This document provides information and resources for teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) lessons to beginners. It outlines key STEM concepts like the maker movement and genius hour projects. Procedures for running a successful STEM classroom are discussed. Several example STEM activities and lessons are then described in detail, including a parachute drop activity, circuit building with motors and batteries to create "jitterbugs," and using cups to build the tallest tower. Contact information is provided for the author who is a STEM coordinator and resources for further learning are shared.

1. For beginners
Alyssa Henley, GT district Coordinator, Dewey PS
Email– achenley@deweyk12.org
Twitter-- @teamhenleyyall
Class Blog– www.teamhenleyyall.blogspot.com
Technology Blog– www.deweyteched.blogspot.com

2. S.T.E.M.
•S—Science
•T—Technology
•E—Engineering
•M--Mathematics
Using technology OR creating
something that serves a purpose
You can do challenges on science
concepts you are learning, or everyday
challenges that use the logic/ critical
reasoning of science
Designing, building,
constructing
Incorporating numbers,
math vocabulary, money,
angles (when designing)

3. The STEM movement
• STEAM (A=aesthetics/art)
• Maker Movement (having kids make/create)
• STEAMmaker (putting the first two together)
• Makerspace– a place kids can go to collaborate/ build. Can
be a room, or a center.
• Genius Hour (dedicating 1 hour a week to the area of a
student’s choice.)
• Passion Projects (similar to genius hour, but allowing
students to choose the direction of their learning/
investigations)

4. Procedures
• Procedures have to be in place to run a successful STEM
classroom.
• Think about:
• How will they know it is STEM time?
• How do they get supplies
• Working as a team procedures
• Moving around the room
• Voice level

5. MAKERSPACE rubric
• Sharing my rubric for “levels”.
• Works as an entry reflection or exit ticket.
• Students control the classroom environment

7. STEM supports GE!
• #2- Speak in complete sentences and address one another by name
• #5- critical thinking skills
• #6- mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn and grow
• #7- Memory work, recitations, or writing occurs daily
• #8- enriched vocabulary
• #9- caring environment; magic triad
• #10- displayed work (youtube, blogs, etc.)
• #12-students assume responsibility for behaviors
• #14- teacher ensures student success
• #15- teacher teaches on their feet
• #16- Interpersonal communications
• #17- celebrate successes

8. Things you can do now..
• Twitter #oklaed #stem #maker
• Code.org – computer programming STEM curriculum
• Nightzookeeper– (writing) free and paid accounts.
• Pinterest: STEM/ STEAM/ MAKERSPACE (follow me!!
Alyssa Henley)

9. Reward the PROCESS,
not always the final PRODUCT
• Taking ownership of their learning
• Perseverance -- teach them to stick to a task through barriers.
• Collaboration/ working as a team
• Search for data instead of asking a teacher
• Try things out even if you think they will fail!!!
• When students aren’t afraid to take risks, can work
together with other students successfully, and solve their
own problems / find their own answers….
What can’t they do?

10. Last word of advice
for STEM
• Limit your instructions.
• All you need is a question or statement of purpose.
• Following a set of instructions is low level learning.
• You are discouraging risk-taking
• You are saying only 1 end product is successful
• Determining the instructions through trial and error is high level
thinking.
• You are encouraging risk-taking
• You are teaching them that there are many solutions to one problem
and to think creatively.

11. If you know what the final product should
exactly look like, it probably isn’t STEM.

12. YOUR TURN!!!
• Embrace not knowing
• Take risks
• Understand any confusion/ frustration/ emotions you
have is normal and the students have them too.

13. STEM ACTIVITY #1:
Parachute Drop

14. Academic Parachute Vocabulary
• Canopy– “material” part
• Shroud lines – string
connecting to vest
• Apex– hole at the top. Not
all parachutes have it.
• Load– weight it is carrying

15. STEM instructions
Create a parachute that has the longest hang time.
• Lego man has to be attached to the parachute at all times.
• You can change only 1 variable with each new attempt.
• You must time the parachute drop with each attempt.
• (Clock app on phone or for today 1 Mississippi  )
• Answer questions on the handout as you investigate.

16. Sample Worksheet
It doesn’t need to be complicated
• Tell them the problem
• Have them design ideas
• Collaborate
• Build
• Make changes to better their design (change a variable)
• Extend thinking

17. Stem: Push vs. Pull

18. S—Science
• Push vs Pull
T– Technology
• made something useful to help people. Did you find any
ways to better your parachute?
E—Engineering
• the design process. Changing variables and learning from
failures and successes.
M—MATH
• Can “charge” per supplies (can’t go over $10.00).
• Can have students “time” and find average, (mean, median,
mode) of one prototype.
• Can have students determine Speed D=r/t

19. Language Arts STEM
through Literature
• Fairy tales
• Build a straw, wood, and brick house/ test it
• Help Rapunzel get out of the tower!
• Stone soup (www.starfisheducation.com)
• Jack and the beanstalk
• Goldilocks and the 3 bears
• Aesop’s fables
• Crow and the pitcher
• Any story you are reading in class! TEST IT!
• Teachers pay teachers: Hatchet

20. MATH:
Area and Perimeter Wars
• Supplies: 2 dice, graph paper
• Groups of 2 or 3. Each partner is represented by a color.
• Take turns with a partner rolling the two dice.
• Create an object on your paper that has the same dimensions. If
you roll a 3 and a 4 then your object has two sides that are 3
squares by two sides that are 4 squares.
• Inside the box: Determine the Perimeter and Area

22. Math Fact Wars
• Supplies: Playing cards (can throw out J Q K A and
Joker)
• Played like the card game “war”. Both players flip
over the top card on their deck. First player to
answer the question correctly gets the cards. (Can
be addition, multiplication, subtraction)
• As they collect cards, they are building a structure
with the cards they won.
• When the teacher calls “time”; Tallest free
standing structure is the winner. (May need rulers
to measure)
• Person who has the least amount of cards can win
he makes a taller structure or his competition’s
tower falls when time is called.

23. Jitterbugs!

24. CIRCUIT VOCABULARY
Positive & Negative Battery Terminal
Electrical current--Electron flow

25. Supplies:
• Battery
• Motor
• Random everyday objects

26. The motor: Dollar Tree

29. Determine what type
of bug you are
… or make up a
new species

30. Create a Jitterbug using your knowledge
of closed closed circuits with the
battery & motor provided for you.
• Specifications:
• Jitterbug must “move” battery powered
• Jitterbug should have the correct anatomy of the “bug” you
chose.
• Students should be able to present anatomy of bug if they
made up their own species.
• If time allows, you may decorate jitterbugs however you
would like.

31. FYI – After you have
experimented:
• Harder surfaces on the body and legs create more “shake”
and don’t absorb the movement.
• Have students test soft legs, vs. “hard” legs by using
things like paperclips, popsicle sticks, etc.

32. S– Science
• circuits, bug anatomy
T—Technology
• circuits, creating robots/ can develop art robots as a
follow-up
E—Engineering
• choosing parts in the design aspect of the robot
M—Math
• Have a robot race! Measure how far they go in a set
time.

33. Cup challenge
• Create the tallest tower in the classroom using only the
cups on your desk.
• Winning design will be determined by formula
• (#cups used -- # cups not used) x (# cups high)

34. STEM-ulating STEMathon
For beginners
Alyssa Henley, GT district Coordinator, Dewey Public Schools
Email– achenley@deweyk12.org
Twitter-- @teamhenleyyall
Blog of classroom -- www.Teamhenleyyall.blogspot.com
Blog of Prof. Dev – www.deweyteched.blogspot.com