The document provides teaching resources and tips for promoting critical thinking skills through STEAM activities, including challenges involving building bridges, towers, and slides to help the fairy tale character Rapunzel escape her tower. Teachers are encouraged to ask open-ended questions to stimulate critical thinking and reflect on their STEAM lessons. A variety of games, tricks, and hands-on projects are presented to engage students in problem-solving and analyzing different approaches.

1. STEAMSkill:
‘CriticalThinking’
TeacherTips
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 2 I S S U E . 2
Steam-zine promoting STEAM Education in Co. Clare
TheImpossibleDominoBridge Challenge
TheDiceTrainandATowerofStrength
TheThinkTube
2019-1-IE01-KA201-051545
WalkthePlankandRapunzel'sEscape!

2. · CheckoutupcomingSTEAMrelatedcoursesatClareEducationCentrehttps://www.clareed.ie/cpd-courses/primary-
courses.htmlorfromthePDSThttps://www.pdst.ie/primary/stem/stem-planning
· Consider including a STEAM professional development session at your staff meeting. Teachers from the Clare
Education Centre STEAM Community of Practice can provide input to staff meetings. Email director@clareed.ie for
details.
· Primary schools in County Clare can avail of STEAM professional development opportunities supported by Clare
EducationCentreandtheIrishAmericanPartnership.Contactdirector@clareed.iefordetails.
· Followthe progress of our Erasmus+ STEAMINGproject onhttps://steamingproject.eu/The resources section of the
project website is being updated with casestudies, exemplars of good practice, resources and details of training
events.
Our involvement with the Erasmus+ STEAMING Project has provided wonderful opportunities to develop our
understanding of STEAM, to engage in professional development and to showcase STEAM teaching and learning in
PrimarySchoolsinCountyClare.TheprojecthasgivenusawonderfulvehicletocollaborateonSTEAMmethodologies,
resources and ideas and to consider how to collate and disseminate these ideas for the benefit of teachers in Clare and
to the wider teaching audiences in Ireland, Croatia, Greece, Norway and Portugal. The Full STEAM Ahead magazines
are part of the suite of resources to be made available as outcomes from the STEAMING Erasmus+ Project and are a
wonderful example of how an international Erasmus+ project can have a very significant impact on teaching and
learningintheindividualparticipantschoolsandbeyond.
YoursinSTEAM,
RayMcInerney,
Director, ClareEducationCentre
MichaelBrowne,
STEAMCoordinator, ClareEducationCentre
Welcome to Issue 2 of Full STEAM Ahead, a Steam-zine to promote STEAM education. The Steam-zine has been
collated and edited by teachers from the STEAM Community of Practice at Clare Education Centre. The group meet
regularly with facilitator Michael Browne to discuss STEAM methodologies, to collaborate, to share and to plan. All
the contributions to the Full STEAM Ahead magazine have been tried out by the group in their own classes and
subjected to rigorous feedback in subsequent meetings of the Community of Practice. This is an outstanding example
ofhowteacherscanengageintheirownprofessionaldevelopmentandsharetheirlearningswiththeirpeers.
Each issue of Full STEAM Ahead focuses on a particular STEAM skill. Issue 2 focuses on the skill of Critical Thinking.
EachofthesuggestedideasprovidesmultipleopportunitiesforteacherstoengagepupilsinCriticalThinking.
Issue 1 of Full STEAM Ahead was published in April 2021. The Irish American Partnership provided funding towards
the printing of the magazine and towards the circulation of the magazine to all Primary Schools in County Clare. . The
focusforIssue1wasProblemSolvingthrough‘Collaboration’.
Fáilte
Adigitalversionofthemagazinecanbefoundhere
https://www.clareed.ie/10-programmes/378-launch-of-our-steam-
magazine-full-steam-ahead.html
Ourhopeisthatyou,teachers,willtryoutsomeoftheactivitiesfromFullSTEAMAheadwithyour
classes.Wehopetoothatyouwillshareyourlearningswithyourcolleaguesatstaffmeetings.Ifyou
wishtolearnmore,weinviteyoutoconsidersomeofthefollowing:

3. Teacher Tip
steam skill 2 - critical thinking
In Issue 1 of Full Steam Ahead we explored what we understood
'STEAM' to be and what it looks like in action in a typical Irish
classroom. Many teachers may feel that STEAM is difficult to fit
into an already crammed curriculum or that it is intensive on
resources and therefore is hard to prepare. Full Steam Ahead
views STEAM as a learning approach or methodology and
condenses it into 5 simple factors - Problem Solving, Creativity,
Critical Thinking, Pupil led Enquiry and the theme from the first
issue - Collaboration. We believe that any inclusion of these
learningdimensionsisthebasisofasuccessfulSTEAMlesson.
Critical Thinking is employed as soon as a challenge is
presented! It involves analysing the challenge, devising and
evaluating possible approaches. The children lay out courses
of action; employing their capacity to predict, solve, create,
design and invent. ‘Thinking outside the box’ is at all times
encouraged. They draw on the information supplied and on
their previous knowledge and experience, sharing their
insights within their group and charting possible ways
forward. This may involve predicting many steps ahead and
their likely outcomes. While they are engaging, the children
hypothesise and critique the process; assessing the
advantages and disadvantages of their approaches. They
further analyse and reflect on the outcomes, having
completed the task, questioning themselves regarding
further potential improvements. ‘Critical thinking’ involves
a well thought-out approach, which significantly reduces
relianceon‘goodfortune’andchancefindings.
What is
Critical
Thinking?
In this issue we concentrate on 'Critical Thinking' - what that means and how we can spot
opportunities to promote it within our classrooms. Don't limit yourself and your pupils to any
particular age level. You know the ability and interests of your class better than anyone and may
wellfindasuitableSTEAMideainanotheragegrade.HappySteaming!!

4. Thinking Outside the
Box Thursday
As part of our School Self Evaluation process in O Callaghan’s Mills and cognisant of the Steaming
PolicyoftheDepartmentofEducation, weundertooktoraiseawarenessofSTEM/STEAMamongstthe
pupils,teachersandtheschoolcommunity.(LearnerOutcomes)
WealsowantedtotacklegenderassumptionsinSTEM.(LearnerExperiences)
Anddevelopchildren’scriticalthinking.(LearnerExperiences)
A key area we looked at was teachers’ individual practice developing higher order questioning and
critical thinking. We engaged with The Framework of Enquiry Process used by Primary Science
https://www.sfi.ie/engagement/discover-primary-science-and-maths/resources/teacher-created-
resources/teachers-planning-guide.pdf and Blooms Taxonomy. We used Blooms questioning to
promptdeepercriticalthinking.
To develop critical thinking we introduced, “Creative Thinking Thursdays” for 7 weeks. All classes
from infants to 6th were given the same image. The children drew/sketched and coloured their own
creativeideasoralternativethinking(thinkingoutsidethebox!)
Teacher Tip
Critical Thinking
at O Callaghan's Mills N.S
Resources:
Thereareendlessresources
onvariouswebsitessuchas
Pinterestandfrombooks
suchas'ThinkOutsidethe
Box'byNancyVandeBerge
and'OutsidetheBox'series
byMollyPotter.
We displayed children’s work for all to see and had discussions/reflections with the children about
theirpictures.
In terms of monitoring or assessment, critical thinking is a challenge to monitor but we believe that
STEMandCriticalthinkingare embeddedinourdailypracticeatschoolacrossthecurriculum.
SharonBrady-OCallaghan'sMillsN.S
Image courtesy of Galbally N.S Co. Limerick

5. Did you ever have that Aunt or Uncle who bet you a fiver that you couldn't balance a coin on the rim of a
glass? Whether we were able to perform these 'tricks' or not - our brains raced through hundreds of
possibilities to win that fiver! This was critical thinking in action! There is a great supply of magic tricks
explained online . One YouTube channel that shows examples is 'Quirkology' - Quirky Stuff for curious
minds. Of course we dont advise that you or your pupils bet on the tricks but some of them are great
puzzlestogetyourpupilsscratchingtheirheads andwinthechallenge!
https://www.youtube.com/user/Quirkology
There are many opportunities to promote a culture of critical thinking in our classrooms outside
planned STEAM lessons. Board games are a great filler for those rainy days but they are also a brilliant
way of developing critical thinking skills. Board games require us to plan, prioritise, predict, evaluate
boththeadvantagesanddisadvantagesofmovesandtheyimprovecognitiveflexibility.
Problem solving, logical thinking, strategy and decision making are all enhanced through many well
known household games such as Chess, Draughts, Mousetrap, Kerplunk, Marble Run, Quarto, Connect
Fourandmany,manymore.
All high street toy-stores stock a variety of classic and modern board games. cogsthebrainshop.ie
specialiseinSTEMandproblemsolvingoptionsintheirEducationalsection.
Many traditional card games require and develop the
very same skills. With practice, they encourage our
pupils torelyonstrategyratherthanchance.
Crazy Eights, Old Maid, Rummy, Slapjack, Go Fish and
many more examples are listed here along with rules on
howtoplaythem.
https://bicyclecards.com/rules/
Betteryet...whynotgoeveneasieronresourcesbutstilldevelopCriticalThinkinginyourclassroom?A
hugerangeof'PenandPaper'games canbefoundonline. Somearesimpleandsomeareelaborate.
They'reagreatwaytohavepupilsemploy thesamestrategieswithlessofthefussbeforehand!This
linktosomepenandpaperoptions isagoodstartingpoint..
Clickhere
Classroom Games
for Critical Thinking

6. Let's get
Critical Thinking !
What do you
think?
What is
getting in the
way here?
What is
another way
of doing this?
Why is this a
problem ?
What would
happen if....?
How could it
have ended
differently?
What does
this make you
think about?
How would you
explain this
activity to
another pupil?
If you could change
something about
this, what would it
be?
Explain why
this part is
important..
Where can we
see this in the
real world?
How can we
improve this
idea?
Can you spot
any strengths
and
weaknesses?

7. Jnr & Snr Infants
25 tokens: 5 red, 5 blue, 5 white, 5 green, 5 yellow (can use
moreforolderclasses)
A Gridmadeupof5rowsand5columns
Materials:
Explain the rules of Sudoku to the children. You can only
have one token of each colour in every line and every
column.
Letthemoff…!!
Monitor each group and check their grid, when they think
theyarefinished. Only then point out if there two or more of
thesamecolour ineachline.
Childrencancompletetheirgridsingroupsandtaketurns to
putacolouredtokendown.
Thisgameisalsopossiblewith2DShapesinsteadofcolours.
Sharehowitwent- #FullSteamAhead
@ClareEdCentre
MaterialsNeeded:
· 4lollipopstickspergroup
· 4plastic/papercups
· 20comparebearsorsimilarpergroup.
Challenge:Canyoubuildabridgeusingthefourlollipopsticksandfour
cupstogetthebearssafelyacross?
Check for understanding that the children know what a bridge is and
whatisitspurpose.
· Ensure the children know they need to use all the materials
providedtobuildtheirbridgeanditmustfitthetwentybears.
· When the children complete this task, take away one cup and one
lollipop stick and ask them can they make a bridge now for twenty
bears.Thisiswherethecriticalthinkingreallycomesin!
· After completing the task, have a discussion with the class and get
them to participate in self-assessment. Why did you build your bridge
in that way? What would you change if you were doing this challenge
again?
Would a
blue one
work here?
Explain.
Why did
you put
that one
there?
Explain your
method -
colour by
colour or line
by line.
Materials:
20piecesofSpaghetti
6or7 largeMarshmallows
Ameasuringtape
Atimer
What is the tallest structure we can make using spaghetti
andmarshmallows?
1) Handout 20piecesofspaghettiand6marshmallows
2) Startthetimerfor15mins. Letthemoff…..
3) Whatyouarelookingforbutwillnotsay….
Using the marshmallows as supports to dig the spaghetti
into, begin constructing the tallest freestanding
marshmallowthatyoucan.
Remember the importance of a strong foundation. Will any
group think about doubling up their spaghetti or breaking
aparttheirmarshmallows?
4) As the structure takes shape, remember to make sure it
narrowstowardsthetop.
5) When the time is up, measure the towers to see how tall
theyare.
· Don’t scaffold the children on this challenge by showing
picturesofbridges.
· Give five minutes talk time in their groups to plan what they
willdotomaketheirbridge.

8. Jnr & Snr Infants
Arrrrghhh me hearties...I have a challenge for all you lily-livered
infants out there...
With your ship-mates, you must build the longest plank that
you can! It must reach out from the edge of your ship
(classroom table) as far as you can build it without it toppling
into the deep sea below! You must only use the materials listed
in the treasure chest so think carefully ! Your teacher will
measure it afterwards .....
Materials:
-Aminimumofthree30cmrulers
-Coins(sameamountpergroup)
-Table
Distributethematerialstoeachgroupandexplainthechallenge.
Startthe15minstimer.Thenbegin… (letthepupils independentlyexplorewiththeirownideas).
Whatwearelookingfor..(butwillnotsaytothechildren)
Takethefirstplank(ruler)andanchoritontotheedgeoftheshipwithpartofitprojectingoutwards. Use the coins
to weigh the plank in place. Think carefully about how many coins you need to use and where they should be
positionedontheplank.
Continuetoextendtheplankoutwardsoverthe‘sea’byaddingextrarulersusingcoinstoholdtheminplace. Each
time you extend the plank you will need to think about where you position the coins in order to keep the plank
projectedoffthesideoftheship.
Whenthetimeisup,useameasuringtapetomeasurethelengthofeachgroup'splank.
Questionthechildrenthroughoutthetaskandattheend. Whatstrategiesweremostsuccessfulincreatingit?
Explain why
the coins are
in that
position?
What would
you do if I
took half your
coins away?
Which plank had
the best design
and why?
Would it be a
good idea to
use a 'bendy'
ruler?
Did you do
anything to
improve your
plank ?
This STEAM Activity lends itself brilliantly towards integrating with any
literacy,dramaororallanguagelessonbasedonPiratesorindeedPeterPan!
One example worth exploring is 'Pirates Love Underpants by Claire
Freedman and Ben Cort. Click on the image of the book for a YouTube
IllustratedReading.

9. Jnr & Snr Infants
1. Prior to completing this lesson the children need to be familiar with the story of Rapunzel. There are many great read-
aloudsofRapunzelavailableonYoutube.
2. Discuss different ways that Rapunzel can flee her tower. Use critical thinking questions as to why they choose that
escape route? The children will have ingenious ideas as to how Rapunzel can escape (Witches broom, stairs, trampoline,
bridge,divingboardandabulldozer).Howeverthedecisionwasmadetomakeaslide.
3. Considerthefeaturesofaslideandhowwouldweknowiftheslideworked?
4. Give the children sufficient time to make and test their slide. Use compare bears to test if the slide will work for
Rapunzeloriftheyneedtomodifytheirdesign.
ClickhereforaRapunzelSTEMLessonplanfromstem.org.uk(FreeRegistration
neededfirst!)
Toiletroll
Sellotape
Comparebearforeachgroup
Lego,Jengablocksetc.canbesubstitutedfor
toiletrollsandsellotapedependingonclass
ability.
Materials:
There is an opportunity to integrate this STEAM activity with any version of the
classic fairytale of Rapunzel or as an Oral Language lesson. A witty twist on the tale
has been written by Bethan Woollvin. It is suitable for three to seven year olds and
containssomelovelyinkprints.
Literacy:Rapunzel-byBethanWoollvinorClassic
FairytaleVersion
Drama:Dramatoexplorefeelings,knowledgeandideas,
leadingtounderstanding-Exploringandmakingdrama.
Maths:ShapeandSpace-3Dshapes,Measures-Length.
VisualArt:Construction-Makingconstruction.
History:Story
Critical Thinking Project
ForaYouTubeRead-Aloud
VersionofDisney's'Tangled'-
TheStoryofRapunzelClickhere
Clickthislinkfor'Rapunzel'PDFofLevelledReadingTextfromreadinga-z.com
“I need your help! I have been trapped in a tower again by the wicked Witch. She caught me
while I was out for a walk. Please think of ways that I could escape from the tower and work in
groups to design your escape route. I really need your help Junior and Senior infants"-
Rapunzel.
The class will need to use their critical thinking skills to brainstorm and engineer an escape route for
Rapunzel.
The children will encounter many problems while making this slide. Instead of telling the
children what to do to solve it, question them about what they could change to solve their
problem and why that would work? Don’t provide too much scaffolding as this will diminish
criticalthinking.
Allow the children to observe other slide designs, discuss their favourite and suggest how they
couldimprovethedesigns. Thispeerassessmentwillencouragefurthercriticalthinking.

10. 1st & 2nd Class Showushowitwent!#FullSteamAhead
@ClareEdCentre
Materials:
Large Lollipop Sticks
(MulticolouredorPlain)
Uni-fixCubes
SmallPlasticShot-glasses
A range of challenge activities to promote Critical Thinking – each
oneextendingthechallengeslightlymorethanthelast..
Challenge1.
Build a tall structure with as many Uni-fix cubes as you want as your
base!
Challenge2.
Buildthemostattractivestructure thatyoucan!
Challenge3.
Buildthetalleststructurethatyoucan!
Challenge4.
Canyoubuildastructurewithabalconystickingoutofit?
Challenge5.
Build a structure with only one Uni-fix cube as the base. Only the
single Uni-fix cube can sit on the table – everything else must be
placeduponit.
Both of these online logic games are ideal for Critical Thinking and
Practising Strategies. They are found on the websites listed - there's
no need to download any app! Clear instructions are available, when
you click the 'How to Play' Links. Teachers can also improve pupil's
'reasoning' by circulating around the room and asking about their
moves-orbyplayingagameontheclassroomwhiteboardandasking
forsuggestions.Don'tforgetthemagicwords-'why'?and'whynot'?
Clickonthelink: https://0hh1.com Clickonthelink: https://0hn0.com
Thewebsiteitselfgivesasamplewalkthroughonhowtoplay.
An interactive game inspired by the Japanese games Takuzu
orBinarySudoku.
Click a square once to fill it in with red, twice to make it blue.
The goal is to fill in the board in each round with the correct
number and placement of red and blue squares, following the
rules that govern correct placement. Three simple rules - You
can't have three of the same colours in a row either
horizontally or vertically, a full row must have as many red
squares as it does blue and no two rows can be exactly the
same.
Plenty of opportunities to discuss where a square can and
cannotgo.
Bluedotscanseeothersintheirownrowandcolumn.
Theirnumberstellhowmany.
Reddotsblocktheirview.
Fromthesamegamedevelopersas'0hh1'.
Again, the website has a clear walk-through explanation on
howtoplay.
0h n0 is a lovely little logic game that follows its own three
rules:
Players have to look at surrounding dots, columns and rows
andthinkcriticallytodecidewhetheradot isredorblue!
Note:thelinkaddresshasnoletter'O'orI...theyarethedigitszeroandone Note:thelinkaddresshasnoletter'O'-itisthedigit'zero'

11. 1st & 2nd Class
A great Problem Solving Challenge that demands a lot of critical
thinkingandreasoningfromnrich.maths.org
This dice model represents an old blue steam train with a white
funnel on the engine at the front. The dice that make up the train
arejoinedusingthreerules.
RULE1:Facesthattoucheachotherhavethesamenumber.
So,underneaththewhitedie isa3touchinga3onthebluedie.
The blue die has a 6 on the face that touches the 6 on the middle
bluedie.
Themiddlebluediehasa1thattouchesthe1onthelastdie.
Another great strategy game, where more than luck is needed. This is also
foundunder'games'onthenrichwebsite. Clickhere
Youneeda partneranda3x3gridinyourcopyorwhiteboardlikethis...
Taketurnstothrowthedie anddrawthatnumberofdotsinoneoftheboxesonthegrid.
Put all of your dots in one of the boxes. You can't split them up and you can't have more than six
dotsinabox.
Whenaboxisfull,youcouldput atickinthecornerlikethis:
ClickhereforaYouTubevideoofthisgame.
RULE 2: The number on the top of the funnel must equal the total
of the numbers showing on top of the remaining dice (carriages)
thatcanbeseen.
So, the 4 on top of the funnel equals the two 2's on top of the blue
carriages.
RULE 3: Always use four or more dice - so you have at least two
'carriagenumbers'toaddup.
Eachoneyoumakeistohavethefunnelontopofthefrontdie.
YOURCHALLENGE....
Obeyingalltherules,howmanysolutionsarepossible?
Youcanmakemodelslikethisoneoryoucouldmakeitlonger.
Eachoneyoumakehastohavethefunnelontopofthefrontdice.
Keep going until there are three ticks in a row or column or diagonal.
Thewinneristhepersonwhoputsthelasttick.
Now,canyouchangethegametomakeyourownversion?
Clickhereforaposterwithdirectionsonhowtoplay.
Materials:
Whiteboards(orsheetsofcard)
3Dor2D Shapes
After discussing the Maths concept of Symmetry, why not
challenge your class to a Symmetry Challenge - who can
createaninvisiblemirror?
Challenge the pupils to use an array of two dimensional
shapes to build an abstract pattern at the edge of their
whiteboards(orcard).
Pair them with a random classmate who has to reciprocate
the very same symmetrical image at the edge of their own
whiteboards.Whocancreateamirrorimage?
Extend the lesson with more elaborate and imaginative
arrangements or by even adding two more whiteboards! A
greatchancetorevise3Dor2DShapesandtheirproperties!

12. 1st & 2nd Class
Critical Thinking Project
Maths:Shape&Space-3DShapes
Measures-Length&Weight
Science-Strand:Forces-Skills:Predicting,Estimating&Measuring
Maths:Shape&Space-3DShapes
Measures-Length&Weight
VisualArts:Construction
History:ContinuityandChangeintheLocalEnvironment
Geography:HumanEnvironments-Settlements-HomesandOther
Buildings
Materials:
For Warm Up: A stack of Books or Copies (The Class
Novelperhaps)andTwoSheetsofA4paper.
ForMainActivity:
One Basketball, A bundle of Newspapers and a roll of
maskingtape(allpergroup).
WarmUpsandDiscussion:
Clickhereforthiswarmupexperimentfromscience-sparks.com
The children can now attempt the tower challenge. In small groups can they build the tallest structure
possible, usingonlynewspaperandmaskingtape?
When complete, the structure must be able to hold up a basketball for 30 seconds without collapsing.
Introduce the class to the concept of 'fair testing' by explaining that you will use the same basketball for
each tower. The children will hopefully use the knowledge from the previous lesson, when they consider
the sturdiness of their base, the benefits of folding, the strength of different shapes and how they will
holdupthebasketball.
Depending on ability, the teacher
could add in additional conditions
- a required height above the desk
for the basketball, a limit to the
amountofmaskingtape etc...
Give each pair or small group two A4 sheets of paper and a selection of copybooks or books. Set the
children a brief challenge of balancing the books on the two sheets of paper. Give no guidance to
thepupilsonhowtheyfoldormanipulatethepaper.Seewhattheydo!
Fold 3 A4 sheets of card into (i) a rectangular column, (ii) a triangular column and (iii) a cylindrical
column. Get the pupils to predict and vote for which column they think will support most
books/copies. The class may have noticed how creasing and folding paper in the previous warm up
can increase the sturdiness of the paper and therefore vote for the rectangular column. The
cylindrical column has no edges but this also means the weight upon it is evenly balanced and has
nowheretoconcentrate.Thisshouldmakeitstrongestshape
Builders throughout history such as the
Ancient Greeks and Romans knew that
cylinders were one of the most structurally
sound and strongest geometrical shapes.
Can you do an image search or think of any
examples of 'Classical' architecture in your
locality...?

13. 3rd & 4th Class
To begin the lesson, show the class the pre-made think
tube.Placethepupilsingroupsof4/5.Alloweachgroupa
chance to observe 'The Think Tube' and discuss how the
twinesmaybe related.
The groups will then discuss how they think the tube
wouldbemade.
Givethechildrenthematerialsnecessary.
Alloweachgrouptotryandcreate'TheThinkTube'.
Take a kitchen roll insert and make 4 small holes in it:
two on one side and two opposite to them on the other
side.
Cut two pieces of twine, ensuring they are the same
length.(Approx30cm)
Take one piece of twine and thread it into the top hole on
the left side of the tube. Then thread it straight through
the tube and thread it out the top hole on the right hand
sideofthetube.
Take the shorter piece of twine. Wrap it around the piece
on twine that is inside the tube. Cross the twine (As in
picture option 1) and make a small knot in the bottom of
thetwine.
· Prior to this lesson, the teacher should make their own
‘Think Tube’ following the diagram above and following
instructions:
Materials:
String/Twine
Scissors
LargeCardboardtubes(KitchenRollinserts)
MaskingTape
(Youwillneedashorterthirdpieceoftwine)
Take the remaining piece of twine and thread it in the bottom hole
onthelefthandside.Ensureitpassesthroughthebottomloopofthe
shorterpieceoftwinethatistiedinsidethetube.Threadthepieceof
twineoutthebottomholeontherighthandside.
Use masking tape to make little ‘tabs’ or stoppers at the end of each
exposedpieceoftwine.
Block off each end of the tube with masking tube so it is not possible
tolookintothetube.
Take a kitchen roll insert, and make 4 small holes in it: two on one
sideandtwooppositetothemontheotherside.
Cut two pieces of twine, ensuring they are the same length. (Approx
30cm)
Take one piece of twine and thread it into the top hole on the left
sideofthetube.Thenthreaditstraightthroughthetubeandthread
itoutthetopholeontherighthandsideofthetube.
Take the remaining piece of twine and thread it in the bottom hole
on the left hand side. Ensure it passes around the piece of twine that
is already inside the tube (See diagram for option 2). Thread the
pieceoftwineoutthebottomholeontherighthandside.
Use masking tape to make little ‘tabs’ or stoppers at the end of each
exposedpieceoftwine.
Block off each end of the tube with masking tube so it is not possible
tolookintothetube.
In the observation stage, encourage pupils to discuss what effect pulling
eachofthefourvisiblestringshasonotherstrings.
Ensure sufficient time is given to exploration and discussion prior to
handingoutmaterials.
Encourage each group to sketch a plan/idea of how they think the inside
ofthetubelooks.
Remind them that the tube should be closed off at the ends with
maskingtape,toobscuretheinside.

14. 3rd & 4th Class
Materials:
Straws (plastic are best) but could experiment with paper to see if
paper makes a difference/has any challenges, Plastic cups,
pencil/compass, masking tape, (other adhesives optional)
measuringtape,fooddyeinwater(optional)
Create a pipeline to transfer water from one cup to another
withoutspillingit!
Optiontojustletthechildrenoffwithonesimpleinstructionand
materialsandseewhattheycomeupwithor
set specifics - ' Pipeline has to be at least 1m long and transport
500mlofwater'etc.
Create the pipeline out of straws, securing the joints out of
maskingtapetopreventleaks.
Make a hole at the bottom of one of the cups and attach the
pipeline.
Gravity will be needed to help move the water. (This involves
elevating the pipeline using a cup or lollipop sticks so that water
cantravelbetweenthetwocups).TestandModify!
Optionalchallenges:whatisthelongestpipelinemade,thatdoes
notspillwater.
Optional investigations: the best sealants that prevent water
leakingout.
What is an optimum height for the straws to enable the water to
travel? Wheredoestheholeinthecupneedtobe?Why?
Go Outside! Promotegoodteamwork!
Experiment first with the straws and masking tape to
testtheleakage.
Discussionaroundwhatistransportedinpipes,therisks
and how it impacts on our environment. How they need
tobeconstructedandoperated.
Materials:
ForthePaperChain:
1SheetofA4paper,scissors,stickytape,measuringtape.
ForthePaperRing:
A4Sheetofpaperandscissors.
PaperChain
Using one piece of paper and some sticky tape, create the
longestpaperchainyoucan!
Thechildrencutthesheetintostrips.Theycandecidewhether
vertically or horizontally. They also work out the best width
thestripsshouldbe.
Thestripshavetobeloopedtogethertomakethechain.
When the chains are complete, lay them out on a flat surface
andmeasure.
PaperRing
Challenge: Using simply an A4 sheet and scissors, can you cut a
holeinthepieceofpaperinawaythatyoucanfityourwholebody
through?
Youtubelink:Clickhere
Teacher Information: Watch the video yourself before you set the
challenge.Suggestiontoletthechildrenplaywithcuttingoutthe
paperindifferentways.
In terms of paper usage and being conscious of 'Greener Schools'
use A4 sheets from the recycling box or old newspaper sheets to
practise on before the real thing! Newspaper could be used for
collageworklater.
Perhaps only show the final Youtube video at the end, when the
childrenhaveengagedwiththechallengefirst.

15. 3rd & 4th Class
MaterialsNeeded:
Carrots
Woodenskewers
Cocktailsticks
Balloons
Marshmallows
Jellies
Plasticbottleswithliquidinside
Whitetacasanadhesiveifneeded.
https://youtu.be/BgW9a4n9SD0?t=25
Teachercouldwatchthevideoandthenallowchildrentogatherthenecessaryresourcesfromhome.
Introducetheconceptofbalanceandcentreofmass-playingwithmaterialsfirst.
Childrengrasptheconceptveryquickly.
Challengingthemwithquestions....
eg.CanIdothis?
Whywon’titbalance?
HowcouldIgetthemtobalance?
IfIadjustthepositionofapiece,whatmighthappen?
Whyarethesepiecesnotbalancing?
WhatcanIdotofixit?Dotheyweighthesame?
Drawaroughsketchtoplanwhatmaterialstheyaregoingtouseforthesculpture.
Then let them off to create a balancing sculpture! It may suit best to allow the children to complete the
investigationindividuallyasitgivesthemagreatopportunitytoplaywiththematerials.
Oncompletion,recordtheircreationsanddiscusstheresults.
Agreatideaforchildrentocreateastructuretoinvestigatebalanceandstability.

16. Explain that the students are going to be working
together in teams to build and test different parachute
and carriage designs, to see which one will create the
softestlandingforaneggwithoutcrackingit.
In your group, you must design a parachute that will
land an egg as softly as possible. The egg must not
crackorbedamagedonlanding.
Discuss and outline the need for a fair test and how this
would be achieved. Allow children to design and plan
their parachute. Discuss with each group before they
begin.
When each design is ready, test each parachute by
dropping it from a height. Each parachute must be
droppedfromthesameheight.
Try to get each group to think about the design of the
parachuteandhowitcould‘catch’themostair.
UsefulLinksforthislesson:
ClickhereforaPDFcontainingthislessonfromSFI
ClickhereforaParachuteDesignLessonfromNASA
Critical Thinking Project
Introducetheactivitybyshowingimagesofparachutes,
NASA have a useful resource video at
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/parachute
-design/whichcouldbeusedhere.
Discuss how a parachute works. The parachute catches
air and creates drag, slowing the descent of the
‘Carriage’.Refertogravitylessonspreviouslycovered.
Discuss why NASA would want wants to land spacecraft
softly (as opposed to a hard landing). Explain that
parachutes are one technology that help NASA land
spacecraftsoftly.
(This lesson could easily be adapted to suit other class/
ability levels by omitting the eggs and using clothing
pets/toysoldierstolowertotheground)
Materials:
String/Twine
Eggs
Sellotape/maskingtape
Rangeofmaterialstoallowedtodesignparachutes-eg.
-paper
-plasticbags
-cardboard
-bubblewrap
-yoghurtcartons
-eggboxes
-papernapkins
-oldfabriccutoffs
-tinfoil
OtherPupilsuggestions....
**Before designing and making the parachute, it would be a
good base for the children to have some understanding of
gravity.**
3rd & 4th Class
Why not integrate some Measurement and Data into the
Challenge?
Have a pupil time the egg drop from release to landing.
Whichdroptakeslongest?
Have a large sheet of paper/newspaper to act as a landing
target for each egg. With a ruler, measure the width of
the'splat'fromtheeggsthatsmash!Canthepupilscreate
achartdetailingthelevelsofdamage?
Literacy:'EggDrop'byMiniGrey(Thereisa
Read-AloudvideoavailableonYouTube)
Science:EnergyandForces -Forces,
Materials-PropertiesandCharacteristicsof
Materials
VisualArts:Construction
Maths:MeasuresandData
There is a range of different experiments that explore the
conceptof'Forces'and'AirResistance' from stem.org.uk
Clickheretoviewthem.

17. 5th & 6th Class
ForaDotsandBoxesPDFTemplate,ClickHere.
If a player draws the 4th wall of a box, they win it! They
mayputtheirinitialsintheboxandthenmoveagain.
Continuedrawinglinesuntilallsquaresareclaimed.
Tips: Be aware of your opponent’s moves and ensure that
you don’t create long chains of boxes which your partner
couldclaim!
Playanonlineversionhere
AnotherStrategyGamefromnrich.maths.org
2playergame-Oneplayerisredandoneblue.
Playerstakeitinturnstocolourdotsontheboard.
E.g.,playeronecoloursadotred,playertwocoloursablue
dot.
The winner of the game is the first one who forms a
squarebydrawingstraightlinesbetweentheirdots.
Thesquarescanbeanysizeandanyorientation.
 Clickherefortheonlineversionatnrich
Magic squares are number grids with a special
arrangement of numbers in them. In this one every row,
columnanddiagonaladdsupto15.
Askthechildrenquestionsabouttheirmagicsquares:
Canyouseeanypatterns?
Are there any connections between the numbers opposite
eachother?
Isthereanotherwaytoarrangethenumbers?
Whyisthistheanswer?
Couldwemakeamagicsquare, usingothernumbers?
The'Topmarks'onlineversionof'MagicSquares'can
befoundhere.
Chomp is played on a rectangular grid, such as squares of a
chocolate bar!. The lower left square is considered "poison".
Players take turns picking a square. With each choice, all
squaresaboveandtotherightofthepickedsquarearenolonger
available --they are eaten. The person forced to take the
"poison"squareloses.
Example:Playingona3x8grid,thelowerleftsquare(inblack)is
the poison square. The first player chooses the red square of the
grid and all the blue squares are eaten. Click here for an online
version.
A2playergame-Playersuse2different
coloursandtaketurnsdrawinglinesbetween2
adjacentdots,eitherverticallyorhorizontally.
Thenthesecondplayerchoosesthe
yellowsquare
Thefirstplayerresponds
withthe red
Anexample:Playingona3x8
grid,thelowerleftsquare(in
black)isthepoisonsquare.The
firstplayerchoosesthered
squareofthegridandallthe
bluesquaresareeaten.
Thesecondplayerplaystheyellowsquare...thefirstplaysthered....Now
thesecondplayerchoosestheblackpoisonsquareandloses

18. Template
Dots and Boxes

19. Driveoneofthenailsintothemiddleoftheblock.
The pupils must now balance the remaining eleven nails on the
nailwhichisstuckinthemiddleoftheblock.
They will inevitably try some creative approaches such as
balance the board upside down on the nail and also building
towers with the nails. Plenty of tumbling nails but don't worry -
thisiscriticalthinkinginaction!!
It can be challenging guiding them so it is best to praise and
highlightstrategies, whichwillleadtotheexpectedoutcome.
Withthischallengeitmaybenoharmto keeponreminding the
pupils: Ifwhatyou’redoingisn’tworking,trysomethingnew!
So far, the only successful outcome appears to be the
arrangement pictured above so children may need prompting
towards this if they are not successful after 20 minutes. Never
showthisarrangementbeforehand.
5th & 6th Class
MaterialsNeeded:
Ablockofwood
12nails
Thislessonisfromthebook‘TheBigBookofBrainGames’.
Give each group of pupils 15 dominoes and a copy of the expected
finishedbridge.Thereisanonlinechallengeinstructionandprintable
challengesheet availableherefrommathequalslove.net
Children must work with their group to build the bridge. At first you
will notice that the children may struggle with the activity as they
attempttobuilditinonego.
Successful pupils may build it in separate sections and then bring
themtogether.
It is great for critical thinking but also collaborative working as it is a
puzzlewhichisimpossibletocompleteindependently.
The most successful groups built it in halves and then joined up
bothsides.
Acollaborativeapproachisbest.
Organise the pupils in small groups of 3 so that everyone plays a
roleinsolvingthepuzzle.
The key to success is to include extra domino supports at the bottom,
while building. Once the majority of dominoes have been placed and
the structure is stable, it is possible to remove the supports and place
themontop-theyarethefinalpiecesofthepuzzle!

20. Materials:
Whiteboardsandpens
A4/A5paper(preferablyfromtherecyclingbox)
Singleholepunch
Children fold their sheet into half and half
again.
While it is still folded in quarters, use a single
holepunchtoput3-4holesinthefoldedpaper.
Pupils must look at the design on their
whiteboard and then draw the pattern of holes
they think they will have, when they open up
their sheet. This must be done before opening
thesheet!
As they develop confidence with this, allow
them to try the activity with a higher number of
holes.
Whydoyouthinkyouweresuccessfulthistime?
We are looking to elicit responses about how the
paperfoldingmayimpactonyourfinalresult.
Children will need to visualise how the page will
openandwheretheholeswillbe.
5th & 6th Class
Frogscanhopintoanemptyspace
FrogscanjumpoverONEotherfrog
Frogscannotjumpbackwards!
MaterialsNeeded:
Indoorversion:
3 red frogs & 3 green frogs (any other
animals/manipulatives)
7lilypads-cutoutfrompaperorcard
Outdoorversion:
3 red bibs & 3 green bibs/ colour markers for feet
etc
7greenhulahoops/markers
Display image on interactive whiteboard and
givethefollowinginstructionstothechildren.
Theideaofthisgameistoswapthefrogsover.
The reds should finish on the right and the
greensontheleft
Extension- can they write a mathematical sequence for the
process?
Children may achieve success once but they need to work out
their method and be confident demonstrating it more than once.
Thiseliminatestheelementofchance!

21. Materials:
20PipeCleanersorWikkiStix
8LargeLollipopSticks
OneWoodenPencil
2DisposablePlasticorPaperCups
DryIngredientsfortesting:
Suggestions-driedpasta,rice,porridgeoats,beans
Stimulus:
Show the children photos of an old-fashioned water well
system. Pose the question – how will the water pour out from
thebucket?Whichwayshouldthebucketbetiltedinorderforit
tobeemptied?
This STEAM challenge will engage pupils in critical thinking
skills to engineer their own bucket pouring system that will
hold weight and transfer dry ingredients from one container to
another.
Pupilsshouldbepresentedwiththefollowingchallenge:
Plan and design a simple bucket pouring system from the
supplies given. You do not have to use all of the supplies, but no
moresupplieswillbegiven.
StepsforSuccess:
· Askit!
-Whatistheproblem?
-HowwillIsolveit?
· Solveit!
-Brainstormsolutions
-Howwillthematerialsbeused?
· Designit!
-Drawapicture
-Makeyourdesign
· Testit!
-Doesthedesignwork?
-Whatneedsimprovement?
· Improveit!
-Planyourimprovements
-Makethechangestoyourinitialdesign
This bucket pouring STEAM challenge can be linked
effectively with a literacy or SPHE lesson based on the book
“Have you Filled a Bucket Today?” by Carol McCloud – the
book focuses on the power of kindness and filling other
peoples‘buckets’withcompassionandgenerosity.
TeacherTips:
· 20 minutes of brainstorming, planning and designing was
given to each group – pupils were encouraged to draw their
designs, usingindividualwhiteboards
· Children were helped to make 2 holes in the side of the
cupstoallowthepenciltopassthrough.
· The students had a choice over which dry ingredients they
would use for their challenge – dried pasta appeared to be
themosteffective!
· Successful groups constructed the sturdiest base, had the
cup placed at its highest point and had their pipe cleaners
tightlysecured.
· By posing questions, to encourage critical thinking,
starting with: “How could you explain?”, “What can you
infer?”, “What would happen if?”, “Which is more
important?”, pupils were enabled to predict that the bucket
would rotate forward to pour the dry ingredient into the
secondcupviathepipecleanerattachmenttothepencil.
5th & 6th Class
Critical Thinking Project
CriticalThinkingBrainTeaser:
Youareatthebankofariverandaretoldtocollect
exactly 4 litres of water. The problem is that you
have 2 buckets, one bucket holds 5 litres, the other
holds 3 litres. Using these buckets, how can you
measureexactly4litresofwater?
Click here for some bucket
filler activity ideas from
weareteachers.com

22. InOctober2019theSTEAMCommunityofPracticemettogetherforthefirsttime.Itwascomposedof
approximately twelve teachers, who had participated in previous professional development sessions
on STEAM held at Clare Education Centre. The purpose of the STEAM Community of Practice was to
keep the lines of communication open between Clare Education Centre and schools and to examine
how Clare Education Centre could help in classrooms and in schools. Subsequently the teachers have
met regularly and have developed a range of supports for their colleagues to promote STEAM
teachingandlearningincludingtheorganisationofliveandvirtualSTEAMTeachmeets.
The closure of schools during the Covid pandemic saw the group collaborate on the publication of
weekly STEAM challenges for primary schools. These challenges were suitable for exploration at
homeandthechildrenwereencouragedtosendinvideosandpicturesoftheircompletedprojects.As
time progressed, interest in the STEAM Challenges continued to grow and by June 2020 hundreds of
childrenwere‘steaming’athome.
EngagementwiththeSTEAMchallengeswassuch thattheCommunityofPracticesubsequently
prepared,organisedanddeliveredasuiteofSTEAMwebinarsinitiallyforteachersinClareand
subsequentlyforteachersfromallpartnersinvolvedwiththeSTEAMINGErasmus+project.Having
raisedthebar,theCommunityofPracticedecidedtoproduceaSTEAMmagazine.Ineachpublication,
oneaspectofSTEAMlearningwouldbeexploredandbesupplementedwithlotsofideasforSTEAM
lessons.WhatfollowedwasthepublicationofFullSTEAMAhead,whichwassupportedbythe
STEAMINGErasmus+project.
STEAM Community of Practice at Clare
Education Centre

23. CratloeNationalSchool
O’Callaghan’sMillsNationalSchool
KilrushNationalSchool
STEAMING is an Erasmus+ KA2 Project which commenced in September 2019 and has a completion
date of August 2022 with the aim of engaging students in the creation of their own STEAM learning.
The project is a Research and Development programme in STEAM education and training. STEAM is
the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics. The project is being led by
Clare Education Centre in partnership with Mary Immaculate College, Limerick and educational
institutionsfromCroatia,Greece,NorwayandPortugal.
ThethreeprimaryschoolsfromClarethatareparticipatingintheprojectare:
The schools have been actively involved in the development of case studies, project videos,
professional development and the creation of project resources. It is a testament to the staff of the
schools involved in the project that they have maintained and sustained their engagement with the
project despite the ongoing difficulties and limitations posed by the Covid pandemic, which has
prevailedforalmosttheentiredurationoftheprojecttodate.
The STEM team from Mary Immaculate College has been hugely supportive throughout the project
and has published a State of Art report on the place of STEAM in Irish schools. This has been
supplemented by research from the three participant schools. The Mary Immaculate College team
has produced further relevant research papers for the project, provided professional development
inputs to project meetings and training events and supported the three participant schools and Clare
EducationCentreintheirengagementswiththeproject.
Our project partners in Croatia, Greece, Norway and Portugal have been similarly committed to the
Project with each partner contributing reports, case studies, videos and resources. The greatest
benefit however has been the frequent online project meetings, which have witnessed tremendous
collaboration, learning and sharing. The cooperation between the partners resulted in the
organisation of a very successful online Learning, Teaching and Training event in November 2021,
which involved teachers and students from over 60 schools across the partner countries. The project
aims to host two live training courses for teachers in 2022 in addition to an international STEAM
conference and three further professional development sessions for participants from the partner
organisations. A comprehensive STEAM resource pack for teachers will also be produced and made
availableontheprojectwebsite.
STEAMING Erasmus+ Project

24. Withhugethankstotheteachersand
pupilsacrossClare whokindlysharedtheirideas,STEAM
skillsandactivities.
MichaelBrowne,ClareEducationCentre
SiobhanBarry,ParteenN.S
RuthAndrews,ParteenN.S
MaeveO'Dwyer,CooreN.S
RachelO'Donnell,ScoilIósaf,NewcastleWest
SharonBrady,OCallaghanMillsN.S
JoO'Brien,CratloeN.S
DavinaKehoe,CratloeN.S
AaronCarroll,CratloeN.S
ThismagazinehasbeenproducedinconjunctionwiththeSTEAMING Erasmus+Project
2019-1-IE01-KA201-051545