STEM LESSONS Made Easy

By Maggie Wentworth

A little background…

• Maggie Wentworth

• Teaching since 1977

• Science, grades 4-8

• Now, BIOSCOPES District Coordinator for Bay County

• About six years ago I was introduced to STEM

• Became a STEM Master Teacher

• Spent 2 years writing STEM lessons for a STEM Lab

STEM LESSONS MADE EASY

• Discovered how amazingly easy it was to turn a standard science lesson into a STEM lesson.

• 1. Add a challenge to your science lesson by setting parameters

• 2. Have students work cooperatively to solve the challenge and share their solutions– a) They will use higher level thinking– b) They will discover and work with several variables– c) They will explain and defend their solutions– d) Through the process, they will make connections to prior

knowledge; practice problem solving involving measurement and data collection, and make real-world connections

Why create a STEM Lesson?• Encompass the Following Skill Sets:• Scientific Inquiry Processes• Manipulation of Variables• Measurement• Data Collection• Data Analysis• Predictions Formulated from Data Trends• Conclusions Drawn from Evidence• Expository Writing• Presentation of Findings• Collaborative/Cooperative Skills• Connections to Real-World Applications

• A hands-on lesson will demonstrate the recursive process of STEM instruction including the design of a solution, testing, redesign with further testing, data analysis, the drawing of conclusions, and the formulation of additional testing ideas.

Steps to Designing a STEM Lesson

• Let the fun begin…

Elastic Energy System

Energy Transfer and Transformations

SC.6.P.11.1: Explore the Law of Conservation of Energy by differentiating between potential and kinetic energy. Identify situations where kinetic energy is transformed into potential energy and vice versa. Cognitive Complexity: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

What relationship does potential energy have with kinetic energy?

STEM Challenge: What procedure will land the projectile in the can consistently (at least 3 times in a row)?

Before Adding STEM Challenge:• Does more potential energy provide more kinetic

energy?

After Adding STEM Challenge:• Were you able to control the kinetic energy by

changing variables?• How did you increase and decrease kinetic energy in

this system?• What variables did you identify?

Temperature and Chemical Reactions

Changes in Matter

SC.8.P.9.3: Investigate and describe how temperature influences chemical changes. Cognitive Complexity: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08 Belongs to: Changes in Matter

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

What is the relationship between temperature and chemical reactions?

STEM Challenge: What procedure will cause the lid to pop in exactly 10 seconds?

Container with a pop off lid.

Alka Seltzer Tablets

Hot and Cold water

Before Adding STEM Challenge:• What created the energy to pop off the lid?• What evidence do you have that a chemical reaction

occurred?

After Adding STEM Challenge:• How does adding heat or thermal energy affect the

rate of the reaction?• What variables did you change to make the lid pop

faster?• Were you able to control the rate of the chemical

reaction by changing variables?

Meal Worm Habitat

Interdependence

SC.7.L.17.3: Describe and investigate various limiting factors in the local ecosystem and their impact on native populations, including food, shelter, water, space, disease, parasitism, predation, and nesting sites. Cognitive Complexity: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

What is a safe and acceptable habitat for a mealworm?

STEM Challenge: Design a habitat that is safe and acceptable for a mealworm.

See the stimulus /response process

• Click the picture below to view video clip.

Before Adding STEM Challenge:• What did the stimulus/response tests on the

mealworm tell you?

After Adding STEM Challenge:• How did your design provide for each limiting factor

(food, water, shelter, safety, and space)?• Would you ever use a material that received a

negative response? Explain.• How did the mealworm respond to the habitat?• How would you modify the habitat you designed if

you had more time/materials?

Conclusion

Adding STEM Challenges to standard science activities provides opportunities for students to

1.use higher level thinking;2.explore more than one variable;3.relate to real-world problem solving;4.describe, explain, and defend their solutions.