Level 1 STEM Leaders Tutor Resource

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STEMLeader

Level 1 Tutor Resources2021/22

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Level 1 Qualification for Leading Activities in STEM – Tutor Resource

Welcome to the Level 1 Qualification for Leading Activities in STEM.

This tutor resource document provides a set of sequential sessions and activities linking to the units, Learning Outcomes (LOs) and Assessment Criteria (AC) whichmake up the Level 1 Qualification for Leading Activities in STEM.

As Tutor/Assessors, you are encouraged to explore the activities listed in this document and choose any that you feel will support the delivery of your course,making any necessary adaptations or differentiation to tasks to best suit the needs of your learners. The activities are entirely optional, and Centres may choose tocomplete all or a selection of them. Alternatively, youmaywish to meet the course LOs and AC using your ownmethods and resources.

All of the activities are resourced using simple, everydaymaterials such as pens, paper and sticky notes. However, many of these activities can also be deliveredusing digital tools and/or delivered remotely.

The ‘at a glance’ table belowwill showwhich session/s and tasks can support each unit, LO and AC throughout your course. Youwill notice suggested timings foreach session, including direct teaching time as well as any additional, independent study time that may be appropriate.

All learners will gather evidence throughout the course in their Learner Evidence Records. Each task that must be completed is also mapped in the table below.

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Session overviewDelivering and assessing STEM Leaders

Session Unit and LO AC Activity Learner Evidence Record link

1 N/A N/A Introduction to the course N/A

2 Unit 1 - LO1 &2

1.1, 1.22.1, 2.2, 3.3

Leadership skills andbehaviours

Task 1 – The skills and behaviours required for leading STEM activitiesTask 7 –Using STEM activities to develop your leadership skills andbehaviours

3 Unit 1 - LO3 3.1, 3.2 Teamwork Task 2 – The power of teamwork in STEM

4 Unit 2 – LO1 1.1 Positive impacts of STEM Task 3 - Part A – Exploring the impact of STEM

5 Unit 2 – LO1 1.2 STEM challenges Task 3a – Exploring the impact of STEM

6 Unit 2 – LO1 1.3, 1.4 STEM influences Task 3b – The UK’s influence on STEM

7 Unit 3 – LO1 1.1, 1.2 Leading STEM activities safely Task 4 – Identifying risks in STEM activities

8 Unit 3 – LO2 2.1 Introduction to planning Task 5 – Plan, lead and review a STEM activity

9 Unit 3 – LO2 2.1 STEM session planning Task 5 – Plan, lead and review a STEM activity

10 Unit 3 – LO3 3.1, 3.4 Introduction to leading Task 5 – Plan, lead and review a STEM activity

11 Unit 3 – LO3 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4,3.5

STEM leadership activities Task 5 – Plan, lead and review a STEM activityTask 6 – STEMActivity Leadership Log

12 Unit 3 – LO4 4.1, 4.2 Evaluating STEM leadership Task 5 – Plan, lead and review a STEM activityTask 7 –Using STEM activities to develop your leadership skills andbehaviours

Unit 1 – LO2 2.2

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Session 1 – Introduction to the course

Activity Description Resource needs Suggestedtiming

LER task link

Introduction to thequalification

Introduce learners to the course and give a brief overview of:• The specification,• Assessment procedures,• The leader evidence record,• What they should achieve by the end of the course.

SpecificationLearner EvidenceRecord

5minutes N/A

Managingexpectations

Share with learners a timewhen something has not matched your expectations (e.g.a fancymeal was horrible, a film you’d been anticipating for months was rubbishetc.)

• Learners canwork in pairs or small groups to discuss situations whenreality has not matched their expectations and then examples can be fedback to the wider group,

• Hold awhole group discussion about the impact of expectation v reality e.g.o How does it feel when there is a mismatch?o What can be done to ensure closer alignment?

Discuss with learners, with reference to the course they are about to embark on:• Your expectations of them,• What youwill do if they are not meeting your expectations,• What they can expect from you,• What they can do if their expectations are not being met.

N/A 10minutes N/A

STEM corners • Move tables and chairs out of theway ormove to a clear space if possible.• Assign a corner or specific area of the room/working space with either an S,

T, E orM, so that each of the four letters has a identified ‘home’.• Ask learners to move around the space and, on command (a shout, whistle,

or when themusic stops if usingmusic) each learner must stand at one ofthe four letters.

• Call out one of the letters at random (you can use an online answergenerator to ensure no one calls fix!) and everyone standing at that letterscores a point.

• The first player to score 5 points is thewinner.• Alternatively, players at the letter called could be ‘out’ with the final person

still in as the winner.

Music (optional)Online answergenerator(optional)

15 minutes N/A

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What is STEM? • Ask learners to share what they think STEM is andwhy it’s important.• Hopefully theywill know what the four words that make up the acronym

are, but do they knowwhat each onemeans, what is the differencebetween eachword (e.g. the difference between engineering andtechnology) etc.

• Spend a fewminutes ensuring that all learners are clear on and sharedefinitions for each of the elements of STEM.

N/A 5minutes N/A

STEM in practice Explain to learners that, at its heart, STEM is about finding solutions to problems.• Before the activity, build a shape from LEGO® or other building blocks. The

shape should include different coloured blocks but shouldn’t be toocomplex.

• Learners will work in small groups of around 4 and the working areashould be arranged so that each group has their own building space, ideallyout of sight of the other groups.

• Each groupmust have sufficient blocks to build an exact replica of your‘master shape’ and you can either provide the groups with the exactnumber and colours of blocks or, for an extra challenge, some extra blocksthat aren’t needed in themaster shape.

• The first person on each team is given 5 seconds to look at themaster shape.Theymust then go back to their group to describe what it looked like andhow to build it.

• After a set time (perhaps 30 seconds), person two can come to look at the‘master shape’ for another 5 seconds before going back to their group tocontinue the build.

• This continues until all learners have been to look at the ‘master shape’and/or are happy they have built an exact replica. You should then give thegroups time to compare their own shapes with themaster shape.

Explain to learners that they have just completed a STEM based activity – there wasa problem, and they had to find away to solve it.Ask learners to think about the elements of STEM that they needed to use tocomplete the challenge – which of the 4 areas were required? In what way?

Lego or similarbuilding blocksStopwatch

20minutes N/A

Plenary Recapwith learners the key points from the session:• The nature of the course they are about to undertake,• What is STEM,• How theywill be exploring STEM further in coming sessions, both as

participants and as emerging STEM leaders.

N/A 5minutes N/A

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Session 2 – Leadership skills and behaviours


LER task link

Introduction to thesession

Recapwhat learners looked at in the last session.Introduce learners to the theme of today’s session – that theywill be exploring whatit means to be a leader, and the kind of skills and behaviours that effective leadersneed.

N/A 5minutes N/A

Leadership party • Ask each learner to think of someone they consider to be an effectiveleader. This could be someone from theworld of STEM, someone from sport,politics, entertainment or even someonewho isn’t in the public eye.

• Explain to learners that you havemagically shrunk their leader, and thatthey are off to a party and have decided to take their leader with them, soask each learner to carefully hold onto their (imaginary, shrunk) leader, intheir cupped hands.

• Once at the party, theywill mingle with the other guests (they canwalkabout the room at this stage)and introduce their leader to the others at theparty.

• They have to introduce their leader by sharing their name, but also a skill,quality or behaviour that they feel makes them an effective leader.

• After a fewminutes ask learners to stopmingling and see if anyone iswilling to share with the group, either who they took to the party or whotheywere introduced to at the party.

• Learners can also share any skills, qualities or behaviours that werementioned in relation to selected learners.

• You can begin to note down some of these key leadership skills andbehaviours.

N/A 10minutes Task 1 – Theskills andbehavioursrequired forleading STEMactivities

Leadership skillsand behaviours

• Linking to the previous activity, where learners began to explore some ofthe skills and behaviours that an effective leader might need.

• Learners canwork as a whole group to list as many skills and behaviours asthey can think of, that an effective leader might need.

• These can be listed on the board.• Learners can then suggest skills and behaviours that an effective leader

shouldn’t have and these words can also be listed (youmight want todisallow straight opposites, e.g. organised/disorganised).


Skills framework • Introduce learners to SLQ’s Skills Framework and explain:o The 5 key skills,

SLQ skillsframework

10 – 30minutes

Task 1 – Theskills and

https://slqskills.org/skills-framework

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o Underpinning behaviours,o How theywill develop and display these skills and behaviours as a

STEM leader.o It may be appropriate for learners to complete some supplementary

activities to ensure they understand the key skills and behaviours,this could including anagrams, wordsearch, matching definitions,andmissing words.

behavioursrequired forleading STEMactivities

Draw a leader • Working in small groups, ask learners to draw a ‘good leader’. This could beon a large piece of flip chart or sugar paper, on the board or in a differentformat.

• Learners should then be asked to draw a ‘bad leader’.• Learners can share their pictures with the group, explaining the way/s in

which the various elements they includedwill benefit or hinder the successof their drawn leader. For example, theymay draw a good leader with aclipboard (for their session plan) and awatch (to make sure they run totime), a smile on their face (showing they are friendly and approachable)etc. Their bad leader might be scruffy and grumpy or yawning andwatching their phone etc.

You can highlight any common themes and link back to the previous work aboutleadership skills and behaviours, to cement learners’ understanding of theimportance of these for effective leadership.

Paper and pens 15minutes Task 1 – Theskills andbehavioursrequired forleading STEMactivities

Plenary Recap the key points from the session:• The five key leadership skills and associated behaviours,• Why these skills and behaviours might be important for an effective STEM

leader.Either in the session if time allows, or for homework or independent study, learnerscould begin to complete Task 1 – The skills and behaviours required for leadingSTEM activities.


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Session 3 – Teamwork


LER task link


Recap the last session and explain that in this session youwill be looking inmoredetail at one of the five key skills: teamwork.

• Ask learners to think of a job or career that doesn’t require the person doingit to workwith other people at all,

• Any that they think of can be shared and listed,• Can they think of any?

Chances are that there will be very few jobs (lighthouse keeper?) that don’t requirean element of being able to workwith other people. Being able to work as part of ateam – however large or small it may be – is a key skill for the world of work and forlife in general.

N/A 5minutes N/A

Team challenge • Working as a whole group, or in smaller groups, learners complete ateambuilding activity such as: building the tallest tower using spaghetti andmarshmallows, building the tallest structure with balloons, getting theteam and various pieces of equipment from point A to point Bwithouttouching the floor, etc. (teambuilding activities ideas online e.g.https://www.pinterest.co.uk/teachersareterrific/problem-solving-in-stem/).

• Once completed, learners can discuss the things they did that made them asuccessful team e.g. listened to each other, considered each idea, kept calm,encouraged each other etc.

• Were there any behaviours that negatively impacted the team’s ability towork together? If so, what and how?

• Link back to the skills and behaviours needed for effective leadership, andhow these might overlap with those needed for successful teamworking.

Equipment orresources forchosenteambuildingactivity

15 minutes Task 2 – Thepower ofteamwork inSTEM

Task 7 –UsingSTEM activitiesto develop yourleadership skillsand behaviours

Successful teams • Working individually, in pairs or small groups, learners can be asked toidentify teams that they thinkwork effectively together. These teams couldbe from any genre: sport, business, entertainment, personal life and/or, ofcourse, STEM related.

• Youmight wish to offer some examples such as those found here:https://www.workstyle.io/top-performing-team-case-studies

• Learners can consider why they think their identified teamswere/aresuccessful.

15 minutes Task 2 – Thepower ofteamwork inSTEM

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/teachersareterrific/problem-solving-in-stem/

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/teachersareterrific/problem-solving-in-stem/

https://www.workstyle.io/top-performing-team-case-studies

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• Youmight like to share common themes that have been identified forsuccessful teams, such as in this article: https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/google-spent-years-studying-effective-teams-this-single-quality-contributed-most-to-their-success.html and then learners could see whichof the skills, behaviours or qualities they think also apply to their identifiedteams.

Teamwork inSTEM

As they develop into STEM leaders, your learners will have to work as part ofseveral teams, such as with their peers, the participants they lead, you and yourcolleagues, family members, external stakeholders etc. Each of these can be thoughtof as a ‘learning community’.

• Learners can create a spider diagramwith each of the ‘learningcommunities’ (or teams) theywill workwith as a STEM leader.

• Learners can then identify the different ways theywill workwith eachlearning community e.g. delivering to them, seeking help from them etc.

• They can add (maybe in a different colour) the skills and behaviours theywill need to work effectively as part of each team (e.g. be patient,communicate clearly, listen, support and encourage etc.)

• Finally, learners can identify at least three named people, taken from any ofthese learning communities, whomight be able to support them as theydevelop as a STEM leader.

Paper and pens 20minutes Task 2 – Thepower ofteamwork inSTEM

Plenary Recap the key points from the session:• Why teamworking is important as a STEM leader,• The various learning communities that the STEM leaders might workwith,• Who can support their development as a leader.

Either in the session if time allows, or for homework or independent study, learnerscould begin to complete Task 2 – The power of teamwork in STEM.

N/A 5minutes Task 2 – Thepower ofteamwork inSTEM

https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/google-spent-years-studying-effective-teams-this-single-quality-contributed-most-to-their-success.html



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Session 4 – Positive impacts of STEM


LER task link


Recapwhat learners looked at in the last session.Introduce learners to the focus of today’s session, that theywill be exploring thepositive impacts STEM has had, and continues to have, on them and others.

N/A 5minutes N/A

Personal, socialandenvironmentalimpact of STEM

• Working alone, in pairs or small groups, learners consider and discuss thepositive impact of STEM on their lives, on society and environment.

• Learners might benefit from researching online to help them consider thetopic.Websites that might be useful:

o https://www.factmonster.com/math-science/inventions-discoveries/life-changing-science-discoveries

o https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/top-ten-scientific-discoveries-decade-180973873/

o https://get-trained.org/latest-news/how-exactly-does-engineering-impact-society

o https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/how-engineering-impacts-every-part-of-modern-life

o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo_em56XPuk

Suggested or otherwebsites orresources

25minutes Task 3 - Part A –Exploring theimpact of STEM

Sharing STEMimpacts

• Learners select one positive impact for each of the three categories (self,social, environmental), that theywould like to focus on.

• Learners create a short presentation to share their selections with others.(researching online as appropriate)

• They can explainwhy they picked this element andwhy they feel it’s hadsuch a positive impact, alongwith any other information they feel isinteresting and/or relevant.

Suggested or otherwebsites orresources

25minutes Task 3 - Part A –Exploring theimpact of STEM

Plenary Recap key points from the session:• STEMhas amassive positive impact on our lives and the lives of those

around us,• STEM effects what we do every day on a personal level, as well as socially

and environmentally,Either in the session if time allows, or for homework or independent study, learnerscould begin to complete Task 3 Part A – Exploring the impact of STEM.

N/A 5minutes Task 3 - Part A –Exploring theimpact of STEM

https://www.factmonster.com/math-science/inventions-discoveries/life-changing-science-discoveries

https://www.factmonster.com/math-science/inventions-discoveries/life-changing-science-discoveries

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/top-ten-scientific-discoveries-decade-180973873/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/top-ten-scientific-discoveries-decade-180973873/

https://get-trained.org/latest-news/how-exactly-does-engineering-impact-society

https://get-trained.org/latest-news/how-exactly-does-engineering-impact-society

https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/how-engineering-impacts-every-part-of-modern-life

https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/how-engineering-impacts-every-part-of-modern-life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo_em56XPuk

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Session 5 – STEM challenges


LER task link


Recapwhat learners looked at in the last session and introduce learners to the ideathat some elements of STEMmight create challenges.

• Can learners think of any challenges that they feel are associated with theworld of STEM?

Explain that you are going to split the types of challenges into three separate topicsto help them understandmore easily.


STEM challenges –image andrecruitment

One of the key challenges facing STEM as a subject or area is one of image orperception, this might include, amongst other things:

• Traditionally attracting boys more than girls and being seen as a ‘male’subject,

• Young people often losing interest in STEM subjects as theymove throughsecondary education,

• A lack of awareness of thewide ranging areas and applications that situnder the STEM umbrella,

• A lack of understanding of how to progress into and through STEM relatedcareers.

Leaners can be presentedwith some or all of the elements above, plus any othersthat are pertinent, either as statements to debate or suggestions to discuss, and canthink about:

• If they feel this is true,• Why this might be,• What could be done to improve the situation/statement.


STEM challenges –negativerepercussions

Another challenge that might be directed at STEM is that sometimes inventions orsolutions that help improve a situation can, at the same time, have negativerepercussions, this might include things such as:

• Labour saving devices that use lots of electricity,• Transport that pollutes the atmosphere,• Wrapping paper that creates paper waste,• Modern technology that encourages a sedentary lifestyle.

Facilitate a general discussion or allocate specific statements and ask them toconsider:

• If they feel this is true,• Why this might be,


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• What could be done to improve the situation/statement.STEM challenges –achieving success

A third challenge that those involved in STEM, and in particular the areas ofresearch and development face is concernedwith funding and support to achievesuccess.

• Use an example, such as development of COVID vaccines, to illustrate howsuccess can be quickly achievedwith available funding and Governmentsupport.

• Ask learners if they think all developments and inventions happen asquickly or with as much support? If not, why not?

As before, facilitate a general discussion or allocate specific statements to learnersand ask them to consider:

• What challenges might research and development people face?• Why theymight face these challenges,• What could be done to improve the situation?


Plenary Sum up the session’s key findings• That there are various challenges that face those wishing to enter or who

workwithin STEM.Ask learners to select one challenge that they have discussed during the session andconsider what could be done to reduce or overcome their selected challenge.Either in the session if time allows, or for homework or independent study, learnerscould begin to complete Task 3 Part A – Exploring the impact of STEM.


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Session 6 – STEM influences


LER task link


Recap last session’s work on STEM challenges, and explain that in this session youwill be lookingmore specifically at the ways inwhich the UK has introduced andinfluenced theworld of STEM.

N/A 5minutes N/A

STEMdevelopmentresearch project

• Working individually, in pairs or small groups, hand out pre-preparedproformas which learners will complete as part of their research.

• Proformas should ask, and leave space for the answers, to questions such as:o Name of invention/development/achievement,o Short description of invention/development/achievement,o Picture of invention/development/achievement as appropriate,o Name of person/people involved/responsible,o Problem that the invention/development/achievement solves,o Summary of howwell the invention/development/achievement

solved/solves the identified problem,o Any other interesting facts or information that are relevant.

• Learners can complete their proforma twice, considering past, current andfuture examples (theymight like to focus on, for example, one past and onecurrent/future but this is not mandatory), as theymust include 2 examplesin their Learner Evidence Record.

• The followingwebsites might be useful but the list is by nomeansexhaustive:

o https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/greatest-british-scientistso https://mashable.com/ad/feature/uk-tech-innovationso https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-

network/gallery/2015/may/15/150-years-of-mathematics-in-the-uk-in-pictures

o https://www.daily-diversion.com/amazing-engineering-feats-in-the-uk/

o https://www.livescience.com/next-decade-biggest-scientific-advances.html

• Alternatively, you could provide learners with a range of case studies fromwhich they can select those that are most of interest to them, or provideother resources (books, magazines, newspaper articles, printouts etc) forlearners to use to explore this topic.

Proforma(optional)

Online or otherappropriateresources

50minutes Task 3 - Part B –The UK’sinfluence onSTEM

https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/greatest-british-scientists

https://mashable.com/ad/feature/uk-tech-innovations

https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/gallery/2015/may/15/150-years-of-mathematics-in-the-uk-in-pictures



https://www.daily-diversion.com/amazing-engineering-feats-in-the-uk/

https://www.daily-diversion.com/amazing-engineering-feats-in-the-uk/

https://www.livescience.com/next-decade-biggest-scientific-advances.html

https://www.livescience.com/next-decade-biggest-scientific-advances.html

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Plenary If time allows, learners can share their findings with the group byway of:o a short presentation,o moving around the room to look at other proformas,o creating a poster for display.

Remind learners that theywill be able to transfer some of the information theyhave found into Task 3 Part B – The UK’s influence on STEM.

N/A 5minutes Task 3 - Part B –The UK’sinfluence onSTEM

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Session 7 – Leading STEM activities safely


LER task link


Recapwhat was covered in the last session and explain that for the next fewsessions youwill be looking inmore detail at how theywill plan and lead STEMrelated sessions.In this session you’ll be looking in particular at safety, and how andwhy it’snecessary to be safe during STEM activities, events and interactions.

N/A 5minutes N/A

Understanding theneed to be safe

• Working in pairs or small groups, learners can discuss why it might beimportant to be aware of safety issues, and be necessary to take steps tomake situations as safe as possible.

• They can consider why safety might be important for:o Themselves as the leader,o The participants they are leading,o The organisation in which they are leading.

• Learners can identify three key reasons why it’s important to plan and leadsafe sessions, and share these with others verbally or through a poster orsimilar.

N/A 10minutes Task 4 –Identifying risksin STEMactivities

How to plan andlead safely

• With guidance, learners can identify key STEM safety ‘rules’ that theywill bear in mindwhen planning and leading their sessions. Thesemight include:

o Setting ground rules with participants (e.g. no talking when theleader is talking, no fiddling with the equipment in the lab etc.)

o Planning activities which are safe and appropriate (e.g. don’tuse dangerous equipment, chemicals etc.)

o Carrying out a safety check before the session,o Tidying away after an activity,o Highlighting safetymessages during the activity, if unsafe

practice or hazards are spotted.• Learners can share their safety rules with the rest of the group and

explain why they think each is important.

Task 4 –Identifying risksin STEMactivities

Safety Checklist • Learners can create a ‘safety checklist’ which can bewritten, drawn,created electronically or created in another format, to display their keysafety rules. These can be referred to by learners so they can check theyhaven’t forgotten any safety pointers, and also displayed during sessions forall to refer to.

N/A 15minutes Task 4 –Identifying risksin STEMactivities

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Spot the danger • Learners can undertake some lab safety spotting using picture or a story,where theymust spot the unsafe practices. Examples can be found here:

o https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/lab-safety-worksheets-11320196

o https://mathequalslove.net/spot-the-safety-hazards-story/• Alternately, you could set up some hazards or unsafe practices in an

environment or situation and ask learners to see which ones they canidentify.

Suggested oralternativeworksheets

10minutes Task 4 –Identifying risksin STEMactivities

STEM riskassessments

• Learners can be introduced to the concept of risk assessments, and howthey can be used to optimise safety in STEM activities.

• You can share a risk assessment template that you are familiar with, andwalk learners through it, explaining each element.

• Learners can look around a given area and/or be introduced to a specificactivity andmust complete a simple risk assessment to identify key risksand suggest ways to reduce or remove them.

Risk assessmenttemplate

15 minutes Task 4 –Identifying risksin STEMactivities

Plenary Recapwith learners the importance of safety when leading STEM sessions and thekey safety points that have been covered in the session.

N/A 5minutes N/A

https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/lab-safety-worksheets-11320196

https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/lab-safety-worksheets-11320196

https://mathequalslove.net/spot-the-safety-hazards-story/

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Session 8 – Introduction to planning


LER task link


Recap the safetymessages that learners were looking at in the last session, andexplain that in this session youwill be looking at the skills needed to plan sessionsand activities.

N/A 5minutes N/A

Suits you! Clear the working space or go outside or into a larger working area• At one end of theworking area lay each suit of 13 cards, face down in a

random order, in a clock face with one in themiddle,• Split the group into four teams and allocate each team one suit of cards,• Explain that the aim is to be the first team to turn all 13 of their cards over

in order, starting at ace and ending at king,• On ‘go’ one player from each teammust run to their clockface and turn one

card at random,• If it’s the ace it can stay face up, but if it’s not the ace then it must be turned

face down again,• Players must take it in turns to run and can only turn one card per run,• Give teams 2minutes or so to plan their strategy,• Run the race and seewho is the fastest,• Give teams 1minute to debrief – did their strategywork? Would they do

anything differently if they did it again?• If time allows, you can run the race again.• Explain to learners that they just had to use the same skills that theywill

use to plan and lead their STEM activities –o They had an end aim inmind,o Theyworkedwith their group to formulate a plan,o They carried out their plan,o They evaluated to see what worked andwhat didn’t,o Theymade changes,o They tried again to see if they did it better second time around.

• This is the same process that theywill use during the remainder of thecourse, althoughwhat they plan and dowill be different, the fundamentalskills and process will be the same.

Playing cardsCones

15minutes N/A

What is planning? • Explain to learners that before they can plan anything, theymust find outinformation that theywill need to inform their planning.

N/A 15minutes Task 5 – Plan,lead and reviewa STEM activity

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• Tell learners that you need them to cover a class for you next week; you’renot in and they’ll have to lead it.

• See if they have any questions they’d like to ask you about your request…hopefully theywill start to ask things such as:

o When is it?o Where is it?o For how long?o Who are we leading?o What are we leading?

• Reassure learners that they don’t need to cover your session next week, butexplain that your request should have led them to ask questions, to findrelevant information, to help them prepare for the session.

• Explain that whenever they lead anything, there will be certain questionsthey need to ask, certain bits of information they need to find out, beforethey can plan a session that will be safe, appropriate and effective.

• Can learners suggest reasons why it might be important to plan rather thanjust turn upwith no plan?

Questions to ask • Working in small groups or as a whole, learners can identify informationtheywill need and therefore questions they need to ask in order to plan.

• These can bemade into a check list that they can use every time they plananything.


Session structure • Ask learners to think about sessions and lessons that they attend, includingSTEM and non-STEM, in and out of curriculum time

• Can they spot any reoccurring format or structure in any of these sessionsor lessons? For example, have they spotted that the PE lesson always startswith a warm up? Or theMaths lesson always has a starter activity? Or thatthe sessions they have donewith you have always started with a recap ofthe previous session?

• Ask learners to discuss why they think a leader/teacher/deliverer might dothis andwhat impact it might have on the session/participants.

• Lead a discussion about the various session structures they could use intheir leadership and decide upon an appropriate standard (e.g. starteractivity, main activity, plenary) to use.


Plenary Recap the key themes of the session:• Why it’s necessary to plan before they lead,• What questions do they need to ask/information should they find, before

they canmake their plan?• What structuremight their sessions take?

N/A 5minutes N/A

19 © SLQ 2021 SL1310 Issue 1 11/21


Session 9 – STEM session planning


LER task link


Recap the last session on planning and explain to learners that in this session theywill get the chance to begin to plan their STEM sessions.

N/A 5minutes N/A

Choosing a focus • Learners can be put into the pairs or small groups inwhich theywill leadtheir sessions.

• Theymust identify the focus of their session/s, this might be:o Dictated by you,o Dictated by circumstance e.g. available space, curriculum focus etc.o Dictated by the participants e.g. a specific topic they are studying,o Chosen by the learners,o Chosen in collaboration between all parties,o Selected in some other way.

• Once the focus of the sessions has been identified, learners can share thiswith the rest of the group, explaining why this aspect was chosen.


Session planning • Learners can spend the remainder of the session, working together, to plantheir session/s.

• They can use the session planning template provided in their LearnerEvidence Record, to ensure they include all necessary information.

• Leaners can be encouraged to ask questions to find any information theydon’t yet know, and can use your support during the session to draft outtheir planning.

Session planningtemplate

40minutes Task 5 – Plan,lead and reviewa STEM activity

Plenary Recapwith learners exactly what their plans should include andwhat they shoulddo if they are not sure on any points.Learners can be encouraged to complete their session planning in their own time, orduring alternative provided session time.

N/A 5minutes N/A

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Session 10 – Introduction to leading


LER task link


Recap the last session on planning and explain that, in this session, youwill befocussing on some of themain skills that learners will need to use to lead theirsession effectively, including: organisation and communication.

N/A 5minutes N/A

Organisation Explain to learners that, even though theywill have planned their session/s, theystill need to be well organised, in order for them to run smoothly and efficiently.

• Share the ‘STEP’ model with learners and explain that it stands for: Space,Task, Equipment (and resources) and Participants.

• Guide a discussion that ensures learners understand the decisions theywillhave to make around each of these key areas in order to be well-organised,e.g.

o Space – howwill they arrange the working area, where will theystand, and key things to consider or tell participants about withregard to the space?

o Task – howwill they explain the task to participants, what willthey say, any key points to remember?

o Equipment and resources – what do they need, how andwhenwillthey find and create it, how andwhenwill they give it out?

o Participants – howwill they arrange the participants, anything tobe aware of in terms of how they interact or what they expect fromthe participants?

• Learners can complete a simple proforma or similar to ensure these fourkey elements have been considered.

N/A 20minutes N/A

Communication Explain to learners that there are twomain types of communication: verbal andnon-verbal, and that both are hugely important when leading others and that:‘Effective communication forms the link betweenwhat youwant to happen, andwhat actually happens!’

• Facilitate a discussion supporting learners understanding that:o Verbal communication includes what you say and how you say it,

e.g.▪ giving clear instructions,▪ use of terminology,▪ pitch and tone of voice,

N/A 30Minutes N/A

21 © SLQ 2021 SL1310 Issue 1 11/21


▪ volume and projection,o Non-verbal communication includes:

▪ where you stand,▪ eye contact,▪ body language,▪ gestures (e.g. thumbs up),

• Learners can explore why these might be important, e.g. what mighthappen if communication isn’t clear, loud enough, eye contact isn’t madeetc.

• You can lead some simple practical communication activities, whichdemonstrate the importance or effective communication, such asMirrorDrawing:

o Working in pairs with a piece of paper and a pencil each,o Player A draws a picture, pattern or random shapes, ensuring

player B doesn’t see,o Player Awill then describe their drawing, so that player B can

draw an exact replica, just by following their verbal instructions,o After a set time, the two learners can compare their pictures to see

how successfully the instructions were given and interpreted.• Alternative communication game can be found here:

https://www.trainingcoursematerial.com/free-games-activities/communication-skills-activities or on other similar websites.

• When leading practical communication activities, ensure that there is adebrief afterwards, which highlights the communication skills or methodsbeing used and explains why these are important when leading others. Thiswill support learners to make the link between the activity and theirleadership experience.

Plenary Recap the key take-aways from this session:• That organisation and communication are two of the key skills necessary

for effective leading,• That it’s important to bewell organised to lead a session which is safe,

effective and efficient,• That it’s important to communicate well so that your plan can become

reality.If time allows, youmight also wish to look at other key skills, such as: motivating,keeping control, transitions between activities, starting and finishing sessionseffectively etc.

N/A 5minutes NA

https://www.trainingcoursematerial.com/free-games-activities/communication-skills-activities

https://www.trainingcoursematerial.com/free-games-activities/communication-skills-activities

22 © SLQ 2021 SL1310 Issue 1 11/21


Sessions 11 – STEM leadership activities


LER task link

STEM leadershipactivities

• During this session, learners can take it in turns to lead a practical STEMactivity, that they have previously planned.

• Depending on circumstances, learners might:o Lead individually, in pairs or small groups,o Lead each other,o Lead other peers,o Lead younger children,o Leadwithin curriculum time,o Lead as part of extra-curricular activities,o Go away from the organisation to lead, e.g. into a local primary

school,o Complete their 10minutes leadership time somewhere else/in some

other way.• The number of learners in the group, as well as the format that the leading

takes, may also mean that more than one session is required to alloweveryone to lead their allotted time.

As required forpractical leading ofSTEM activities

60minutes Task 5 – Plan,lead and reviewa STEM activity

23 © SLQ 2021 SL1310 Issue 1 11/21


Session 12 – Evaluating STEM leadership


LER task link


Congratulate learners on their leading experiences and explain that this sessionwillgive them the opportunity to reflect back on these, considering what they did welland not so well, what was successful andwhat wasn’t so successful.

N/A 5minutes N/A

Line up Explain to learners that you are going to issue a series of statements, and thatlearners will place themselves somewhere on an imaginary scale, depending onhow theywould score themselves against each statement.

• Clear enough space in theworking area, that learners can stand in a line,side by side.

• Allocate an imaginary line on the floor, with 0 at one end and 100 at theother.

• Ask learners to place themselves on the line, by standing in position,somewhere between 0 and 100 (with 0 low and 100 high) for the followingstatements:

o I enjoyed leadingmy session/s,o I was nervous before leadingmy first session,o I was nervous before leadingmy last session,o I feel like I have improvedmy leadership skills during this process,o I communicatedwell,o I was well organised,o Participants enjoyedmy session,o There is nothing I would change if I leadmy session/s again.

• Any other questions/statements you feel are relevant.• Learners can stand in the same spot as someone else.• Youmight want to select a learner or two after each statement, to explain

or expand uponwhy they have stoodwhere they have.

Cones (optional) 10minutes Task 5 – Plan,lead and reviewa STEM activity

Share the love • Ask learners to consider the peers they ledwith, and for each one select oneor two things they think that person did well during this process.

• This might include things such as: theywere always cheerful and happy tohelp, they seemed very confident, they explained things well, theywere awhiz on the photocopier, they brought in sweets to keep us going, theyweren’t afraid to ask questions etc.

• If learners led alone, you might want to allocate a person/people to eachlearner to ensure everyone has someone to feedback to them.


24 © SLQ 2021 SL1310 Issue 1 11/21


• Learners can share their thoughts with the person/people they havereviewed, either verbally, by creating a bespoke card, completing a templateetc.

Self-review • Learners can review their own performance as a leader, using feedbackfrom you, your colleague/s, their peers and the participants as appropriate.

• They can consider: key area/s of success and key area/s for improvement.• Their thoughts can be shared verbally or recorded on a template, or in the

LER.


Leadership skilldevelopment

• Remind learners of the five key leadership skills and the associatedbehaviours, that theywere introduced to at the beginning of the course.

• Ask learners to think specifically about the five key skills, and theways inwhich theymight have improved these.

• Learners can look at the scores they gave themselves at the start of thecourse and consider if theymight allocated a higher score now, at the end ofthe course.

• Learners can produce a short presentation, or other way to share, with therest of the group and key stakeholders, what and how they have developedas a leader andwhat positive impact these developments might have ontheir life going forward.


Task 7 –UsingSTEM activitiesto develop yourleadership skillsand behaviours

Plenary • Recap key course outcomes and achievements.• Discuss with learners where and how theymight continue to lead STEM

related activities now that the course has finished.• Remind learners about LER completion if there are outstanding tasks still to

complete.

N/A 10minutes N/A

Other useful weblinks:

https://pbskids.org/designsquad/parentseducators/resources/index.html?category=electricity

http://www.stemcollaborative.org/

https://pbskids.org/designsquad/

https://www.middleweb.com/6288/6-stem-challenges-for-middle-school/

All websites and hyperlinks were last accessed 25 October 2021 andwere accurate and correct.

https://pbskids.org/designsquad/parentseducators/resources/index.html?category=electricity

http://www.stemcollaborative.org/

https://pbskids.org/designsquad/

https://www.middleweb.com/6288/6-stem-challenges-for-middle-school/

25 © SLQ 2021 SL1310 Issue 1 11/21

STEMLeader

© SLQ 2021

Documents

Level 1 STEM Leaders Tutor Resource