Build analytical and creative thinking with a STEM approach

The movement to STEM breaks down the barriers between the academic disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math. Connecting ideas between disciplines can help students think more deeply about curriculum and better prepare them to tackle the issues facing our world today and into the future.

The STEM and STEAM in the Elementary Classroom guide provides articles, samples, and lessons to help you utilize the goals and ideas of a STEM approach in your classroom.

In the STEM and STEAM in the Elementary Classroom guide you will explore:

• How you can take small steps toward STEM in any classroom
• Connect curriculum for deeper understanding
• Build reflection into the STEM process

The guide includes lesson plans where:

• students take a first person perspective as they learn and share information about an animal, its characteristics, and habitat.
• students take on the persona of a scientist discovering a new species.
• students design a zoo filled with enclosures that show off the a biome and animals found in it.
• students design a water-wise garden solution for a specific user, develop a design and how-to guide.
• students develop and present plans for a school-wide event within guidelines and budgets.

The strategies and lessons in this guide will help you take a STEM and STEAM approach to learning that connects content across disciplines to help students build powerful connections to knowledge and essential thinking skills for life in our rapidly changing world.