What are some ways to effectively plan and incorporate engineering into your STEM lessons? I feel like the engineering side might be one of the easiest, but there are some tips and tricks that I like to use when really focusing on the building aspect. We are continuing our STEM in Action series, which we kicked off with guest experts in the field to help connect different elements of STEM. For the second half of this series, I'm sharing my insights and some practical lessons that you can implement in your classroom.

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.

In the last episode, I focused on technology. The one before that, I focused on science. If you haven't listened to those episodes, go back and check them out. You don't have to listen to them before this one, no worries at all. But we are going to get into the engineering side. As the summer might be in full swing, or maybe it's winding down for you and you are thinking about back to school, you might be wondering how you can really focus on what you need to do for your classroom. I have my on-demand STEM Teacher 101 course where I walk you through the whole process of setting up your classroom, what types of lesson plans you can have in your space, and then some other things to think about like grouping students and having them collaborate effectively.

Now, based on requests from you, I am splitting up the whole STEM Teacher 101 course. You can take it as a whole, or I'm breaking apart the lessons and adding updates as I go, so you can focus on something specific. The course is more effective if you do it on your own, but if there are certain things you need to focus on, like how to set up your classroom, what type of checklist to use as a teacher before the kids even arrive, all of those segmented lessons are being uploaded to my TPT shop, Teachers Pay Teachers shop, Naomi Meredith. You can go and check that out. At the time of this recording, all of the lessons in module two are up in my TPT shop. This is a great way for you to gradually get into the course or just pay as you go, and it's a great way to focus on the lessons you're looking for.

Alright, when it comes to engineering, I feel like it might be one of the easiest aspects to think about in STEM. I want you to keep in mind, though, that we're not isolating all the letters in STEM, where you're only doing engineering or only doing technology. You’re really focusing on all of it, but maybe highlighting one more than the others. Think of each episode as the capital letter in STEM, with the rest being lowercase, so in this episode, E is capitalized.

If you're wondering why I'm not doing an art lesson, there is always an element of art in STEM. You're always thinking about creativity. In the business world, they call it STEM, which is why I use STEM, but I'm not ignoring the art piece. Trust me, I'm all about making things look nice and being creative.

In this episode, like the others on science and technology, I'm going to talk through the standards to think about, my top favorite tools, and some lesson plan ideas. If you're thinking STEM doesn't have any standards, especially engineering, it actually does. In fact, your science standards likely include building a model, creating a solution, or building to solve a problem. Those words are in your science standards for a reason. Some science standards lend themselves well to experiments, while others are better for an engineering design process challenge to build and solve a problem. Really look at those keywords in your standards.

My other favorite standards are the Next Generation Science Standards that specifically talk about the engineering design process. It’s a process real engineers use to build and solve problems and go through the iteration process. It’s different from the scientific method but equally important. I have a poster that supports this process, which I blew up at Walgreens. It was inexpensive, and you can hang it up all year. I also display it digitally. Familiarize yourself with the engineering design process. It’s important and helps design challenges, whether they are multi-day or one-day challenges.

Regarding tools, here are my favorites for reusable items and maker space. For cardboard, I love the thin cardboard from cereal and snack boxes. I collect it constantly. My teacher honey saves it for me, and I cut it up into pieces to force students to build creatively. I also store it in a drawer in my home office. For thicker cardboard like Amazon boxes, I recommend investing in cardboard saws like those from MakeDo. Be cautious with these, especially for younger students. For tape, I prefer masking tape. I limit its use by making baby tape rolls wrapped around a Popsicle stick. I haven’t found a favorite brand, so I look for the cheapest options on Amazon or at Dollar Tree.

For hot glue guns, choose low-temperature ones. Ensure you use the corresponding low-temperature sticks to avoid clogging issues. I use these from second grade and up or third grade and up. I have a poster with instructions, which you can find on my YouTube channel.

For consumables, I love using math manipulatives. I collect old ones from teacher hallways at the end or beginning of the school year. I also found Unifix cube alternatives at Target’s dollar spot. These are great for various STEM activities.

For lesson ideas, if you want to focus on engineering as your main goal, here are some suggestions. For a multi-day project, consider my STEM Survival Camp. In episode four of this podcast, I discuss all six challenges. The build a shelter challenge is popular, where students create a shelter to withstand elements like wind, water, and snow.

For STEM stations, use my engineer inspiration boards. These are low-prep, themed activities that students can build using any materials on hand. They are perfect for last-minute lessons or fast finishers.

For a one-day lesson, consider the paper plate marble coaster. It’s a fun project where students design a coaster using flimsy paper plates. They learn about roller coaster design principles and use cardboard building techniques.

In summary, today we talked about the standards for engineering in STEM, recommended tools, and lesson ideas for multi-day projects, STEM stations, and one-day lessons. You can find all lesson-specific resources in my TPT shop, Naomi Meredith. Feel free to reach out to me via email or Instagram for links or questions. Can't wait to hang out with you next week for the last episode in this series, where we'll talk about all things math.

Thank you for listening to today's episode of the Elementary STEM Coach Podcast. Connect with me on Instagram at NaomiMeredith_ or via email at elementarystemcoachpodcast@gmail.com. Check out my website, NaomiMeredith.com, for show notes and K-5 STEM resources. Reach out with any questions or ideas for episodes. Talk to you soon!