STEAM education is an interdisciplinary approach that combines Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. It helps children develop skills needed for our increasingly technological society. STEAM brings together subjects that were traditionally taught separately to show how they interconnect. Activities planned with the STEAM approach are fun, educational, and promote skills like critical thinking. Implementing STEAM links to curriculum standards and reflects real-world problem solving. Creating a toy truck, for example, requires multiple engineers like mechanical, chemical, electrical, transportation, structural, and packaging engineers who each contribute their expertise.

1. STEAM

3. What is STEAM?
• STEAM Education is an approach to learning that uses subjects like Science, Maths, Arts,
Engineering and Technology to help children develop their skills that will help them take an
active role in our increasingly scientific and technological society.
• STEAM is the bringing together of many different subjects that before were singled out as
separate areas. This helps to reinforce children to how subjects interconnect like Maths and
Science.
• STEAM is an acronym (an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word)
and the letters stand for:
• Science
• Technology
• Engineering,
• Arts
• Mathematics.
• (You may have heard of STEM which was the original acronym before Arts were added to
promote the creativity involved in the activities and job roles)

4. STEAM links to the Curriculum
• Activities and sessions that are planned
using the STEAM approach are almost
always fun, practical and educational.
• STEAM strongly links in with the primary
curriculum and many schools are
incorporating STEAM into their curriculums
through projects, cross curricular activities
and clubs.
• STEAM activities promote children’s critical
thinking and problem-solving skills.
• The STEAM approach reflects with the way
we work and problem solve in our daily lives.
• STEAM activities teaches skills the way they
will be used in the workforce, and the real
world. Rarely does a job require only one
skill set.
What can parents do to support STEAM?
• Reinforce cross curricular activities e.g.
using collage and arts to learn numbers.
• Provide resources and support and let them
explore.
• Encourage children to think of ways to plan,
implement and evaluate their creations.
• Always question their findings and ask why
and how?
• Find their interests and ambitions and find
activities that involve and relate to them.
• Watch and discuss educational programmes
and documentaries together.
• Make career connections and show them
where STEAM activities can lead them.
• Let them be in charge of their project!

5. What does an engineer do?
Or … how many engineers does it take to create a toy truck?

6. What does an engineer do?
Or … how many engineers does it take to create a toy truck?
mechanical
engineer

7. What does an engineer do?
Or … how many engineers does it take to create a toy truck?
chemical
engineers
mechanical
engineer

8. What does an engineer do?
Or … how many engineers does it take to create a toy truck?
chemical
engineers
mechanical
engineer
transportation
engineers

9. What does an engineer do?
Or … how many engineers does it take to create a toy truck?
structural
engineer
chemical
engineers
mechanical
engineer
transportation
engineers

10. What does an engineer do?
Or … how many engineers does it take to create a toy truck?
structural
engineer
chemical
engineers
mechanical
engineer
electrical
engineer
transportation
engineers

11. What does an engineer do?
Or … how many engineers does it take to create a toy truck?
structural
engineer
chemical
engineers
mechanical
engineer
packaging
engineers
electrical
engineer
transportation
engineers
Go to the next slide to
find out what they did

12. Different Engineers’ roles in the process
• A mechanical engineer designed the assembly line system where the toy truck was built.
• The structural engineer made sure that the building was safe and strong enough to hold
the assembly line.
• An electrical engineer designed the power plant that provided electricity to the
assembly line.

13. Different Engineers’ roles in the process (2)
• Chemical engineers determined which plastics and paints would be best for the toy truck.
They tested for strength and safety.
• Transportation engineers designed the roads and railways that bring the toy truck from
the factory to the store.
• Packaging engineers determined the size of the truck’s individual box and the boxes
needed to ship them to the stores.

14. Assessment Activity
Before you move onto the next topic
• Complete the STEAM quiz by clicking on this arrow
• Play the Engineering job roles matching game by clicking
on this arrow