STEM Resources

Science, technology, engineering, art, and math work together to make learning fun in these STEAM lessons!

Perfect for Makerspace!

This first grade teacher resource book includes:

• A year's worth of teacher lesson plans
• STEAM design challenges that turn elementary students into inventors
• Easy-to-follow lesson format (with standards identified for each lesson)
• Classroom-tested lessons

The STEAM Design Challenges in this book follow engineering practices to teach students in Grade 1 to solve a problem by designing, creating, and justifying their designs. They also allow art to support and enhance the learning of science and math while the engineering process is followed.

These engaging STEAM lessons:

• Integrate the Next Generation Science Standards and national standards from other disciplines
• Enhance learning across various disciplines
• Facilitate students in collaborating to solve real-world scenarios
• Promote critical thinking, analytical thinking, and reflective thinking
• Incorporate the Five Es Instructional Model (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate)
• Are classroom tested

Engineering Design Process
The lessons in this book are intended to support the engineering design process in which teachers become a facilitator by encouraging and guiding students to work as a team to find a creative solution to a real-world problem without providing step-by-step instructions. Students are inspired to act as scientists and engineers through the use of sketches, diagrams, mathematical relationships, and literacy connections. By creating their very own models and products based on background information from their studies, students are immediately engaged through a meaningful, rewarding lesson.

More about the lessons
Each lesson begins by presenting students with a design challenge scenario in order to immediately excite students with a real-world situation that they are on a mission to solve. Students are then given a dilemma, mission, and blueprint design sheet and are asked to collaborate with team members to create several prototypes. Students present their prototypes to their teacher, construct their design, test their design, engage in a class discussion about their design, and then modify their design. Finally, teams create a justification piece in order to sell their new prototype (ex. persuasive letter, video, advertisement etc.).

About the Authors
The Steam Dreamers, a group of four classroom teachers, desired to create more interactive learning environments and science classrooms through student-centered problem-solving lessons. They created this collection of cross-curricular design challenge lessons to provide teachers and students with real-world scenarios that are driven by core learning standards and enriched through the inclusion of literacy and the arts.

• The 15 grade-appropriate STEM challenges target life, Earth, and physical science concepts.
• Every unit is focused on a hands-on challenge in which students apply the STEM process of plan, create, test, and redesign.
• No-prep lessons and easy-to-find materials help you fit STEM learning into the busy school day.

• Teacher overview pages—Tips and directions for preparing students to complete a STEM challenge, as well as a materials list that suggests readily available items to gather.
• Reading selections for background knowledge—Foundational information that is relevant to the challenge that students are completing.
• Visual real-world examples—A visual literacy page with real-world images relevant to the STEM challenge.
• A STEM challenge overview—Introduces the specific task and goal of each STEM challenge and provides space for students to brainstorm.
• Design process worksheets—Activities guide students to plan, create, test, and evaluate their creation.
• A redesign page to evaluate their design—The worksheet guides students through each step of the design process and provides space to document plans, materials, results, evaluations, and revisions.

• Marble Roller Coaster (Physical Science concept: Force and Motion)
• Natural Homes (Earth Science Concept: Natural Homes)
• Insect Catcher (Life Science Concept: Studying Insects)

Develop your fourth grade students' creative problem-solving skills with STEM Lessons and Challenges. Students apply science, technology, engineering, and math concepts to solve real-world problems.

Every grade 4 unit is focused on a hands-on challenge and guides students to work together as engineers to design, prototype, test, and refine their creations.

• The 15 grade-appropriate STEM challenges target life, Earth, and physical science concepts.
• Every unit is focused on a hands-on challenge in which students apply the STEM process of plan, create, test, and redesign.
• No-prep lessons and easy-to-find materials help you fit STEM learning into the busy school day.

• Teacher overview pages—Tips and directions for preparing students to complete a STEM challenge, as well as a materials list that suggests readily available items to gather.
• Reading selections for background knowledge—Foundational information that is relevant to the challenge that students are completing.
• Visual real-world examples—A visual literacy page with real-world images relevant to the STEM challenge.
• A STEM challenge overview—Introduces the specific task and goal of each STEM challenge and provides space for students to brainstorm.
• Design process worksheets—Activities guide students to plan, create, test, and evaluate their creation.
• A redesign page to evaluate their design—The worksheet guides students through each step of the design process and provides space to document plans, materials, results, evaluations, and revisions.

• Stethoscope (Life Science Concept: Sound Amplification)
• Thermometer (Earth Science Concept: Heat Transfer)
• Box Alarm (Physical Science Concept: Circuit Connection)

Mechanics gravity magnetic race track harnesses the invisible forces of magnetism and gravity through original and surprising means. The spheres inside the circuit are set in motion by an innovative magnetic cannon that uses the force of attraction of the accelerating magnet. This set contains 2 magnetic rods, 9 spheres and 104 plastic elements - all the essentials needed to build freely and create chain reactions. Gravity is the innovative evolution of the Geomag mechanics line. Developed with expert players in mind, the new construction system is based on an innovative "gravity motor": This uses the weight of the Geomag spheres to kickstart the mechanisms and movements of the Geomag mechanics structures. The motion is provided by the invisible forces of gravity and magnetism, without using electricity or batteries. The play experience is based on these fundamental principles of physics. Mechanics gravity is a stem Product that can truly stimulate curiosity and inspire to learn more about science.

Create an environment that inspires future engineers and scientists by adding STEM classroom decorations to displays, whiteboards, and more.

The STEM straight border pack contains 12 borders, each measuring 3' x 3" for a total length of 36'. A perfect bulletin board border trim for STEM displays, each border features artwork and vocabulary related to science, technology, engineering, and math.

Mark Twain Media Publishing Company proudly creates engaging supplemental books and decorations for middle-grade and upper-grade classrooms. Designed by leading educators, the Mark Twain product line covers a variety of subjects, such as science, language arts, fine arts, government, social studies, history, character, and conduct.

Parents are eager to help their children learn, but teaching young children complicated scientific and mathematical concepts can be intimidating. Simple STEAM helps parents realize they don't need to be engineers or scientists to support STEAM learning.

• Help children explore STEAM concepts with fun and engaging activities
• Discover STEAM learning opportunities in everyday activities and experiences
• Prepare children for kindergarten
• Build crucial 21st century learning skills, including collaboration, communication, creativity and problem solving, curiosity, and critical thinking

This Mark Twain Physical Science book encourages your students to collaborate while solving real-world science problems.

Filled with 26 hands-on activities, the STEM Labs for Physical Science book challenges students to apply content knowledge, technological design, and scientific inquiry to solve problems. Topics covered include:

• matter
• motion
• energy

This physical science book correlates to current state standards.

Cultivate an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math by encouraging students to collaborate and communicate for STEM success. STEM Labs for Physical Science includes lab activities to motivate students to work together, and it also provides you with materials for instruction and assessment. Labs incorporate the following components:

• critical thinking
• teamwork
• creativity
• communication

Mark Twain Media Publishing Company creates products to support success in science, math, language arts, fine arts, history, social studies, government, and character. Designed by educators for educators, the Mark Twain Publishing product line specializes in providing excellent supplemental books and content-rich décor for middle-grade and upper-grade classrooms.