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STEM project rubric

3 Strategies for Grading with a STEM Project Rubric [ep.133]

3 Strategies for Grading with a STEM Project Rubric [ep.133]

STEM project rubric

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Episode Summary

Is grading STEM projects a task you don’t enjoy? If so, I can relate. Trying to figure out the best approach for grading STEM projects can feel overwhelming. In today’s episode, I’m sharing three strategies for grading using a STEM project rubric.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • 3 strategies for grading with a STEM project rubric
  • The why behind each strategy
  • Things to consider and do for successful grading with a STEM project rubric

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:


Grading STEM projects. I don't love it; you probably don't love it, but in reality, this is increasing in popularity the more we gain elementary STEM in our spaces around the world. So, how do you even grade a project like this? In this episode, I will give you some strategies on how to grade a STEM project using a rubric. 


Naomi Meredith [00:01:01]:


Before we jump into the episode, I wanted to read another amazing 5-star podcast review from one of you. This is from ParksTeam, and they say, “So helpful. I especially love the 6 part series broken down by grade level. I struggle with finding things appropriate for kindergarten, so this episode was so helpful. Thank you, Naomi.” Thank you so much for your review. Reading these definitely makes my day. I absolutely love that this podcast is making a positive difference in your teaching and, therefore, your students.


Naomi Meredith [00:01:38]:


If you wouldn't mind taking a moment and heading on over to Apple Podcasts and writing a 5-star review, that would mean the absolute world to me. It costs nothing and helps other teachers like you find this podcast. Over in my Instagram DMs at Naomi Meredith_ I got a message from 1 of you, and you wrote me saying, “Hi Naomi, just found your podcast and loved it. I tried to see if you already talked about this, but my STEAM is struggling with grading. Do you have an episode on how you do grading in your room?” This is an excellent question, and I have actually received similar questions from a lot of you out there over in my Instagram DMs and also by way of email. And it is an important concept to consider. Now, spoiler alert, I technically didn't have to grade and give grades when I was a K through 5 STEM teacher. I know that sounds absolutely insane, and you might be saying what, that's not fair.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:47]:


I know it kinda wasn't fair because the PE, art, and music teachers did have to give grades, and I did not. I was told because there aren't any STEM standards in Colorado that, I wasn't required to give grades, so I didn't. But I always thought about it if they ever changed their minds or they ever said when grading times came around, I had a plan in mind if that was something that I needed to do. And have no fear, this isn't a fluffy episode where I just pulled something out of thin air. This is literally exactly how I would grade projects. When I taught in the classroom, I would grade projects like this. And I also was on committees to grade things using rubrics and also to design them for these types of things. I did a lot of project-based learning when I was a classroom teacher, so I would be using that experience if I ever were to grade.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:43]:


So don't write me off saying you don't know what you're talking about. I do, and this is exactly how I would grade a STEM project and really any hands-on project. First, you want to make your STEM projects standards-based. Now, when you're thinking about backwards design and planning your lessons, you should be looking at the standards anyway because this will make it a lot harder to grade if your lessons aren't standards-based, to begin with. You do wanna keep this in mind, which is why in my entire K through 5 STEM year long plan of lessons, they are all rooted in NGSS standards along with an integration of common core literacy and math standards and the ISTE standards for students. All of my projects that I do k through 5 are revolved around this. And if it ever came down to grading, I wouldn't be stressed or stopped because I knew my lessons were standard space even when we were doing something with robots, even when we were doing something with Makerspace or coding.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:50]:


It all connected together. So you need to go and start there. I do have some episodes that talk all about how to plan a stem lesson. So those will be linked in the show notes if you need some help with that, but you need to start there. You need to have your lessons be standards-based because what are you gonna grade them on? Now, maybe your school grades on character traits like collaboration and critical thinking. Amazing. Awesome. There actually are some common core standards in speaking and listening that talk about explaining ideas and working together as a group.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:24]:


But if you're gonna have to really grade, think about your lessons. You might need to start there with the grading piece. If you're just doing surface-level activities where they're just playing with robots for the day. You might need to rethink what you're doing with your kids. From there. So let's say, okay, Naomi, I do this, I plan with standards in mind. How are we gonna do this? How are we going to assess these projects? And like I mentioned, I like to use a rubric because it has a whole variety of things when it comes to an actual project.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:59]:


And when you are designing a rubric, I highly recommend creating a rubric that involves the process versus the product. It has both of those intertwined. So again, if you are planning with the standards, you might have ways where students are demonstrating a specific science standard in their actual project, and that might be the grade level indicators that you put in the rubric, and then, of course, you go up from there. So I like to use a 4-point rubric, four being the highest, 1 being the lowest, and then 3 and 2 are in the middle. So 3 would be what I would expect for a grade level 2, they need to do it with support. Four is above and beyond. 1, they didn't do it all, like, they might have some things or were absent. And so, having those indicators maybe have those specific science standards.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:52]:


How are they demonstrating this in the project? How are they demonstrating specific math concepts in their project? Are they doing specific parts of the engineering design process? Are they demonstrating those things? So you're merging those standards together where they maybe have 5 different levels. Some of the standards actually would overlap. So, just the way that you write the rubric is really important as well so that students can find success. Also, if you create this rubric while you are planning, you know how you should teach the lesson so that students can succeed in this overall grade. You could give honestly whatever points you want. If you had 5 categories, each category is worth 20. That is correct.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:40]:


That is the correct math. That is the m and stem. Good job, Naomi. But if you do that, then you could have a score out of 100, and you would be good to go. Creating standards-based rubrics is actually one of the 2 updates that I am putting in my k through 5 stem year long plan of lessons because this is actually a really highly requested nature that I told you a lot of you have been asking about. So this is something if you see the lessons, my lessons are $10, if you see that price difference, then that means I have updated those lessons with me teaching the lesson. So you actually get to hear how I teach the lesson to students. I create a video about me actually explaining the whole thing in the product, and then there's also an update with standards-based rubrics and more math connections.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:31]:


So, the sooner you jump in on those, the better. You get all the updates for free, so you can have a rubric already set up for the main grade level that I plan it for. And then, if you need to adjust it for other grades, you can have a sense of what that could be like. And finally, when you are creating rubrics for your students, I highly recommend writing them in kid-friendly language. If you have students in 2nd through 5th grade, this actually might be a little bit easier because you're writing in a way that if they read the rubric or if they were self-assessing, they could understand what is happening. I recommend doing a self-assessment on these rubrics with your students that can be a whole other topic, but that way, you're not creating 2 different rubrics. When I taught writing, we graded on the student-friendly rubric, so there wasn't any miscommunication about what they needed to add, and then it made sense. This might be a little more tricky for k and 2, maybe a little bit of 2nd grade, where you might have to add some images on this student-friendly rubric.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:40]:


But honestly, you could do the same thing. You could still grade them on the same thing. It doesn't have to be this whole overcomplicated thing when it comes to creating a rubric for students, write it in a way that a student would understand. And that way, you as a teacher be like, okay. They did this, or they didn't do this. So then you don't need to create 2 different things. That is my philosophy on it, especially if you're making it standards-based anyway, why do you need to have the teacher's language? Now, maybe you have student examples on the side of, oh, here's what a 3 looks like, here's what a 2 looks like. Awesome.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:16]:


But really, it saves a lot of time. You're getting at the same idea. If it's standards-based, you'll be good to go. If you are interested to see in exactly how to create a rubric from scratch where it is a 4-point system, learning how to put the standards together, and putting together that Process First product, I invite you into the self-paced signature course of mine, STEM teacher 101, where there's a new module that is all about how to grade using a rubric. So there's a section already about self-assessment and explaining rubrics and different ways to do that and examples for you. And then the new module is actually going to walk you through how I create a rubric with that process first product and really the whole explanation of that. As a recap, here are the 3 ways that we talked about how you can grade students' STEM projects using a rubric. 1st is making sure that your lessons and the rubric itself is standards-based.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:25]:


Next, we talked about creating a rubric that combines the process of how the project is made and the final product. And 3rd, we talked about writing those rubrics in kid-friendly language. It will save you time. And also, as the teacher understands, hey, this is what is expected for this type of project. As a reminder, don't forget to jump in on my signature course, STEM Teacher 101. It is never too late to jump on in our community of teachers, and I am continuously listening to you and seeing the needs that you want for your stem space and adding in those modules. Also, the cool thing about it, I added a private podcast feature. So, if you are busy on the go like most teachers, every module has a podcast pairing.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:18]:


So when you sign up, you get that private podcast, and you can actually listen to the entire course and not feel like you have to be stuck on the computer watching my cute little face. So I invite you in there. The link will be in the show notes, and I will see you in the next.

STEM project rubric

 

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!

how to teach students to work in groups

How to Teach Students to Work in Groups for STEM Projects [ep.132]

How to Teach Students to Work in Groups for STEM Projects [ep.132]

how to teach students to work in groups

Check out the full episode on How to Teach Students to Work in Groups for STEM Projects:  

 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Have a STEM question? Leave a voice message for the podcast!

Episode Summary

Have you been wanting to implement group STEM projects in your classroom but aren’t sure of the most effective approach? As educators, we understand the importance of collaboration in fostering teamwork skills. However, it's not always easy teaching students how to work in groups. In today’s episode, I’m breaking down how to teach students to work in groups for STEM projects and sharing examples of each approach.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How to teach students how to work in groups
  • Tips for effectively implementing these strategies to teach students how to work in groups
  • Examples of how I implemented these various methods for teaching students how to work in groups

Resources Mentioned:

Some items are linked to my Amazon Affiliate account. When you purchase through my link, there is no added cost to you, but I receive a small commission in return.

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:


We know as teachers that it is important for students to work in groups when they are creating collaborative projects, But it doesn't always go the way that you hoped and planned. In this episode, I'll be sharing with you ways that you can teach your students to work in groups on their STEM projects and the types of tips that I have used in my own classrooms to help students work together successfully. Before we jump into this episode, I wanted to read an awesome podcast review from 1 of you.


Naomi Meredith [00:01:08]:


This is from mamabarker0616, and they say, life saving. This podcast has given me so much Actionable tips. I cannot even begin to express how thankful I am that you put in your time and energy to help so many people. Any STEM teacher or teacher implementing STEM should listen. It is worth it. Thank you so much, mama Barker. If all of you out there haven't taken the time to write a review, I would absolutely appreciate it. If you wouldn't mind going over to Apple Podcasts, write a 5-star review.


Naomi Meredith [00:01:49]:


It would absolutely mean the world to me. It costs nothing, and it helps other teachers like you Help them find this podcast. More and more teachers these days are getting into elementary STEM, and I definitely wanna be in their back pockets like I am for you each and every week. I recently wrote an article for an upcoming publication in a STEM magazine for teachers and parents. and I was asked to give my perspective on really anything as it relates to elementary and maybe some lessons that I learned in that type of position of being a k through 5 STEM teacher. Now, I knew exactly right off the bat what I wanted to say, and one of the points that I made in the article was how collaboration is so important for students and a really big thing that we try to teach in the elementary STEM space. Once that article comes out, we will link it in the show notes. Not sure when the time frame is, but keep an eye out for that.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:59]:


Of course, especially as a STEM teacher, working in groups is so important, and continually sharing examples with students of how people work together in real life, especially in STEM roles, is extremely important so students can actually visualize why we're having them work together. One example that I like to use with Students is thinking about rockets built by NASA or really anybody who makes rockets. and I asked the kids, Do you think that 1 person built that entire rocket all by themselves? They built the rocket, they planned the rocket, they got all the pieces, they launched the rocket, they've tested it, and the kids giggle, and they say no, like, exactly. So when we are working together on projects, we need to use all of our skills and work together so that it can happen. This isn't a by yourself activity. I want you to talk and collaborate. Well, easier said than done in a lot of instances, but it doesn't mean giving up on having students collaborate in groups, we as teachers know it's important, but outside of teaching, in the books that I read in my book club membership, the STEM teacher bookshelf, 2 other business books that I listen to, Many of these books either directly or indirectly talk about ways that they collaborated with others. These people outside of the classroom are telling us how important collaboration is and how it is a vital skill that we teach our students so that they can be successful in the real world.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:55]:


Two books in particular that are on the top of my head that are related to STEM and one we read in the STEM teacher bookshelf, and one sneak peek that we will be reading, first one is Limitless Mind by Joe Bowler and the other book is Visual Thinking by Temple Grandin. That's not the whole base of their books, but they do talk specifically about why we need to have students collaborate together. Jo Boaler actually really gives some good suggestions inside of that book that you can check out. You can still join my book club at any moment. I have a reading guide that goes along with this book, and there's a whole section about collaborating with students. Okay. So we know it's important for students to work together in groups, but how do you teach them to do it? It's more than, alright, you're working in a group today, and the end. We need to be more specific in the ways that we teach students to work in groups, and we have to continually do it even if it's not working out the first time.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:03]:


Just like we tell our students, we don't want them to give up when things don't work, they need to continue working on being together in a group. and I do have some stories that I'm gonna share with you along the way. The first way that you can teach students to work in groups is to have a gradual release of how big the group sizes are. I don't recommend starting groups in groups of 4. That is a lot of kids, especially if you are starting this out at the beginning of the year, mid-year, where you haven't seen these students yet before. They don't really know each other, and there's a whole trust thing going on, and it might be an actual disaster. Likewise, if you are a specials teacher, you need to know the dynamics of their classroom coming into this space. This might be a little tricky if you don't ever leave the classroom.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:00]:


I recommend that you have an administrator or even a sub come in where you can actually observe students in their classrooms. I was lucky enough to do this because when I first had my role in k through 5 STEM, I did STEM as a specials, and then I also got to co-teach in the classrooms, and I was brand new to the school. I didn't know anybody. I didn't know the teachers. I didn't know the students. So I actually took the 1st week to see the teaching styles of the teachers in the building because I didn't know what was going on and also how students were in their classrooms. and throughout the year, I did have the opportunity to see how it grows because it is different at the beginning of the year, but that was extremely insightful for me. I had a 5th-grade class who could never collaborate together.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:52]:


They weren't allowed to be in their classroom. When I would go into that teacher's room, they actually sat in rows, and it wasn't a testing season. They sat in rows, they sat by themselves. When I would teach a lesson, I wanted them to work together, and the teacher didn't want them to work together. and it really wasn't a behavior thing where, oh, they can't be with this, they can't be with that. This teacher didn't believe in having students collaborate together. They always thought that it should be an isolated task and not group work. So that teacher is getting really stressed out when the noise level is going up a little bit because I wanted kids to work together, they didn't like that.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:33]:


Likewise, when these students came into my classroom, They really had a hard time collaborating because they didn't know how to do it. They weren't allowed to do it. and the art teacher saw the same thing, and so did the PE teacher. and I gave them that insight, this is something we're not allowed to do in their regular classroom. So we had to take a step back, and STEM and also PE, art, and music, where they had a lot of chances to work together, we had to take a step back and have them work in smaller groups. We had to figure out how to have them work together in just a simple partnership, and that was a great start. Eventually, I could get into bigger groups of 3 and 4, but we had to start small, and that's where that class was at. Sometimes, some classes might not ever get to work bigger than a partnership, and it might be a behavior issue.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:29]:


This was a teacher's philosophy. This was because they weren't allowed to do this in their classroom. I had a class when I taught 3rd grade, and I knew I was meant to be their teacher. I definitely was the right teacher for them, But having all those students in my classroom mixed up together was a horrible combination. I tried everything, classroom community, all the things. It was just oil and water every day, and the biggest groups we could ever have were partnerships. That's the best that we could do. That's literally where we were at with that classroom. So you just have to be comfortable engaging your classes to see where they're at.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:11]:


It might be smaller groups the whole year, like my 3rd-grade class, or it Might be something you start off small, and you work up to it. So keep in mind the sizes of your groups. The next way that you can teach Students to work in groups is hosting STEM stations. I am a huge fan of doing STEM stations with my younger students, kindergarten through 2nd grade. But I also did play around with STEM stations with my older students in 3rd through 5th grade, my 1st couple of years in STEM. In fact, this is something that we explored and planned for in my group coaching program, which will open back up in the summer, But this is something that we did where we actually planned out specific STEM stations that would relate to an overall theme. I really like this especially for the younger students, because working on a project for little kids doesn't take the whole week. I've tried it.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:10]:


It is like pulling teeth. It takes way too long. So, mixing in projects and STEM stations is a really great way to help them with their group work. With STEM stations, I see it as a form of parallel play. Sometimes, the task that they are working on at their station is something that they could work together. But a lot of times, they each have their own set of the same materials where they can talk together about what is happening, but they don't necessarily have to collaborate on the same task. So a lot of that parallel play where they're kinda working together, but not really. You see that a lot with toddlers.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:54]:


Now the older kids, they kinda older, meaning, like, kindergarten through 2nd grade, they learn to kinda help Each other out a bit better and they're more aware that there's other kids in their group. But this is a really great way to help them understand, okay, We are working on the same task together. We have about 4 to 5 kids in this group and we are going to get the job done. This also helps when they're cleaning up materials, making sure that they are on task, but there's not as much pressure when it comes to working in a STEM station as it is on a project where you have to really finish that. These Stem stations, the way that I do it, they have more of a flow where you get as far as you can and that's amazing. If you're interested in learning more about STEM stations, I have my on demand workshop all about primary planning. You can grab that at nami meredith.com/primaryworkshop and also one of the modules in my guided STEM teacher 101 course. There's also a whole section about STEM stations as well.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:01]:


and finally, the third way that you can teach students To work in groups is assigning roles. This really helps too if you have those smaller groups, you can actually assign roles when you are teaching them how to work in groups. and there's a couple of ways that you can do this. 1st is giving them the language of how they should talk to each other in certain situations. You can practice this as a whole class. This can be a mini lesson or it can also be something in the moment. Maybe you even have a different sentence starters that they can use when they talk together, which I do have that in my STEM teacher one zero one course where I actually give you the language that students can use with each other when they're working in groups. But having them have that language of how to speak is extremely important for all students, All of them.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:58]:


Not just students who are learning English, all students need to learn how to talk to one another. I had this situation happen the moment, you probably already do this more than you think, but I had a student in one of my LEGO after-school clubs that I host, and they were frustrated because there was a misunderstanding on the directions where the group actually was following directions. In the LEGO Education lessons, there's a little story, and I wanted kids to listen to the story, and then it connects to the LEGO build. Well, the student who was upset didn't get that part, and they knew that one of my roles is to stay on task so that they could get the work done. and that student was upset because they thought that the group wasn't staying on task when they actually were. They're doing exactly what they're supposed to do. So I went and talked to this student and finally clarified that, and then I was like, Okay. You can go back.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:55]:


Like, that's part of the challenge. and they really wanted the other group to welcome them back. and so I the other kids in the group were really, really sweet. I helped give them the language in that situation where I'm frustrated right now. Here's why. and hey, we're working on this. Do you wanna join us? Or even things like, Hey, how can I help? So a lot of times kids will shut down and if they're frustrated they don't know what to do. If there's a disagreement where this was a misunderstanding but if there's a disagreement That's okay.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:32]:


How can we problem-solve through this instead of shutting down and screaming at each other? So giving kids Specific language in certain situations, whether it's in the moment or something you guys even talk about as a mini-lesson is extremely important and also aids to that social and emotional learning. I have a whole episode that I talked With a guest, Jill Loesch, where we actually talked about SEL in the STEM classroom, we'll link that in the show notes. That's a really great one for you to keep in mind especially when you are talking about group work and how it actually just STEM projects in general does take that level creativity where it is more of a vulnerable situation. So assigning those certain roles, giving them that language and also having different roles for different tasks. It depends on the project that I'm working on, but I would say most Of my projects, I have specific jobs, especially if they're very hands on and everybody wants to do something at once, which great you want them to be involved, But you also want them to be involved in productive ways. So for different types of things like Lego kits, Lego building kits, they have different jobs. For robotics, I give them different jobs. Sometimes when we do makerspace projects, I'll give them different jobs depending on the class and what level of support that they need with group work and also when it comes to coding, I will give them different jobs.


Naomi Meredith [00:17:03]:


So this helps students realize, okay, when I have this role, I am responsible for this. and it also really, really helps kids who need that actual visual of how to work with someone. Again, in one of my Lego after-school clubs, I have a partnership of these 2 boys who take their roles very seriously, and they're extremely productive. They work Amazing together. But I have a student who needs that explicit level of support where I have a job, this is what I'm doing in the job, When we turn the page, we're going to switch jobs and they actually physically switch spots which is absolutely adorable. They don't need to do that. Maybe not the most efficient, but they are very clear on the roles that they have. and some students, they're just like, okay.


Naomi Meredith [00:17:54]:


Like, I'm gonna do this job for today. You can do it tomorrow. But there are some students, you could probably think of them right now, who need that explicit, this is my job and this is what I do and I am going to do it until we switch. You can think about switching if it's page by page, if it's like a Lego education build, Maybe when a timer goes off, you could set a timer. They have that job for that amount of time. When the timer goes off in the class, they switch or even day by day. and, again, it depends on the class and the groups, and also the project that you're working on. So inside of my STEM teacher 101 course, I actually give you different roles with visuals, a definition of what the job is, and how you can actually use it in different projects along with those sentence starters that are really helpful for kids when they are working in groups That could be something that is laid out for them or even things that you print out and hang on your wall that you can refer to.


Naomi Meredith [00:18:57]:


As a recap, here are the 3 different ways that we talked about how you can support students in your classroom When working on STEM projects and working in groups, first is starting small and building up to those larger groups. Next is trying out STEM stations, maybe with everybody, but really for those primary students. and finally, consider assigning roles. Having students work in groups is definitely a process but a very important one that we as teachers, I know can be really frustrating, especially when there's classes that it doesn't seem like that they can get along, But try out these things. It is worth it. I promise you. and for those different visuals and levels of support and considering the types of roles that you can have in those STEM groups, I invite you to join in the self-paced course by signature course, STEM teacher 101, where not only this is a lesson inside of the modules, but we also talk about systems and routines, so giving those a refresh in your classroom, different types of planning structures, and even ways that you can Have students self assess and have ways to help you with grading. Thank you so much again for being here, and I will see you in the next episode.

how to teach students to work in groups

 

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!

project plan examples for students

5 STEM Project Plan Examples for Students [ep.131]

5 STEM Project Plan Examples for Students [ep.131]

project plan examples for students

Check out the full episode on 5 STEM Project Plan Examples for Students:  

 

 

 

Episode Summary

Do your students struggle with effectively planning their designs for their STEM projects? If yes, you’re not alone. This was something I saw with many of my students when I was a STEM teacher. They would create plans, but they weren’t plans that supported them in the building process. Knowing this needed to change, I pulled from my teaching experience, tested out different ways to support students with planning their projects, and came up with five effective ways to teach students how to plan effectively. In today’s episode, I’m breaking down these five STEM project plan examples for students.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • STEM project plan examples for students 
  • The benefits of implementing each of these STEM project plan examples for students
  • Tips and strategies for supporting students with planning their designs 

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:


Having students plan their designs when they're completing STEM projects can feel like quite a chore. Sure, you might be having them draw their ideas before they start building, but is there a better way? In this episode, I'm gonna be sharing with you five ways that students can plan their designs before they get into building their STEM projects. The inspiration for this episode came about from my own observations of my students when I taught k through five STEM and in those beginning stages. Once we were getting the hang of the engineering design process for pretty much all the projects that we were completing together, I was having students plan their designs. But what I noticed with their plans is that their plans weren't very good, and their plans weren't even helping them with the building process anyway. They were just scribbling something down on their paper just to say that they created a plan, and well, that's about it.


Naomi Meredith [00:01:41]:


Does this sound familiar in your classroom? I knew that this needed to change and that the plan is actually a really important step when it comes to thinking about your design. So, I took a step back and thought about my classroom teacher days. I was a classroom teacher for 6 years Before stepping into my K through 5 STEM role, and I thought about when we were doing the writing process and how the planning stage is extremely important to pull out all of those ideas. So, of course, you have ways where you are building backgrounds, and we were doing that really well in our engineering design process projects, But the plan wasn't that great. So I tried and tested a lot of different ways to plan, and from there, we had way better plans that were actually thoughtful and helping students. And I even have a little story I'm gonna share with you in a little bit in this episode where the students actually really like to plan more than they thought. So, let's jump into these 5 ways that students can plan their designs. You don't have to do all of these with your students.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:57]:


Pick and choose what works best, But I'm going to explain what these things are and how they helped out my students' plans. The first way that students can plan their designs is to just talk through their ideas. This is the quickest way to plan, and this works really well if you're doing one-day challenges. I didn't do this method very often, But it was great when we were in a pinch, and we were going to go through the engineering design process pretty quickly in our time together. One way that I did this is that I had to co-teach with our PE teacher at the last minute because she found out that school pictures were going to be in the gym and not in our main hallway that day. So my PE teacher and all of her classes for the day Had to get moved to a new location, and I volunteered to have her and her classes come into my room so we could do a fun STEM challenge together. There were some simple building supplies for this challenge students were creating a catapult to launch into a basketball hoop. I don't currently have a lesson for this, but I do have a video on my YouTube channel where you can actually see how we built the catapult.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:17]:


But before students built their designs, their catapult, and the basketball hoop, they had to talk through their ideas. And that was it. That was their plan. We gave them a couple of minutes to talk, and then they got the materials, and then they got to build. That was all that we did. Funny enough, a few years later, I had an interesting week with 1 of my 5th-grade classes, And they were working on my Rube Goldberg Ecosystem project, which is in my TpT shop. We had a weird week where they didn't have the full 5 days in a row, and they still needed to plan their ideas, but I really wanted to get them to build. So I gave them the option that they could just talk through their ideas and then jump into the actual building.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:08]:


Well, funny enough, mind you, this is when I've had these kids for 5 years. I have had them since 1st grade. It was so interesting because I gave them the option where they just had to talk about their designs, but all of them ended up trying their designs anyway. So think about what you're doing if you're really being purposeful in the way that you are having students draw their designs. They might want to do that anyway. But they did have the option to talk through it because, again, we had a weird week. But it made me so proud as a teacher that the kids actually wanted to do a step in the engineering design process that they actually wanted to do. The next way that students can plan their STEM projects is kind of similar to the first one but a bit more hands-on, and it's that students can gather their materials and talk about it, but there is a caveat to this: you don't let them have any sticky things yet, so no glue and no tape.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:13]:


The reason for this is really great where, again, if you are pressed for time, if drawing isn't an option, you're doing a quicker challenge. And this is really great for younger learners where drawing and labeling can be so taxing on them. Think about the time of day you might have your youngest learners. Mine were in the afternoon, right after my lunchtime, I believe after their lunchtime, and they were tired. And drawing and labeling every single time we did a project wasn't going to happen. The one time I did have kindergarten in the morning, we flip-flopped their times because of a field trip. They are different children. And you know I love kindergarten so so much, but they are completely different in the morning.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:03]:


They are nice to each other. There are kids who are friends I never knew were friends because all they did was fight when they were in my class, so this method, when you are gathering the materials and having them talk about it, is another great alternative. I did this one time again, another co-teaching lesson with a kindergarten teacher they came into my classroom for a bonus STEM lesson, and we were doing a gingerbread man boat challenge. So they were doing a whole gingerbread unit in their class and reading different variations of the gingerbread man. And we talked about What if the gingerbread man was actually smart and had some building skills and could actually build a boat to get away from the fox. I had different materials laid out. Those were the things that they could choose from, and we gave them a limit of 5 items that they could take. These 5 items did not include the gingerbread man, the tape, the water, the scissors, all of that, those were not included in their count. However, they could gather 5 items with their partner that would help them with their gingerbread band design.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:19]:


Once the students grabbed their 5 items, they had a few minutes to talk about with their partners how they were going to use these items together to create their design. This is really great because while they were talking, sometimes students switched out their items because they might have grabbed something that wouldn't work. And I did add some items in there that purposely wouldn't work. I wanted to see if they could figure that out, like coffee filters, paper, and things that would get wet and eventually sink. So once students had the time to talk about the supplies with their partners, we gave them the sticky things, we gave them some tape, then we gave them scissors, and then they could build their design. The 3rd way that you can have students plan their design is probably what most of you are doing, but there is an additional step, and that is draw, label, and explain the steps in your design. Back in a guest interview that I had with Kelly Hogan, She talked about this where she actually has students write out the first few steps of how they're going to get started with their project. This is really great because this is going to help students be very purposeful with the materials that they're going to have and not be wasteful.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:39]:


She doesn't have them write out every single step of the entire project because, again, you do want students to actually get to building and not take the whole time to plan, but this is a really great way for them to be thoughtful and how everything is going to connect together. This is definitely the opposite of the Ikea building plans. If you've ever bought furniture from Ikea, When you get the plans, all of the plans are in drawings. There are no words. I've heard different theories behind this as to why there are no words, and this actually makes my teacher honey, very upset because he wishes there were words. And so we actually have a plan when we build. I find the pieces, and I tell them where to put them because I like reading the plans. But anyway, when you have students draw, label, and explain, This is again a great way for them to be thoughtful and why they are designing it the way that they are.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:38]:


The 4th way that you can have students plan their designs is adding on to the previous tip, but it's to create a shopping list. This doesn't work for every type of stem project. This one is really great when you are doing Makerspace projects, and they have tons of materials to choose from. So let's say you are not keeping the supplies limited like I did for that gingerbread project, but they have open access to all of the supplies. Having students draw and label their plans thoughtfully but also adding a shopping list does add a different element to their plans because it is a plan. I always tell the kids when I am going to make dinner, I make a plan of the ingredients that I need, and then I have to create a shopping list based on those ingredients and what I'm going to cook. So it's just like when you're building, you need to plan out what you are going to purchase. But this list isn't just a list of materials.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:44]:


It can be if you have younger students and you don't want to add in math. But for the most part, it's adding in the prices of each of the items, how much it's all going to cost, if there is any money left in their budget, and how much they are going to spend. Back in episode 6, you can hear all about how I use this Makerspace money and menu in my classroom, and there's definitely a link in the show notes where I Have it all set up for you, suggested price plans, and literally step by step by step on how I do this with my students when I get into deeper Makerspace projects. This is also really great because if you are planning a STEM lesson and you need more elements of math, all students can benefit from counting with denominations of 1, 5, tens, and twenties. I don't add the fifties and the hundreds. You can if you want to have more change, but I have seen such benefits from this type of math with numbers within 20 and also doing a bit of mental math when they are checking out with me at the cash register. So, definitely check out that episode. Grab the menu in the show notes. It's all done for you.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:58]:


It's very, very helpful, and that was a huge game changer in my classroom. Also, my supplies didn't deplete as much because students were being way, way, way, way, way more thoughtful in the supplies that they were using and how to be innovative with the stuff that they purchased. And the last way that you can have students plan their designs, and this is also building upon the last 2 steps. You can do all of these if you want. I eventually did all of these leading up to this by having a rubric on which students can base their plans. This rubric for planning isn't something that I use for grading but really more for a self-evaluation tool to help students improve their designs. When I introduce this rubric to students, I like to compare it to when inventors are creating a patent to turn in so nobody can copy their designs.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:58]:


And in fact, if you're watching the video version, I am holding up an example. I found on one trip to Chicago, I was walking through the Chicago Cargo midway, and there was a little wooden shop that had all of these laser-cut items, and something caught my eye. I'm like, oh my gosh, I know what that Is it is the patent image of the Lego brick, and it is so cool. You can Google this, but mine's way cooler because it's etched into wood, and I had it hanging up by my 3D printers. But it's so cool and a great visual for kids to see because it's literally showing every single layer and every single element of the Lego brick. But if you look closer, there are a lot of numbers, there are arrows, There are little headings that say figure 1, figure 2, and I tell kids about this when I introduce this rubric that when inventors are turning in a patent, it's not just the drawings but they explain Every single thing about their invention so that nobody can copy anything from their design. And so all of those little numbers and arrows are referencing a huge document that is talking about each of those pieces. The students really like this example of a patent.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:24]:


It's a great way to get that little vocabulary and history lesson in there. Then, I present to them the rubric that I have for their plans. There are 4 different categories as to how their plans should be, and I talk about each level where they should be at for that grade level based on what's typical for that grade. And this has really been a game changer when it comes to their actual plans. This rubric also has examples of a sample project because students who are rushing through their plans just to start building have really slowed down to make their plans even better. Also, for me, as a teacher, this helps me help them as to what they can do to help with their plans. I literally have a reference on the screen that I can point to and tell them, hey, you need to add this to your plan. You didn't do it. And then the students believe me because it's like The law, as soon as I hang it up, it's like that is the rules, and that's what's gonna happen, and so they will go back and modify their designs.


Naomi Meredith [00:16:37]:


This rubric and how I teach it, the template, and what this rubric actually looks like is a new update in my STEM teacher 101 course. So there is a whole module that I'm updating with innovative practices, and this is one of those ways if you are looking to Level up your plans and your student projects. I break this all down for you, and I also include a sample video of me teaching How I would actually teach this lesson to my students. So you can hear that language of how you can introduce it to your kids, or you can even just play that part of the video of me teaching it, and then you can just add in your own 2¢ while I am talking. This course will be linked in the show notes, and there's also a podcast version where you can listen to the audio on the go. And if you have this course, make sure to log in and check out this new update because this template is not even in my tpt shop and definitely something that will save you time and also level up your plans. As a recap, here are the 5 ways that you can have students Plan for their STEM projects. 1st, students can talk through their ideas.


Naomi Meredith [00:17:51]:


Next is gathering materials and then talking about it, but don't let them have the sticky stuff yet. Third, students can draw, label, and then explain each step or just part of the steps on how they're going to build. Fourth, students can make a shopping list, and this can build off of that drawing and labeling. Fifth, you can build off the drawing and labeling and then build off that shopping list. Students can plan using a rubric. I hope with all these ideas of ways to plan will make this stage in the engineering design process way less stressful and also help students create meaning as to why this stage is important. Also, I invite you to join my STEM Teacher 101 course, where not only is this rubric lesson about planning going to be added to that module, but this is also a great course to help you build up your systems in your classroom or rethink the ones that you might be having, adding in those routines that are going to make a smooth flow of your classroom, and also find ways that you can plan different types of stem lessons. The entire course is available in a private podcast so you can actually listen to the whole thing on the go.


Naomi Meredith [00:19:12]:


You don't have to sit in front of a computer if you don't want to. And there are tons of templates and resources to help you be successful. You can grab that link in the show notes or find it at Naomimeredith.com/stemteacher101.

project plan examples for students

 

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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!

Simple Building Ideas for STEM Projects for Elementary Students

How to Teach Simple Building Ideas for STEM Projects for Elementary Students [ep.130]

How to Teach Simple Building Ideas for STEM Projects for Elementary Students [ep.130]

Simple Building Ideas for STEM Projects for Elementary Students

Check out the full episode on How to Teach Simple Building Ideas for STEM Projects for Elementary Students:  

 

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Have a STEM question? Leave a voice message for the podcast!

Episode Summary

Have you been wondering about the best way to teach simple building ideas for STEM projects for elementary students in your STEM classroom? Well, I received this question from a listener, and I’m excited to answer it in today’s episode. I also share some tips and strategies for teaching students how to build.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • 3 ways to teach simple building ideas for STEM projects for elementary students
  • The stages of the Engineering Design Process in which I teach building techniques
  • Tips and strategies for effectively planning and implementing STEM projects

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:


When teaching STEM to our elementary students, we always want to encourage that creativity and even celebrate that all of their projects look different. That is an amazing thing. You don't want everything to look the same. It's okay if they see the solution to the problem all differently, but at the same time, we still want to teach our students strategies and ways to build different things so that it can push their creativity along and even make their designs even better. How do you balance both when you are teaching STEM projects? In this episode, I'll be sharing with you three ways to teach simple, building ideas for your elementary STEM projects to not only keep that creativity that they are showing in their designs but also ways that they can improve their projects. 


Listener Question [00:01:17]:


Hey, Naomi, thank you for your podcast, and congratulations on your wedding. I am new to teaching STEM this year, and a question that I have is, do you go over building principles with such as if you're doing a bridge, do you touch on different types of bridges in a minilesson and then let them go? Or do you wait on that until you're in the improve stage of the engineering design process? Also, for maker space stuff like working with cardboard, do you teach the kids different ways to work with cardboard and do different sorts of attachments, or do you let them figure out those things on their own? Just trying to plan my lessons and see what would work best for an experienced STEM teacher. Thank you!


Naomi Meredith [00:02:53]:


This is such an excellent question, and thank you so much for submitting this. If you want to submit a voice question like this, you can do this at naomimeredith.com/voice, and it's also in the show notes and in every podcast episode. You can find this link because I love hearing your questions. Not only this audio message did I receive with this question, but a lot of you have asked this to me over on Instagram as well at Naomi Meredith underscore, and it is a little bit of a tricky one. How do you balance the actual teaching of the project and also those building strategies, and when do you do it? The first few years when I started teaching K through Five STEM, I had taught for six years prior to this as a classroom teacher, and when I stepped into this K through Five STEM role, I was given a brand new classroom with limited supplies and zero curriculum. On the flip side, I also didn't know my students, and they didn't really have a stun class before. And let's be real, their projects weren't really good when we first got started. Yes, it was my teaching, but also, they weren't used to doing hands-on projects before, and they weren't that great. They didn't look very good. And so it really developed over the years. Of course, again, with my teaching, but also, this is a skill that students have to learn.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:12]:


They have to learn how to be creative and let that shine. And it's okay to make mistakes and also learn those building techniques. And this isn't to say that I had kids do everybody do the same project, everything's going to look the same. I don't believe in that in STEM projects unless it's a Lego build, that's completely different. But for the most part, everybody's projects are going to look different. And that is scary for kids where there's not exactly one right answer. But at the same time, you still want to teach them those techniques that are going to make their designs even better. What you are doing with your students when you're teaching STEM, whether you are a STEM teacher, a specialist, or even a classroom teacher who's implementing STEM, what you are doing is so important.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:06]:


Keep on doing what you are doing. This is so important for kids, and it's really going to shine. And they love these types of projects. Also, think about it too if you are teaching STEM as a special subject, you're not seeing kids as often as a classroom teacher. They are going to see growth a lot faster than you are. If you really think about it too, even go down to counting out the number of days that you see students and the amount of time you are spending on projects, it is way less than a classroom teacher, more often than not. And so that growth in their actual projects and what things are going to look like is going to take some time. The types of projects my students were creating my first couple of years weren't as detailed, and they were more simple because that's where my students were at.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:00]:


But by the time we got into the fourth and fifth years, their projects were more complex. They had more tools in their belt per se, no pun intended, but they had more skills, and they had a lot more background, experience, and knowledge with these types of projects. So, in turn, their projects got a lot better. This is going to take some time with your students. It can even take years. Don't forget to teach these things. So say, oh, they'll get it later. Every single year is extremely important.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:31]:


But don't put a lot of pressure on yourself if it doesn't work out exactly as planned because it is going to come. And so these strategies I'm going to teach you when it comes to actually teaching those skills when it comes to building your projects. Keep doing these things. But again, the students are going to get better and better and better, and it also depends on the project and even the experiences that they might have outside of your classroom. Now, two out of the three tips that I'm going to be sharing with you two of them go along with when you teach certain parts of the engineering design process. Now, if you want more background on exactly what the engineering design process is and more examples on how to teach it, I encourage you to go back to Episode 15, where I have a series all about the engineering design process. So, I break down every single step of the process to help you better understand what that is and what it can look like in your classroom. But for this episode, we're going to talk about a couple of different stages of when I teach those building techniques that can help out students' designs.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:41]:


The first time I will teach students different building techniques is during the beginning of the project, the Imagine stage. So, in the engineering design process, you have the ask, what is the problem they're trying to solve? And then the Imagine, where you're gathering as many ideas as possible before you start planning. This is when we first talk about different building techniques and getting as much information as possible. For all of my projects in my K through five STEM year-long plan bundle of lessons, I pre-research everything. And there are a couple of reasons why I do this for STEM in a specific STEM class, there's not a whole lot of time when it comes to an open-ended Google search, and that is a whole skill in itself. Now, if you are a technology and STEM teacher or you teach both subjects, definitely zone in on those research skills. They're very important if you're a classroom teacher, zone in on those research skills. I definitely did that, especially when I taught third grade.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:49]:


We focused a lot on how to research, but at the same time, I also gave them pre-researched resources because the goal is for them to have them gather information from these sources and if it's credible or not and all those things. So I really try to save time, and I pre-research everything so I know the resources that they are going to be looking at are going to give them the right types of ideas. So it's open-ended in a sense where they have some choice as to which resources they can use. But it's very focused also with that. If you are pre-researching, you might often come across times when you have this very high-level topic, but then there aren't any resources available for your grade level. One project that comes to mind is when I was designing a strap motion animation lesson that is in the bundle for pollination, and I was finding really great resources about different types of pollinators, but it wasn't really answering the question I wanted them to solve for this project. So what I did is I pre-researched using many different resources, and then I ended up writing my own articles. So that is also a time when you are getting that background information as a teacher so you can share that with your students.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:18]:


So, pre-research and have those resources in that Imagine stage. So again, maybe it's articles, maybe it is resources that will really help answer that ask. It can also be videos that teach the science behind it that can be really helpful as well. Maybe they are showing why things are happening or even why things are built a certain way. And that could even be like if you're doing something with birdhouses, like a birdhouse unit that I have for second grade, they create a birdhouse to help birds in the area. Well, we watched a video as to how birds build their nest and, using those ideas as to why they build a nest the way that they do, that helps students design a birdhouse that birds would actually like based on the nest that they make in nature. So, making those types of connections can really help when it comes to their building design. Also too, in this Imagine stage, this is a great opportunity for you to share pictures of real life examples.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:27]:


Again, I like to pull things that are related to the topic, not usually doing an open-ended Google search because we know the filters aren't perfect and they might find some inappropriate things like, well, I'm not going to mention what I've actually seen students look up, but you know what I'm talking about. So having those real life pictures is really helpful. And if you have done the project before, having physical models of what students have built in the past is really helpful. Or I go ahead and take pictures of my students' examples, and those are already there for you. So if you're teaching any of my lessons in that K through five semi-long plan, you actually have student examples to help give a basis as well. When you are adding in those real life examples or those student examples, it isn't really meant for kids to copy exactly what they see. But more so inspiration as a starting point, I will say when students aren't used to doing hands-on or creative projects and they have examples like this, more often than not, they might copy exactly what they see because really think about it, they're a little bit unsure how their own creative idea is going to work. So, they might feel more comfortable copying the idea up on the screen, which is fine.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:55]:


That is a great point. They are trying their best, and they're going to keep growing from there. So just give them some grace if that is happening. I don't say, oh, here, we're going to make this exactly like the picture. I usually say things like, oh, this is how another student thought of this project. Maybe there's something in this project that you really like. So, having those examples is really helpful. Now, I taught six classes a day, so K through five.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:25]:


I didn't keep every single physical example. That's why taking pictures and videos, you as a teacher, are really important. And even having students take their own pictures and videos are really important as well. That's why I loved using Seesaw in my classroom because we could have a whole bank of different resources, and I would often go through and even download the pictures that were really great in their accounts and then save them for later. Another way to give students some ideas during this Imagine stage, especially when it comes to a maker space or hands-on type of project, is having different examples of the type of thing you want them to build and having a T chart so two columns and have one column be try and not try. I did this with my build a shelter unit. Actually, most of the lessons in STEM survival camp, we did this where we saw examples of the thing that they were going to build, and then they would sketch or draw ideas of things they wanted to try in their design, and then things that they didn't want to try in their design. And this is also a great time to share some non-examples.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:37]:


Not everything in the videos is going to be perfect or even feasible for the materials that you were going to give them. So this is a really cool way to help students really think about how they're going to build their design by seeing something else in action and what they could actually try. And things that for sure they definitely couldn't do. Like with the Build a Shelter challenge, some of the shelters actually did not have doors on them in the videos that I gave them. And so some of them said, I actually want to add a door because for the purpose of our challenge, the videos weren't really showing examples that exactly matched what we were trying to solve. Likewise, our Hiking Backpack challenge it showed backpacks having zippers, and some students actually really wanted to try a zipper. But I did tell them, hey, adding in a zipper is a whole other skill when it comes to sewing because they are sewing a backpack prototype. So that is something for this challenge we won't be able to explore.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:44]:


So that is when students actually added that option to the not try because adding in a zipper would be great, but we just didn't have the time actually to add that type of item. The next place in your teaching where you can teach students simple building techniques is during the Create stage. Just because students have gotten all these ideas from the Imagine stage. They made a plan they're ready to create. It doesn't mean they know how to build everything. Again, this isn't a time where you teach students step by step by step. This is how you are going to build. This is a great way to show them strategies on how to build different things.


Naomi Meredith [00:16:29]:


If I am doing a maker space project and they actually have an open-ended selection of all the Makerspace supplies within reason, using our maker Space menu and money, which you can definitely check out in the show notes. I also have a podcast episode where I talk all about that and have the menu all set up, especially if there are things that are open-ended, and I'm showing them all of the supplies before they go start shopping for everything. This is a time when I might show them, oh, this would be a good tool for this. Or if you don't have enough money for this, you can use this instead. And it kind of does the same thing. So even giving them some suggestions on how materials can be used is really helpful. A lesson that I actually don't have in my year-long plan. But it was something that I did when I was co-teaching with first grade.


Naomi Meredith [00:17:24]:


We were talking about insects, and then they were designing an insect using all of the things that insects have. And I gave them some ideas of how materials can be used. For example, for the antennas on the top of their heads, I showed them that they could use a bendy straw as an antenna. So I had like on the poster antennas, and I gave some options on there. I also put some Qtips on the antenna side. For wings, we had tissue paper. So, I showed on that poster how tissue paper can be crunched up. So again, I wasn't showing them, oh, here's every step on how to make your insect, and all of your projects are going to look the same.


Naomi Meredith [00:18:07]:


Yay for you. You did it. It was just more of those strategies of ways that they could add this to their design. I also did this with my rock and roller coaster unit for fifth grade which is in the year-long plan. And they were building a roller coaster that a marble can roll through. And a lot of them wanted to use either tubes or straws to be the base to hold up their roller coaster. And they were having a hard time having the tube stay flat on their platform. They were building it on a cardboard platform so that their roller coaster could be moved at the end of class.


Naomi Meredith [00:18:47]:


So I noticed this while they were building. So they didn't have a problem of shopping for supplies. They knew what they needed. They were in fifth grade, but that strategy was really tricky for them, and they were actually wasting a lot of tape because every time they taped their pole to the cardboard, it kept falling over. It wasn't sticking to the base of their roller coaster, and it wasn't sticking to the platform. And so this was an opportunity where I actually paused the class during creating. We already had the minilesson or whatever, but I showed them, hey, there's a strategy I want to teach you. I've been noticing this issue.


Naomi Meredith [00:19:24]:


This is something that can actually help improve your tubes holding up things. And it's called a phalange. I'm not kidding you. It's called that. Look it up. I actually have a video on my YouTube channel. It's called a phalange. So what you do with the tube is you cut slits a little ways down on the tube, and when you fold them back, then it will actually make the tube stand up flat because you tape down the little flaps.


Naomi Meredith [00:19:52]:


So just a simple technique. I didn't teach them this right off the bat because you kind of want to see if they can figure it out. But I noticed no one was figuring this out yet. And so, just that quick teaching while they were building took me a couple of minutes. It drastically improved their designs, and they were able to keep their roller coasters steady. Now, some concepts during this Create stage, I will specifically show them how to do it. This doesn't happen very often, but if I know ahead of time, this is something they probably do not know how to do. And this is going to be a troublesome point, different than the roller coasters.


Naomi Meredith [00:20:37]:


They're actually doing fine. They just needed one little tip. But I'm talking more about something that is definitely going to hinder their design. And everybody's going to be asking you, how do I do this? How do I do this? You kind of want to problem solve and think, what is something they specifically need to know? And I will teach them that right before they start building. So maybe not so much during the plan. Some kids might even ask, oh, how will I do this? And I'm going to say, hey, we're going to talk about this tomorrow. When we get to the create stage, I'm going to show you specifically how to do this step. Put it in your plan, and I'm going to show you exactly how to do that.


Naomi Meredith [00:21:13]:


So, a big example of this is when we were doing STEM race cars in fourth grade, part of our STEM amusement park. And what we wanted for our race cars was that the wheels could actually turn, and they were making a race car out of maker space supplies. So when you think of if you're listening to this, you're like, oh yeah, how would you make the wheels actually turn? So, I pre-made a video, and this is in the lesson. Or you can pre-teach them, but I made a video where I specifically showed them how to add a piece to their car that will hold the axle that will actually allow the wheels to turn. I showed everybody in the class before they even started building because I knew this would be a troublesome point, and everybody had to have this in their car. Everybody needed wheels because they needed their car to roll. So that's a time when, okay, this is when I'm going to teach you all of this. Another thing that I've done this for is when we were testing flood inventions for third grade.


Naomi Meredith [00:22:20]:


So, in my Earth's engineer unit, students were going to be adding different measurements of water to test their design. So a little bit different. They already had built their designs, but I specifically had to show the class beforehand how to measure with a measuring cup because they hadn't done that before third-grade standards, but they were very excited to pour their own water. But I did have to show them specifically as a whole class, hey, this is how we get water, this is how we measure it, and then this is also how we keep track of it. So really think through your lesson. Not everything is going to have something very specific like this, but if you know it's going to be a troublesome point for all of your class, that's a great time to stop the class mid-teaching or just start it off. This is how you do this. And then they still have all those creative pieces.


Naomi Meredith [00:23:19]:


The last way to teach those simple building techniques in your STEM lessons is by having STEM stations. I highly recommend having a balance of STEM projects and STEM stations for your primary students. And I teach all about that in my STEM K through 2 planning workshops where you can go through the workshop on your own in 2 hours and learn how to do your own STEM stations and even have a unit plan for you. But having STEM stations where aside from the projects, this is a great time for your younger learners to experiment with materials they might not have tried before. Not all of my STEM stations are building stations, but again, it helps them see, oh, this is how some materials can balance on top of each other. This is a way that different materials can connect together. So give those time for your younger students to explore when they get to their maker space projects. Within that same school year or even years down the road, they have more experiences where they have been creative with different things, and they can make those connections with the materials they used at their STEM stations and also with their building projects.


Naomi Meredith [00:24:38]:


Also, with these STEM stations, it's a great opportunity for students to work in small groups and talk about the things that they are doing and problem-solving together. This is a low-stress way where they're using reusable materials. They are figuring out this is how this material works. Oh, you built it like this. I'm going to try it like this, where they can talk about how these materials are being used. Likewise, as a teacher, when you are introducing these STEM stations, you can give them some ideas on how to use the materials. And again, this exposure is going to be helpful with those longer-term projects. As a recap, here are your three tips for teaching those simple building ideas for your STEM projects.


Naomi Meredith [00:25:30]:


First, we talked about introducing these building ideas during that Imagine stage. Next, we talked about ways where you can add this into the Create stage. And finally, we talked about ways students can explore materials in those younger years by using STEM stations. Again, teaching these building skills is definitely going to take some time. It won't always be perfect. And for you as the teacher, you are going to be learning new strategies and things along the way. Just like listening to this podcast, you might have heard some tips or tricks that you hadn't thought before, and you can go back to teaching your students, which is exactly why you are here. But also for your students.


Naomi Meredith [00:26:15]:


They are going to be learning some tips and tricks from each other and from you, and their projects are definitely going to get better along the way. If you are looking for further support for your STEM lessons, as the elementary STEM coach I am, I have been behind the scenes working on updating all of the lessons in my K through Five STEM year-long plan with me actually teaching the lessons. This has been a highly requested feature, and I've heard you, and I am working on it. It's definitely taking me some time, but I feel like it's so helpful for you to hear me talk through all of the slides that are included in the engineering design process of that project and why certain things are laid out the way they are. But I also am teaching the lessons where you can actually hear the language of how I would teach these things to my students, including these building techniques. Now, at the time of this recording, not everything is updated yet. It's going to take me some time. So, definitely jump in on any of those lessons in that bundle.


Naomi Meredith [00:27:25]:


Now, whether you do the full K through five STEM year three through five fifth grade only, grab those now because as I am updating those new things and also new slides, the price definitely does go up. But I really feel like it's so important for you to have the support where not all STEM resources have this extra teaching component. So, thank you so much for requesting this. I hear you. I am working on it and definitely feel like there's a lot of value in this component in these lessons. I'm so passionate about creating for your students as I was about creating them for mine. Thank you so much again for being here and for sending me your request, your questions, and all those things. I hear you.


Naomi Meredith [00:28:11]:


I appreciate all of you so much, and I'll see you in the next episode.

Simple Building Ideas for STEM Projects for Elementary Students

 

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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!

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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. 

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creating engaging stem projects

Creating Engaging STEM Projects Using the Engineering Design Process [ep.97]

Creating Engaging STEM Projects Using the Engineering Design Process [ep.97]

creating engaging stem projects

Check out the full episode on Creating Engaging STEM Projects Using the Engineering Design Process:  

 

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Episode Summary

I have talked about the Engineering Design Process a lot on this podcast in episodes 15 and 17-21. In today’s episode, I’m talking about the Engineering Design Process again, but in a different way. Today’s episode is the audio recording of an online summit I presented at in the past. In this presentation, I share all about creating engaging STEM projects using the Engineering Design Process.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • What is the Engineering Design Process?
  • How to plan your STEM projects with the Engineering Design Process
  • Examples of students’ projects that were planned using the Engineering Design Process
  • Helpful tools for creating engaging STEM projects using the Engineering Design Process

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:


You've heard me talk about the engineering design process before on this podcast as a way to plan and also have students problem-solve through their projects. If you are curious to learn more about this process, I encourage you to go back and listen to episodes 15 and 17 through 21. While the audio from this episode has never been heard before on this podcast, this is a presentation I did in the past at an online summit. I'll be sharing with you how to plan with the engineering design process, share student examples that are planned with this process, and helpful tools that you can use for planning.


Naomi Meredith [00:01:07]:


Hey there, and thank you so much for joining me today in this fun session where we are going to be talking about creating engaging Stem projects using the engineering design process. This session is geared towards teachers who are in the elementary space. Whether you are a classroom teacher, a specialist, a Stem teacher, or even if you are a home school teacher, this session is perfect for you. Also, for teachers who teach older students who are needing content at the elementary level, you can definitely gain some insightful information that you can definitely take back to your classroom and your students. If we haven't met before, I am Naomi Meredith. I am a former classroom teacher turned current K through five Stem teacher. And my goal is to help teachers like you creating Stem amazing experiences in your classroom that are highly engaging and centered around standards. So definitely in the right place.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:06]:


We do some really cool things in my classroom, but they are very purposeful, and I'm hoping that you love to do those same things with your kids. So the goals for this session, there are four parts. First, we're going to talk about what is the engineering design process. So maybe you have heard the term but are not quite sure what it is, or maybe you have an extensive background. We're going to have a common understanding of what the engineering design process is. Next, we're going to talk about ways that you can plan using this process. Then the fun part, well, it's all fun, but extra fun. Student examples and then some tools that I have for you to help you with your planning. So, first of all, what is the engineering design process? Or maybe you have heard the abbreviation since we love acronyms as teachers, the EDP.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:58]:


Well, it is a real process that real engineers use to ask questions, find solutions, and iterate ideas. So this is a real life thing, and this is something that I tell my kids all the time when we use this process for most of our projects, that this is a real life thing, this isn't some random thing that I made up that I'm teaching them. This is how projects are created in the real world. And sometimes, we go through that real process, and sometimes we don't get through all the steps. Sometimes, we go back to other steps. But these are things that it's a whole process that engineers are using to design these solutions, which is really applicable to kids, especially since they might ask you why are we doing this? It's important for them to realize that also there is a big reason why to teach it. So yes, we know real engineers use it, but why should we even teach it? Well, first of all, a lot of us, and most of us, use the standards. So the next generation science standards actually have in K through two and three through five the engineering design process. So go and check those out.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:08]:


They are different than the content level standards, so they actually have their own categories. So definitely recommend going to see those. And the cool thing about it is that you can actually apply this to any type of content, so they're not tied to just one specific thing like earth science or space science. You can use the engineering design process with any content area, which you're going to see when I talk about the student examples. Also, the engineering design process is different than the scientific method, and in my opinion, both are good in different ways. When you read through the standards and when you're thinking about your content, not every standard works well when it comes to the engineering design process. Not everything can be solved through this method. Likewise, there are times when you do need to conduct a science experiment where you do need to go through those multiple trials to compare solutions to have a sample that you are comparing to that is definitely appropriate for certain topics that you're studying.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:14]:


And then there are times that you do need to dive in deeper and think of multiple solutions. Again, we're going to talk about keywords and how you can actually pick out those standards that can work well for your projects when you're planning these creative projects. And, of course, how it is different than the scientific method. And it's very straightforward, and you have to draw conclusions in the scientific method. But with the engineering design process, you're definitely promoting creative problem-solving. So yes, you have a solution, but there are multiple solutions to get to that answer, and you can even improve that solution you come up with. So it's really cool to see when you do projects like this that all of your students' work is going to be different. If you are really truly planning an open-ended project, the solutions are going to be different, and you're going to want to encourage that.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:05]:


Yes, there will be similarities, but it's not a cookie-cutter thing, which is so relieving in some ways because it can get boring to see all the same stuff. So it's really great to pull out that creativity when you plan in this way. So, speaking of planning, how do you plan using the engineering design process? Well, it's not as complicated as you might think, and it actually is a whole lot of fun once you get into it. So I went through the next generation science standards, and again, if you use different standards, you can definitely use this process, but you definitely want to become familiar with those. And especially for me, when I teach K through Five, I'm in the standards all the time because there are so many different content areas that I need to know about. But when it comes to your specific science standards, look for keywords. When you are planning with the engineering design process, you want to be thinking about those keywords. Like this kindergarten one, use a model to represent well, and you could definitely have students.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:09]:


Yes, they could use a model, but they could also create the model to show the relationship between the needs and different plants that it talks about in this standard. Another keyword you could look for generate and compare multiple solutions. Generate can be a physical model, and it could be a digital model, it could be a video, that could be the solution, it could be a drawing. So there are a lot of ways to generate a solution. It doesn't necessarily just have to be writing out a paper, which it could be, but it can be more creative and fun than that. Also, another good one uses materials to design a solution. That right there definitely shows me I could definitely do a maker space project when I am teaching an engineering design process lesson. So, definitely become familiar with your standards.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:58]:


They aren't a bad thing. And obviously, coming from somebody who was given a brand new classroom with a brand new to me district with zero curriculum and minimal tools. The standards have always been my base and my go to and along with the engineering design process, to really create high-level lessons out of nothing, and you definitely get used to it and really go through that planning process. So, as a snapshot, here are the different stages of the engineering design process. You might see them name different things or label them in a different way. This is how I break it down in my classroom. They're similar words, different. But this is basically what it is.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:38]:


So first, you have an ask. So what is the problem that you are trying to solve? And there is a way that we'll talk about how you should phrase this. Ask this problem, and you could definitely have pre-made as a teacher. So you could have this all ready to go. And so you could dive into the topic, or this could actually be created together based on investigations. Maybe you did do the scientific method the week before, and then you use that data to create an engineering design process flow. So what is the problem? Then you go on to the Imagine Stage. So what are the possible solutions out there? So, using a lot of different tools to research, multimedia tools to really gain information about the topic, this could be short video clips, infographics, ebooks articles, paper books that you have, real life research, a guest expert, so gathering lots of ideas to inform your decisions. And when it comes to the plan, you notice that the Create Stage isn't the first stage.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:38]:


And the kids, of course, love that. Yes, we love the building, but even when I first started teaching Stem, the kids wanted to jump into the Create. And I'm all, yeah, that's cool, but we can actually have a better project if we do all these other steps. And it did take some training along the way, and they're so used to it, and their projects are so much better, and they make a lot more sense. So really, going through this process is super helpful. So using all those things that you find in the Imagine Stage that can help inform your plan. So what could your solution look like? It could be multiple solutions. What are all these different ideas that are buzzing around in your head that could help answer that ask? Now the arrows really should be going back and forth.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:20]:


You can go back to the stages at any time. But once you have a plan in place, a thoughtful plan, then you can actually bring your plan to life. And sometimes we always get stuck up on that Create. But yes, you do get to create. And through that creation, you want students to be experimenting, improving, so testing and making those designs better through different avenues and then giving them the opportunity to share. And that could look in a lot of different ways. So you could teach each process day by day. There really isn't any rhyme or reason as to how long you should have an engineering design process.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:55]:


But I can go through the process all within five days, typically second through fifth grade. But sometimes, I even pare down those lessons even more for my younger students. So it definitely can be differentiated based on the needs of your students. So when we think about the Ask stage, so that is that first stage in the engineering design process; what is that problem? A great way to phrase things when you really want to have kids have multiple solutions, think about how you word the question. Instead of saying can you create blah blah blah, shift your question to how can just by changing those two words can really open up the problem. And again, open it up in a way like, can you? Yeah, I can do it. But how can is like, oh well, how can I do this? What could I do to solve this problem? So thinking about the way you word the question will really help out from there. So when you are planning out these projects, there are different project types.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:58]:


And these aren't all of them, but these are really popular ones in the elementary Stem space right now. And I broke them into categories based on your experience level and where you might be, and what you might want to try. So if you're just getting started with Stem projects in general or with the engineering design process, here are some places that I would recommend starting. So, of course, digital citizenship is super important. This is a lifelong skill for every person out there and how to interact in the online space with so many different things. And so you could even think of some Stem projects that could relate to the digital citizenship lessons that you are doing. And the engineering design process can fit within that. Then, of course, we have maker space lessons, in which you could use any materials that you have on hand, recycled materials.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:49]:


So building to solve a problem. And along with that, if you have Lego builds, this could include having a mixed bucket of Legos to build and solve your problem. Or maybe you have Lego education kits. There are a lot of open-ended projects in there and getting started lessons. So one or the other is really great. But if you're just getting started, I would definitely start with these topics. Now, if you're needing an extra challenge or want some more inspiration, the next great step for you, in no particular order, is adding an element of robotics. There are a lot of different robotics you can use with various grade levels, and you could tackle those projects.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:28]:


Then you can do some computer coding. There are a lot of great free programs out there. So definitely recommend checking out the hour of code, website or code. Then you can do some 2D design, say that three times fast. Two d design. And maybe you want to cut out their designs using some sort of cutting feature like a Cricut machine or a flashboard. Maybe they're designing using things like Canva or Google Slides, things like that. So thinking about that digital, 2D design.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:01]:


Then if you want to move into some elements of animation, stop-motion animation is great. There's a great free tool out there, stop Motion Studio. I almost got the name wrong. That's another one to say. That's really hard to say. Fast and then the green screen is also another great option when it comes to video production is you can have students present their work. So those are some great extra challenge pieces. And for the most part, most of that actually is not too bad to get materials.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:31]:


And then, if you want even more of a challenge, this might even come with what kind of materials you might need. 3D design is awesome and definitely can integrate with the engineering design process. You don't necessarily have a 3D printer, and you can do all the design without it. But if you have a 3D printer, yes, you can do it. And when I say 3D design, I do this K through five. So even kindergarteners are designing something for the 3D printer so it can be done. Guys. Video production, which is a whole big thing, is a great skill for anybody to have as well.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:05]:


So that could be just recording on camera and or video editing. So they could edit those recording things or even add animations to those videos. Or maybe the whole video has different animations, and they have narration on top. So video production is a huge thing that can definitely level up anybody in our modern world. And then podcasting along with that. Podcasting can be a great tool. Not every kid loves being on camera, but they have a great voice for podcasting. So not to toot my own horn, but I have a podcast, the elementary Stone Coach podcast.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:43]:


So again, another great skill. And then this only thing on this list I haven't experimented with yet would be drones. Drones are a huge, big thing, and that could be a really great addition to the types of lessons that you plan. So next, I'm going to talk about student examples just to get your wheels turning. And all of these examples that I'm going to share for you are kind of random. I picked a lot of different projects. I have one per grade level because I wanted you to see various projects that you can do with the engineering design process. I'm going to give you a snapshot of each lesson.


Naomi Meredith [00:16:20]:


Again, these don't come together as a cohesive unit. So don't judge, be like what? This doesn't relate to the next one. Yes, they don't. They don't relate at all. They are just a collection of things just to give you some ideas. So as you are looking through those standards, then you can say, oh, I could do a maker space with this, or oh, I could do robotics. So just giving you a feel of how you can do that. The way I do plan my units I do use these project types. So if I'm doing digital citizenship, everybody's doing digital citizenship.


Naomi Meredith [00:16:51]:


If I'm doing maker space, everybody's doing maker space. So just keep them in mind when I'm explaining this. So if kindergarten is doing this type of lesson, everybody else is too, in their own way and with different content. So speaking of kindergarten, this lesson, went along with my Stem Museum park. So a hand on maker space unit where all of the grades were talking about things that had to do with force in motion. And for this one, students were creating one section of the Stem Musement Park, and they were talking about force and motion and how they can change the motion of the ball. And I'm going to be explaining the standards, but don't judge if I get the standards wrong. Again, I'm giving you a snapshot.


Naomi Meredith [00:17:31]:


So students design their very own Walmaze using materials we have on hand and then see how many marbles they can collect in the bucket. This is really good for their fine motor skills, even when it comes to just ripping the tape and putting it up, but also thinking about what materials they could use and add on to their design throughout the week. So this project, I would probably say, takes about three days with kindergarten. And we go through that whole engineering design process for all of these. For this project, for first grade, we talk about the elements of 3D printing and how animal babies and their adults have similarities and differences when it comes to their physical traits. So a lot of times, the parents will pass down those traits to their babies, and it's very apparent when they're born, and other times, as they grow up, those traits seem to appear later on. So as we research these things, students pick their favorite animal through their research, and then they design their own little family, baby animal, and adult with our 3D printing software. And then once they're done printed a month later, it does take some time.


Naomi Meredith [00:18:39]:


Then they color in their animal character with some Sharpies we have on hand. So this was our 3D printing unit for Earth's Engineer, a different maker space unit. So students are taking on the role of an Earth engineer. And in second grade, we were talking about how there are different things that can shape the land, and we were talking about one specific way, and that was erosion and specifically more of that water erosion. So there are a lot of different types of erosion, but we specifically talked about water erosion. And students researched different types of solutions that are already out there to help slow down the effects of water erosion. And then, using those ideas, they thought of an original idea or progressed off of ones that they saw to create a design that will help slow down the erosion that is caused by the water. So you can see in the image that students were planning their designs thoughtfully using a digital tool.


Naomi Meredith [00:19:35]:


I love Seesaw. If you listen to my podcast, you know that I talk about Seesaw a lot, not sponsored. And then they use different materials, maker space materials, to design their solution and then test it, which there is some of that scientific method in there for a third-grade idea. If you're thinking about getting into more of that digital production. This was a three or, sorry, not 3D. This was a green screen project. So the whole unit was about video and audio production. It was Earth and space science.


Naomi Meredith [00:20:05]:


And third graders were taking on the role kind of like a travel agent. And they were explaining more about the weather and climate and a location in the world and to get people excited to travel there and talk more about what it's like during the different seasons. So students research. They wrote a script about their different location, and then they edited their background to match the words that they were saying. So you can see me there on the screen. I was very excited to do this. I didn't give you the screenshots of the video that I made that it looked like I was messing up on purpose, but hopefully, you enjoyed that. This is all about Costa Rica, by the way. If you were wondering, for fourth grade, actually, a similar unit to that water erosion one that I was showing you.


Naomi Meredith [00:20:51]:


But the students were Earth engineers, and they're taking on the role of a civil engineer and using GIS Geographical Information System data to create a landscape. So to create a map of the landscape that they were built to build their city on. So you can see on the right that students were using the data to color their grids. So there were grassy areas, there was a river, there were muddy areas. And then using that information that would inform their decisions on how they would build their city design, which included different elements. So they were shopping for their supplies, and then they started to build their city from there. I'm giving you a lot of maker space ones because these are a great way to get started. And then this one was the first unit of my year.


Naomi Meredith [00:21:34]:


So the first unit that I do with my students is actually about introducing the engineering design process, and that is Stem Survival Camp. So students come back from the summer ready to go in my class, and I decorate the classroom, all for Stem Survival Camp. I wear a different camp shirt every day. And for fifth grade, we were talking about different weather hazards, and that their challenge was to design a shelter to withstand the elements so you can see a student's plan. They were thoughtfully planning that by drawing different angles, and they were also explaining different parts of their design and then using some materials that I provided them and also things that they collected from the outside. They had to build a shelter where they would actually test the different elements. So we tested the wind, the rain, and the snow. And the snow was glitter, which I know not everyone's a fan of glitter in the classroom. I don't mind a little sparkle on the floor.


Naomi Meredith [00:22:27]:


It's like a unicorn ran through there, and I'm all for it. So this is a great way to start off the unit. All of their projects again were more simple and more basic, and get them accustomed to the engineering design process as a refresher and use some elements from the outdoors so they can even think about it for the end of the school year. How can you take some of that learning outdoors as the weather gets nicer and use it to your advantage? So I talked about a lot of different examples for you. Again, a lot of different hands-on and maker space things to help you really wrap your hand around all of these fun different things you can do in your classroom. As I said, most of my projects will take about five days. So if you're thinking about your schedule, just leave yourself enough time when it comes to planning things with the engineering design process. Now I wanted to mention some resources for you that definitely you should check out to help you with this process now that your creative juices are spinning.


Naomi Meredith [00:23:24]:


Definitely check out the bundle pack that is part of this conference. There's a whole session I contributed in that pack, so you can have a resource where I'll walk you through how to exactly plan an engineering design process lesson. From start to finish, you will get planning templates, you'll get planning slides, and then you can definitely tackle and really dive in deep into those engineering design process lessons. Also, you can check out this free podcast playlist that I put together for you. It's all about the engineering design process. So I pulled from my regular show, the Elementary STEM Coach Podcast. But I put together all of the lessons from that show that talk specifically about the engineering design process. So I go more into depth into all of the different stages of the engineering design process.


Naomi Meredith [00:24:17]:


So the ask, imagine, plan, create, experiment, improve and share and then there are also some cool interviews in there. So definitely check that out. The link is up on the screen, or you can get that free playlist@naomimeredith.compodcastplaylistEDP or Engineering Design Process. And then also, if you just want to see how I plan with this throughout the year, you can download a free year-long plan. You can grab that at Naomimeredith.comyearlongplan and see how everything groups together using this process. Of course, I would love for you to reach out, so if you have any questions, let me know. I'm most available on Instagram, so at Naomi Meredith, you can definitely send an email my way contactnaomimeredith@gmail.com. Definitely check out my website Naomimeredith.com, and you can even find my podcast there.


Naomi Meredith [00:25:08]:


Like I said, the elementary STEM Coach Podcast. So thank you so much again for joining me today. I so appreciate your time, and I hope that you enjoyed this. I was well and have a great time getting started with creating engaging STEM projects using the engineering design process. This presentation had a ton of visuals, and I bet you are dying to see all of the examples and handouts. You can grab the video recording of this episode. The video slides I referenced throughout, student examples, and bonuses for only $5. That's less than a fancy coffee drink. This will all be linked in the show notes, and you can check it all out here at Naomimeredith.comPDreplay.

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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!