Feel Good Teaching

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Back-to-School STEM Challenges

by Filed Under: Back-To-School, Fall

The new school year is just around the corner. For some, that realization is met with excitement at the possibilities a clean slate offers; for others, the new school year might bring along pangs of anxiety or even sadness. Maybe you’re still feeling burned out from last year. How could the summer already be ending?!

Most teachers have probably felt this way heading back to school at least once. For me, discovering STEM challenges reinvigorated my enthusiasm for teaching. There is something so powerful in facilitating challenges and observing your students become resilient, self-reliant problem-solvers that just makes you feel good.
Back-to-School STEM / STEAM Challenges are the perfect ice-breaker. Get students engaged in brain-busting work disguised as fun. These challenges work well to introduce and explore Newton's laws of motion and come with modifications for grades 2-8.

 

Everyone could use more feel-good teaching moments into their classrooms, so why wait? Back-to-school is the perfect time to introduce STEM challenges for so many reasons! (Top 10 Reasons to Start the Year with STEM Challenges)
I’ve created five STEM challenges you can start with that are perfectly themed for the season. They even use school supplies and apples as the main materials! Plus, they’re a great way to introduce and explore Newton’s laws of motion, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been a huge fan of typical ice breakers. STEM Challenges give students a chance to get to know each other a little more organically.

A quick overview:

 “Electrodoodle” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

 

Back-To-School/Fall STEM Challenges:

For more information on each STEM challenge, click on the challenge images below. Each has its own blog page where you can learn more details and watch videos of challenge walk-throughs.

GOTTA HAVE THEM ALL?

Click here for the digital resource of my Back-to-School/Fall STEM Challenge Bundle. Included are 5 STEM Challenges perfectly themed for this time of year. Combine science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for hands-on, engaging learning disguised as fun for your students! Modifications included for students in Grades 2-8.
BUY THE DIGITAL VERSION
(for use with Google Slides)

Wondering if printable or paperless is the way to go? Check out this post.

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Back-to-School STEM / STEAM Challenges are the perfect ice-breaker! Get students engaged in brain-busting work disguised as fun. These challenges work well to introduce and explore Newton's laws of motion and come with modifications for grades 2-8.