Looking for a great weather or natural disaster activity? In this STEM Challenge, students will create a custom shelter to defend against three or more weather and/or disaster events. Your students are going to go wild over this one! The testing phase is loads of fun and there are soooooo many ways to modify the […]
Planetopia Parcels STEM Challenge
Teaching about landforms? Fast & slow changes to Earth’s surface? Plate tectonics? Looking for the perfect STEM Challenge activity to apply all that learning? The Basics Students work individually or in partners/groups against a list of criteria and constraints to create the nonliving surface of the fictional planet, Planetopia. Video Walk-through The […]
Planetopia Plants STEM Challenge
If you’re looking for a plant activity so your students can apply learning in plant needs, parts/functions, adaptations, life cycles, cells, photosynthesis, and/or genetics & heredity, this STEM / STEAM challenge is a perfectly engaging way to get the job done joyfully! The Basics Students will design a plant for the fictional planet, […]
Groundhog Day STEM Challenge
If you’re like me, Groundhog Day isn’t much of a holiday! It’s always just seemed silly without substance to me. Now I don’t mean to brag or overstate, but this challenge changes everything! I’ve found LOTS of ways to make Groundhog Day worth your instructional minutes, for (at least) grades 2 – 8! The materials […]
STEM Challenges: Breadth vs. Depth
Time is a precious, precious classroom resource. We are forced to make concessions and compromises to all the wonderful lessons, projects, and labs we know will enrich our students! With that in mind, when it comes to STEM Challenges, what should be our focus: breadth or depth? I share my thoughts in the video […]
Black History Month STEM Challenge: Functional Furniture
This challenge was created as a way to celebrate Black History and/or Women’s History Month in science class. The premise is inspired by Sarah E. Goode’s 1885 invention of the folding cabinet bed. She was one of the first African-American women to obtain a patent for her invention. (Note: Several source cite Goode as the […]
Help! Why Do My Students Hate STEM Challenges?
Everyone LOVES STEM Challenges, right?! Nothing in life is that simple! Good news though: most students do love STEM Challenges, and the few who don’t might just learn to if you make a few small adjustments in how you implement STEM Challenges! In the video below, I’ve identified the three most common student types who […]
A Few of My Favorite Things
Christmas is coming, hooray! Since this season is a time of sharing, I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite things for the classroom. In fact, I think it would be extra fun to give one away every day for five days starting December 15! If you’ve ever seen one […]
Winter STEM Challenge: Winter Waiter
Has cabin fever struck your classroom? The Winter Waiter STEM Challenge might just be the antidote! In groups, students will design waiter’s trays to hold “snowy” 3D solids that they’ll test in a winter-themed, indoor relay race! Materials You don’t need everything you see here. Feel free to substitute or eliminate what you don’t […]
8 Post-Build Discussion Questions for STEM Challenges
Last week, I shared with you how vital the post-build activities are to getting all goodness from your STEM Challenges. If you’re going to devote the time, you may as well get every last drop of value, right?! In addition to the gallery walk, present/demo, Q&A, and individual design analysis, I find the group discussion […]
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