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Patty said something in the STEM Careers thread that has been niggling at me for a few days The Journal articles are excellent and they speak to the importance of science and engineering education for girls as well as boys. Many of the ideas reflect on introducing the concepts of design and engineering in middle school. Waiting until high school is too late to involve students in open inquiry in the design and building of various projects, I agree that waiting until high school is way too late. I am interested in what is happening around STEM if anything in the elementary schools across our nation? If the answer is nothing or very little, what should be happening?

Adah, Thanks for the link. I will check into. We are certainly agreed on the importance of introducing "engineering ' thinking in the early grades. I wonder if there are any current elementary teachers that might provide insight from their own classrooms??

STEM at the elementary level is an absolute must! I am lucky to work in a district with great district level support of STEM for elementary students. We have just begun this year. Highlights include - a series of STEM clubs for 3rd - 5th grade students using LEGO kits - tams were given a challenge by our Director of Science - for example - build a working fishing pole with minimum dimensions of...that can cast a line at least .....and reel in a "fish" with a maximum weight of... We are re-allocating time in our science curriculum to include STEM based units such as a Rube Goldberg ball mover project in 3rd grade and our community garden in 5th. I'd love to hear more ideas from teachers out there!

Two summers ago, I was lucky enough to work with the Boston Museum of Science and the Engineering is Elementary program, I was able to provide traing and kits to 24 elementary school teachers. It is an excellent. Classroon instruction in science comes first and then comes the engineering piece in four lessons. In the engineering component, students are challenged to use the science they just learned and apply it in a problem solving application. My goal in my currect position is to get at least one teacher trained in each elementary school in the state and as a result have the program implemented to some level in each of those schools. I would love to have the power to require science instruction in each classroom, but aha ...that is not to be...at least for me... Kathy

I also agree that STEM needs to start in elementary school. In my former district, we created a STEM school. It was a partnership with the school district, the city, the university and the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame. The school started with fifth graders and added a grade each year. It will eventually have grades 5-8. All the teachers are focused on teaching STEM in an integrated curriculum. The hope is that these teachers and this school will be a source of professional development in STEM for other teachers throughout the district. Is anyone else involved in a STEM elementary / middle school? Kathy

I was reviewing the draft of the Conceptual Framework of Science and Engineeering in anticipation of its final release next month. If our states accept the neew framework and hopefully adopt the Next generation Standards, we in elementary education are going to have to figure out how we are going to incorporate the design challenge/problem solving into the current science curriculums. What do others think about this? KAthy

Hi Kathy, How schools go about addressing the engineering piece will be very interesting; even at the higher grades it is not taught in most classes outside of technology education. Teachers are going to need professional development and schools will need to invest in equipment. I have concerns that even if the standards are adopted that it will take quite a while until they are implemented. What are your thoughts?

Patti you are right - professional development will be key to get these new concepts implemented in a meaningful way.

We have mentioned the NASA lunar plant growth chamber project on the thread before - one of the best and its K-4 curriculum 'Moon Munchies'. I also use an old NASA student Involvement Program challenge where students create a nutritionally balanced meal for a teenaged astronaut including the packaging.

There are many engineering design process lessons here in the Learning Center - many are from Science Scope but can be deconstructed a bit for elementary level students. The work will be to get the unit that meshes most easily with what we need to teach in other subjects as well. *Kathy tell me if this is your read - we've been told to think about science as part of the ELA curriculum - constantly going back to how we read for information, ways to communicate, writing to inform....

In this light, my absolute favorite though is the Sally Ride Toy Design Challenge. This was a national contest, but even without the actual competition - it is an amazing experience to watch the kids go through - it also works well run as a PBL

Another wonderful resource that I have found many people do not know about - PBS Design Squad - you can find out more at the NSTA podcast archive here and at the Design Squad resource page: PBS Design Squad

Two resource collections - one from Patty and one from me - Patty's is about Science Competitions which frequently include design processand it has great resources about the ExploraVision Program as well!

Science Competitions Collection

Elementary Engineering Challenges

Caryn mentioned the 'Exploraviion' Program and I am going to say it is an awesome experience and opportunity for students.

I have been lucky enough to have been a judge for this program and it is amazing what students can do with correct guidance from a teacher/ mentor.

I also want to say that there are not that many entries in either the K-3 category or the grades 4-6 category. Seriously consider providing your students this opportunity to be using engineering standards of problem solving and design while being part of this great science challege sponsored by Toshiba.

Check this site out Exploravision

You will find all you need to get started and your students will be ahead of the game and already using some of the design principles.


Kathy

I may be showing my 3rd grade humor side but really? STEM420? So curious as I was, I looked up the class which is a mirror of BIO 563 at Elms College. The syllabus is accessible online and although it seems pretty straightforward the use of "MEAs" got me - do you know what an MEA is? Some further research got me here: The Six principles for designing MEA’s are (Lesh et. al 2000): 1. Model Construction principle: problems must be designed to allow for the creation of a model dealing with elements, relationships and operations between these elements, patterns and rules governing these relationships etc. 2. The Reality Principle: problems must be meaningful and relevant to the students. 3. Self-assessment principle: students must be able to self-assess or measure the usefulness of their solutions. 4. Construct documentation principle: students must be able to reveal and document their thinking processes within their solution. 5. Construct shareability and reusability principle: solutions created by students should be generalizable or easily adapted to other situations. 6. Effective Prototype principle: others should easily be able to interpret solutions. Which are presented above in a very dry manner but in general I like the concepts! Does anyone use this nomenclature to talk about engineering design in your classroom?

Caryn-- I took the PBS TeacherLine course Adah mentioned and it was great. I use two of the Boston Museum 'Engineering is Elementary' texts in my classrooms (one with 2nd grade and one with 4th grade) and the course really helped me understand the DEVELOPMENT and potential of the EIE curriculum...[Kathy Renfrew mentioned the program in an earlier post in this thread.] For me, it was like seeing behind the curtain--understanding how an MEA is built makes my implementation of MEAs in my classroom more effective. If anyone is using the EIE curriculm in their classroom (or thinking of using it), I would recommend the course. The final project is to create your own MEA, which is very handy--you can take a project you already do with students and expand/tweak/enrich it so that it brings all thos higher level engineering and design ideas into it. No, I don't tell my kids 'we are about to do a model eliciting activity,' but I do HIGHLY recommend the Engineering is Elementary curriculm materials to any and all elementary teachers...it's a great way to integrate science and language arts.

Amy, I agree. EiE is a wonderful program. I was able to provide a training for 24 elementary teachers here in Vermont. They were trained on two units and they were able to order one of the kits to use in their classrooms. As we continue to work on STEM in elementary classrooms, I too, would recommend the Engineering is Elementary program out of the Boston Museum of Science. Kathy

Here is a recent report which will hopefully be used to leverage science instruction in ALL classrooms but especially elmentary ones. -- REPORT CALLS ON POLICYMAKERS TO RAISE SCIENCE EDUCATION TO SAME LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE AS MATH AND READING State, national, and local policymakers should elevate science education in grades K-12 to the same level of importance as reading and mathematics, says a new report from the National Research Council. "Successful K-12 STEM Education: Identifying Effective Approaches in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics" recommends ways that leaders at all levels can improve K-12 education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The report responds to a request from Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) for the National Science Foundation -- which sponsored the Research Council report -- to identify highly successful K-12 schools and programs in STEM fields. "A growing number of jobs -- not just those in professional science -- require knowledge of STEM fields," said Adam Gamoran, chair of the committee that wrote the report and professor of sociology and educational policy studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. "The goal isn't only to have a capable and competitive work force. We need to help all students become scientifically literate because citizens are increasingly facing decisions related to science and technology -- whether it's understanding a medical diagnosis or weighing competing claims about the environment." The report identifies key elements of high-quality STEM education to which policymakers could target improvements: * A coherent set of standards and curriculum. States and districts should have rigorous K-12 STEM standards and curricula that are focused on the most important topics in each discipline and presented as a sequence of content and practices that build knowledge over time. * Teachers with high capacity to teach in their discipline. Good teachers need to know both STEM content and how to teach it; many teachers are currently underprepared to teach STEM-related courses. * A supportive system of assessment and accountability. Current assessments limit educators' ability to teach in ways that promote learning the content and understanding the practices of science and mathematics. * Adequate instructional time. The average amount of time spent on science instruction in elementary classrooms has decreased in recent years even as the time on mathematics instruction has increased. * Equal access to high-quality STEM learning opportunities. States and districts should strive to eliminate the disparities in access to high-quality STEM education between advantaged students and minority and low-income students, which contribute to the existing achievement gaps. * School conditions and cultures that support learning. Although teacher qualifications certainly matter, so do school conditions and culture -- such as school and district leadership and parent and community involvement. I received this from one of my colleagues in Maine and felt it was important to share Kathy Renfrew Elementary Math & Science Assessment Coordinator Vermont Department of Education 120 State Street Montpelier,VT 05620 [email protected] 802-828-6561 Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.

I am very glad to see this topic in the discussion forums. Two years ago I was heavily involved with the roll-out of new STEM standards in my home district, in Tennessee. While in training sessions with elementary, middle, and secondary teachers - one thing came through loud and clear: science was not being taught at the elementary level in many TN classrooms. This was something middle level science teachers already knew but never really discussed with elementary teachers (we did what all good teachers do - we complained about it in the staff room and that was it.) ;) It sparked something in me. I saw elementary teachers who sincerely wanted to incorporate science in to their lessons but were unable to do so for several main reasons: 1. Lack of subject matter knowledge 2. Lack of time due to large chunks of time required for math/reading 3. Lack of materials/resources 4. Poor support from administrators who were focused on meeting NCLB mandates I couldn't do anything about their administrators or time management concerns or NCLB, but I did my best to provide as much support as I could with subject matter knowledge and materials. I often found myself delivering microscopes, models, and even cell cultures to local elementary classrooms (and sang the praises of NSTA every time). Several times I was fortunate enough to help with simple dissections and other projects in area elementary schools. Since that time I've also worked in CA and WA schools and I have found the same lack of attention to science at the elementary levels. So for that reason alone, I am glad to hear that some states are supporting teacher efforts in science education. I'm inspired by what I have read here today. Please keep hammering on for science at the elementary level. Children are inquisitive by nature...science just fits. Keep up the awesome work guys! KUDOS! Kendra

WOW! This is a great discussion. Thank you to everyone who has posted links, ideas, and collections. I also agree that waiting until middle or high school to emphasize STEM is too late. Like Caryn, I have also used LEGOs while teaching STEM. I really like the LEGO Mindstorms. Students not only begin learning the principles of design and engineering, but also program their creations to complete specific tasks. The language is completely pictorial, so even very young students are capable of writing programs. I've also use the NSTA Press book Activities Linking Math and Science, K-4. This book is full of great activities and ideas to teach elementary level students about STEM principles.

Adah, thanks so much for posting the information about STEM420. I hadn't heard of the program before, but I'm excited to research it!

Maureen and Adah - there was another recommendation for STEM 420 on another discussion! It seems like this is a good week to be involved in STEM education! The new conceptual framework takes a very strong stand on the use of engineering principles both as a discrete topic of study and as a strategy that underlies the study of many concepts. Have you read them yet? > what do you think?

Science Scope has a great column called Everyday Engineering that features engineering labs build around common objects such as pop-up turkey timers and whatmakes a squirt gun work. Looks like a good, inexpensive---and fun---- resource for introducing engineering principles.

Everyone seems to agree that STEM in elementary school seems to be a great idea!!!! However, I am seeing most of the conversations are dealing with 3rd grade and higher. What about PreK, Kinders, and First grade? I think with a small amount of encouragement and support...an invaluable asset...(our future scientists when they are first beginning school), teachers could begin the students training for future STEM activities by setting the groundwork. There are several great articles that I have attached from Children & Science that a few of my school districts Early Childhood teachers are interested in. Something as 'simple' such as teaching their students how to ask good questions would not only start our students off correctly in their investigations, but it would also help them become more scientifically literate at an earlier age.I believe we should start STEM with the very first introduction of our students to science.

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A_Quest_to_Improve-Journal_article_from_CS.pdf (0.20 Mb)

Capitalizing_on_Curiosity-Journal_article_from_CS.pdf (0.26 Mb)

Curiosity_+_Kindergarden-Journal_article_from_CS.pdf (0.31 Mb)

Investigatable_Questions-Journal_article_from_CS.pdf (0.16 Mb)

Dear Thread Contributors and Those who are Reading too. These posts are connected very robustly, providing resources and ideas for teachers who just drop in and glean a few ideas from you. You are doing a GREAT job and I look forward to where this thread will bifurcate and lead to ancillary discussions. One that I think is fundamental to STEM in elementary schools is just getting science taught. I have polled some elementary teachers interested in teaching science, the fundamental component to STEM, and is hindered by the time allocated to science. Believe it or not but some students in third to fifth grades only have the opportunity to study science for 45 minutes per week!! I think that we need advocates for science in the elementary schools. TIME is certainly a priority factor. Secondly, teachers who are not certified in science do not feel empowered to integrate science into reading and writing assignments. Solid inquiry in science that titilates the minds of students and begins to build foundations for future learning does not necessarily take a lot of time. Ten to twenty minutes may be sufficient to encourage students to write a prediction of what they think, make a quick observation or gather some data, analyze it and then write what they observed and now what they think. Writing across the curriculum to include a bit of inquiry science may be an avenue into getting more science into students lives. STEM education is based on solid inquiry and then making applications, which is where the engineering part comes into play and as Kathy and other mention --the application process is a big element in the new standards. What do others think about advocacy for more basic inquiry in elementary schools as a foundation for STEM? It may be fundamental. Patty

Hi Patty, You made several excellent points in your post. Two that I'd like to concentrate on are 1. The limited amount of time that is spent on science education at the elementary school level and 2. the teachers, who are not certified in science, who do not feel empowered to incorporate science into other curricular areas (such as reading, writing, or math). In my opinion, I think that these two points are linked. It is true, in many districts in the US, that the emphasis in elementary education is on reading and math. However, as a elementary school teacher, I have found that by integrating subjects, I am able to teach science while still meeting the requirements for literacy and math block times. Young learners are fascinated by science, and by using science readers, science notebooks/journals, and practical applications of math I am able to incorporate science into other subject areas. But...this is not easy! It's takes a commitment on the part of the teacher to find cross-curricular links and develop activities that are related to and beneficial for two or more subjects areas. It also takes a commitment by the district level coordinators. Since many districts have curriculum pacing guides that teachers are expected to follow, the district coordinators will need to ensure that the pacing guides are inter-curricular. For instance, let's say an elementary teacher is required to read [i]The Very Hungry Caterpillar[/i] and teach about butterfly life cycles (National Life Science Standards 6.3: K-3 Characteristics of Organisms, Life Cycles of Organisms, Organisms and Environments). These two inter-curricular areas should be happening simultaneously, but that's not always how the pacing guides are written. Integrating curriculums is an excellent tool, but it does take a lot of work. I think to see successful curricular integration in our school systems, we need to begin teaching curriculum integration techniques in teacher preparation programs, provide PD opportunities for current teachers to learn curriculum integration techniques, work with curriculum developers to integrate curriculums, and conduct research to evaluate the educational benefits of integrating curriculums at the elementary school level.

The Making STEM Come Alive for Elementary Students has several activities and links directed at engaging elementary level students in STEM activities.

Thanks for posting those resources Sue! Does anyone have an "ah-ha" moment that they'd like to share about when they, or a preschool or elementary teacher they know, understood that teaching science in early childhood and elementary school (preK-6) is important, or, that it is both possible and desirable to integrate science and other curriculum topics? I wonder if there are any common experiences which grow formally non-science-interested elementary teachers into intentional science teachers. Another question is, what administrative support is most helpful for integrating science into reading and mathematics curriculum in districts where science is not a focus? I know there isn’t a one-size-fits-all method here! Peggy

Maureen, what a powerful post! You identified a very strong rationale for what may or may not occur within the elementary science classroom. We have been facing the question of classroom certified (non-science certification) teachers and questioning how best to support them. It is you who becomes the model for how to incorporate science 'across the curriculum.' Perhaps your great suggestions will make their way into pre-service practices and methods classes may incorporate suggestions for teachers to 'do inquiry' and science while focusing on the traditional 3R's. As you indicate, our classroom teachers are multitalented but may be hedged in by curriculum demands that do not permit their creative stretch across content areas. Thanks for citing concrete ways to begin. ~patty

A wonderful thought, Margaret! "I wonder if there are any common experiences which grow formally non-science-interested elementary teachers into intentional science teachers." What do others think? Please don't be shy; it is your voice that enables us to grow both formally and informally :} Chime in!

The idea of STEM in the early years is something that has intrigued me. I have worked with students from a magnet elementary school that prides itself in including STEM education. I was amazed with how much these students know and how exited they were about science. They do not on the other hand struggle in reading or writing. The teachers have found a way to engage the students in the activities and surround them with science and technology. They use what they are learning to read and write papers/responses. With being a small school they are able to give a lot of personalized opportunities to their students. In places that are not so fortunate I wonder how we can encourage STEM education and get them just as excited about STEM education.

I am doing my student internship at an elementary school that is focused on STEM. The school recognizes that waiting until middle school is too late. It's still early in the year, and I'm only there one day per week, but I have seen a couple of examples of how they are trying to integrate STEM throughout the curriculum. On the first day of school the teacher had the students work on building towers with various "building" materials as part of a team building exercise. They were given the freedom to choose which supplies they wanted. The other STEM activity they've done was to invent a phone of the future. This was part of a social studies lesson in which they were learning about inventors. The students had to build a phone, write up a description of it, and present it to the class. So there was an integration of multiple subjects in one activity. Students are also creating their own PowerPoint presentations to increase their technology skills. Unfortunately, science is not taught all year long. The content period rotates between social studies, science, and health. I'm sure most teachers recognize the drawbacks of this, but it doesn't seem like there is enough time in the day to teach everything that needs to be taught. I suppose a solution is to try to integrate multiple subjects as much as possible.

Amy said, 'Unfortunately, science is not taught all year long. The content period rotates between social studies, science, and health. I'm sure most teachers recognize the drawbacks of this, but it doesn't seem like there is enough time in the day to teach everything that needs to be taught. I suppose a solution is to try to integrate multiple subjects as much as possible. '

Amy, you have identified one of the major issues in science education today. Unless intentional, carefully crafted integration occurs, there is no way an elementary teacher can do all that it is expected of them.

But it can be done. It is a lot of work to do it well. I know I struggle with it. I wonder if there is somebody doing it now who can share with us?

Kathy

Hi Thread Readers and Participants,

I just received an email from PBS announcing that an online STEM 420 class is beginning on 26 Oct. Here is a link to information on the course: PBS Teacherline STEM 420. Has anyone taken this course? Also, I'm wondering how other teachers take advantage of online PD opportunities similar to this one? Do most school districts accept classes like this as PD or CE credit?

Hi everyone. The foundation of STEM education in middle school and high school should have been started even earlier than elementary - in kindergarten. I happened to have been an early childhood educator many years ago, and one of the training I had was about children learning 80% of everything they would by the time they're 6. So that some of the exponents of early childhood see the great connection in using the blocks as developmental tool in developing engineering thinking. I wish I could share more next time. I just feel so enthused when I get to remember my years in ECE.

I too feel that STEM lessons need to be brought into the elementary classrooms, but education on what STEM is needs to be given first. As a new teacher, I'm finding it difficult to incorporate a variety of "STEM" lessons for my class. What I do know is that it involves science, technology, engineering and mathematics, but the real issue is how can that be taught altogether in a particular grade. Moreover an elementary classroom. Other than using Lego kits and building robots, how else can STEM be used in all subject areas? As I met with our school's STEM group a couple of times, and there was a sense of uncertainty of what STEM is, which further confused me. We were given the task to find lessons that we were already doing that fit under the STEM umbrella. Yet, when we met again, a debate broke out about what really fit and what didn't. Any assistance with clearing up misconceptions about STEM and ideas on how to use STEM in my 5th grade classroom would be helpful.

To me, anything that integrates the STEM fields together is helping kids understand STEM. It is hard to articulate, but when you teach lessons in physical science and use math to understand the changes, and then include some videos of real life, and bring it together with career discussion, you are bringing STEM into the classroom. I see STEM as practical--relating to real life and relating to how we live.

Hello everyone! I know I'm entering this thread kind of late, but I am intruigued by this discussion. I am a 4th grade teacher and I have to admit that I have been a guilty party when it comes to shortchanging science. Like Maureen and Patricia mentioned, teaching science under the pressures of NCLB and meeting AYP has really been an uphill battle. The time constraints placed on all other subjects besides reading and math are stifling. Coupled with my inadequate science background, I always feel a little "behind the 8 ball". I am excited to learn more ways to integrate science with other subjects. I'm fully convinced that that's the only way to go, but my challenge is convincing everyone higher than me that makes system-wide decisions. How do we change the current system? I'm hopeful that as awareness is raised on the benefits of project based learning and STEM activites, things will begin to change. Thank you all for starting and maintaining this dialogue because, as a classroom teacher, I find strength (and great ideas, by the way!) in these sorts of discussions. Keep up the great posts! Mahalo, Jason Thanks to those who shared about the EiE curriculum and the PBSTeacherline course. I will definitely look into those. And thanks to Maureen for your article on "Making STEM Come Alive for Elementary Students". It gave me a couple good ideas that I'd like to try!

St Catherine University hosts the National Center for Elementary STEM Education http://stem.stkate.edu/