STEM Challenges with Students
STEM Night: Tower Station
This activity was during our STEM night. Students had to collaboratively work together to build the tallest tower out of cups or index cards. I kept the students motivated by recording the highest tower on a white board and having the students work together to beat the tallest tower.
- Standard 1: Learner Development--The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
- Standard 3: Learning Environments—The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.
Bridge Challenge
This activity was during our last math and science class before quarantine. Students had to collaboratively work together to build a bridge to see how many books the bridge could hold. Students used a variety of material such as index cards, popsicle sticks and tape. I kept the students motivated by recording the bridge that could hold the most books on a white board and having the students work together to beat the strongest bridge.
- Standard 1: Learner Development—The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
- Standard 3: Learning Environments—The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.
Electric Circuits
Students had to collaboratively work together to build a series circuit. Students had to design the circuit with set material, test their circuit on an online platform and then build their circuit to see if the circuit was able to light the lightbulb. Once students were able to light one lightbulb, I gave them the challenge of adding another lightbulb to see if the battery could support more than one lightbulb.
- Standard 1: Learner Development—The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
- Standard 3: Learning Environments—The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.