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Planning Lessons with Stages of the Engineering Design Process [ep. 15]

Planning Lessons with Stages of the Engineering Design Process [ep. 15]

Check out the full episode on Planning Lessons with Stages of the Engineering Design Process:  

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Episode Summary

Have you tried using the Engineering Design Process in your STEM classroom? 

Maybe you’re wondering what the Engineering Design Process is and what its stages are.

Should you be teaching the Engineering Design Process in elementary STEM?

In today’s episode, I will be answering these questions about the stages of the Engineering Design Process so you can get started implementing it into your STEM lessons.

 

In this episode you’ll learn:

  • What the Engineering Design Process is
  • The stages of the Engineering Design Process
  • Why you should be teaching the Engineering Design Process in elementary STEM
  • How to implement the Engineering Design Process if you see students multiple days a week or once a week

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

00:00

Have you tried using the Engineering Design Process in your STEM classroom? What is it and what are the different stages of it? Why should you be teaching with the Engineering Design Process in elementary STEM? In this episode, I'll be answering all of your Engineering Design Process questions, so you can get started implementing it into your lessons. 


00:56

Before we dive into today's episode, I have a free Engineering Design Process poster and planning guide that you can download for your classroom. You can grab it at Naomi meredith.com/podcastEDP. I'll also link it in the show notes. A side note: EDP is short for Engineering Design Process poster. I may or may not use this acronym within this episode, but just so you know what I'm talking about, that's what EDP stands for. 


01:28

When I first started teaching K through five STEM, I actually had never heard of the Engineering Design Process. However, the more I started researching and developing my own curriculum, I quickly realized that this is a process that I definitely needed to be teaching in my STEM space. Today, I'm sharing with you how you can easily implement this within your lessons. 


01:51

First, let's go over what the Engineering Design Process is, and a snapshot of what it actually means. The Engineering Design Process is the real process that engineers use to build, test and create their designs. It's all about that iteration and testing it repeatedly. When you think about it, this process is the heart of trying lots of different ideas and failing, which is definitely something that we want to be teaching our students. STEM is a great place for it. So naturally, the Engineering Design Process has a perfect fit within your STEM classroom. And yes, this is applicable for Kindergarten on up. In fact, there actually are Next Generation Science Standards, NGSS, that are all about the Engineering Design Process. There is a set of these standards for K through two, and also a set for three through five.  If you use the Next Generation Science Standards, not only are classroom teachers going to be using the Engineering Design Process, but in your STEM space, you have the opportunity to use it too. 


03:12

I also get a lot of questions about whether or not the Engineering Design Process is replacing the scientific method, project based learning or PBL, and design thinking. In my opinion, you are not replacing those methods. Those are all different and important methods, which we can do future episodes on. I even have a few people in mind that can talk to you about some of those topics. The Engineering Design Process is its own thing, and has its own place alongside of these processes. It's definitely up to you if you want to teach with the Engineering Design Process all year long, which I typically do. Or maybe you want to mix it in with the scientific method, PBL, or design thinking. This is your call, or, if you're on a planning committee, what the committee wants to do, or what your administration is hoping for you to do. So this is just a another format and another way to teach these amazing STEM concepts to your students. 


04:18

Now, when you research the Engineering Design Process, there are a lot of different stages, but they pretty much are saying the same thing. So here's how I have broken it up into six stages for you to teach to your students. I'm also going to be talking about how you can teach with this method and give you a sample of how I break up these stages along with a sample lesson plan and how these stages are implemented along the way. The six stages that I have divided the Engineering Design Process into, which is in that free poster for you to download, is first ask what is the problem. Second, imagine what are the possible solutions. Third is the planning stage, so what could your solution look like? Fourth is the Create stage, so bring your plan to life. This is student's most favorite part. The fifth stage is experiment and improve meaning test your solution and make it better. Finally, the sixth stage is share what happened. 


05:23

Just like when you're thinking about the writing process, or even those other methods that I just talked about, these aren't one and done type of stages. These are things you can always go back to if something doesn't work or go back to a previous stage. I always tell my students this as well. I am teaching them in phases throughout the week. But if they're not done with this stage, they can continue in that place. Maybe they don't even get to that next stage? That's just where they're at in the process. Likewise, if a creation doesn't work, they can always go back to that planning stage, create a new one, and then go through the the creation and experimenting again. So these steps are not set in stone. They can't since they're very fluid. It is also good for students to have structure so they know where the project is going. It's not always just creating, which you can do. However, you are bringing more meaning into your lessons when planning with this process, and using the standards alongside it. 


06:31

Now that you have a basic understanding of what the Engineering Design Process is, let's talk about a sample structure that you can use in your classroom, and how you can teach each of the different stages. Currently, I teach K through five STEM five days a week with the same students for the entire week. I know in past episodes, like we talked about in episode 12, some of you teach STEM to all the kids in the school, but you only see that same group of kids once a week. You can break this up how it works best for you. So let's talk about sample structures for both. 


07:09

First, let's talk about if you'd see the kids five days a week in a row or something similar to that structure. On day one, I present students with the question. Now you can have students help develop this question with you, but I know in this special space, you are very limited for time. So I actually develop the question ahead of time based on the science standards that I want to target. If you're curious about how I actually get to the planning piece, make sure to listen to episode 14 where I discuss how to create your year long plan with the standards in mind. 


07:49

So we are in that ask stage and I asked students the question that we're trying to solve. Then we move on to the imagine. The imagine is where we are thinking of different possible solutions. This isn't actually their formal plan. This is the part where you want to tie in lots of different resources for kids to explore. This can be in the form of videos, websites, ebooks, like epic books, podcast, infographics, or real books. This is a time where students are exploring all of these different resources to help them gather ideas of what can work for their invention. This is also a great time to talk about the science behind the experiment. This can even be part of the research. So this is where you're really boosting up that background knowledge and getting kids excited for what they're hoping to create. On day two, this is where I might finish up some of that imagining, depending on the structure of how that's presented to kids. Sometimes it is more guided where I am sharing the information, and we are writing down our ideas together. But further along in the year, especially with the older students, the imagined stage is more independent, and they might have a graphic organizer where they're capturing their thoughts and accessing the resources on their own. 


09:16

Day two, we're finishing up that imagining and then we're really focusing on that plan. Plans can look different in various ways. We usually think of plans that can be a simple draw and label your plan type of thing. I recommend starting here. There are a lot of different ways that you can plan, which we will talk about in future episodes. So you can really build up the different planning methods when you use the Engineering Design Process. Day two students are working on that plan, maybe even have a shopping list, which we talked about in episode six where you're managing that maker money, and then they're ready when they come in on day three. See where they get into the create, experiment, and improve stage. This is where you can step back and see how kids are problem solving and trying to bring those plans to life. This is always our most exciting day. I always teach with the Engineering Design Process.  


10:20

Let me tell you how this paid off in my classroom. We were working on a STEM survival camp challenge, I believe it was fifth grade. We only had three days. I think it was something with this schedule where I only had three days with them. Anyway, I wanted to make sure they actually had time to create. So we did some imagining, and then I told them, okay, you can just talk about your plans totally fine. You can draw if you want. I'm not kidding you. Every single group decided they wanted to draw their plan. They were very thoughtful and were labeling. They were drawing more than one side, and they were really involved in that planning process. This was a proud teacher moment, I must say, because I didn't even force them to plan and they wanted to plan. 


11:11

Keep going, this process is a year long thing that you will continue to work on. You might get some whining at first, but you are the teacher, your job is to teach them and to help them research and gather ideas. STEM isn't just the creation part. There's some stuff you have to do before that, and hopefully your invention even makes sense. I feel like the creation part is the easiest part of your job. Getting kids to understand why they're doing things is going to make their projects even better. On day three, the kids are experimenting and improving. Moving on to day four, they're still creating and improving, but also consider giving them ways that they can improve their designs. Instead of saying, “Oh, just do this,” have a checklist that is related to the project, which can be very powerful. The checklist could be things they may or may not have to do, but it will help them think about their designs in a different way, which we'll talk about in the example lesson I have in just a little bit. 


12:20

Finally, on the last day, they are doing any finishing touches and sharing their work, which could be just talking to other groups about what they did. My personal favorite is to create videos and pictures within Seesaw, and having reflection questions where they can talk about what went well, what would they try again, and what was actually challenging for them. This is a great way to be reflective and really think about the entire process throughout the week. 


12:52

Now, if you don't see kids five consecutive days in a row, here's how I would break up the Engineering Design Process for you. Day one, you can start with a question, the ask, do a quick imagine stage where you are guiding, so it might not be as independent for the kids. But you're still providing that information for them to build some background knowledge, and then dive into the planning. That way when kids come back the second week with you, they have a plan that they've already started. You could watch another video to trigger their memories and then students can begin planning and creating. On day three final day they can finish creating their designs. They can of course experiment and improve when they're creating. Then they can share their work some of the ways that I discussed earlier. You're going to actually want to condense things even shorter, but you definitely can still fit this process in. It just takes a little modification and careful planning on your part. 


13:56

Let's talk about an example of how I actually use these stages with a third grade lesson in my STEM classroom. I picked third grade because it's right in the middle. You can definitely flex this lesson up or you can flex this lesson down. I do use the Engineering Design Process with K through five. So I want you to visualize how this could work in my classroom, but also in yours as well. We started off on day one with the ask: how can you create an invention that will reduce the impacts of flooding? This connects to the NGSS standard that is specific to this third grade unit. From there we went into the imagined stage where I had a variety of resources for kids to explore to see how flooding is actually a problem and different ways that people have already been able to and are continuing to solve the problem. Now flooding isn't going away, but there are some inventions already out there that I wanted kids to see. So I included pictures and videos for them to explore, to see what inventions are working and ways that they could maybe create something similar, but also trigger ways that they can improve those designs that are already out there. 


15:17

We also talked about what flooding is and how it can be a part of severe weather. I also provided them with links to some websites about different places in history where flooding was a huge problem, what the effects were, and success stories within those pieces of history. This was all within our day one. We completed some of the imagining on day two. On day two, once that imagining piece was in place, we focused on their plan. Students used the imagining information to help them develop their plan of how they could create the invention that will help reduce the impact of flooding. 


16:10

We did talk about reducing instead of stopping the impact.  We discussed how they could get it to where it's not ruining a home and how to slow it down. Students were thoughtfully planning their designs by drawing, labeling and explaining how it works. I had the kids still plan on paper for this project. But then I had them take a picture and add it to Seesaw where they could record their voice or type their answers to the questions I asked. On day three we dove into the create stage. For this project, they received a little house made of paper that they could tape onto a plastic block. They also received a plastic bucket that they could build their design in. When we experimented towards the end of the week, that's when we added in the water. 


17:06

This project also involved the maker menu that I talked about in episode six. So make sure to go and check that out because that is a game changer for this lesson. Day three is all about having that plan, grabbing and chopping materials and starting to create the invention and their plans. Day four is a little more shopping and more experimenting and improving. I also give them a modification checklist where they can look to see how they might want to improve their designs. This one is a little bit different because they are actually testing their design with water. So not only does it include different modifications that they can use in their design, but it also includes what their guesss is as to what will happen. There's another column for what actually happened. You don't have to do this for all of your checklists. But when it makes sense, having a before and after type of checklist is really helpful. Kids can think forward as to how their invention will respond to this situation. On the final day is our real experiment, so we add in the water. I do have the kids take a picture or video of their design again in Seesaw to show what it looks like before and after it gets wet. 


18:31

Students are having such a blast not only looking at their designs, but noticing how other designs work in the class. So it's some friendly competition. But it's just so much fun to see how their inventions work. When we're finished and clean up, there are some reflection questions. I use the same questions all year, so students are used to that format, but they have different responses because the projects change. The three questions that I like students to reflect on either through writing, typing, recording their voice or a video are: I am proud of; if I were to try this challenge again, I would change; and they explain something that was challenging for them. So within five days, we get through all of this content, we clean up, and there aren't any projects left in my room. But it's cool how we can zone in on the impact of floods, and go through the Engineering Design Process together. 


19:35

As a recap for today, we talked about a whole lot. Let's review everything we discussed. First, I explained what the Engineering Design Process is and each of its stages. Next, we talked about how you can teach using the different stages depending on when you see your classes. Finally, I shared with you an example lesson on how I use the Engineering Design Process from start to finish. 


20:04

Over the next few episodes of the podcast, I'm going to be diving deeper into those different stages of the Engineering Design Process, and share with you different ways that I like to implement each stage. This can really impact your planning and make it meaningful and it will keep you from doing the same thing for every single lesson. You're mixing it up and keeping kids engaged. Also, don't forget to grab your free Engineering Design Process poster and Planning Guide, which will be linked in the show notes so you can definitely dive on in and get started. You can grab that at Naomi meredith.com/podcastEDP.

Stages-of-Engineering-Design-Process

Stages-of-Engineering-Design-Process

Stages-of-Engineering-Design-Process

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

 

STEM Favorites That You'll Enjoy:

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, 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!

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!

stem-curriculum-scope-and-sequence

How to Write Your STEM Curriculum Scope and Sequence [ep. 14]

How to Write Your STEM Curriculum Scope and Sequence [ep. 14]

stem-curriculum-scope-and-sequence

Check out the full episode on How to Write Your STEM Curriculum Scope and Sequence:  

 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Watch the video version on YouTube here:

Episode Summary

When you first become a STEM teacher, you most likely weren’t given any curriculum. This was my experience when I left the regular classroom and jumped into teaching K through Five STEM. 

Through trial and error, I have written a year’s worth of K through Five STEM lessons connected to the STEM standards.

In today’s episode, I share the behind-the-scenes of my method for creating STEM curriculum scope and sequence.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn the three major steps in how to write your STEM curriculum scope and sequence:

  • Review your overarching themes
  • Backwards plan and find relevant standards that connect to your theme
  • Brainstorm lessons related to those standards

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

00:00

When you're first walking into your STEM classroom, you are most likely met with zero curriculum. Like many of you, I left the regular classroom and jumped headfirst into my K through five STEM role with a handful of supplies and zero curriculum. Yet, through trial and error, I have written a year's worth of lessons for K through five connected to standards. I'm going to be sharing with you my behind-the-scenes method in this episode. 


01:01

Some schools are fortunate enough to purchase a specific curriculum for their STEM programs. If that is you, that is absolutely amazing, and I hope that works well for you. Now, based on teachers I have talked to on various platforms, most teachers in the STEM world have to write their own curriculum and start from zero. I know where you're coming from since that was me. So, through trial and error, I built a K through five STEM program that has a progression of learning and standards and a mix of different themes and topics that students learn throughout the years when they come into my STEM space. Now, I will say this isn't perfect. But, this is what has worked well for me in my classroom. I am constantly updating and trying new things with my students as the years go by to ensure that I am teaching relevant and meaningful lessons to my students. You can get a whole view of this year-long plan for free. This will be linked in the show notes. You can find it also at this link, naomimeredith.com/yearlongplan. 


02:18

I also want to mention that my first year teaching K through five STEM was all about building relationships and basic skills. The things my students do five years later compared to when I first started are completely different. I had to backtrack and build up the skills of my students, even when it came to basic technology like logging into the computer, learning how to use Seesaw to document their work, and how to collaborate with others, which collaboration is something we are always working on. So don't feel like you have to do all the things you plan in one year. You can build up to all these lessons and perfect them as the years go on. So this is the future you that we are talking about. But at least you will get a great foundation for your year-long plan and where you want your STEM program to go. 


03:18

When first starting your year-long plan, you want to brainstorm the overarching themes that all students K through five will be learning in your classroom. In Episode Two, we talked about what STEM education means in the elementary space. I highly recommend this episode to help you build your background knowledge on what STEM is and what STEM should look like in the elementary space. When thinking about those themes, I am talking about Makerspace robotics and Hour of Code. Hour of Code is a freebie, and there are tons of resources out there already that are free for you. So you might not have to do much planning on that theme, but add it to your year-long plan. Your overarching themes can also include video and audio production, digital citizenship, and LEGO education kits if you have the funds. When you purchase the LEGO education kits, they come with their own curriculum that is connected to standards. So, if you are looking for something to purchase for your STEM space, I would save all of your money for LEGO education and kits. Also, if you can, add 3D printing to your lessons. If you don't have 3D printing, you can still have students plan and go through the process of creating a 3D design online, but they might not have the opportunity to print it, which is okay. But, again, that is something to save your budget for, if possible. Once you have a well-balanced mix of those themes, plan them out for the month you will see kids or works best for you.


05:00

In Episode 12, I talked about creative ways to plan your lessons with students, especially if you see groups of kids one day at a time. When planning this year-long plan, I saw students five days in a row. This overarching theme can vary for you. I use the same theme for the whole month. But if you see kids once a week, maybe you want to keep the same theme for two months. But again, have an overall balance of themes you're going to teach your students. 


05:34

For the purpose of this episode, I'm going to be using my theme of maker month and earth systems as an example to help you see how I planned out this overall unit. I wanted students during the third month with me to dive into our Makerspace and use that space independently. This is where I taught students how to gather supplies, use our money system, and plan a budget. This is a big part of this unit when it is connected to Earth System standards. Also, go back and check out episodes five and six, where I talk about how to set up your Makerspace and how to use the money, menu, and system. So for this theme, in my third month of STEM, students use Makerspace. Once you have all of your themes planned out for the year and you have a balance of different topics, you will backwards plan and tie in those relevant standards. In my opinion, you're not going to teach all of the standards in your classroom. Most likely, you are an extension of the general classroom, especially regarding science. I don't think STEM should be a replacement for regular science lessons. In fact, science in the regular classroom is so much fun. That is something I do miss sometimes, planning a fun science experiment. 


07:01

Your role as a STEM teacher is taking the science standards, integrating other standards, and giving them your own STEM twist. Now, maybe your principal and district have a different opinion. This is just me and how I interpret what STEM should be when the students come into my classroom. When planning my lessons through backward planning, I like to use science as my base and build on my other standards. From there, I use the NGSS, the Next Generation Science Standards. You may use your state standards for this planning. Start with your base for science and then integrate your common core state standards, including English, language arts, and math. I like to look at the English and language arts standards when reading informational text. When students build their background knowledge and research, they use a lot of informational text in different formats to gather that information. Check out those standards that will help you plan those imagined stages in your lessons.


08:22

When it comes to your math standards, you may be using specific standards regarding geometry, fractions, and telling time. But you might also want to consider the mathematical practices recognized in your classroom. For example, there's a mathematical practice that talks about making sense of problems and persevering when solving them. That is a huge concept in STEM. So don't forget about those mathematical practices. They are very relevant in the STEM space. Also, when you're in those common core state standards, look at those speaking and listening skills. Again, there are so many things that you are working on in this STEM classroom when it comes to sharing work, participating in a discussion, and being able to collaborate with others. These are some great standards that you can target in your STEM space. 


10:19

I also like to integrate the ISTE standards for students. These are technology standards that have their own overarching themes. There is also one about digital citizenship, which you can easily tie into your digital citizenship lessons. They have their overarching themes and then little themes within those. Definitely become familiar with those. Those are also a must in your STEM space. Again, keep the science standards as your base, and then integrate the ELA, math, and ISTE within that to create well-balanced lessons. When thinking about assessing your students, when it comes to the standards, I would probably assess them how they show proficiency with the science standards. The other ones are skills that will help them to get there. But my assessment tool would be the science standards. If you are doing grades in your classroom, pick one or two that students can attack. You're zoning in on that specific standard in your STEM way. For this example, for my maker month and Earth Systems, I was looking for standards related to earth systems when possible and standards that talked about students demonstrating through building a model, creating, or building, which made the most sense to me for a Makerspace standard. Those connected well. I went through and highlighted those on my computer and then really brainstormed ideas from there. 


11:53

That leads me to my third part, which is to brainstorm your lessons. Now that you have your overarching themes planned for the months, you know which standards you want to teach each grade level. This is where you can bring all those ideas to life, all of those different things you have been saving on Instagram, that you have been pinning on Pinterest, and that you have been googling. This is where you are going to bring in those ideas that are connected to standards. If you don't feel like brainstorming, I have all these lessons made. It's in a growing collection in my TPT shop. It's also in my monthly membership where you can access the year-long plan lessons and other monthly lessons and resources to help you in your classroom. If you don't want to do this part, I know it's overwhelming for K through five; that's six different grade levels. I have it all set up for you. I'll link that in the show notes. When brainstorming your lessons, think about how you can bring a different experience to your classroom that is different from the regular classroom. You might have tools that a regular classroom might not have, so play upon that. Can you show lifecycles by using robotics? Can you use Makerspace to demonstrate a model that classrooms might not always have? Take those standards in another direction so you're not repeating the same ideas for students, and they get to explore differently. 


13:29

I'm going to be sharing with you two different lessons in this maker month and the Earth Systems lesson and how you can see how I approached this standard with a STEM angle while the teachers are still covering it within their science and reading instruction.


13:46

Here's what I did for the Kindergarten NGSS standard that discusses constructing an argument about how plants and animals can change the environment to meet their needs. I zoned in on ants. I was kind of a little unsure about talking about ants with Kindergarteners. I wasn't sure if they were going to like it or not. Now, if you know, you know, with Kindergarteners, they might love something or they might not. They're a complete mystery, and I love them. They're my favorite grade. I could do a whole podcast about Kindergarten. But we talked about how ants change their environment to meet their needs. It is amazing how ants build their whole colony underground and above ground that comes literally from nothing. When you look deeper at their colony, they have a space special for the queen, a different room for their eggs, a different place for the baby ants, and another room for their food. It is amazing how they change the environment from literally nothing to meet the needs of their entire colony. So as a class, throughout the week, we looked at different videos, books, and images about ants. Then students, in their own Makerspace way, built a cardboard maze that showed the different spaces that ants have in their colony and then had a little marble that would roll through the different rooms to go and check them all out. This was appropriate for Kindergarten. I knew that my Kindergarten teachers weren't talking about it specifically. They could still teach that standard while I taught it differently in my STEM classroom. For fifth grade, in this same unit, I picked two related standards that go together and how they could demonstrate their knowledge. It was the first NGSS standard that talks about developing a model to describe the movement of matter. The second related standard was to use models to describe that energy. For the standard within this Maker month and Earth Systems, fifth grade made a Rube Goldberg ecosystem. The students researched an ecosystem of their choice using the different tools I provided. This is a great opportunity to use epic books within your STEM classroom. Students researched their ecosystem and all the different components that come in it. Then we learned about Rube Goldberg machines and how it forms a chain reaction. With both of these pieces of information, students used materials from the Makerspace and other supplies I had on hand to build their Rube Goldberg machine to show the chain reaction of the movement of matter within their ecosystem. It was a very simple Rube Goldberg machine, but it was a great way for kids to be talking about that movement of matter and how different reactions should hit other or multiple chain reactions depending on what their ecosystem was. They were so excited about these Rube Goldberg machines. Many kids went home and started making their own and sent me videos that I could include on our school-wide news. 


17:09

These examples are two different ways, from the littlest kids to the oldest, we can take these science standards, integrate other standards within them, and have a progression of learning where they can show it in their own STEM way. As a recap, here are the three major things we discussed when planning your K through five STEM year-long plans. First, look at your overarching themes. Second, backwards plan and find relevant standards that connect to your theme. And finally, the super fun part, brainstorm lessons related to those standards. Of course, everything is linked in the show notes for today's episode, including the free year-long plan, the ultimate STEM resource library, and the lessons that I talked about, so you can get a better idea of how this can work best for your classroom and your students.

stem-curriculum-scope-and-sequence

stem-curriculum-scope-and-sequence

stem-curriculum-scope-and-sequence

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

STEM Favorites that You'll Enjoy:

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, 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!

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!

back to school night ideas

5 Back to School Night Ideas for STEM Teachers [ep. 13]

5 Back to School Night Ideas for STEM Teachers [ep. 13]

back to school night ideas

Check out the full episode on 5 Back to School Night Ideas for STEM Teachers:  

 

Episode Summary

Back to school night for STEM teachers and classroom teachers can look very different.

Back to school night expectations for STEM teachers is different for each school.

As a STEM teacher, what should you set up for back to school night?

In today’s episode, I will be sharing 5 back to school night ideas that STEM teachers can incorporate into their classrooms.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn 5 back to school night ideas for STEM teachers:

  • Create a hand-on building station
  • Make a digital meet-the-teacher letter and collage
  • Create your clubs’ signups or summaries about the clubs you’re hoping to host
  • Share your wish list and donation list
  • Create a STEM affirmation station

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

00:00

Back to school night can look different for STEM teachers compared to classroom teachers. So what in the world should you actually set up? In today's episode, I will be sharing with you five easy things that you can add to your STEM classroom for back to school night. 


00:49

Each school has a different style when it comes to back to school night expectations for STEM teachers. It has always changed for me and my STEM classroom. So try what tips work best for you, and even consider using some of these tips for parent-teacher conferences or doing the same thing, and you have it ready to go for these situations throughout the school year. 


01:15

Idea number one is creating a simple hands-on building station. You can set out things like mixed LEGO bricks, planks, hashtag blocks, playdough, and other easy things that encourage the kids to be hands-on with the materials. This is also a great distraction for kids when they're in your space. You can chat with their families a little bit and get to know them better. You can add small images for the kids to inspire them, like an engineer inspiration board. I have one that is for back to school that my kids love doing. It can get them talking about back to school night or back to school in general and encourage them to have a fun conversation with you. 


02:02

Idea number two is to create a digital meet the teacher letter. You can create a one-page letter that lets families know a little about you, has a picture and lists some of your favorites. To take the favorites page even further, you can create a collage that visually shows all of your favorites. One way I like to do this is to make the collage on Google Slides or Canva. I use a background removing tool for the images that I find online. There is a cool website called remove.bg. It's free to use, and you can upload any image, and it will remove the background for you. It's pretty good if everything is clear in the picture. It makes it so that you don't have to do extra editing in Canva. Another option is if you create your collage in Canva, you can upload the image or use images that are available in Canva. When you click on the image, there is a tool that allows you to remove the image's background. A digital meet the teacher letter is a fun way for families to learn more about you and your favorites. You can share this all on the screen in your classroom instead of printing a copy for each family. You can also repurpose this letter and have it in your school-wide newsletter or send it on a parent communication platform your school uses or on Seesaw. 


03:42

Another idea for back to school night is to share your club signups. I have done this in the past while the signups weren't open yet. I had a summary of each club I would be hosting. We will have future episodes about clubs because I am very passionate about after-school clubs. Even as a classroom teacher, this was something that I loved doing. We will explain more about clubs in the future. But think about when you're planning your clubs and how you can have a balanced selection and involve various grade levels. Think about if you could have a Makerspace club, a robotics club, maybe a LEGO building club, or my personal favorite, a school-wide news recording Club, which I will do an episode about that in itself. You can send home that information, so parents are aware. You can include that information if you know when the signups will open. This is a great time to promote your clubs and allow parents to get to know you since you will be the one hosting the clubs with their kids. 


05:53

The fourth idea for your back to school night is to share your wish lists and donations. In episode three, we discussed creative ways to gather supplies for your STEM space. Those ideas can apply to your back to school setup. This is a great opportunity to share links or QR codes to your Amazon wish list, or a donors choose that you have set up in your classroom. Double-check your school guidelines to make sure this is something you are allowed to share. I know different schools and districts have different restrictions. So just make sure you are following your school and district policies. If you need help with setting up an Amazon wishlist, I created a short tutorial video that is up on my Youtube, Naomi Meredith. It will also be embedded in today's show notes.


Another thing that you can share and include with your Amazon wishlist or donors choose, or if you can do this instead, is having a donation for Makerspace supplies. Often these supplies don't cost anything, like cardboard and paper towel tubes. Maybe people have a roll of tape that they can donate. Back to school night is a great time to share this with parents. You can create a list, print it out, and send it home with the families. Or you can create a QR code of the digital list where parents can scan that. Another option is to give them a tiny QR code card with this information they can take home. So think about creative ways that you can get families involved. I know that it's hard as a specials teacher not always knowing who the families are. So this is a great time to chat and interact, sharing what your space is about and how they can help contribute to that area. 


07:42

The fifth idea for your back to school night is one that you can keep up all year round: having a STEM-styled affirmation station. Now Secretly, I love my affirmation station because I can check my hair and outfit in the middle of the day. Mine is outside my classroom door, so when classroom teachers come and pick up their classes, they're also fixing their hair. So the teachers and I are affirming ourselves with this affirmation station. It is for the kids, but we all know it's also for the teachers. You can go to Walmart since they have some cheap ones for about $7. Grab them here, grab some Gorilla Glue tape, and hang them on your wall. Then create little light bulbs that you can hang up around the mirror with little phrases like, “I'm an innovator, I am an entrepreneur, I am a maker.” Create a positive way to look at STEM and help bring to light the whole purpose of your class. It's not just about the tools and the toys, but the experiences for kids that you are creating. The affirmation station is a great reminder of that. 


08:55

Today's episode is short because your back to school night prep shouldn't be overwhelming. These are some fun ideas you can set up and repurpose at various times throughout the school year and annually. The five back to school night ideas that we discussed are creating a hands-on building station, making a digital meet-the-teacher letter and collage, creating your clubs' signups or summaries about the clubs that you're hoping to host, sharing your wish lists and donation lists, and creating a STEM affirmation station. All of this will be linked in my show notes for today's episode. You can even see pictures of some of these ideas to give you some inspiration to make your planning so much easier for this special day.

back to school night ideas

back to school night ideas

back to school night ideas

Video: How to Make a STEM Affirmation Station

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STEM Favorites That You'll Enjoy:

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, 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!

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!

I’m a new STEM Teacher, what should I focus on? [ep. 1]

I’m a new STEM Teacher, what should I focus on? [ep. 1]

Check out the full episode on being a  new STEM Teacher :  

Watch the video version of this episode: 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Episode Summary

After I interviewed and found out I was going to be a K-5 STEM teacher and coach, I not only got the position, but I also would be getting a brand new remodeled classroom and a handful of supplies. I was so excited for this opportunity! However, I had no idea where to start with this brand new position,  brand new-to-me school district, and brand new room. 

Based on my experience, this episode will cover some things that I wish someone had told me to do back then (I definitely had learned the hard way!) 

Let's dive in and set up your STEM space with success today. We're going to be talking about 3 major things that you should do in your STEM space. Especially if you teach multiple grade levels, these are things that will help you set a foundation so you can be successful all year long. 

Also, to celebrate hitting 100 episodes, I am hosting a giveaway! One lucky winner will win a FREE 30-minute coaching session with me. Check out the resources mentioned section to learn more.

In this episode you’ll learn:

  • Creating a space that works for all grade-levels
  • Building a community that promotes growth mindset
  • Creating systems & routines that can be used all year long, for all grade levels and lesson types 

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Right after my job interview for an Elementary K-5 STEM teaching position and coach, I started to cry in my car by myself. I called my teacher-honey and I told him there is no way that I was going to get this job, I did horrible, and they were definitely not going to hire me. 

 

I had taken a half day from my current Elementary classroom position that I had for 6 years. I had a little bit of time left, and I went and got a pedicure to calm myself down before I went back to my classroom. I got to call the next day and found out that I did get the STEM position;  here I am a current K-5 STEM teacher and coach 

Not only had I gotten the position, but I also would be getting a brand new remodeled classroom and a handful supplies. I was so excited for this opportunity! However, I had no idea where to start with this brand new position,  brand new-to-me school district, and brand new room. 

Based on my experience,  here are some things that I wish someone had told me to do back then (I definitely had learned the hard way!) 

Let's dive in and set up your STEM space with success today. We're going to be talking about 3 major things that you should do in your  STEM space. Especially if you teach multiple grade levels, these are things that will help you set a foundation so you can be successful all year long. 

#1-Create a space that works for all grade-levels; learn the flow of the classroom

The first is to create a space that works for all grade levels. Learn the flow of your classroom and definitely see what works and what doesn't. You are definitely going to make some changes along the way based on how things work in your classroom and based on where the furniture is set up. This will take some time to find a system that works best for you. 

Of course you want to think about if you have multiple classes coming to see you throughout the day, have a designated space for classes to line up before entering your classroom. This is extremely helpful and important because [if you again see multiple classes],  you will have an overlap of classes at times. Sometimes a class might be early, sometimes you might be a little bit late, sometimes the other teacher might be late picking them up. You definitely want to have that designated space for classes to wait until they are ready to enter the room.

Once they are ready to enter the room, think about where they are going to go when they enter your classroom. A lot of teachers like to have students sitting at their tables, but I actually don't recommend doing this. I have students enter my classroom, K-5

in our group meeting area and in this area. This is where our TV, our whiteboard and any other supplies and materials that students will need to be successful for the lesson directions. All of that is in the designated location. As students come into the room, the come and sit in the big open space. You could definitely, based on your classroom, have a large carpet, sit spots, or numbers for kids to sit. It is extremely helpful to get all the kids together and ready and excited for the lesson. 

If you have them spread out along the room at the tables you might have supplies that they're distracted by. They might be very far away. They might be more more focused on who they're sitting next to! Having them in that group meeting area can really be impactful for every single lesson that you teach throughout the year.

Also when you're thinking about the flow of your classroom, think about where the materials are going to be stored and have those accessible at kid-height. The more you can make kids' materials at their level and ways that they can access them on their own, this will definitely give them that independence and grab what they need to be successful. 

When you have your materials stored in the classroom, I highly recommend labeling your materials with words and pictures. This is helpful for all learners, and even us teachers so you will know where the supplies go when you find them on the floor. 

Also when you have the flow of the classroom, have a designated location for students to line up at the end of class. This should be a place where it's easy for them to get to, there aren't extra supplies that are around to distract them, or other students projects. That way, they will be ready for the other teacher who is ready to pick them up for the day. 

Really think about this flow that will work all year long for all grade levels. This will help set up the systems and routines (which we'll talk about in a little bit) that can be built on year after year.

#2 Build a community that promotes growth mindset

The second thing that I wish someone had told me when I was getting started is really focus on building a community with your students and promote Growth Mindset.

A big misconception that I had coming into this STEM space is that all kids are excited to be creative and build things wouldn't you want to do that as a kid. Well I found out quickly enough that this isn't always the case; a lot of students were actually scared of trying new things! They wanted to know exactly what the project was going to look like, and they were more shy about showing their creativity.

Promoting a growth mindset in your classroom is definitely going to take time and something to continue to build throughout the years. I don't necessarily teach a specific growth mindset lesson. I know a lot of classroom teachers like to do that, but in the STEM space, your time definitely is limited [with kids]. I like to promote growth mindset as it comes up in the classroom.

Sometimes, I'll even write a positive note for students to take home to share with their class and to share with their families. Some of the growth mindset sayings that I will say over and over again that are hanging up in my classroom are:

“We can do hard things.” Often I will hear kids say, “This is too hard! This is impossible! I can't do it!” Then I go back and give them a high-five and say, “Yup!It is hard! We can do hard things! That is why you're here and I am definitely doing my job! You are doing a great job of what you're working on!” 

I also really like to promote, “We are creators with technology not just consumers” and “We practice to make us better.” (Not perfect because perfect doesn't exist!) 

These are growth mindset things that I like to say over and over in our classroom. When it's being demonstrated by students, I will pause the class and shout it out to them and really help that encouragement and build that classroom community over the years. and this is.

You can find these and the 8 growth mindset sayings I use in my classroom here: naomimeredith.com/tptgrowthmindset

#3 Create systems & routines that can be used all year long, for all grade levels and lesson types 

The third thing that you'll want to do when setting up your classroom is to create systems and routines that can be used all year long. This is for all your grade levels and lesson types; specific materials and lessons will have their own systems. A lot of these are going to overlap with learning the classroom flow. These are those systems and routines that you're definitely going to need. Build that classroom management now!

If you are a classroom teacher before, (like I was), all of your Back to School prep when it comes to classroom management still applies. You're just teaching it in chunks and what is manageable for multiple grade levels. You definitely don't want to skip this step! 

It will take time to learn your classroom, but the systems and routines will help you create a climate and culture that students can thrive in year after year.

Here are some things to think about the routines in your classroom. These aren't a full list of things, but a lot of these same systems and routines mirror what you would do in the regular classroom. 

Think about: 

-how students are going to enter to the room

-where and how they're going to gather supplies

-how are they going to use classroom furniture (Some classrooms might even have flexible seating. Definitely model how to use that furniture and where students are going to sit) 

-what are the routines for how students need to ask for help for projects

 -what are some signals to get the class attention (You want to probably keep consistent for all of your classes and have a few tricks that you add in throughout the year because it does get loud, pretty quick. It is controlled chaos but there are times you definitely need to get the classes attention when you're in the middle of a project!) 

Recap

So again, we talked about things that are going to help you be successful and set up that foundation throughout the year. Here's our recap of those 3 major things to plan and think about before diving into that content: create a space that works for all grade levels, build a community that promotes growth mindset, and create systems and routines that can be used all year long for all grade levels and lesson types.

 

Materials are organized at kid-accessible heights and labeled with words and pictures.

 

Shared meeting area at the front of the room by the TV. Other relevant posters & information are on the whiteboard. More student supplies in drawers.

 

In the middle of storing student projects on the shelves, organized by grade level. Materials not in use for this unit are stored on higher shelves.

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

 

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, 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!

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!