Hey! We are still working on the next vlog in our series about the Next Generation Science Standards, which will cover crosscutting concepts, but we wanted to share some resources with you that might help you plan the start of your school year! Check out the links below for some easy ways to enhance your favorite elementary STEM lesson.
Craft or STEM?
“Craft Or STEM – A Handy Flow Chart to Help You Figure Out What Your Activity Is” has been one of our most popular posts, you can check it out here:
https://steamcafe.net/craft-or-stem-a-handy-flow-chart-to-help-you-figure-out-what-your-activity-is/
It includes a free download to help you evaluate your lesson is a craft activity or a STEM activity. Don’t worry, if you’re already subscribed, you’ll get a direct link to the download in our newsletter later this week!
Art and STEM are important parts of a good education, but we’ve found that sometimes teachers look at elementary stem activities they’ve taught for a few years and they aren’t sure if they are authentic elementary STEM lessons or if they’re really more just craft activities. This simple flow chart will help you evaluate if your lesson really is a STEM or engineering lesson, or if it’s just a fun art/craft activity!
Want to Add More STEM Into Your Craft Activities?
If you’re teaching a lesson that falls under the “craft” side and you want to add more STEM thinking to it, check out our blog here:
https://steamcafe.net/how-to-incorporate-stem-thinking-into-your-craft-and-art-lessons/
This blog has a few easy questions you can ask your students to help them use STEM thinking skills as they work on arts and craft projects.