I love teaching STEM! My undergraduate degree is in Architecture and I think this increases my love for all things STEM. Last summer I worked for a summer school program where the academics were in the morning and then classes rotated through enrichment. I chose to teach a STEM enrichment program. Sadly a lot of these students still have little or no exposure to STEM, so this class was designed almost as an introduction to STEM.
Each week I focused on a different aspect of STEM. The first week's theme was Science and we did a ton of science experiments! (Gotta hook 'em early!) Next we focused on Math. I brought in cool geometry that is accessible to even the younger students like fractals and Sierpinski's Triangle. The following week's theme was Technology, where we learned to code using The Foos app. Finally, we ended with Engineering, which was primarily a focus on the engineering process as they worked through various challenges.
The final week of the program, I let students choose their own area of focus with Independent STEM Projects. They could work alone, in partners or groups for most of the projects. Students could choose from this choice menu for a project they wanted to do.
But first I pitched each of the projects, using the instruction sheet and talking about each of the projects. I made them sound super exciting! Then students completed a sheet about their preferred project and who they would want to work with. I put very little limit on this initially. Finally, I looked at the results, finalized the groups and projects, and ensured no one was left out. That left me with a weekend to prep and make sure I had all of the supplies I needed for everyone's projects.
When students walked in the next week, they found their supplies easily accessible, a defined workspace and these handy instruction sheets. Since my students were in second and third grade, I let them read and follow the instructions independently. I only stepped in when they wanted hints, or to control mess or safety. Otherwise, these were truly the students' projects.
Some groups finished much earlier and others didn't finish. But that's all part of the process in my eyes. And I was very upfront with the timeline we had to work in. After they finished their project, they had to write about it on this sheet. They also had to create a display, where we grouped similar projects together. On the last day they were able to collect their projects after showing them to their parents. Overall, the Independent STEM Projects were a success! What have you tried in your classroom? Comment below!!
Each week I focused on a different aspect of STEM. The first week's theme was Science and we did a ton of science experiments! (Gotta hook 'em early!) Next we focused on Math. I brought in cool geometry that is accessible to even the younger students like fractals and Sierpinski's Triangle. The following week's theme was Technology, where we learned to code using The Foos app. Finally, we ended with Engineering, which was primarily a focus on the engineering process as they worked through various challenges.
The final week of the program, I let students choose their own area of focus with Independent STEM Projects. They could work alone, in partners or groups for most of the projects. Students could choose from this choice menu for a project they wanted to do.
But first I pitched each of the projects, using the instruction sheet and talking about each of the projects. I made them sound super exciting! Then students completed a sheet about their preferred project and who they would want to work with. I put very little limit on this initially. Finally, I looked at the results, finalized the groups and projects, and ensured no one was left out. That left me with a weekend to prep and make sure I had all of the supplies I needed for everyone's projects.
When students walked in the next week, they found their supplies easily accessible, a defined workspace and these handy instruction sheets. Since my students were in second and third grade, I let them read and follow the instructions independently. I only stepped in when they wanted hints, or to control mess or safety. Otherwise, these were truly the students' projects.
Some groups finished much earlier and others didn't finish. But that's all part of the process in my eyes. And I was very upfront with the timeline we had to work in. After they finished their project, they had to write about it on this sheet. They also had to create a display, where we grouped similar projects together. On the last day they were able to collect their projects after showing them to their parents. Overall, the Independent STEM Projects were a success! What have you tried in your classroom? Comment below!!
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