Engaging STEAM content (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) is the first step to motivate students to consider career possibilities, writes Lisa Gray, a STEAM specialist at Acmetonia Elementary School in the Allegheny Valley School District (PA), in an article in eSchool News.
STEM education develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills, better communication, and better teamwork, according to the National Math and Science Initiative. Infusing arts into STEM takes learning even further. Gray always looks for STEAM-based resources and tools to engage students. Using creative, dynamic tools boosts student learning outcomes–but you need to know where to look, she says.
It’s important to use STEAM resources tailored to students’ education level and lesson plans. Having access to STEAM education improves classroom outcomes and better prepares students for the future. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the total number of STEM careers will increase at twice the rate–and pay more on average–than non-STEM jobs across the next 7 years.
Here are some resources:
1) STEM Careers Coalition
The STEM Careers Coalition from Discovery Education is an alliance of industries and nonprofit organizations that provides access to STEM resources and connects students to industry professionals. Free resources are intuitive, easy to use, and tailored to be turnkey. The search features and filters make career profiles and videos quick to find.
Videos and questions can be embedded into Google Classroom or other learning platforms. You can curate content, activities, and lessons for students to complete without jumping to different platforms or tabs.
STEM Careers Coalition provides materials that reflect the diversity of students who are watching — whether teachers are encouraging space-obsessed students or inspiring the next generation of engineers.
2) Verizon Innovative Learning HQ
Verizon Innovative Learning HQ is a completely free-to-use resource that gives you access to 350+ K-12 lessons and activities across all subjects. Choose from hundreds of STEAM-focused lessons -from stop-motion animation to orbits modeled using augmented reality to in-depth looks at cells and other organisms.
Teachers can filter by grade level, subjects, standards, technologies involved, and more. AR and VR apps immerse students in content. Each lesson is accessible and engaging.
The database offers innovative materials to supplement more traditional classroom resources. Downloadable apps and creative approaches to standards-based lessons offer news ways to teach STEAM concepts.
3) STEAM lesson plans for LEGO Education Solutions
With 400+ lessons ranging from Pre-K to 12th grade, LEGO-based STEAM lesson plans are a versatile classroom tool. Combining coding and LEGOs into interactive stories, students investigate a wide variety of STEAM concepts at their desks as they follow the demonstrations.
Each lesson plan includes student worksheets and evaluative materials, write-ups on the relevant STEAM phenomena, and clear educational standards. Content is filtered by subject, grade level, and products needed to complete the lesson. STEAM topics include computer science, social emotional development, math, creative exploration, and more.
Lesson plans and building guides are free to access. LEGO products referenced are extensive and can be used for more than one lesson. The SPIKE Essential Kit, for example, is used in almost 70 different lessons in various ways.
Looking for comprehensive STEAM digital resources? All three resources and activities here offer ready-to-use, standards-aligned curriculum that are enjoyable and engage teachers and students. Preparing for the upcoming school year at the Allegheny Valley School District, Gray know that she can visit any of these tools and find materials that will get my students excited to learn.
eSchool News
