STEMTech Co. Navigators are teacher representatives for Naomi Meredith’s brand. These educators are here to help other teachers all over the world navigate STEM & Technology in their K-5 classrooms. They have the opportunity to implement and use STEM and technology lessons sent monthly, created by Naomi Meredith.
To learn more about this program and to apply, click here.
In this post, we will learn more about fellow Navigator, Binal Kamdar; a Computer Engineer by education & founder of ‘TeachSTEAM Hands-on Education’.
This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through the link, no extra cost to you, but I receive a kickback from purchases.
How many years have you been teaching?
20 years. I have been developing content for children aged 3-13 years & training teachers to promote hands-on education & learning through play since 2005. I am also one of the first certified Six Bricks Facilitators of India.
I have also facilitated as a coach for the robotics competitions like World Robot Olympiad (WRO), FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) & FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) for over a decade & coached more than 45 teams successfully & marked many national & international achievements.
State/City/Country You're Currently Teaching In
India
What are your top 5 favorite STEM and/or Tech tools?
4. Stud.io – a software to build, render & create building instructions for LEGO models
5. Google Doc, Sheet, Slides
How did you become interested in STEM & Technology in relation to teaching?
Being a science & math student, I always connected them with things around us. Conceptually, STEM didn't exist back then.
As I began my career as a computer educator in 2001, I began to teach & apply software tools to strengthen Science & Technology. I used to design programs like Planet World to teach solar systems through Microsoft Word. Another program was Jungle Safari to teach animal science through Microsoft PowerPoint for children aged 5-15.
I came to know about LEGO Education in 2005. Since then, I found the perfect tool to connect understanding with application to reinforce STEM.
What do you love most about integrating/teaching STEM & Technology? What are some positive changes you have seen in your students and/or school?
Integrating STEM & Technology brings understanding about how things work in the real world. Each & every concept taught with this combination comes clear & lasts longer.
Some positive changes:
1. Children become life-long learners
2. Better at problem-solving/critical thinking
3. Inquisitive & observant with scientific inquiries
What is a project or lesson that you've seen be very successful in your classroom that you think other teachers might be interested in?
Story Sequence & Depth Perception with Six Bricks
Coding with Bricks to teach Encryption and Navigation
Winter Holidays around the world is always such an interesting topic for the classroom. It's a great way to “travel the world” with students and be mindful of ways other people celebrate. Sometimes finding meaningful resources to use can take up a lot of time. I totally understand!
Luckily, I enjoy the challenge of finding digital resources. I've put together some websites to check out when teaching this topic that will save you searching time!
Winter Holidays Around the World | National Geographic Kids
National Geographic Kids is one of my top 5 favorite websites for kids research. This is a resource I've been using since my first year of teaching and it's constantly being updated. It's bright, engaging, and easy to understand.
They've put together an article that gives a nice summary of major winter holidays around the world. This would be a great starting place for a lesson.
Epic! Books is again in my top 5 favorite websites. I love it so much, that I am an Ambassador for them. (I don't get paid to say this, this is a resource that I absolutely adore). This is a free for teacher's website, once they sign up using their school email account.
If you are teaching your own children at home, you can still grab an account for a small monthly fee. Really, it adds up to about two fancy coffees, which is definitely worth the cost. If I had to pay for Epic!, I would!
This online library has eBooks, audio books, read-to-me and kid-safe videos not connected to YouTube. I became obsessed when I was a 3rd grade teacher, and the obsession hasn't stopped!
They have a large selection of winter holidays around the world. Their collection changes quite often, so check out what they currently have to offer.
Winter Holidays Around the World | Scholastic Website
Scholastic also has a great starting place website where there is an overview of most major holidays. There are a few free printables as well that might be helpful for some lessons as well. Again, this is another good trusted website that can be useful when planning this lesson.
Unplugged Coding activities can work great for synchronous learning during remote teaching. Whether you are celebrating the Hour of Code or introducing coding to your class, check out these suggestions for your next unit.
Come and join in on the fun on Facebook, or watch the recording of this episode.
Unplugged Coding Activities | Watch the recording down below:
Here are the key takeaways from this episode:
Unplugged Coding Activities | What are they?
Unplugged coding activity that can be done without the computer. Students still practice computational thinking and ordering tasks sequentially with these device-free tasks. These types of activities work well for stations, when device access is limited, or even for sub plans.
Code.org have a great variety of unplugged coding activities to choose from. Of course, I'll be suggesting some of my favorites as well down below.
Unplugged Coding Activities | Human Robot Station
STEM Stations are a great way to encourage creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. With the tools that I created for you, it should save you time with prep and give you more time to provide an awesome experience for your kids.
For this station, students practice being the programmer and the robot with this hands-on, get-your-body moving STEM lesson. When first getting started, I'll model this as a whole class; the teacher is the programmer and the students are the little robots.
Hold up each different type of card and model what the action looks like. For example, when the forward arrow is shown, step forward. After students are comfortable with each movement, gradually add on more cards to create a line of code.
Once the kids understand the process, choose a student to be the programmer while the rest of the class (including the teacher) are the robots. Wheel of Names is a great name picking tool, which you can read more about that in my blog post here.
Students can write the directions on a piece of paper and hold up the camera, say the commands, or even use the virtual whiteboard within the meeting, like Zoom has. Eventually, split students up into virtual breakout rooms. Explain that each student will eventually have the role of being the programmer or the robots.
I've used Google CS First's coding curriculum a lot during my after-school clubs. It's a wonderful resource! They have also come out with a coding unplugged resource which is a great asset as well.
There are lesson ideas to try and printable. Some of the printable activities I can envision being shared within a platform like Seesaw.
This activity I've done as a station during in-person, Hour of Code. 3rd-5th graders were the most successful with this task since there are a lot of steps. All students need are 10 (plastic) cups which most students have. If students don't have cups at home, they can cut out 10 small pieces of paper that can be stacked flat on the table instead.
The teacher will help create the common vocabulary for this lesson and where to place cups in their proper location. I've had students draw a grid in the past to help visually see each step. For example, box 1 is step 1, the line is step 2, box 2 is step 3 and so on.
Also, the arrow vocabulary is introduced. Right, left, up, down. So, if a student wants to move a cup to the second box, their code would be: up arrow, right arrow, right arrow.
Next, the picture of how the cups should be stacked is shown. Students can use their own cups as a guide to help them write the code.
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.
Stock up during Amazon Prime Day 2020 on your favorite STEM & technology tools to add to your classroom. This is also a great way to grab presents for the special kids in your life before the holiday rush starts.
Below are some great deals and resources I recommend:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. #ad
Prime Day 2020: 3D Doodle Pen
Don't have a 3D printer in your classroom? Having a 3D pen station is a great start. The pen works just like how the extruder of a 3D printer works. Students can understand the concept of 3D printing by creating layers (like icing a cake) to create their design.
Prime Day 2020: Playdoh
Stock up! Especially when sharing is limited in classrooms during this time, this is a great time to add to your Playdoh collection.
Prime Day 2020: Osmo Coding Starter kit
Have students interact with coding in a hands on way. All you need is an iPad and these attachments. There is a Kindle Fire version as well for a different price.
Add a new robot friend to your classroom. Perfect for students who are learning the basics of coding. This is a device-free robot; not external tablet or computer needed.
During one of my birthdays during college, as I was pursuing my teaching degree, my mom bought me a personal laminator. I still have it to this day! The quality of the smaller sheets is a lot sturdier than the school laminating. Perfect for keeping your STEM station materials sturdy after many uses.
Small Plastic Drawer Storage
Organize unique pieces that are small in the STEM classroom: batteries, extra LEGO parts, 3D printer tools. Know exactly where these items are at all times.
Video recording in the classroom doesn’t have to be stressful as a teacher. In fact, this is your moment to shine as a budding YouTube star! When creating videos for your students, you’re providing opportunities to listen and learn from you as often as they would like. In fact, it extends your reach even more as you can be in two places at once.
Through my years of recording videos for my students, both teachers and children, here are my top tips to easily create high-quality videos that are engaging and useful.
#1 Video Recording in the Classroom: Easy-to-Use Platforms
Complicated software isn’t needed to create great videos. As long as you have a cell phone and an embedded web cam in your laptop, that’s all you need to get started! Other tools will be mentioned later to adding to creation, but not entirely necessary.
My go-to tools for video creating are:
Video Camera App on my iPhone: That’s right! Use the tool you already have on hand! The video quality is great. I’ll use a phone holder, like this one, to keep the camera steady.
Google Chrome extension that allows recording the screen, screen & face at the same time, and just face. All videos are saved automatically to your connecting Google Drive account.
iPad app that allows adding in own content and recording voice on top. Also record the process of writing and solving problems. Great for showing mentor examples and solving problems. All videos are saved within the cloud service of your choice.
Web-based video editing software. There is an app as well. Easily combine videos and layer text, audio and images. There are also screen recording and green screen capabilities as well.
#2 Write an Outline
Whenever I try to start recording off the top of my head, I always forget something and mess up. Which then results in more time spent re-recording content.
Before recording, create an outline of the topics you want to cover in the video. This can be as detailed as you want, especially when first getting started with video recording in the classroom.
Having an outline will help guide your thinking and also keep the video moving along.
#3 Chunk Content
Shorter videos are better. In fact, according to Panopto, best video engagement is between 2-5 minutes.
Think of them like quick mini lessons. Target exactly what you want to say in smaller chunks. This can lead into a video series that students can work through. Having a collection of shorter videos helps with differentiation and having segments that connect directly to a student’s needs.
In fact, recording shorter videos is so much easier to make than longer videos. If you mess up, it’s easier to re-do rather than sift through 30 minutes of content.
#4 Batch Record
After creating a sequence of videos you want to create along with their outlines, batch record in one setting. This will allow your brain to focus on the content during that setting.
This doesn’t mean you need to edit during this same time; this can be saved for another time.
If recording your face, I like to switch my shirt for each video segment. This helps when I am editing and assigning videos since they will look visually different at first glance.
#5 Video Recording in the Classroom: Great Lighting & Sound
There are a lot of things that can be fixed when creating videos, but bad lighting is a hard one to undo.
Use as much natural light as possible. When recording your face, facing a window is super helpful!
If recording your hands, small ring lights can help add more exposure into the space.
Increasing audio quality is also helpful for your videos. When recording on my phone, I’ll wear my Airpods to enhance the sound. While on my computer, this simple external microphone works well. For more of an investment, I’ve had great success with this Yeti.
These tips will not only help you when recording videos for your classroom, but also your students. Check out my video tips that I use in my K-5 classroom to help with their video quality as well.
Teaching in a Socially Distanced Classroom: STEM Edition
When I started teaching in 2012, I never imagined that I would be teaching in a socially distanced classroom. Nothing in college could prepare you for this.
It’s actually not as bad as you would think. But, there are some realizations I had when experiencing this for the first time with my K-5 STEM students.
Teaching in a Socially Distanced Classroom: #1 Teaching with a mask is hard
It’s hot, it’s sweaty. You feel like you are either eating your mask, shouting or both. Grabbing groceries with a mask and teaching with a mask are two entirely different experiences.
Thought you had it down with transitions in your classroom? Throw in some social distancing and you’re starting from scratch.
Students can still take responsibility for cleaning up materials. Just stagger their movements in the room. Meanwhile, when students enter the space and while they are cleaning up, create a learning opportunity.
As students enter the room, I show one of the slides for them to read and interact with. We’ll chat about it for a minute, then move on to the main lesson.
At the end of class while cleaning, I’ll play the corresponding video to solidify their new STEM knowledge. This kept students actively engaged and on task during this transition time.
On the first day, instead of a STEM warm-up, I shared more information about me and my interests in STEM. This is from one of my ‘Getting to Know You activities, which you can grab by clicking the picture.
#3 Have assigned seats & clear boundaries
Flexible seating is abundant in my classroom. However, it’s fairly difficult to use in my space during this time, especially with 100+ kids filtering through my K-5 STEM classes throughout the day.
The tables and chairs were pushed to the perimeter, which left a large open space for students to work. From there, I marked boundaries (which we call the ‘Maker Box’), for students to work in during their STEM challenges.
Younger students have a harder time staying socially distant and not sharing materials. Thus, having clear boundaries helps immensely.
Also numbering spots and having students sit in assigned spots helps as well. For Kindergarten & 1st grade, I used shapes instead of numbers to help them be more successful.
#4 Be Creative with materials
The lessons you’ve taught in the past might not look the same this year. THAT’S OK!
This is an opportunity to shift the way the lesson looked like when it was “normal” and might actually make it work out better.
Help students self regulate independence during work time. Students place a different colored cube in their cup to signify where they are at; Blue= “I'm Good!”, Yellow= “I have a question, but I can keep working.”, Red= “I need help!”
When planning, try creating lessons that can easily be shifted to remote learning at a moment’s notice. This will save less headache later and help you be prepared in the long run.
Need a sample lesson plan template? We have a template to visually see the difference between a typical lesson, social distanced and remote learning version all in the same place.
You won’t have it perfect the first time. Perfect doesn’t exist anyway, so that takes some pressure off your plate!
Of course, you are going to try your best to make it right. You will work hard to help the children continue to love school, love learning, and feel loved.
Some routines that were rehearsed in your head might play out differently when kids are in action.
It’s going to be hard and different. However, the kids will do SURPRISINGLY better than you might think.
If you’re teaching in-person during this pandemic, air-hugs your way. You, teacher, are needed more than ever.
By now, you’ve all heard of growth mindset but how does this relate to the STEM and technology setting? One million percent A LOT! In fact, here are 8 quotes for growth mindset to promote during your next STEM challenge.
There are Amazon affiliate links in this post. When you purchase through my link, it's no extra cost to you but I get a kick back in return.
Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset
Before we dive into how this connects to STEM, let’s get some definitions. What is a fixed mindset? What is a growth mindset?
A fixed mindset is the belief that you have a certain amount of intelligence and can’t surpass that knowledge.
A growth mindset is thinking that you aren’t given a certain amount of intelligence, it’s something you have to work towards. With more effort and time, you can get better at something.
In turn, how does this all connect to the STEM classroom?
Quotes for Growth Mindset
With my time being a K-5 STEM teacher, I developed quotes for growth mindset that worked well in our space. These were growth mindset quotes that I would refer to on a daily basis when working on projects.
Likewise, these sayings can be applied to any regular classroom as well! STEM challenges have a place in any classroom setting. So does growth mindset!
Quotes for Growth Mindset #1: We Do Hard Things
Have you heard any of these phrases in your classroom?
”This is hard!”
”I can't do it because it's TOO hard!”
”The challenge is impossible. It can’t be done.”
I sure have. A LOT! STEM is supposed to be challenging. If it wasn’t, everyone would have a STEM job! Giving opportunities for students to express their creativity and critical thinking skills is life changing.
Many answers can be Googled. Nothing wrong with that! However, students need to learn how to think for themselves. In addition, finding solutions to difficult problems aids mindset growth.
Whenever I hear “This is hard!”, I give the kid a high-five and say, “Good! Then I’m doing my job!” Life is HARD. Not everything goes our way! Students need to build those soft skills when faced with a difficult situation.
Quotes for Growth Mindset #2: We are creators with technology, not consumers
Academic technology and using technology for play and two entirely different things.
I’ve heard many teachers say to me, “Well they were born using technology, so they have to be good at it!”. In turn, they see their students struggle with academic technology tasks.
Likewise, I’ve used technology most of my life, but I wasn’t born knowing how to do it. In fact, I am learning new skills daily when creating with technology. Creating with technology is something that you learn, not something you are born with.
Granted, students might have less fear when it comes to using technology. However, students still need to have opportunities that allow them to create and problem solve with technology. With those opportunities, repetition to practice those tasks will build their creating capacity even more.
Quotes for Growth Mindset #3: We are problem solvers, not problem makers
Being a STEM teacher, one of my goals was to NOT be the gatekeeper of information. I would of course teach new skills and processes when learning new technology. However, I also set up processes in place to help students advocate for themselves.
How can you help your students be a problem solver in STEM?
Create anchor charts of repetitive steps for them to refer back to
Create screencast/video lessons for students to rewatch. Also works great for students who were absent!
Use the management technique “Ask 3 Before Me!” Unless it’s a crazy issue I actually do need to solve, there is usually someone in the class who remembers the steps
Promote helping each other. Tell them that it’s OK to help each other, but they need to be the YouTube tutorial. Don’t touch the other student’s device but talk them through the steps they need to take to solve the problem. I do this with other teachers as well.
Quotes for Growth Mindset #4: We Make Mistakes to Help Us Grow
First of all, did you know that Wilbur and Orville Wright owned a print shop and bicycle shop before they ever got into tackling flight? Once they started inventing flying machines, it definitely took more than once to get something off the ground.
They made TONS of mistakes! Constantly! If they gave up, our airplane history would be a lot different today.
Making mistakes are OK! Not moving past that, is not ok.
In fact, a lof the pencils in my classroom lost erasers quickly and I hardly replaced them. I wanted students to leave their mistakes in their plans and designs. This helped show their growth and process.
This growth mindset quote definitely leads in nicely with our next one.
Quotes for Growth Mindset #5: We practice to make us better
Practice makes BETTER not perfect. I’m sorry to tell you this, but perfect isn’t real. It doesn’t exist. If every kid out there was perfect, I would be out of a job fast.
I’ve often seen students who want to get things exactly right the first time. That’s fine, but what’s not fine is when they get upset when they don’t.
When introducing new challenges, I don’t expect students to be a master at the skill right away, but I do expect practice. This goes back to our problem solving strategies discussed above.
Just like any professional in anything (sports, technology, cooking…) they PRACTICE. ALL.THE.TIME. Students should know that this should be the norm for anything they want to be successful at in life. Practice is a good thing.
Quotes for Growth Mindset #6: We create work that we are proud of
Have you ever made something and you can’t wait to show everyone what you did? This doesn’t have to be school related either; a new room you decorated, a cake you baked, the hair you washed and blow dried (that’s my personal fav.)…
On the flip side, have you ever created something that you didn’t really try at and don’t really care if anyone sees? I’m guilty.
If you are creating something, why not start of being proud of what you are doing? I would often ask my students who would rush through their projects, “Is this something that you are proud of making? Is this showing the world the best that you can do?”
Often responses were a sad little, “No” and they would go back and make changes that showed what they were truly capable of.
STEM challenges are not a race. They take time and effort. And with that, create something that you are proud to share with others.
Quotes for Growth Mindset #7: We Dream Big and Take Risks
One of my biggest dreams growing up was to become a teacher. In my reality, knew that my parents wouldn’t be able to support me financially, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I applied for college without knowing how I would pay for it.
Going to school full-time and working multiple jobs, I graduated college in 4 years. Debt free and teaching license in hand.
Encourage dreams in STEM. Listen to those dreams. The challenges you do in class might inspire students to try projects at home.
Host clubs that spark a passion students never knew they had. Clubs are a great way to meet the needs of students in a different way.
Let students know that your class is a safe space to take a risk and try something new in a project. Often, the coolest ideas come out of this.
Quotes for Growth Mindset #8: We Look at the World in New Ways
Being creative and innovative is looking at the world in new ways. You are trying things that might not be obvious to others.
Think about the STEM challenges you put forth in your class. Are they giving students opportunities for multiple outcomes? Or, do your challenges only have one answer?
It’s ok to teach students the same skills to help them be successful on a project. For example, I teach all of my students how to log into Seesaw and take a photo of their work. (You can get a free month of Premium by using my link here!) However, the photos of their work should all look different.
Make sure there are projects and challenges that allow students to be creative and explore possible solutions.
Posters of Growth Mindset Quotes
I have all of these growth mindset sayings posted in my STEM classroom year round. They are located in a place where it’s easy to see and refer to.
Since they are low-ink friendly, I printed mine on bright Astro Bright paper and cut them out by hand. Easy!
In conclusion, which growth mindset quotes do you already use? What else would you add to this list? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!
When the holiday season comes upon us, that can be tough in a lot of ways, especially as a teacher. I have found through my teaching experience, having hands-on and engaging tasks for my students during this time can help reign in all the extra energy, but still be meaningful. STEM activities are a great way to lift student engagement. 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 The Great Turkey Race by Steve Metzger.
**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!**
Before you do this activity with your kids, there is a tiny bit of prep work you'll need to do to make sure this activity goes smoothly. The goal of this STEM challenge is for students to build a fence for the turkeys to hop over. *Spoiler Alert* This is how the turkeys get away at the end of the book!* Since this activity is all about the fence design, having the catapults built ahead of time is super helpful. One thing that I like to do for my STEM classes for their supplies is to create Building Kits. It's just a Ziploc bag with their pre-portioned supplies, but it definitely sounds more official! This gives the kids more time to build if everything is already organized.
Also, decide how you want to share the student response sheets. Of course you can print, but having the option to share digitally is a great bonus. I used the digital version of the student sheets in Seesaw since I did this activity with over 75 Kindergarteners in one day. That's a lot of paper I saved and parents got to see their work right away! Here are all the extras you will need for this Thanksgiving STEM activity along with the Engineering Design Process Student sheets that I've already created for you.
After reading the story The Great Turkey Race by Steve Metzger {or listening to it online on YouTube}, students will do a little bit of research on engineers and how they solve problems effectively. Afterwards, they'll plan how they will design a fence for their turkeys to hop over. Their planning can be done either on paper or digitally.
They can also utilize the Engineering Design Process 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.
Once students' designs are built, they can launch their turkeys over the fence. Some preferred to launch all 3 at once, like the book, or do one turkey at a time. While launching, you will notice students making adjustments to their bridges to make them taller, shorter or even wider.
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 Engineering Design 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. Since I teach K-5, I often need to reuse materials and students physically keeping their work isn't always an option. However, 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.
I love the curiosity in elementary students, especially when it comes to technology and how things work. Naturally, the kids were super into this lesson. Here is a snapshot on how I taught the difference between software and hardware in my STEM classroom. I taught this to Kindergarten and 1st grade over the span of 3 days for 40 minute classes. Of course, this can be adapted for your class and what works best for your kids.
Day 2 -Watched video by SciShow Kids- How Do Computers Work? -Reviewed vocabulary- Hardware & Software -Finish building paper computers/tablets -Students can shared their learning by taking a picture in Seesaw and voice over the parts of the computer including the software and hardware. You can see my example I made while teaching below.
This was a quick lesson, but the kids LOVED it and having their own personal computer while instilling the important vocabulary: hardware and software. Make sure to grab the free lesson that includes vocabulary and a digital activity above to use with you kids. You can also find the Build Your Own {Paper} Tablet to use with your kids as well.
Stay marvelous!
Naomi from Marvelous Ms. Meredith
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