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EiE Engineering is elementary has free lessons. https://www.eie.org/eie-curriculum/curriculum-units https://www.eie.org/eie-curriculum Just sign up to get access to free downloads, teachers' edition and student workbook. You can purchase their kits online or look at the supply kit and ask parents to send some items like tape, string, straws, index cards, etc. We use the after school program 3rd - 5th grade. However, some teachers use the lessons during the school day occasionally. I also recommend using the http://ngss.nsta.org/ for lessons that align with the standards and many of them have rubrics, handouts, material lists. Also, the idea I embrace the most is when there is an actual issue at school, like a flooded playground area, or something else that needs to be resolved, you can get the kids to use the engineering design process to come up with a solution. The solution can then be presented to the administration.

STEM is the integration of S(Science), T(Technology), E (Engineering), and M(Math) into the classroom. Like you said, math is really easy to integrate because it can simply be about buying materials or tracking a budget. technology can be implemented through the use of ipads, recording findings, making video projects, create virtual designs, etc. I agree with your statement that this will help students grow, because it is simply an integration of tools that foster inquiry-based learning. I think using STEM also requires a teacher to be creative, and making a switch in his/her mind to constantly pull these concepts in together into real-world applications. Engineering can be implemented through giving students a random set of objects, and then they can create themselves a way of engineering a functionality for a given purpose. This will lead them to think as innovators, and to put into practice laws of science that make items work and function in accordance to how our universe works. I think this is really cool because the teacher guides the learning, doesn't just lecture. I also think STEM is a great approach to teaching science because it will help students retain information way better than simple memorization ever could. They will also have fun while being in this environment of discovery, and this will lessen their opportunities for distraction and being off-task. Thank you for providing a clear definitions and for setting up a platform for me to think of my own examples of implementing STEM as I read your post!