To launch: Read “Albert’s Alphabet” by Leslie Tryon Students will then “build” the letters of their name using provided materials or you can assign groups of students letters, so that the class can “build” the alphabet.
After reading several stories by Sandra Markle, and researching a landform of choice, students will make a list of adaptations that an animal living in that environment would need such as, fur, wings, claws, sharp teeth etc. Then using recycled materials such as paper rolls and craft materials such as wiggly eyes and pom poms, create a new animal.
This is a hands-on project that uses George Orwell's novel, Animal Farm, as the touchstone text. Students work in groups to construct a functioning windmill that can generate electricity. Each student has a role based on the characters in the book. There are also segments of the project that focus on extracting key information from the text.
Alignment with new CS standards but the focus will be on integration within the current classroom, including ELA and Social studies connections, that do not take additional space or time to include in the school day. All presented material will use tools and resources that are available for free online.
Link to additional resources:
https://aiforteachers.org/
In this session, we will highlight common pitfalls to avoid in the virtual classroom. I will introduce to attendees a variety of digital tools that can make virtual learning a bit easier for everyone involved.
Links to session resources:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1XT6zoEB3_y3Q_YomfHoH_SC-fFv2fx0zS9EvIRORblE/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18Cv_kTYgJjjaz7cKWqwF3GJC0o7evbl9ZB3xKFJFtd0/edit
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vS9fEPZDOYS2nZxJfIrbovlVQgtYBH9KOronb7pUk9IDRbDVyq2Qa-DbaPAaC-2lyEMzRtG5t7zxbBh/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000&slide=id.p
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tZqTz6mqrWPb2Vk7r2DdF5CxCCuhFDzcR3Suhp-MHXM/edit#slide=id.p
Learners will become paleontologists for a day/week. They will discover this career and undertake the challenge of designing a fossil excavator structure to remove newly discovered fossils stuck in a cave crevice. As a class, graph the results on the amount of weight each structure could lift without breaking
Investigate engineering and create a working prototype using the design thinking process.
Students discover engineering and use the design thinking process to create prototypes to show their learning about engineering.
Students will use the design process to create a new pair of shoes. Students will use multiplication to find the area and/or perimeter of their design.
Students will learn about famous African American, Lonnie Johnson who invented the Super Soaker and overcame problems along the way. They will then be given the STEM process to invent/create a miniature toy. Students will learn about the life of a famous African American, and then apply the STEM process to solve a problem just like Lonnie Johnson.
How can we create something from what seems like nothing?
This course provides knowledge and skills in supporting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) infusion throughout Out-of-School (OST) environments. Educators learn to support STEM skill development through active, engaging, and fun approaches to each topic, while aligning to the MA-CF and engaging best practices such as ULD and TC/PBL.
This session will bring new, integrated ideas and technology know-how to the K-5 teachers. Our goal for the session is to engage students, teachers, and parents, to share sample lessons, substantial amounts of free resources, and ways to integrate tech.
Link to presentation slides:
bit.ly/Literacy2Life
In this STEM lesson, students will participate in an engineering design challenge to design and build a solar box cooker, and test it out to see if it works well enough to make S'mores.
This lesson is composed of three challenges, each addressing a different aspect of how to design an efficient public bus system for a fictitious town while taking into account the benefits and drawbacks of various fuel options. In attempting these challenges, students will find that there is often more than one way to solve a problem. The purpose of these challenges is for students to reason out their own logical methods for solving a problem using math and computational skills with little initial guidance.
This task explores the real world topic of building light rails. Throughout the implementation of this task the students will learn about the cost of building railways and how to implement them within a budget. This task explores such mathematical concepts of using coordinates to find the distance between points, using coordinates to build polygons and find the area and length of sides, and writing equations of parallel lines.
Students will be asked to evaluate their local community and design and build a 3-dimensional circular space, building, or facility to meet their town's / city's / state's needs. Requirements: two written paragraphs, blueprints drafted on graph paper, a physical model, a Project Improvement Plan, and self reflection.
Kids love to build, what’s more they love to be challenged. Zoob Builderz STEM Challenge is designed for both. Students must read and create using the Zoob Builder pieces. Pieces include gears, axles, joints, wheels, and more for students to snap together.
This is a culminating activity to be used after completion of a Thermochemistry unit, or later in the curriculum as review or evidence of concept retention. Students will create and label a heating curve, and explain what is happening on a molecular level using Livescribe Echo pens.
This session will focus on classroom tested hands on activities. The novice computer science/technology teacher can implement tomorrow.