Category: Lesson Plans

Ignite Creativity with this Build a Shelter STEM Project

Imagine being sent off into the wild with limited supplies. You have to stay quite a few days, but need a safe place to sleep. How can you build a shelter that will withstand different types of weather?

In this challenge, students go through the Engineering Design Process. They explore different weather patterns, shelter building tips. Finally, students build a design and test it under various conditions.

Let’s take an inside look into this STEM Survival Camp Experience.

Ask & Imagine

After spending a long summer in the sun and adventuring, it can be hard to get back into an academic mindset. To help play off of that energy, this lesson was created for 5th grade students during the Back to School season.

Students were tasked with the challenge, How can you build a shelter that can withstand different elements? While many kids had been camping before, building a shelter from items found in nature wasn’t their expertise.

After watching video clips and researching different shelter types, students had a brainstorm list of ideas that might want to try, and those that they didn’t.

Build a Shelter STEM Project: Plan

For this shelter challenge, not all items would be used from the Makerspace. While some items were provided, the majority of the structure was created from items found outside. With thoughtful drawing and labeling, students visualized what their shelter might look like.

Once the rules of gathering items from the land were reviewed, students were ready to find the necessary items to build a strong structure.

Build a Shelter STEM Project: Create and Experiment & Improve

As dirt scattered the floor, students collaborated and built their shelter designs. Ideas began to change once materials were in place. Building with sticks, string and other materials proved to be a challenge!

After a few days of building, stations were set up around the classroom where students could test their shelter under different elements. From there, modifications and improvements to shelter designs were made.

Build a Shelter STEM Project: Share

Finally, as the week came to a close, students shared their final designs by taking photos and adding them to their digital Engineering Design Process notebook. They also took videos of their shelter withstanding the elements within Flipgrid. While some designs were taken home, many were too soggy after the rain challenge!

Grab this Challenge for Your Class!

Students can easily build a shelter. However, key details and learning opportunities can be missed. Go through the entire Engineering Design Process easily. In addition, save time on planning and have easy share options.

Click here to grab this Build a Shelter Challenge for your class!

Must-Have STEM Station Rotation Ideas

What are some great station rotation ideas? How can your planning be streamlined?

In previous blog posts, we discuss why you need a station rotation in STEM and tips for classroom management.

You can also grab a FREE STEM Rotation Planning Guide HERE

STEM Station Blog Series

Part 1: Why You Need a Station Rotation
Part 2: Tips for STEM Classroom Management During Stations
Part 3: Must-Have STEM Station Rotation Ideas (this post)

Tips for Planning STEM Stations

Keep station planning meaningful and purposeful. With the ideas listed below, students can experience many different STEM concepts within two, 45 minute classes.

With a 4-station model, plan around the acronym STEM. Have each station correspond with each letter; Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

Also, have a mixture of no-tech and tech options. This will help keep students’ interest while also not having students on a screen the whole time.

One of the stations can also be teacher-led. This is a great time to lead a small group and teach a skill, revise work from a project, or go deeper into a concept. Add a teacher-station in once classes are able to be independent during work time.

Below are ideas when getting started, for both primary and intermediate elementary students.

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

Station Rotation Ideas | ‘S’ for Science

Epic! Books create a book collection where students can read about the related science topic to bigger projects
Make observations for a science experiment
Test solutions for a science experiment
Explore STEM concepts using Gizmos
Code using cards related to science concepts (Example: predator & prey)
Notice animal behavior & take notes using live web cams like San Diego Zoo

Station Rotation Ideas | ‘T’ for Technology

Explore coding apps
- iPads (Primary)
  - Hopster Coding Safari, Bee-Bot & Scratch Jr.
- Computer (Primary)
  - Tangrams, Digital Math Manipulatives
- Computer (Intermediate)
  - Scratch, HourofCode.org, Tinkercad.com

Typing Practice/Touchpad Control
- iPads (Primary)
  - Clever Keyboard, Animal Typing, Type for Fun
- Computer (Primary)
  - Typing Rocket, This Is Sand, Digital Spirographs, Dance Mat Typing
- Computer (Intermediate)
  - Typing Pal, Nitro Type, Typing.com

Robot Simple Challenges
- Click here for a full list of best robots for elementary students I put together for you and ways to use them

Station Rotation Ideas | ‘E’ for Engineering

Primary Ideas

Engineer Inspiration Boards
- Click here to read more about these no-prep, themed building inspiration
Pixel Art/Bloxel Boards
- Run a Google Search ‘Pixel Art of____’ to get different ideas to print out to inspire students
STEM & Stories
- Read the story to the whole group, students complete building challenge at this station

Intermediate Ideas

- Time to work on a project that was started earlier in week
Create 3D printing design in Tinkercad
- Click here for my student video tutorials
Cardboard Makerspace Project

Station Rotation Ideas | ‘M’ for Math

Tangrams
- Virtual or using manipulatives. Can Google Search different puzzles to use with students
Osmo Genius Kit
- Tangrams, Words and Numbers challenges. There are different kits for iPad & Kindle Fire, so make sure to double check which one is being ordered before purchasing.
Collecting measurements from a previous challenge
- Snowman Matter
Apply new vocabulary in a hands-on way
- Toothpick Snowflakes

Station Rotation Ideas | Starter Kits

Want to get started with STEM Stations right away but short on time?

I’ve put together a STEM Starter Kit that you can use in your classroom. There is an option for primary (K-2) and intermediate (3-5).

In each set, there is an activity that corresponds to each letter of STEM; Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

As a bonus, you will also receive STEM vocabulary posters. There is also a digital version that can be used to type student names to keep track of who is at each station.

Primary STEM Station Bundle Activities

Science
- - Life Cycle of an Apple Lesson Plan | Robot Coding & Unplugged
- Technology
  - - Unplugged Coding | Human Robot | STEM Station
  - Engineering
    - - How to make a Cardboard Marble Maze | Virtual Makerspace
    - Math
      - Triangle by Mac Barnett STEM Lesson

Intermediate STEM Station Bundle Activities

Science
- - Skeletal System Activity | Robot Coding
- Technology

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!

4 Authentic State Testing Prep Ideas

State Testing Prep isn’t a fun topic to talk about, but it’s a reality public school teachers face. Instead of stressing about the test, preparing can happen naturally year round. This doesn’t mean teaching to the test, rather helping build students’ skills so they are comfortable with the testing platform.

In turn, students are learning valuable technology skills that can be carried into other content areas.

State Testing Prep | #1 Get Kids Typing

Just like handwriting, typing takes practice. While there is value in using typing games, this shouldn’t be the only way students learn to type. Typing games can be great homework practice or a morning warm-up.

The real typing practice takes place when students are using the computer authentically.

Yes, it will take students forever to complete assignments through typing. At first.

However, the more it’s an integrated part of the classroom, the less stressful typing will be for students. Published pieces are a great start, but also have students type “unpublished work”. Typing shouldn’t be seen as a final piece type of tool.

Think about how we, as adults, use computers daily to complete tasks. Not also of us are typing to create a published piece! Emailing, texting and lesson planning are a few of many ways how typing improves efficiency into our lives.

Students should have the same opportunities as well, that are appropriate to their learning environment, to use typing authentically.

Here are a few ideas:

Give kids a creative writing prompt once a week where they need to type what comes to their brian and not having to use the entire writing process.
Have students typing their thinking about reading when using paper books.
Turn the weekly reading log and response into a digital assignment
Have students explain their thinking when solving a math problem through typing

The more integrated assignments are, the more kids will respond naturally when they are posed typing questions on a test.

State Testing Prep | #2 Answer Digital Questions

Along with having students type in a variety of ways, answering questions online is equally as important. Many questions on the computer are different than traditional paper & pencil tests. Both have importance, and both need to be practiced.

Some varying question types that differ on the computer are: scrolling on a page, toggling between two tabs and drag and drop questions.

Below are some great free resources to use with your students year round to practice answering digital questions.

1. Readworks.org: Differentiated reading articles you can digitally assign to students with corresponding questions

2. TweenTribune.com: Kid-friendly current events with deep thinking questions and a few multiple choice. There are often a few differentiated levels of each article as well.

3. Google Forms: Students don’t need a Google Account to answer questions on a Google Form. Take a screenshot of the math problem/reading article you want students to focus on. Then, create different types of questions to correspond with it.

4. IXL.com: While there is a paid monthly membership, students can still answer a certain number of questions for free each day. The site is organized by grade-level, math concepts, and standards. It will immediate tell students if they are correct of incorrect with their thinking.

5. Math Playground.com: Free online math manipulatives. Using tangible manipulatives is important too, but students do need to know how to use digital manipulatives for various testing platforms.

6. GetEpic.com: This is an amazing, free-for-teachers website. With eBooks, audio books, read-to-me and videos not connected to YouTube, teachers can find resources that fit any content area. Teachers can also create quizzes for books with your own questions.

7. BoomLearning.com: This is also a website that has free and paid features. You can assign digital, self-correcting task cards to students for free to correspond with your content. There are many free card decks and paid decks to choose from.

State Testing Prep | #3 Answer Questions Using a Rubric

Students should be given time to practice a short constructed response in comparison to a rubric. After reading an article, have students respond digitally through typing. Then, print their responses for the following day (without names).

Pass out the written responses and in partnerships, have students evaluate the responses based on the criteria rubric. Afterwards, discuss as a class why certain responses were scored accordingly.

This exercise isn’t meant to embarrass kids; rather a learning opportunity on how they can improve. This also gives students a chance for their work to be seen from a different point of view.

State Testing Prep | #4 Learn Testing Tools

Part of the reason why students become overwhelmed with testing on the computer is knowing how to access the digital tools.

I teach in Colorado and we take CMAS, which. is a form of PARCC. There is a practice website to view and try question types and respond digitally.

As the testing window draws closer, practice with students how to use the tools on the practice website first. Creating a scavenger hunt to help search for and access the tools can help guide students’ exploration.

Here is an example of one scavenger hunt task:

If possible, have students work in pairs to complete the hunt. This will give students the opportunity to talk about accessing the tools in a less stressful environment and add an element of gamification to the lesson.

Does your state use PARCC or CMAS? Click here to grab these scavenger hunts for 3rd-5th grades. They are no-prep and also include a mini lesson to help introduce the test and question types.

Don’t forget to grab these scavenger hunts for your class!

Tips for STEM Classroom Management During Stations

You’re ready to start stations in your classroom, but what about the classroom management during stations?

In the previous blog post, we discuss why you need a station rotation in STEM. Click here to read.

Classroom management of stations is essential for students working the whole time, using materials correctly, and trying new experiences.

Also having students in small groups can help with social distancing and using materials that you may only have a limited amount on.

Click HERE for your free STEM Station Rotation Planning Guide.

STEM Station Blog Series:

Part 1: Why You Need a Station Rotation
Part 2: Tips for STEM Classroom Management During Stations (this post)
Part 3: Must-Have STEM Station Rotation Ideas

Classroom Management During Stations | #1 Teach Station Expectations

Be very explicit in expectations as to what will be accomplished at a station. The goal is to have students be independent during this time, so keep directions 1-3 steps.

Typically, I’ll host 4 stations that students will rotate through over the course of two days, 45 minute classes. When factoring in explaining the stations and clean-up in between, each station is around 15 minutes long. Students complete two stations a day.

If needed, post station expectations where it’s located. For example, when my primary students are using Bee-Bots, I have the expectations on how to use those near the station (after we go over them of course!).

Classroom Management During Stations | #2 Simple Materials

To help with the independence and clear expectations, keep station materials simple. Having limited items will help students get to work quicker as well as the clean up.

When using Osmos, I have the iPads set up, the app ready on the screen, and the corresponding pieces open and ready. It’s very clear for the students what materials they will need and which app they will be using to get started.

Classroom Management During Stations | #3 Kid-Accessible

Everything needed at the station should be kid-accessible. Unless it’s a teacher-led station, students should have easy access to all of the materials needed for the task.

Students shouldn’t be relying on the teacher to grab materials for the station time. This hinders independence.

Have a designated area in the room where all required materials are set up. If it’s not possible to leave materials out in between classes, have previous classes help set it up before they leave. Or often, I’ll add items to stations while the previous class is in their clean-up stations. Use that time wisely and creatively.

Classroom Management During Stations | #4 Use a timer

Use a timer that the class can see. It shouldn’t be a mystery for students how much time they have left to work. Especially for students who have a hard time with transitions.

Some students will want to keep working at their station and not switch. Having a visual timer can help all students prepare for the next steps and what they can accomplish in the given time frame.

My favorite timer is Classroom Screen. It’s free to use and there are other widgets that can be used on the screen in conjunction with the timer.

If students feel that there isn’t enough time at their station, consider repeating the stations again. Switch out some of the activities slightly, but keep the same format.

Classroom Management During Stations | #5 Keep track of kids

If you are teaching within a specials rotation, or even if stations are in your regular classroom, keeping track of where the kids are is super important.

Trust me.

Someone might be absent one day, get pulled for a group… really anything! Simply write the names of the kids in the group on the whiteboard or on a station rotation digital chart.

This will ease headache and arguing as to who completed what station.

Classroom Management During Stations | #6 Clean Up Completely Before Rotating

This step is one of the most important. Students need to clean up fully before rotating. I’ll tell students, “Clean up and stand at your clean station.”

I’ll walk around to each group and ensure all the materials are put away and correctly. This is also the time if students need to wipe down and clean pieces with cleaning wipes.

For younger students, here is the process I use:

Timer goes off
“Clean up and stand at your clean station.”
Students clean up, teacher walks around to stations to ensure things are being put away correctly
When cleaned, student stand at clean station
Teacher checks all stations one more time
All stations clean
Teacher says, “If you are at the Technology station, raise your hand!”
Students at station raise hand
Teacher says, “Please point to the Engineering station”
Students point, don’t move yet
Teacher says, “If you are at the Engineering station, raise your hand!”
Students point, don’t move yet
(Use same process for all stations) Once every student is pointing to next station, they will walk to new station

This may seem annoying at first, however, these explicit steps will help ensure materials are put back where they need to be. This also helps students learn to be respectful of the space and the tools at hand.

Classroom Management During Stations | 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!

More About the Author, 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!

Why You Need a Station Rotation in STEM

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 | #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.

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.

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

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!

More About the Author, 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!

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

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.

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:

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.

Hour of Code Activities | Kindergarten

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

Intro Video- Parts of a Computer by Brainpop Jr.
Student Practice- How to Make a Paper Tablet

Day 3: Device Coding

Intro Videos: How Does a Computer Work by SciShow Kids & What is a Computer? By Socratia Kids
Student Practice- (iPad) Hopster Coding Safari and/or (Computer/Online) Kodable

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

Intro Video: Computer Programming by Brainpop Jr.
Student Practice: Human Robot Coding & device coding from above

Hour of Code Activities | 1st Grade

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

Intro Video- Parts of a Computer by Brainpop Jr.
Student Practice- How to Make a Paper Tablet

Day 3: Device Coding

Intro Videos: How Does a Computer Work by SciShow Kids & What is a Computer? By Socratia Kids
Student Practice- (iPad) Bee-Bot Coding and/or (Computer/Online) Kodable

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

Intro Video: Computer Programming by Brainpop Jr.
Student Practice: Human Robot Coding & device coding from above

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

Intro Video: What Most Schools Don’t Teach & Computer Programming by BrainPop Jr.
Student Practice: (iPad/tablet) Scratch Jr. & (Online) Lightbot

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.

Hour of Code Activities | 3rd Grade

Day 1: Device Coding

Intro Video: The Hour of Code is Here
Student Practice: (Tablets or Computers) Minecraft Block Coding

Day 2 & 3: Device Coding & Coding Unplugged

Intro Videos: What Most Schools Don’t Teach & Computer Programming by BrainPop Jr.
Student Practice: (Tablets or Computers) Minecraft Block Coding & Coding Unplugged Donuts

Day 4 & 5: Device Coding & Coding Unplugged

Intro Video: Computational Thinking by Brainpop Jr. & Conditionals by BrainPop Jr.
Student Practice: (Tablets or Computers) Hour of Code Dance Party

Hour of Code Activities | 4th Grade

Day 1: Device Coding

Intro Video: The Hour of Code is Here
Student Practice: (Tablets or Computers) Scratch Block Coding: Imagine a World

Day 2 & 3: Device Coding & Coding Unplugged

Intro Videos: What Most Schools Don’t Teach & Computer Programming by BrainPop
Student Practice: (Tablets or Computers) Scratch Block Coding: Imagine a World & Coding Unplugged Donuts

Day 4 & 5: Device Coding & Coding Unplugged

Intro Videos: Computational Thinking by BrainPop & Loops by BrainPop
Student Practice: (Tablets or Computers) Scratch Block Coding: Imagine a World
On Scratch’s official website, there are more great tutorials to help students master this type of coding and challenges kids can complete. There are even coding cards to download and print.

Hour of Code Activities | 5th Grade

Day 1: Device Coding

Intro Video: The Hour of Code is Here
Student Practice: Makey Makey Introduction (explore insulators & conductors)

Day 2 & 3: Device Coding & Coding Unplugged

Intro Videos: What Most Schools Don’t Teach & Computer Programming by BrainPop
Student Practice: Connect Makey Makey & Scratch together. There are great starter projects on Makey Makey’s ‘Resources’ page.

Day 4 & 5: Device Coding & Coding Unplugged

Intro Videos: Computational Thinking by BrainPop & Variables by BrainPop
Student Practice: Continue practicing Makey Makey & Scratch together.

How to Use a Digital Interactive Notebook in the Classroom

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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!