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How is Science Used in STEM? [STEM in Action Series] [ep.166]

How is Science Used in STEM? [STEM in Action Series] [ep.166]

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Episode Summary

Have you been thinking of some ways to purposefully plan and add science into your STEM lessons? In today’s episode, we are continuing with our STEM into Action series, with me sharing my insights and some practical lessons that answer the question, “How is science used in STEM?”

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Standards to focus on for science lessons
  • Top Tools to Use
  • Lesson Ideas that use science as the main focus; project, station & 1 day lesson

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: 

What are some ways to purposefully plan and effectively add science into your STEM lessons? We are continuing our STEM in Action series, where we kicked it off with guest experts in the field to help connect different elements of STEM and really focus on what STEM means and can look like in different capacities. For the second half of the series, I will be sharing my insights and some practical lessons that you can implement in your classroom. The next four episodes will focus on each letter of STEM, and these will all connect together and give you some practical ideas that you are really going to enjoy.

Welcome to the Elementary STEM Coach Podcast, a show that will help you with lesson ideas, systems, and actionable tips to apply to your classroom. I am your host, Naomi Meredith, a former classroom teacher turned current STEM teacher and coach. With over a decade of experience teaching and a master's degree in STEM leadership, I am here to coach you throughout the year to help you gain back more time to create innovative experiences for your students.

Grab your earbuds and let's get started. At the time of this recording, we are right in the middle of summer. Maybe some of you have been on summer break for a little while, or maybe some of you are just starting. Wherever you are, I get it. I understand. June has been a very busy month for me again. You probably know where I was last time in June, and this year has been very busy as well. I understand the busyness and all the cool things that you can do in summer.

Having on-demand trainings can be extremely helpful. If you're on the go or traveling, one of my favorite things to do is listen to trainings on airplanes or while using cardio machines at the hotel. I understand, like I said, and so I have some on-the-go trainings for you that are perfect for summertime. You don't have to attend live, but they can really help support your STEM instruction.

I have my STEM Teacher 101 course. So if you are getting started in STEM and don't know where to begin and want someone to tell you what to do before you even set up all the lessons, I invite you to join my STEM Teacher 101 course. That is a great place to start.

If you're looking for strategies on specific lesson planning or maybe you're thinking, “Oh, I want to host my school-wide video news this year,” or “I would love to host a STEM career day,” I have some workshops for you. All of those workshops are two hours, come with tons of resources, and they were live at the time. So I did have teachers who were there for the live trainings, except the STEM Career Day is 100% on demand.

However, you can hear that interaction and get access to all those resources right there. And again, be on your way with what you are looking for. You can find all of that linked in the show notes, or if you even just head to my website, NaomiMeredith.com, you'll see tabs that go along with the things that I'm talking about. That’s a great way to spend some time with me this summer, even when you are on the go.

When you're thinking about implementing science, the format of these next four lessons is going to have the same structure. So you know what to listen for and what to really think about. We are going to be talking about standards—what standards should you use when thinking about that part of STEM. Today we are talking about science. Then I’m going to share my top tools that I love using when it relates to that letter in STEM. Finally, I will give you some lesson ideas that are mostly focused on science.

Of course, they encompass all sorts of things cross-curricular, which is how you should be planning anyway. I'm very big on that. That is going to be the structure for these episodes. When it comes to standards, when you are really focusing on the science part of STEM, your state most likely has some sort of science standards that you should be focusing on. I like to base my lessons on the NGSS, the Next Generation Science Standards. Those are more widely used nationwide. Here in Colorado, some standards are based on the NGSS, but I like to teach with the NGSS so it's more universal. However, you need to look at the standards specific to your state and what you should be teaching at that grade level.

In the last episode with Nicole Aschen, episode 165, we touched on this as well. If you are limited on time with teaching, which we all are, but a lot of you teach one-day lessons, why not make it more purposeful by bouncing off what classroom teachers are doing and teaching with those standards? I was spoiled at times where I had more time with kids, but I always planned with standards no matter what. I would just give it a STEM twist. I will be sharing some lessons with you, but just know that when I am planning lessons, I am always planning with standards. It's ingrained in my soul.

Make sure you check out your science standards. When it comes to the top tools, this is hard to pick my favorite, but I do have a few favorites when it comes to the science part of things. One of my favorite tools, and I always used these, and some of these might sound very random, but they are things that I liked having on hand.

I have a little set of 3D toys or models of the life cycle of a ladybug. That is something that would come up all the time. I used it as an example or a model for something to show kids when talking about insects or life cycles. Having that model was something I pulled out all the time. Likewise, having similar hands-on models is one of my favorite things to show. I even taught an in-person STEM class the other day at my local coffee shop, and I was so excited it was sold out.

We were talking about camouflage and how ocean animals, specifically octopuses, but then we started talking about other ocean animals. The kids were very engaged, so I brought in real coral and real seashells that I had found while traveling. I love having those tangible hands-on things where kids can see, touch, and look at them to make sense of what they’re learning. I’ve even had times when people have given me things, and you can't keep everything, of course, but I had a parent ask me if I wanted to hold on to a wasp nest for a while. All the wasps were gone, and that was such a cool experience for the kids to see it. Some of them were scared, but I assured them the wasps were gone.

I even did a segment on our school-wide video news where I interviewed the kid who brought it in. We put it on the news, and I answered all the questions I kept getting about it. Having those hands-on models are very, very important, and they can be used over and over again.

Along with that, with top tools, this kind of flows into everything as well. I love to travel. I don't know if you guys know that. Maybe you've seen it on my Instagram. If you follow me on Instagram at NaomiMeredith_underscore, you'll see I love to travel. When I travel, I'm always thinking about STEM. I can't get away from it. I take videos and pictures of things that I know my students would love, and I use these photos and pictures as talking points when I am chatting with kids. It’s a great way to get to know them, but I will show them, “Oh my gosh, I saw this while whale watching,” and explain how animals didn’t want to be camouflaged, they wanted to be showy. I show videos from that experience. When you’re traveling, or if you’re going to the zoo, take some extra photos or pictures that you know will connect to a lesson, and you can pull them out later. These might not be the types of science tools you thought of, but those are things I really love to use to enhance my lessons.

Okay, so on to those lesson ideas. Yes, STEM is all integrated, but we’re really thinking about how science is the main standard for this subject. For this series, when we talk about each letter of STEM, or the upcoming episodes, I will be sharing with you a project, a station, and a one-day lesson. Depending on how long you see kids or what you are looking for, this will give you some good ideas.

In terms of a project, the standards that I was looking at were in second grade and the NGSS. It was about how weathering and erosion can happen, and I focused on water erosion for this project. The project goes through the whole engineering design process. Students explore different ways and inventions that help with water erosion. It can be tricky, especially for third grade and younger, to find resources that help with the imagining and planning phases. I wrote short, kid-friendly articles with image examples and audio where kids can explore different inventions. From there, students plan their design using those ideas, combining what they have learned. They create an invention using maker space materials to try to either stop or slow down water erosion of the soil.

When I've done this with second grade, I've tried it a few ways. There are certain supplies they could use, or I've done a shopping method where students shop for supplies. If you're interested, go back and listen to episodes five and six about maker space, as I discuss the shopping piece. When we got to testing their designs, I tried different methods. One year, I had buckets of dirt and soil, probably potting soil, and students tested their designs in these buckets. It was December, so it was cold in Colorado. But when I did this lesson again in October, it was warmer, so we tested our designs outside. Testing inside was nice because the buckets of dirt could dry out and be ready for the next few weeks. But taking kids outside wasTesting inside was nice because the buckets of dirt could dry out and be ready for the next few weeks. But taking kids outside was fun too, as they had to adjust their designs and see how they worked with water. If you want to test this lesson indoors, I highly recommend using those buckets of dirt.

For a station lesson, this can be something used in rotations, especially if you have lower grades. I have a lot of robot extensions and use robots to integrate science concepts, specifically animal adaptations and how that translates into robots. You could start by reading “What if You Had Animal Eyes?” or “What if You Had Animal Hair?” which are very cute books and only take 10-15 minutes to read. Then, you could discuss how engineers get ideas from nature, called biomimicry. Following this, you could have different science stations with robotics extensions. One example is using Cubelets to have kids build different robots representing animal features, like eyes that can see or camouflage.

Another station example is using Bee-Bots to talk about habitats. You could have maps with different animal habitats, and students can program the Bee-Bot to go to different locations on the map. If you have older students, they could create the maps for the younger kids to use. There are many ways to connect robots with science concepts, and these are just a few examples.

Finally, for a one-day lesson, I love using littleBits to create inventions. One lesson idea is having students create a warning system for when their drink is too hot. They could use littleBits temperature sensors to create an invention that warns them when the drink is at a certain temperature. This can be tied to discussions about heat and temperature, making it a quick, engaging, and educational activity.

There you go! That was a lot of information, but I hope you found some new ideas and ways to integrate science into your STEM lessons. Remember, integrating science doesn't have to be complicated, and using standards as your foundation will ensure that your lessons are purposeful and impactful.

 

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

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

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

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

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

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

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

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

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Tips for STEM Classroom Management During Stations

Tips for STEM Classroom Management During Stations

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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:

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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!). 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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!

 

Other Blog Posts You Might Enjoy:

classroom-management

What questions do you have about starting STEM Stations in your room? 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!

Why You Need a Station Rotation in STEM

Why You Need a Station Rotation in STEM

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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:

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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!

STEM Activity for Elementary Students | Engineer Inspiration Boards

STEM Activity for Elementary Students | Engineer Inspiration Boards

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Need an easy STEM activity for Elementary Students? Check out these Engineer Inspiration Boards. These work best for younger students in grades K-2. With a one page format, students can use this board as inspiration to build various things that represent the theme represented. See how you can use these in your classroom in a variety of ways!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. When you purchase through my link, it’s no added cost to you and I get a little kickback in return. Win-win!

STEM Activity for Elementary Students | What are they?

These one page boards are meant to be a way to inspire students to be creative and imagine new solutions to design the images shown. A variety of themes are available to provide students new inspiration year round. There are not step-by-step directions to tell students how to build each one. It's inspiration!

The boards come in a few different formats:

  • PDF [Color and Black & White} Full size, half size and quarter-page size
  • Google Slide
  • Powerpoint
  • JPGs Directions for creating a Seesaw activity are also included

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STEM Activity for Elementary Students | How Should I Use These?

Before jumping into building, have students thoughtfully plan by drawing and how they are going to create their design & write down the materials they are going to use. After they have built their first creation, challenge students to improve their design with the suggestion checklist.

Likewise, they don’t have to try all of the suggestions, but they are more than welcome to! Then have students share their work on the sharing page by either placing their design on up of the page, drawing their page or inserting a picture digitally.

 

Here are some ways these Engineer Inspiration boards can be used in your classroom:

  • Create a book of the Engineer Inspiration boards you collect and leave them as a station in your classroom.
  • Have hands-on homework weeks where you assign an Engineer Inspiration Board along with the planning pages
  • For a class reward or warm-up, display the Engineer Inspiration board on the big screen in your classroom and set a timer for students to create what they can in that time frame.
  • Need a quick sub plan idea? Print out these boards, place the planning pages in page protectors and leave out materials you want students to build with while you are away.
  • Use the Engineer Inspiration Boards during a station at a class party. Parties can still be fun and have an educational component! 

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STEM Activity for Elementary Students | What Should Kids Build With?

These mats are designed to be used with an endless amount of supplies. Whatever you have in your classroom or at home, kids can create with it! Click here to get my go-to STEM supply list!

Here are a few ideas below to inspire you. 

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STEM Activity for Elementary Students | What Other Teachers are Saying…

Teachers around the world love using these Engineer Inspiration Boards in their classrooms! Here is what they are saying.

“These are absolutely AMAZING! We use these boards early on for STEM Fridays. I would have students choose one thing from the first row, then the next week from the second row and so on. I was blown away by what my students came up with, and what clever materials they used! I had a student build one of the items using their dirty clothes from their hamper! (HA!)” -Livin' the Third Grade Dream

 

“I used these activities as part of the students asynchronous work. They are loving creating the different things on the board!” -Brittany S.

 

“A wonderful extension activity and easy to use!” -Dominee K.

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STEM Activity for Elementary Students | Where can I Get Them?

Each board can be bought individually and also in a bundled set. Want to try one before you buy? Click HERE for a Space Themed Board for your class!

All individual boards and bundles can be purchased here from my shop. 

Other blog posts you might enjoy:

 stem-activity-for-elementary-students

stem-activity-for-elementary-students

What questions do you have about these boards? 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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5 Snow STEM Activities

5 Snow STEM Activities

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Looking for a winter themed STEM lesson? Check out these 5 Snow STEM activities that you can implement into your classroom. There is a variety from robot coding to quick hands-on activities. These lessons can be taught in whole group settings or within a station rotation model.

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.

 

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

Snow STEM Activities  | Watch the recording down below:

Snow STEM Activities  | Sphero Snowflakes

A lesson that's been popular with 4th grade is Sphero Snowflakes. Using the Engineering Design Process, we explored the science and math behind snowflakes. Students plan their snowflake design using graph paper, then build on the floor using masking tape. The coding of Sphero involves a lot of angles and symmetry, which snowflakes have that in their design.

Click here to grab this lesson for your class!

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Snow STEM Activities  | Snowman States of Matter

Learn about the 3 states of matter & how to build the best snowman. Build your own snowman and use the corresponding states of matter activity and measurement activity.

Students will model what each of the states of matter are, according to a snowman.

For the next challenge, students will build a snowman as tall as they can and use different tools to measure their creation.

This is perfect for a station that students might rotate to throughout the week or even during a class party. The must-have material needed before getting started is playdough of some kind.

Click here to grab this for your class! 

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Snow STEM Activities  | Winter Animal Migration

In this lesson, students learn about some animals that migrate in the winter time, why they migrate and where they go. I've typically taught this lesson to 2nd graders. Students will watch video clips and read various resources to research more about the animal of their choice from the list; walruses, salmon, sea turtles and monarch butterflies.

After taking notes, students will experiment and understand how the Ozobot robot works. Then, they will receive a map that corresponds with the animal they chose. Finally, they will code the winter migration path for their Ozobot animal.

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Snow STEM Activities  | Winter Olympics

This lesson also involves the Ozobot robot. Students will learn about some of the history of the Winter Olympics and where it's been held. This lesson I've typically taught 3rd graders and it doesn't have to be only taught during Olympic years. After researching about different Olympic years, students will find each location on a map.

Again, these students will also experiment with the Ozobot to understand how its coding system works. They will then code their Ozobot to travel to each Olympic location on a map in order of when it happened in history.

Snow STEM Activities  | Igloo Building

For a quick, one day lesson with minimal materials, igloo building works well with younger students. Before building, we watched the video How Does an Igloo Keep You Warm? by Thinking Captain .

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Using various blocks you may have on hand, students can build an igloo design. Some students wanted to ensure their design was circular and used recycled plastic tops from our Makerspace to build around.

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Other blog posts you might enjoy:

snow-stem-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!

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STEM & Technology Holiday Gift Guide for Kids 2020

STEM & Technology Holiday Gift Guide for Kids 2020

STEM & Technology Holiday Gift Guide for Kids

The ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for kids! This is to help you decide on which STEM and Technology gifts you should keep an eye out for your classroom or even your own children. Each item is paired with a resource from my shop that can implement in your classroom right away.

These are tools that I've used in my K-5 STEM classroom as well as a few others that are on my wishlist. Below each image are the clickable links to each of the resources.

 

Want a magazine-style of this guide? Click here to get the FREE downloadable version you can flip through.

 

Amazon Affiliate links are included in this guide. When you purchase through my link, there is no extra cost to you, but I receive a small commission in return.

5 STEM Gifts for Kids You Need in Your Classroom | Watch the recording down below:

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.

holiday-gift-guide-for-kids

Science | Holiday Gift Guide for Kids

1 // Human Body Model Torso Kit & Human Heart Digital Interactive Notebook

2 // National Geographic Hobby Rock Tumbler Kit & Rocks & Minerals Reading Comprehension Worksheets

3 // National Geographic Mega Fossil Dig Kit & Fossils Reading Comprehension Worksheets

4 // Talking Microscope for Kids featuring Bindi Irwin & Life Cycle of a Spider | Robot Coding & Unplugged

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Technology | Holiday Gift Guides

1 // Makey Makey & All About Donuts | Unplugged Coding Activity 

2 // Osmo Genius Starter Kit & Digital Math Manipulative Bundle 

3 // Touchscreen Chromebook & Getting to Know Google Tools Scavenger Hunts

4 // Blue Yeti USB Microphone & Video Recording in the Classroom | Printable & Digital Posters

 

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Engineering | Holiday Gift Guides

1 // Marble Genius Marble Run & How to Make a Cardboard Marble Maze

2 // Brain Blox Wooden Blocks & After the Fall Book Activities

3 // LEGO Bricks Basics & Monthly STEM Activities Bundle | Engineer Inspiration

4 // Straw Connectors & How to Make a Cardboard Airplane

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Art | Holiday Gift Guides

1 // 3D Doodle Pen & Themes Bundle | Engineer Inspiration Boards

2 // Holographic Wrapping Paper & Gift Wrap STEM Challenge

3 // Pipe Cleaners/Chenille Straws & STEM and Stories: Ten on the Sled

4 // Assorted Playdoh & Snowmen Playdough STEM Station

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Math | Holiday Gift Guides

1 // Plugo Count Math STEM Game & Digital Unifix Cubes

2 // Geoboard & Toothpick Snowflakes STEM Station

3 // Wooden Tangrams and Pattern Blocks & Cardboard Maze STEM Station

4 // Visual Countdown Timer & Cardboard Wall Maze

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Robots | Holiday Gift Guides

1 // Sphero Bolt & Sphero Sleds STEM Challenge

2 // Dash Robot & Snowman Robot Coding

3// Ozobot Starter Kit & Animal Winter Migration Ozobot STEM Challenge

4// Bee-Bot & STEM and Stories: Very Hungry Caterpillar 

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Makerspace | Holiday Gift Guides

1 // Magnatiles & All About Magnets | Beekle Lesson Plan 

2 // Crayola Modeling Clay & Stop Motion Animation for Kids | Basics for the Elementary Classroom

3 // Elmer's Celebration Slime Kit & Engineering Design and Kid-Safe Slime

4 // Jumbo Colored Popsicle Sticks & Pumpkin Bridge STEM Challenge 

Other Blog Posts You Might Enjoy:

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What's on your holiday list this year?  Feel free to direct message me or tag me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

 

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Winter STEM Activities Kids Will Love

Winter STEM Activities Kids Will Love

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Try these Winter STEM Activities in your classroom that the kids will love. Make the chilly days feel warmer by sparking creativity. There are a variety of low-prep, hands-on activities to try.

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.

Here are the key takeaways from this episode:

Winter STEM Activities  | Watch the recording down below:

Sphero Sleds

A Sphero Lesson Plan where students go through the Engineering Design Process. A lesson where students create a sled for Sphero and code to pull it through the Iditarod Dog Race!

Throughout this challenge, students will learn about sled design and apply that to their work. While coding through the race, the use of angles and sped will help determine if Sphero can successfully travel through the maze.

Click here to grab this lesson for your class! 

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Gift Wrap STEM Challenge

STEM activity with student Engineering Design Process printables & digital pages to help determine the most effective method for wrapping a gift. An area and perimeter activity that can be used year round.

Using the 3 videos provided, students are to pick one of the wrapping methods shown. Then, they actually wrap the gift with the method.

Afterwards, students will unwrap the gift and count how much tape was used, and the area and perimeter of the paper on the box. Encourage students to write on the wrapping paper to show their work.

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Once students calculate their wrapping paper numbers, have students compare their results to determine which wrapping method might be best. There will be a lot of debate on this topic!

I found packs of smaller boxes at the Dollar Store for kids to wrap so that all the boxes were the same size. I had wrapping paper I bought on sale from the previous year. Or even asking for donations would be an alternative to get more wrapping paper for this challenge.

Click here to grab this lesson for your class! 


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Playdough Snowmen | 3 States of Matter & Measurement

Learn about the 3 states of matter & how to build the best snowman. Build your own snowman and use the corresponding states of matter activity and measurement activity.

Students will model what each of the states of matter are, according to a snowman.

For the next challenge, students will build a snowman as tall as they can and use different tools to measure their creation.

This is perfect for a station that students might rotate to throughout the week or even during a class party. The must-have material needed before getting started is playdough of some kind.

Click here to grab this for your class! 

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Toothpick Snowflakes | Angles & Symmetry

There is a lot of science behind how snowflakes are made in nature. Learn how snowflakes are made, build a snowflake with toothpicks and solve math problems by using your design!

After planning and building their snowflake design, students will modify their work and record the following math observations:

  • intersecting lines
  • acute angles
  • obtuse angles
  • right angles
  • straight angles
  • perpendicular lines
  • parallel lines
  • lines of symmetry

This lesson works well either whole group or as a math station that students travel to throughout the week.

Click here to grab this lesson for your class! 

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Ten on the Sled | STEM & Stories

STEM activity with student Engineering Design Process printables & digital pages to accompany the book Ten on the Sled by Kim Norman. A Winter STEM activity for Kindergarten, 1st, & 2nd grades.

Connecting STEM & literacy is a great ways to boost students' reading comprehension by helping them remember the story.

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After listening to the story, students will watch a video about sled design to inspire their creations. Next, students will build their sled that needs to fit all ten animals out of popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners and straws. I didn't use tape to add an extra challenge and encourage kids to think about their materials in a way they haven't before.

For the animals, I printed out the included images and had kids cut and tape them onto unifix cubes or LEGO pieces. This allows the animals to stand up on the sled.

Click here to grab this lesson for your class! 

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Other Blog Posts You Might Enjoy: 

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

 

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Spider STEM Activities & Technology Lessons

Spider STEM Activities & Technology Lessons

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Add a little bit of spookiness with these spider STEM activities. These lessons not only compliment fall lesson plans, but even units that correlate with other creepy, crawling units. Check out these variety of ideas to add into your classroom!

*There are Amazon affiliate links in this post. When you purchase through my link, no extra cost to you but I get a kick-back in return. Thank you for your support! 

 

Spider STEM Activities #1: Spider Pulleys

Help students learn about structure and design by building a pulley to pull the spider up the web.

Students will go through the Engineering Design Process to accomplish this challenge.

spider-stem-activitieslWhen trying this with my K-5 STEM classes, I used:

Click here to get this challenge for your class!

 

Spider STEM Activities #2: Spider Life Cycle Coding

Teaching the life cycle of living objects is always fascinating. Why not make it even more fun by adding in an element of coding?

Help student solidify their new vocabulary by coding the life cycle of a spider by using robots.

Not sure which robots to use? Check out my robot recommendation list here!

There are 3 ways to try this coding challenge once the cards are printed out and laid out on a grid:

  1. Teacher lays out the cards on the mat and students code the life cycle in order
  2. Pair up students. Partner A lays the cards on the mat, Parter B codes in order. Then switch!
  3. Same as above, but code the life cycle backwards.
  4. Print & create the dice included ahead of time. Roll the dice and students code the robot to that location. Try adding in two dice for an extra challenge!

Click here to get this challenge for your class!

 

Spider STEM Activities #3: Spider Science Foldable Books

Integrate the theme of spiders in your literacy instruction! There are 3 interactive, foldable books for students to learn more about these arachnids.

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  • The Spider Life Cycle
  • What is a Spider?
  • Fun Spider Facts

As students read, they will have a task on each page to help solidify their comprehension and vocabulary development. There are digital options as well, including pre-made Seesaw Activities, that can make using this lesson even easier.

I even added audio for every page to help support students and while learning new vocabulary.

Click here to get this lesson for your class! 

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Spider STEM Activities #4: Spider Digital Interactive Notebook

Help students’ build their online literacy skills by trying a digital interactive notebook for the week. I typically use these with 3rd grade and up since these types of lessons have a lot of multi-step directions.

Students will learn and respond about spiders from a variety of resources. All of the sources are linked within the entire notebook. No need to search for resources on your own!

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Tasks include:

  • Before exploration reflection
  • Vocabulary
  • Videos
  • Photograph Observations
  • Individual Articles
  • Paired Selections & Comparison
  • Reading & labeling a Diagram
  • Map & Noticings
  • Podcast & Reflection
  • Digital Creation

Click here to get this lesson for your class!

 

Spider STEM Activities #5: Halloween Engineer Inspiration Board

Enhance your STEM & Makerspace stations with this student Engineer Inspiration Board. Use this board to inspire young engineers to build various things that represent Halloween.

Using any materials on hand, students have the opportunity to build:

  • cauldron
  • monster
  • candy
  • spider
  • candy bucket
  • ghost
  • witch hat
  • haunted house
  • pumpkin

 

This is a way to inspire students to be creative and imagine new solutions to design these items. Step-by-step directions are not included to tell students how to build each one.

As a bonus, planning, improving and sharing pages are included to help introduce the Engineering Design Process.

Click here to grab this challenge for your class!

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Other blog posts you might be interested in:

Fall STEM Activities by Innovative Teacher Podcast

Pumpkin STEM Activities & Technology Lessons by Naomi Meredith

Best Robots for Kids for STEM & Technology Lessons by Naomi Meredith

How to Use a Digital Interactive Notebook in the Classroom by Naomi Meredith

 

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Have you tried spider themed activities your classroom? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

Back to School STEM Activities Shopping Guide

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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: 

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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!

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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.

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#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!