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 Groundhog Day STEM challenge changes everything! I’ve found LOTS of ways to make Groundhog Day worth your instructional minutes, for (at least) grades 2 – […]
Groundhog Graffiti: A Groundhog Day STEM Challenge Read More »
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
Black History Month STEM Challenge: Innovative Functional Furniture Read More »
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
A Few of My Favorite Things Read More »
Has cabin fever struck your classroom? The Winter Waiter 3D Solids STEM Challenge might just be the antidote! It incorporates science, technology, engineering, and math along with a friendly competitive indoor relay race that your students will love. Premise In Winter Waiter, students work in small groups against a criteria/constraints list to build waiters’ trays
Winter 3D Solids STEM Challenge: Winter Waiter Read More »
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
8 Post-Build Discussion Questions for STEM Challenges Read More »
I just know a lot of you will disagree with me, but I am not a fan of STEM Challenge budgets for student materials in most cases. I am always happy to engage in friendly, healthy debate though! Watch the video below or read the transcript to see my take on it, then let me
Pros and Cons of STEM Challenge Budgets Read More »
![This activity is a great to tool to practice oral and written communication skills as well as reinforce math vocabulary, estimation, and measurement skills. Students will describe relative size and position of various shapes, lines, and angles [triangle (right, acute, obtuse, scalene, equilateral, isosceles), square, rectangle, parallelogram, hexagon, pentagon, octagon, circle, oval, parallel lines, intersecting lines, perpendicular lines, etc.] Though students don't strictly need to use this vocabulary to succeed, it certainly helps!](https://www.feelgoodteaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/SLD_HORZ.jpg)
This activity is a great to tool to practice oral and written communication skills as well as reinforce math vocabulary, estimation, and measurement skills. Originally, I created this resource as a way to help students be more thorough and clear in their process writing. I was specifically interested in helping them recount their process for
Speak, Listen, Draw: An Activity to Improve Communication & Use Academic Vocabulary Read More »
If you’re looking to apply learning in adaptations, habitats, food chains and food webs, life cycles, genetics & heredity, evolution, and/or human body systems, this STEM / STEAM challenge is a student-favorite way to get the job done joyfully! The Basics In this STEM/STEAM Challenge students will design a “create-ure” that has never been
Create-ure STEM Challenge Read More »
It’s easy to get into a routine, and sometimes routines turn into ruts in our classrooms! Because our students have different learning styles, skills, and talents, we should try to honor that as often as possible in as many ways as possible. One area we can add to our repertoire is the planning step of
Student Planning Methods for STEM Challenges Read More »
STEM Challenges can be absolute MAGIC in our classrooms when done well, but we sometimes inadvertently undermine some of the best benefits! Teaching is tough. We’re responsible for so many things! Just one of those is helping students develop grit to help them be successful in their adult lives. STEM Challenges can help
STOP Making 3 Common STEM Challenge Mistakes Read More »
