STEM-ulating STEMathon

For beginners

Alyssa Henley, GT district Coordinator, Dewey PSEmail– achenley@deweyk12.org

Twitter-- @teamhenleyyallClass Blog– www.teamhenleyyall.blogspot.comTechnology Blog– www.deweyteched.blogspot.com

S.T.E.M.•S—Science•T—Technology•E—Engineering•M--Mathematics

Using technology OR creating something that serves a purpose

You can do challenges on science concepts you are learning, or everyday challenges that use the logic/ critical reasoning of science

Designing, building, constructing

Incorporating numbers, math vocabulary, money, angles (when designing)

The STEM movement• STEAM (A=aesthetics/art)• Maker Movement (having kids make/create)• STEAMmaker (putting the first two together)• Makerspace– a place kids can go to collaborate/ build. Can

be a room, or a center.• Genius Hour (dedicating 1 hour a week to the area of a

student’s choice.)• Passion Projects (similar to genius hour, but allowing

students to choose the direction of their learning/ investigations)

Procedures• Procedures have to be in place to run a successful STEM

classroom.

• Think about:• How will they know it is STEM time?• How do they get supplies• Working as a team procedures• Moving around the room• Voice level

MAKERSPACE rubric• Sharing my rubric for “levels”.• Works as an entry reflection or exit ticket. • Students control the classroom environment

STEM supports GE!• #2- Speak in complete sentences and address one another by name• #5- critical thinking skills• #6- mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn and grow• #7- Memory work, recitations, or writing occurs daily• #8- enriched vocabulary• #9- caring environment; magic triad• #10- displayed work (youtube, blogs, etc.)• #12-students assume responsibility for behaviors• #14- teacher ensures student success• #15- teacher teaches on their feet• #16- Interpersonal communications• #17- celebrate successes

Things you can do now..

• Twitter #oklaed #stem #maker• Code.org – computer programming STEM curriculum• Nightzookeeper– (writing) free and paid accounts.• Pinterest: STEM/ STEAM/ MAKERSPACE (follow me!!

Alyssa Henley)

Reward the PROCESS, not always the final PRODUCT• Taking ownership of their learning• Perseverance -- teach them to stick to a task through barriers.• Collaboration/ working as a team• Search for data instead of asking a teacher• Try things out even if you think they will fail!!!• When students aren’t afraid to take risks, can work

together with other students successfully, and solve their own problems / find their own answers….

What can’t they do?

Last word of advice for STEM

• Limit your instructions. • All you need is a question or statement of purpose.

• Following a set of instructions is low level learning.• You are discouraging risk-taking• You are saying only 1 end product is successful

• Determining the instructions through trial and error is high level thinking. • You are encouraging risk-taking• You are teaching them that there are many solutions to one problem

and to think creatively.

If you know what the final product should exactly look like, it

probably isn’t STEM.

YOUR TURN!!!

• Embrace not knowing

• Take risks

• Understand any confusion/ frustration/ emotions you have is normal and the students have them too.

STEM ACTIVITY #1: Parachute Drop

Academic Parachute Vocabulary• Canopy– “material” part

• Shroud lines – string connecting to vest

• Apex– hole at the top. Not all parachutes have it.

• Load– weight it is carrying

STEM instructionsCreate a parachute that has the longest hang time.

• Lego man has to be attached to the parachute at all times.

• You can change only 1 variable with each new attempt.

• You must time the parachute drop with each attempt. • (Clock app on phone or for today 1 Mississippi )

• Answer questions on the handout as you investigate.

Sample WorksheetIt doesn’t need to be complicated

• Tell them the problem

• Have them design ideas

• Collaborate

• Build

• Make changes to better their design (change a variable)

• Extend thinking

Stem: Push vs. Pull

S—Science• Push vs Pull

T– Technology• made something useful to help people. Did you find any

ways to better your parachute?

E—Engineering• the design process. Changing variables and learning from

failures and successes.

M—MATH• Can “charge” per supplies (can’t go over $10.00). • Can have students “time” and find average, (mean, median,

mode) of one prototype.• Can have students determine Speed D=r/t

Language Arts STEM through Literature

• Fairy tales• Build a straw, wood, and brick house/ test it• Help Rapunzel get out of the tower!• Stone soup (www.starfisheducation.com)• Jack and the beanstalk• Goldilocks and the 3 bears

• Aesop’s fables• Crow and the pitcher

• Any story you are reading in class! TEST IT!• Teachers pay teachers: Hatchet

MATH: Area and Perimeter Wars

• Supplies: 2 dice, graph paper• Groups of 2 or 3. Each partner is represented by a color.• Take turns with a partner rolling the two dice.• Create an object on your paper that has the same dimensions. If

you roll a 3 and a 4 then your object has two sides that are 3 squares by two sides that are 4 squares.

• Inside the box: Determine the Perimeter and Area

Math Fact Wars• Supplies: Playing cards (can throw out J Q K A and Joker)

• Played like the card game “war”. Both players flip over the top card on their deck. First player to answer the question correctly gets the cards. (Can be addition, multiplication, subtraction)

• As they collect cards, they are building a structure with the cards they won.

• When the teacher calls “time”; Tallest free standing structure is the winner. (May need rulers to measure)

• Person who has the least amount of cards can win he makes a taller structure or his competition’s tower falls when time is called.

Jitterbugs!

CIRCUIT VOCABULARY

Positive & Negative Battery TerminalElectrical current--Electron flow

Supplies:

• Battery• Motor• Random everyday objects

The motor: Dollar Tree

Determine what type of bug you are

… or make up a new species

Create a Jitterbug using your knowledge of closed closed circuits with the battery & motor provided for you.• Specifications:• Jitterbug must “move” battery powered• Jitterbug should have the correct anatomy of the “bug” you

chose. • Students should be able to present anatomy of bug if they

made up their own species.• If time allows, you may decorate jitterbugs however you

would like.

FYI – After you have experimented:

• Harder surfaces on the body and legs create more “shake” and don’t absorb the movement.

• Have students test soft legs, vs. “hard” legs by using things like paperclips, popsicle sticks, etc.

S– Science• circuits, bug anatomy

T—Technology• circuits, creating robots/ can develop art robots as a

follow-up

E—Engineering• choosing parts in the design aspect of the robot

M—Math• Have a robot race! Measure how far they go in a set

time.

Cup challenge• Create the tallest tower in the classroom using only the

cups on your desk.• Winning design will be determined by formula

• (#cups used -- # cups not used) x (# cups high)

STEM-ulating STEMathonFor beginners

Alyssa Henley, GT district Coordinator, Dewey Public SchoolsEmail– achenley@deweyk12.orgTwitter-- @teamhenleyyallBlog of classroom -- www.Teamhenleyyall.blogspot.comBlog of Prof. Dev – www.deweyteched.blogspot.com