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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
lWhen trying this with my K-5 STEM classes, I used:
There are 3 ways to try this coding challenge once the cards are printed out and laid out on a grid:
Teacher lays out the cards on the mat and students code the life cycle in order
Pair up students. Partner A lays the cards on the mat, Parter B codes in order. Then switch!
Same as above, but code the life cycle backwards.
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!
Integrate the theme of spiders in your literacy instruction! There are 3 interactive, foldable books for students to learn more about these arachnids.
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.
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!
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.
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
While this isn't a full comprehensive list, here are 10 Black Women in STEM your students should know. The world of STEM professions is very one-sided and geared towards a certain type of person. We need to provide our students to see heroes in STEM that represent their race, religion, and gender to help change that projection.
“While the numbers of minorities and women are growing, the workforce in STEM-related field remains predominantly white, 89 percent, and male, 72 percent…Over the last 25 years, these rates of participation in the STEM workforce represent a 67 percent increase for black and Hispanics, from 6.6 to 11 percent, and 24 percent increase for women, from 22.9 to 28.4 percent.”
For me, transitioning from being a former classroom teacher to a K-5 STEM teacher, this is an area I am growing at in my STEM space. As a white woman, I know that I have a one sided experience.
I took time to read, research and reflect. I found that there were a limited amount of diverse resource out there for students to connect to in STEM. So, I created one, and continuing to create; for my students and for yours.
Below are the 10 Black Women highlighted in this free resource. Don't feel like you need to copy & paste this all; I made this all pretty for you to print and share digitally, which you can find here!
Black Women in STEM #1: Aprille Ericsson-Jackson
Most Known for: Aerospace Engineer at NASA Goddard
Highlights about her:
Began working with robotics, then later worked on satellite design and other projects
Reaches out and speaks around the world and is passionate about more diversity within engineering roles
Has her Ph.D in mechanical engineering from Howard University & doctorate in engineering from NASA
Most known for: NASA Astronaut, teacher, physician & tech founder
Highlights about her:
First African-American woman in space; space shuttle Endeavor
Worked in the Peace Corps while teaching as a medical officer and researching
Has a college degree in chemical engineering, Afro and African -American studies (Stanford University) and a doctorate in medicine (Cornell University)
Most known for: Founder of online platform, NewMe Accelerator
Highlights about her:
Helps minority led companies raise funds to build their business capital
Involved with Kuyere!, a project that provides solar energy to homes in Africa
Has won many awards for her difference in technology & diversity
Resources for kids to learn more about her:
Use this YouTube Video Link to hear Angela talk about how and why she created her tech company, NewME and how she is helping with diversity disparity with minorities within technology
Has had many important scientific jobs including director of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service
Received degrees from North Carolina State University and American University
Has a PhD in paper science
Got a college scholarship in high-jumping to help pay for her college degree and three-time ACC track champion
Resources for kids to learn more about her:
This whole video is GREAT! And she is talking to kids but it’s long; to hear Chavonda talk about her story, play from 2:07-7:25
DIY paper Dash robot instructions that guide you through making a cute decoration for your class. The larger than life robot is a crowd pleaser and can be made at any time of the year.
Dash Robot Instructions
This robots is one of my most favorites to use with kids in my K-5 STEM classroom. It's durable, easy to code and can be integrated into any content. Check out more in detail what I think of Dash and other awesome robots that can be used in the classroom.
This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through the link, no extra cost to you, but I receive a kickback from purchases.
To make Dash, you'll need:
Teal poster board
Black poster board/construction paper
Bright orange poster board/construction paper
White poster board/construction paper
scissors
tape
pencil
3 bowls of various sizes (large, medium, small)
Dash Robot Instructions
First, using the largest bowl, trace 3 circles onto the teal poster board. Then, cut out the circles. I was able to get three on the same sheet, so play around with different bowls in your kitchen to find the perfect size.
There should be some teal poster board left. Cut off a corner to make a large triangle. This will go in the center of dash to connect all of the circle together.
To connect the circles, tape the triangle in the middle of the group. Flip Dash over so you can't see the tape and where everything is connected.
Next, using the medium bowl, trace one orange circle. Cut out.
Then, using a medium bowl, slightly smaller than the first, trace and cut out a white circle.
Finally, using the smallest bowl, trace and cut out a black circle.
Stack all of the circles that were traced and cut out, center and tape together. Tape on the top circle of the Dash outline to create its cute little face.
Finally, ddd the triangle embellishment underneath Dash's head. Like the center triangle, cut a corner off the black poster board to form a triangle. Next, cut a corner off the white poster board to create a smaller triangle.
Again, stack and tape these triangle right below Dash's head.
To secure all the pieces, add any additional tape on the back. If allowed, laminate your giant Dash so it can be used year after year without getting destroyed!
My paper Dash made its first appearance at our 5th grade parade. I taped him on the back of my car (along with my LEGO MiniFig creation, sorry no tutorials for her yet!) When school starts, Dash will fit perfectly in my K-5 classroom with my large bulletin board letters.
For the real robots in your classroom, these fun signs help teach students the rules when using robots during lessons. They also give the robots a “voice” while adding another fun decorating element to your classroom.
When teaching a STEM or technology lesson, what are the best robots for kids? Here is a list of recommendations by a current K-5 STEM teacher that are worth purchasing.
These robots aren’t listed in any particular order. However, all are favorites to use with 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.
Of course, these little guys are ADORABLE! These chunky robots are easy to manipulate and code. They are perfect for any elementary student who is just starting out with coding.
With Bee-Bots, students can visually see where the robot is headed with the arrow keys. To deepen coding knowledge, students can write the code with the arrow cards that come provided or even write on a whiteboard.
There are separate mats grids that can be purchased separately. They aren't cheap, but they are very durable as well and you can place any content cards underneath the plastic top to integrate any subject area with your coding. You could try creating your own!best
This robot doesn’t require a device to be coded and there aren’t any updates to manage. As a classroom teacher, this is the best starter robot.
I have 5 of these robots on deck in my classroom and they have been used by hundreds of students. In Kindergarten, I disguised them as The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Students rolled a dice with the food on it. They then had to code the “caterpillar” to the square that had the matching food. Even after the amount of use my Bee-Bots get, they still work beautifully.
Bee-Bot Additional App
Another added bonus, if you have access to iPads, there is a FREE iOS app that extends the learning with Bee-Bots. Again, this isn’t necessary for use with Bee-Bots.
Think of the Bee-Bot robot as the concrete representation of coding & the app is the abstract version. This is great to implement if stations are a part of your teaching; one group can work with the physical robots while another code on the app. You can even have a 3rd station where students use arrow coding cards and code their partner, the human robot. (You can grab this lesson here!)
The hardest part I’ve seen with the app is students understanding their left and right directions
This is Bee-Bot's older sibling. If you don’t have either one, Bee-Bot or Blue-Bot, I would recommend spending the extra money and going with Blue-Bot. This robot is the upgraded version and still doesn’t need a device like Bee-Bot.
What makes them a bit more “extra” is their ability to record sound and interact with other Blue-Bots. They also are clear so students can see the inner workings of the robot and spark their curiosity.
Best Robots for Kids #3: Dash
Robot Name: Dash
Price Range:
Type of Device Based Coding: Device required. Can be programmed with a tablet or computer
Again, these robots are super cute and durable as well. The best part is when they get plugged in after sitting uncharged for a while. They start talking your ear off and sound like the little aliens in Toy Story.
This is a product I definitely believe in. In fact, I am a Wonder League Ambassador (2019-2020, 2020-2021) #wondersquad Side note: I’m not getting paid to write this post. I just love these little robots so much!
This robot has many different apps to challenge students in a variety of ways in their coding journey.
If you are looking to host a STEM after school club, this robot is the way to go. You can create your own challenges, or use the challenges presented in the Wonder League Robotics Competition.
This competition is 100% free and your team has the option of uploading videos of completed challenges in action. However, that’s not necessary but having access to the challenges is wonderful.
When getting started, the Dash & Dot coding challenge cards are wonderful. I used these the first year my students ever used these robots. They are self paced and build off one another.
I only had two sets of cards, but a lot more kids than that! The cards are double sided so I took a picture of the front and back of two cards together. I then inserted all the images into a Google Slide and shared with students through Seesaw.
I had students code in partners; one robot and two iPads. One iPad was for coding the robot. The other iPad was logged into Seesaw where partnerships could swipe through the coding cards and also take video of their robot in action.
As a side note, Seesaw is one of my top favorite apps to use in the regular classroom as well as the STEM classroom. Seesaw is forever free, but you can get an extra month of Seesaw Plus by signing up with my link here.
Accessories
There is a wide variety of accessories that you can grab to enhance your experience with Dash.
If you are looking at cost and what to start with, the bulldozer is the best attachment to start with. Dash can kind-of push items without it, but it can cause other issues.
Here is another print file for a different bulldozer design. I haven’t tried them out quite yet, but I’m definitely going to print a set and see how it goes!
There is also an older sibling of Dash & Dot; Cue. This is for more advanced types of coding that some of your older students may be ready for. Having a couple of these on hand would be a great investment later down the road.
Best Robots for Kids #4: Dot
Robot Name: Dot
Price Range:Prices vary $80
Type of Device Based Coding: Device required. Can be programmed with a tablet or computer
Typical Age Range Used with: Kinder-2nd grades (but can be fun to interact with Dash in the older grades and extra challenges)
Most common question I get from my students, “Is Dot the head ripped off of Dash?”
The answer is “No” (with a side of laughing). You CAN take off the stand Dot sits on which makes him into a little ball.
This robot actually doesn’t move around on it’s own, unlike the robots described above. There are a variety of apps also available for Dot, just like Dash.
Dot and Dash can interact with one another, but you don’t need one without the other. If you are trying to decide between the two, go with Dash. There is more you can do with Dash cross-curricular lesson planning.
The coding cards that I mentioned using with Dash when first starting out with Dot is also a good fit. The challenge card sets are for Dot & Dash. They are labeled clearly as to which robot to try the challenge with.
On the Wonder app or in the Creativity Kit there are some fun games that can be played with Dot. These are great for whole group lessons for younger students. This can be a way to introduce different coding elements, a class incentive to earn or an indoor recess game.
Accessories & Apps
There aren’t as many accessories for Dot and most of them are costumes to make it look even cuter. The best accessory is the Building Brick connector which can be used with Dash as well.
Once your students have some coding experience, either with other robots or even coding online with Scratch your students can be successful with Sphero.
There are many different types of Sphero out there. I had the original Sphero first (the white ones) and they stopped charging and connecting to my devices. If you can afford newer ones, go with that option.
There are a few apps to choose from. I found that the Sphero Edu app worked best for a classroom setting and used “real” coding. It can be overwhelming at first for elementary student eyes, but with anything, start slow to go fast!
Lesson Ideas
Inside the Sphero Edu app, there are ideas to try. With my 5th grade students, we went through the Engineering Design Process (EDP) while learning about the Iditarod. Students were posed with the challenge: How can you create a sled that Sphero can pull through the Iditarod race?
After going through the (EDP) students came up with interesting designs which posed new challenges when coding. This lesson had high engagement and the 5th graders the following year asked if we could be doing “that sled lesson”.
Another lesson I taught in 4th grade with Sphero was snowflakes. Again, another Engineering Design Process challenge where we explored the science and math behind snowflakes. The coding involved a lot of angles and symmetry.
Additional Accessories
There are a few accessories to try with Sphero (listed above). However, when getting started with Sphero in the classroom, accessories aren’t necessary.
One accessories that is worth the investment are pool noodles. These can be used to block off various corners and exits for Sphero. There are moments when there is a bug in the code and Sphero will quickly roll away and hit something. The noodles will keep the robot safe from knicks and impacts.
If you have never tried integrating robotics, have a very limited budget and/or don’t work with a large amount of students during the week, this is a great robot to start with with younger students.
On the flip side, if you are the opposite to the above statements and have a larger budget, Bee-Bots or Blue-Bots are a better investment. They are pretty much the same concept when it comes to its directional coding buttons.
I have some Code and Go Mice in my classroom that were purchased prior to my hiring and they don’t get used very often. I have them on hand if there is an odd number of students when using the Bee-Bots. However, the wheels wear out quickly with a higher amount of use. Also, when the battery dies, you’ll need a small screwdriver on hand to take off the panel and replace them.
For my students who want a Bee-Bot at home, I actually recommend to them the Code and Go Mouse. Parents are more willing to spend its inexpensive price (in terms of a robot), and it doesn’t typically get as much use as it would in a classroom.
Type of Device Based Coding: Device required. Can be programmed with a tablet or computer
Typical Age Range Used with: 2nd-5th grade (If used every year, 4th and 5th might get tired of them)
Types of batteries: Consumable batteries. Can use rechargeable kind.
Additional {Optional Attachments}: Can purchase replacement parts or use other LEGO
Why I recommend them:
There is no doubt that most kids love LEGO. This kit is a great combination of building and coding. While the kits are expensive, they are extremely durable and have a familiar feel with kids. Of course, they can be used year after year if the pieces stay organized and separate from your LEGO mixed buckets.
If you are a classroom teacher, it would be worthwhile to get 12 sets for your entire grade level to rotate and share. If you are in the STEM or Technology classroom, these kits are HIGHLY recommended and worth the investment 100%.2-3 students working on a kit is the most successful option.
Lesson Ideas
The app comes with a wide variety of lessons and starter builds when working with this kit. With the time I have with students, I’ve done the beginning builds that are offered on the home screen for students. This is a great lesson all about following directions in order, collaboration and fixing mistakes when things don’t work the first time.
The app is designed for students to go through the building directions then adding in the coded elements. As of now, the coding isn’t super complicated and is block coding.
LEGO also has an annual competition that you can register for: First LEGO League Jr. There is the option to sign up to participate in a local competition. Upon registration, there is the option to purchase the WeDo 2.0 kit. These kits don’t need to be returned and are kept by the club leader.
When thinking about classroom supply budgets, this could be a great way to get the kits into your room for future use after hosting the club.
What I liked about this club is it was all written out for you as a leader and didn’t require extra planning. Make sure you have A LOT of club sessions; the building and collaborating is time consuming.
When I first walked into my K-5 STEM classroom, I was shocked by the limited amount of resources that were in my room for the younger students. There were Bee-Bots on hand, which is amazing, but I knew my brand-new Kinders needed a different jumping off point with robot coding. I also didn’t want them to tire from the Bee-Bots so quickly either.
Students attach different segments to the Code-a-Pillar’s main body. Once the student presses play on its back, the Code-a Pillar will read through the code and light up each section as it is being played out.
The 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
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.
#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!
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.
#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.
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.
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.
Are you in a new STEM position and overwhelmed by the thought of what you are going to do the first month of school in your STEM class? Keep it simple with these practical back to school ideas for how to teach STEM.
Tips & Tricks for how to teach STEM
When I was preparing for my first year teaching STEM, I had no idea what to teach either. I teach my specials rotation Wednesday-Friday for students K-5. I have 4 rotations with over 600 kids. So I basically see each class 3 times/month. You can see more in detail what my week is like by reading about it here.
Having the background in the general education classroom before teaching STEM helped me realize that a lot of the back to school stuff applied to my new space, just in a different way.
Here is what I did and it really helped me have a successful rest of the school year and I think that it will help you too!
How to Teach STEM: Classroom Rules & Expectations
Every classroom needs to have a clear management system so students can feel safe and be successful in your space. Even if you don't have the students all day, this definitely still applies in your classroom, if not more, since you have limited time!
If you're coming from a general ed classroom like me, ask yourself those same questions that students need to know:
How do you want students to come into your classroom? Where do you want students to sit when they first come into your classroom?
When students leave the room & for the restroom, what are the policies?
How should students respond and behave during a lesson?
What are your expectations during whole group, group work and partner work?
How much time are you going to allow for a mini-lesson, student work time, clean up & reflection? (I need to work on my reflection piece for sure!)
Where do students line up at the end of class?
Is there some type of class reward for good behavior? What about individual students?
Along with that, these have been my go-to classroom rules in my STEM classroom and they also work well in regular classrooms when students are handling technology.
Click on the image to grab these posters for your classroom!
Teaching specials again and just reviewing rules with the kids? Think of how to make it a game like this one; which team can put together the puzzle pieces of the classroom rules the quickest?
For specific projects, new rules & expectations often need to be introduced during the year. For example, during the first month of STEM, robots aren't typically introduced. However when they are brought out later in the year, additional rules need to be established to ensure the robots are cared for properly.
Classroom Materials
This one took me a few months to get the materials in places that made the most sense. Like I said, I teach K-5 and it will definitely take some trial and error to have a system that works for all grades.
For example, I thought having a bucket of crayons and scissors would work well with 1st grade. For some reason, this wasn't the best fit and there were a bunch of sharing issues.
As a solution, I came up with STEM Supply bucketswhich have the basic tools and student might need during a project. If they need the supplies, they can grab their own box. This really helped build independence with my students of all ages.
In turn if germs are an issue, think of having students bringing their supplies boxes with them. That can help limit the amount of hands touching all of the supplies during the day.
Individual essential supplies to complete STEM projects. (click on image to grab labels.)
When specific supplies aren't used all year, like robots, have a clear location to store and charge them. Also consider adding additional rules & expectations when using this tool.
Think about ways materials can be organized so students can get the tools that they need successfully without having to relying on the teacher constantly. I know baby ducks are super cute when they follow their mommies, but it's not super cute when students follow their teachers all around the classroom.
Teach students how they can get their supplies, and put them away, for each class time and also which ones might not be needed for certain times.
If there are a lot of pieces required for a specific task, consider taking pictures of what it should look like cleaned up. Pictures go a long way and it's a lot easier to explain rather than verbally.
Take pictures of how certain stations and materials should look when cleaned up. This will help students be successful.
Create a few spaces that are “teacher only”. My 2 places that are off limits to students is my table with my computer and my 2 storage cabinets. Otherwise, everything is available for kid-use!
Handling Technology & Passwords
I got really lucky and was fortunate enough to have a brand-new, renovated classroom to start my first year teaching STEM. The room before used to be a computer lab with desktop computers lining the walls. Those devices eventually got reassigned to other areas of the school building. There are a few laptops and iPads left in the classroom for various projects.
My classrooms 2nd-5th mainly use laptops for their projects. There are many times that I want students to bring their student device with them. I will schedule groups of emails to go out to my classroom teachers the week I have their class to let them know to have their students carry their student device to my room (with 2 hands of course) and/or roll down their class cart.
I actually don't keep passwords on hand. Quickly, students learned that if they didn't have theirs memorized yet, they kept a sticky note on their computer as a reminder of their credentials. For my younger students (K&1), I rarely need student passwords during STEM class. During co-teaching, that might be a different story which you can read about here.
This is an alternative option to charging classroom devices if your school is on a budget.
This is a system that has worked well in my building and has visually helped the students see that a lot of the work that we do in class isn't just “stuck” in the STEM classroom and can be completed in other locations in the building.
Digital Citizenship
Digital Citizenship should be taught all year long in any classroom setting. However, especially if it's your first year in your STEM position, digital citizenship is the perfect place to start the first month. This will help you gauge what your students know and don't know about the topic. I go more into detail on how I teach digital citizenship, which you can read here.
At the beginning of the school year, teachers are working hard to build up their classroom community and how all the students in the room can get along and be successful. You will be a huge help by doing different team challenges in your classroom as well the first month you have kids.
Not only will this help students get to know one another in new ways, it will help you get to know them as well! There are millions of ideas on Pinterest. Start a new board with STEM Challenges or youcan just follow mine here.
Fail Forward
We all know that the first month of school is crucial to help build the rest of the school year. Keep in mind though, it definitely won't be perfect.
Here are some fails my first month of teaching STEM.
I didn't know that school's wifi password and people kept asking me for it. Which makes sense since I'm the STEM teacher…
Half of my classroom walls weren't finished. They were temporary with an awkward door so I ended up making it a graffiti wall for students to sign when they were done with digital citizenship.
I had a first grader eat crayons the second day of class and spit them back in the group crayon bucket. I guess he already ate all his other crayons back in class…
A kindergartener wound up in the 5th grade hallway even though my classroom is directly across from hers.
I had these awesome fancy mats for students to sit on that sounded like pool noodles being slapped on wet concrete when they were put on the floor. Multiply this sound by 150…
In conclusion, what do you typically teach the first month of STEM? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!
Stop Motion is one of the oldest filming techniques and was viewed as magic of its time. Do you remember Gumby or A Year Without a Santa Claus? Both are examples of intricate stop motion.
So why try stop motion with your students?
It brings stationary objects & topics to life
You only need minimal tools
Teaches patience & problem solving
Even when I have done stop motion with my classes, they even think that their own work is magic as well! I even used paper as the only prop for filming. Students had to create a video to teach others about a given topic. Here is my favorite about the human heart. {No sound.} They took over 200 pictures with tiny movements to make this possible.
Below are some typical questions that I've been asked when getting started with Stop Motion.
What devices & software do you suggest to use with this resource?
I would start with iPads or an iPhone. However, the same app can be purchased for Mac & Windows. I use the Stop Motion Studio {Free & Paid iOS app}, however, this resource can apply to any other stop motion app that you might already have.
What if I only have a few devices in my classroom?
Limited supplies shouldn’t limit what you can do with kids. This can be a great opportunity to create stations in your classroom. I do this ALL the time with my STEM classes. I teach you a few others ways to make this happen successfully in your room?
I teach in a Gen Ed classroom, is Stop Motion for me?
Y.E.S., YES!!! Technology & STEM should not be limited to just in the “specials” class. This can honestly be used across all content areas.
Are there ways to differentiate?
Definitely. Partnerships help with differentiating A LOT! Often times, my students who struggle with regular classroom instruction thrive with using technology. I would encourage the use of pairs to help with typical problem solving issues as well. Again, using guided tech groups are a great way to meet student learning needs. I find that working with students with technology in smaller settings is highly successful.
What is the youngest that you can start stop motion?
I think that you can go as young as kindergarten, depending on the task. With explicit instructions, the use of guided tech groups, you can definitely use this with all ages. I WOULD NOT suggest whole group with really young students. They can sometimes become lost with multiple steps. Want more inspiration and guidance? Check out my Stop Motion 101 Resource.
With over 100+ pages of content, I have put together the ins-and-outs of this tech tool from the teacher's side, ways to implement in all content areas, detailed lesson plans, student resources, examples, vocabulary are more! Click here to download it for yourself! Stay marvelous! Naomi from Marvelous Ms. Meredith
During my first year as a STEM teacher, I lead a club weekly on Thursday for the entire year. I ran 6 different clubs, the last being a Makerspace Club. While planning this club, I kept my live for literacy and picture books in ming. In fact, My growing STEM & Stories collection integrates books and a corresponding STEM activity that works for multiple grade levels. Let's dive into how STEM is integrated after reading the story Not a Box by Antoinette Portis.
**All links are clickable to purchase through my affiliate link. No extra cost to you, but I get a little bonus if you purchase through it!** After reading the story Not a Box {or listening to it online on YouTube}, students will first plan how they will create a marble maze or game out of cardboard and limited materials. I did just a marble maze since I had limited time with my 1st-5th grader club {45 minutes} and they were able to listen to the story, plan and build. Their planning can be done either on paper or digitally.
They can also utilize the Design Thinking checklist to help them keep track of their progress along the way through this challenge. This is also helpful if you need to extend this activity into multiple days or even during different time blocks in one day.
Keeping their plan in mind, they can build their design and make modifications when needed to have their game work. The maze is the most simple of the two challenges; all you need are straws {bonus points if they are neon}, masking tape, marbles and cardboard. With a basic sized shipping box from Amazon, you can get 12 pieces from all the flaps and sides. I had 24 students in my club so two boxes was all that I needed.
Again, for a harder challenge that will most likely take longer, they can also create a different type of game using cardboard and materials of your choice. I have a couple of videos for inspiration that they can watch and reflect on before planning.
Once students' designs are built, I would encourage students to create rules to their games as well as gain peer feedback. This is of course, depending on the time you have for your challenge.
Of course, reflection is essential for continuing a growth mindset, and students can write, draw or even record using a tool like Seesaw, how the Design Thinking Process through this STEM activity worked for them.
My STEM students always get so proud of their creations and want to take their work home. For this challenge, I let them take their work home since they created it out of consumable items. The marbles were fairly inexpensive any way and I let them keep that as well. They were soooo excited about this! I even sent home this sheet {that you can get for free!} with other resources that will be helpful and continue to spark their cardboard creativity. Using Seesaw, I often have students take a video or photo of their work so they can continue that conversation at home with their families. Seesaw is always free. However, you can get bonus features with Seesaw Plus through my link.
This is a great STEM challenge that has so many possibilities depending on the amount of time you have, the age of your students and materials you use. You can grab all of the printable and digital student sheets, here. There is also a bonus anchor chart for taking clear photos of your work as a student guide.
How do you integrate STEM and literacy in engaging ways? Let me know and send me a message on Instagram @marvelousmsm
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The 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!
