Incorporating STEM – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – activities in the classroom is a fun way to give students rich learning opportunities. I firmly believe in the importance of STEM education for ALL students, regardless of their needs and abilities. Read on for some easy and fun ways to expose your students to the world of STEM!
What is STEM?
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. (You may also see it referred to as STEAM. The “A” is for art!) STEM activities can be anything that allows kids to explore these areas in a hands-on way!
It is important to provide these experiences for many reasons. For one, it helps students develop important skills such as creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. Another great reason for adding these activities to your day is that it exposes students to career skills. More and more, the jobs of the future will be focused on STEM-specific skills. Allowing kids to explore these areas gives them the confidence to know that they can be part of that world one day!
STEM in the Classroom
There are many ways to add STEM experiences to the classroom, and it is easy to tailor activities to your students’ needs and interests. Below you will see some of my favorite activity ideas!
STEM Bins
My students LOVE exploring with STEM bins! These are boxes filled with materials (such as blocks, linking cubes, popsicle sticks, play dough, etc.) that students can use to complete building tasks and projects. A great way to use them in your classroom is to give small groups of students a bin to work with. They will need to communicate and collaborate to use the materials. Students can have an assigned task, like “build a bridge,” or explore freely and see where their creativity takes them!
Challenges and Experiments
STEM challenges and experiments provide a more structured experience for students. Doing science experiments as a group is an easy way to introduce science exploration into your classroom. This FREE Magic Rainbow visual experiment is a great way to give it a try! Doing experiments together encourages students’ curiosity and helps them learn to use scientific materials.
Themed STEM challenges are another classroom favorite! One example I have done with my class was an ice cream-themed building challenge. I gave each student different types of ice cream cones, some popsicle sticks, and a red pom pom. The kids used the materials to try to build as tall a structure as possible, with a pom pom cherry on top. A challenge like this helps students develop critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving skills!
Incorporating STEM into the Curriculum
It is really easy to add these types of activities to your science curriculum. If you are teaching about “Hot or Cold,” you can incorporate math by having students use thermometers and engineering by having students design a way to insulate a container to keep things warm or cold. Simple additions like this give students hands-on exposure to STEM!
You can even incorporate these activities into other subject areas. Pairing a STEM exploration with a picture book or novel study is a fun way to make connections. My students love the book “The Wild Robot.” (affiliate link) In one part of the story, the robot loses a foot and asks the other characters to help her build a new one. Using a simplified version of the Engineering Design Process, I had my students brainstorm ideas for a robot foot design. Then we tested out our designs and refined them to make them better. It was a fun way to tie-in to the book while also exposing my students to engineering principals!
Another book to share with your class is “Rosie Revere, Engineer.” (affiliate link) Reading books with STEM themes is a great way to introduce students to STEM principles and inspire them to think creatively!
Materials
I am super lucky to have a ton of STEM materials at my disposal. However, I have not had to spend a great deal of my own money on these items. There are a lot of ways to obtain materials for bins or experiments at little or no cost! For example, you can use found objects. Some of my students’ favorite things to explore with are old boxes, cardboard tubes, and paper bags. Ask your friends and family to save these types of items for you!
Another way get free materials is by asking other teachers. These cubes and shapes came from an old math curriculum that my district has since replaced. The materials were going to be discarded, but I scooped them up for my class! Teachers who are retiring or moving classrooms usually have a lot of things to give away.
Additionally, a place to get materials that you may not know about is your local “buy nothing” group. Search for “Buy Nothing” and your town/area name on Facebook (such as “Buy Nothing South Philadelphia”). Members of the group will post about what they have to give away, and you can also make requests for items people may be willing to donate. I have gotten a TON of items for my classroom through my local group!
Adding STEM activities into my special education classroom has been both beneficial and FUN for my students! How do you incorporate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into your classroom? Share your ideas for hands-on activities with us!
