Looking for science experiments to do with your students at the beginning of the year that combine both science and social-emotional learning? I have you covered. Go check out my Teacher Pay Teachers store for all of your back-to-school science lessons
What is stem education
STEM is a pretty popular phrase these days, but what does it mean? STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. The young minds in our room are going to head out into the world in the future and STEM is where they will be heading into. Our world today revolves around these four areas.
What is stem
Teaching our students STEM allows them to be more creative, problem solves, and become innovators. Implementing simple STEM activities into your classroom will not only keep them engaged but will help them to think bigger and be problem solvers.
First we have Science! Science is one of the first things to go in any classroom. I get it. You have standards that are tested and science just isn’t one of them. Science is so important for kids to learn, however. It allows them to ask questions and experiment. Introducing science once a week can help boost your student’s creativity and problem-solving skills.
Next we have technology! Technology is feared by so many teachers but it really should be treasured. Students are inundated with technology on a daily basis. Take this as an advantage because you know they will be engaged in the lesson if technology is involved.
Then there is engineering. Engineering is a piece of your classroom that will have your students participating regularly. I put together STEM bins in my classroom that allow them to think like little engineers. Once a month I also have a minute to win it activities that are all geared around engineering strategies.
Finally, math! This can either be a highly engaging time or a time of struggle. Students who are not engaged are more likely to be off task. For strategies on how to keep students engaged during the math block grab my freebie here.
Stem what is
So now that you know what the aspects of STEM are, how do you implement these pieces into your classroom? There are so many decor and design options for you to get started. I have posted them below for you to check out. (these are affiliate links to my amazon store)
Stem in the classroom
Stem classroom decor
Looking for classroom poster ideas? I have a list of some that I have used in my classroom check it out here. Here are a few of my favorites…
Looking to start your STEM bins and add some books to your library? I have you covered here…
Stem classroom design
The design of my room is always my favorite part of the back-to-school season. I love creating an environment that my students are going to love. Incorporating more STEM can just mean a vocabulary wall and a few posters hanging. You don’t need to go all out with your design. In fact, less is more.
Here are a few ideas for you to think about:
- Add a science and math vocabulary wall.
- Have a rotating science bulletin board with famous STEM people in history
- Hang a few posters around
- Have a static globe.
- Have a designated technology area in the classroom
Classroom without walls
How to incorporate stem into the classroom
It’s so easy to start small with all of your STEM resources. The easiest thing I did in my classroom was incorporate STEM bins as students walk into the room and during done early time. Students were able to be independent and engaged in an activity that really helped them challenge their brains.
How to implement stem in the classroom
- Technology station during your reading and math blocks
A great way to add some technology into your class time is a technology center. Programs like Freckle, epic books, and many others are a great way to get students to use technology in an educational setting. If you want more information on this I wrote a blog post all about it and you can find it here.
- Research projects
Students love to do research and show off their knowledge to others. A science fair with different experiments and research is a great way for students to not only practice their science skills but also to research a topic as well.
- Minute to win it activities
I just love these activities. Students love them too. It can be as simple as having them stack cups for a minute. Having them practice their engineering skills and problem-solving skills can be easy and simple.
How to use stem in the classroom
Start small and start now. It doesn’t have to be overly complicated or hard. Just starting with a few great resources and getting started is the key. Take an example from above and get started today…
Here are some additional ideas for you to get started:
- Grab a few posters to hang on the wall.
- Put up a vocabulary wall
- Start teaching them about notable STEM people in history
- Incorporate STEM bins
- Have a minute to win it activities
- Incorporate a technology center
- Have your students do research
- Have students complete a science fair
- incorporate more situation based lessons
- incorporate an escape room lesson
Here are a few more resources for you to look for in STEM Classrooms:
- How to Explain the Stock Market to a child?
- How to develop great work ethic in math class
- Teacher To-Do List Methods to Boost Productivity
- Benefits and examples of how to use technology in the classroom
What does a stem classroom look like
Your classroom! Plain and simple, any classroom is a STEM classroom. What strategies are you going to implement in your classroom? Let me know below…
