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STEM Activities for Young Students

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Jaden Fellner Jaden Fellner 180 Points

I am a pre-service teacher in college, and this semester, I will be teaching a science lesson for the very first time. I am also in an Intro to STEM education class, and I have been learning that STEM ed should be implemented in classrooms as early as Kindergarten. What are some STEM-based activities or lessons that I can begin teaching to students as young as Kindergarten?
Matti Cridge Matti Cridge 340 Points

In my kindergarten classroom, my students participated in a STEM activity that focused on measuring wind speeds. The students were challenged to explore materials and create a device that they thought would measure wind speed. The students worked collaboratively to create their devices, tested them, and used them outside to collect data about the wind. The students loved becoming scientists and engineers! Young learners are very capable of performing complex science tasks and it is a joy to watch. I attached some of the NSTA resources that I used to help create my lesson.
Anne Lowry Anne Lowry 8543 Points

Hi Jaden

You can teach STEM to children much younger than K.  But I think you are asking what to teach.  Do you have an assigned school / class where you will be doing this lesson?  That's a good place to start.  if you are told 'do anything you want', observe the class.  What do they like?  What are they drawing, reading, playing on the playground?  Building on their interests is an excellent approach.

Another place to look for ideas is the Early Years blog here at NSTA http://blog.nsta.org/category/earlyyears/ and especially the Early Years Column in NSTA's Science and Children. 

The Best STEM Books list is anotehr place to look for ideas : http://blog.nsta.org/category/earlyyears/

Plus, there are book such as the Picture Perfect Science series and Teaching Science Through Trade Books (NSTA Press), which have activities / lesson plans which can be tweaked to fit your specific class

Good luck!

Anne

 
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