to colorful websites from National Geographic Kids and listening to engaging podcasts from Brains On! which were added to the notebooks. 

 

Diagrams and places to keep track of butterfly or ladybug science observations are also provided. This was especially helpful when we were keeping track of the ladybug life cycle daily! By the way, I had NO CLUE that ladybugs have a similar life cycle to butterflies. The things we learn while teaching! Here is the kit we used to see the ladybug life cycle in action.

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#3 Spring STEM Activities & Technology Lesson: Engineer Inspiration Boards

Create objects that represent the Spring months with these Engineer Inspiration boards. By using any items available in the classroom or at home, create the different objects presented on the board. 

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These boards can be printed in color or black & white. Digital versions are also available and can be shared on any platform of your choice with students.

#4 Spring STEM Activities & Technology Lesson: Digital Reading Comprehension Worksheets

Mix up your reading comprehension routine with digital versions of the worksheets that you might be using in class. Use books, articles and websites that you already have on hand and use. 

 Just pop these comprehension worksheets into Google Classroom or Seesaw. Track students’ comprehension of the text while also embedding important technology skills. 

Need help with Google Classroom? I have a FREE 3 part video series that will help you with:

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#5 Spring STEM Activities & Technology Lesson: Coding & Multiplication Facts

This low-prep STEM station has high engagement and is perfect for multiple grade levels. Use your favorite robot to practice multiplication facts. Don’t have robots in your classroom yet? Check out my top picks that are high-quality that I truly believe in and work well with kids. 

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With this station, there are three ways to play!

  • Code & write the equation
  • Code, write & keep the card
  • Coding Math Fact Memory

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Which Spring activity above have you tried? Which one are you wondering more about? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!
Want more resources to support Technology & STEM all year long? Grab this FREE downloadable guide that I’ve put together for you!
kid-made-mother's-day-gifts

3 Kid Made Mother’s Day Gifts for STEM & Technology

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Help mom feel special with these 3, kid made Mother’s Day gifts with a STEM & Tech twist. All of these activities are low-prep and can be down in-person or virtually. 

 

#1- Kid Made Mother’s Day Gifts: Social Media Themed Card

Mom’s love cards, but make it different this year. Create a card that is social media themed. 

Using a phone template, insert a cute photo and write a caption underneath. This option works well since it can be printed out or left in a digital format on the computer. 

Click to grab this lesson for your class! 

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#2- Kid made Mother’s Day gifts: Cardboard Flowers

Real flowers are beautiful, but make something that will last a bit longer. By using cardboard already in the house, create a 3D flower. While building, learn basic engineering techniques such as: a L-brace, flanges and creating symmetrical designs with a pattern. 

Click here for the link to the YouTube video. 

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#3- Engineer Inspiration Board

Want to create something else but don’t know where else to begin? Use this Mother’s Day themed Engineer Inspiration board. By using any items available in the classroom or at home, create the different objects presented on the board. 

These boards can be printed in color or black & white. Digital versions are also available and can be shared digitally with students. 

Click here to grab this lesson for your class! 

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kid-made-mother's-day-gifts

Resources Mentioned in this post:

  • Mother’s Day Social Media Post Gift
  • Cardboard Flower Tutorial
  • Engineer Inspiration- Mother’s Day Theme

Other Blog Posts You Might Enjoy:

 

kid-made-mother's-day-gifts

Which Mother’s Day activity will you try with your students this year? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

 

Want more resources to support Technology & STEM all year long? Grab this FREE downloadable guide that I’ve put together for you!

earth-day-activities

7 Earth Day Activities for STEM & Technology

earth-day-activitiesSpring is in the air and it’s a great time to remind students of ways that they can continue to take care of the Earth and make a difference. Earth Day is a great celebration of this. In response to that, here are 7 Earth Day activities that integrate STEM and technology to commemorate this day. 

 *Click any of the images or headings of the resource to be redirected to the link. 

Earth Day Activities #1: Caring For Our Earth Interactive Notebook

Ditch your paper notebooks for a few days and have students explore and record their thinking with my colorful slides. There are 21 editable templates that you can edit and share in Google Slides. Students will define important vocabulary, a podcast to listen to, make observations about a graph and more! 

Click here to grab this lesson for your class!

earth-day-activities

 

Earth Day Activities #2: Recycling Plant Makerspace Lesson

Help students understand the benefits of recycling and learn how it works. By using the collection of objects and labeled bins, students will build their own recycling plant. The goal is to have students create a system to help sort the items into the correct categories.

Click here to grab this lesson for your class! 

earth-day-activities

 

Earth Day Activities #3: Our Planet- Netflix Series

Learn more about our Earth and different species from around the world and how their lives are impacted by humans. It is a series, but you can definitely watch out of order to meet your classroom needs. 

 

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Earth Day Activities #4: Taking Care of Earth Reading Comprehension  

With these graphic organizers for Earth Day, it will help students record their thinking and find text that is relevant to Earth Day. There are printable and digital options that will work on any device.

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Use any resource you have on hand to accompany these graphic organizers. Epic! Books is a great place to start! It’s a free-for-teachers online digital library that has books for any occasion and every learner. Have access to eBooks, read-to-me, audio and videos. 

 

Earth Day Activities #5: Earth Day Engineer Inspiration

Use any building materials available to recreate the images from the inspiration sheet. The one page of images look great printed out, in both color and black and white. Or save paper by viewing the images digitally. 

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Earth Day Activities #6: The Brains On! Podcast

Podcasts are a great way for students to build their visualization and comprehension skills. The Brains On! podcast is highly engaging and education. It’s a lot like listening to episodes of Bill Nye the Science Guy. You can listen directly online from your computer, or connect your phone by using any podcast app. Episodes that are perfect for Earth Day are: 

Earth Day Activities #7: Bundle of Activities

Need even more inspiration? Check out this fun bundle of STEM & Technology activities to use with your students. Some of the activities above are included as well as others the help celebrate Earth Day. Everything can be printed or shared digitally to fit your sharing needs.

earth-day-activities

Resources Mentioned in this post:

Other Blog Posts You Might Enjoy: 

 

How do you integrate technology in your Earth Day instruction?  Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

 

 

 Want more resources to support Technology & STEM all year long? Grab this FREE downloadable guide that I’ve put together for you!