Basketball Fever using the NCAA and STEM/Science Connections

I love to connect what is going on in the real world and bring it into my science classroom! We are just finishing up many of the FOSS kits, so why not add some engaging STEM activities that are also timely!

Throughout March you can integrate this basketball inspired activity to your school day! For me it is also a way to share with my students a little bit about myself...

We are an athletic family. My husband is a PE teacher and a Baseball and Football coach. My kids also are and have been three sport athletes. I love to share little stories with my students so when March Madness rolled around this year, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to share what my family does! Each year, our family along with the significant others (boyfriends of our daughters) sign up for Fantasy Football and now NCAA brackets. We have to enter who we believe will win the 16 games played. Once we all have picked, we write down and verify what the winner would like as a prize. Let's just say last year's winner was my husband and the two lowest scoring...otherwise know as the BIG losers had to cut his toenails. Yes...he won and yes...this is what they had to do.

This year...if I win, I want everyone that loses to cook a meal for the family. With my picky bunch, it is perfect. No one can complain about MY cooking. I love to share these types of stories...Why you might ask...to show traditions...to show how other families interact...to show them a free way to get everyone doing something together.

Now to connect it to STEM and Science...I get them all excited! I let them know who I want to win...okay I picked Duke...and then I ask them if they would like to have a little basketball competition. I also have to let you know...I use this as an incentive. If they pass the end of the unit test, they are in our bracket...if they do not they take the test over and are spectators. I have very few kids not pass. I then as the kids work on the STEM activity can work with my kiddos that are struggling. I can do a reteach and also build vocabulary.

Take a look at what you can do with recyclables and simple dollar store finds...

Once we set up the constraints and criteria...I assign one side of the table to build the flipper and the other side the hoop. This is what both teams will use for the first round of competition. Whoever wins...moves on. If it is tie...we have a different competition...wadded paper thrown into a garbage can! We play by putting tape on the floor and have them each take turns from the spot. It is like a free throw line...they throw at the same time...whoever gets the first basket wins!

Now we move on to the next round of winners and repeat. Each team gets a set time to shoot and try to score. When that time is up, the next team gets a chance to beat that amount. I give 4 minutes. At two I say switch shooters.  The spectators sit around the courts (tables). We play until we have a winning team! They love it!

I found basketball candy at a Party Store. I also give them a championship metal to show how far they made it! Here is a Free Copy of the March Madness Trophy for stopping by!

Thinking of your own basketball tournament in March or for a great end of the year activity for indoors or outdoors you can get your STEM March Madness Basketball Pack HERE.

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STEM-Tastic Ideas For Kinders

Teaching kindergartners STEM can be so much fun!  There are so many great picture books out there and simple STEM activities that can facilitate learning...why not give it a try! Here are some easy steps to follow:

1.Use a great picture book! I use Myon which our district has purchased a license for so that I can project my books and talk and walk. The students were learning their alphabets and they were on the letter Z. Why not read a book about the zoo and have them build a special place for an animal. Set up constraints. For example you can only use blocks, cardboard, tubes, and popsicle sticks. The enclosure must be like their natural habitat and fit on the piece of cardboard that you have each been given.

2. Use simple materials that are easy to gather and lay out! I use Jenga, popsicle sticks, cardboard, and wooden blocks a lot! There are easy to lay out and the kids find so many different ways to use them! The materials are endless. However, I like to see what I can recycle or reuse from our student breakfast program, or school recycling such as toilet paper rolls and milk cartons! The Dollar Store is great for inexpensive items as well!

Here the students are using blocks, cardboard and tubes! Easy...Peazy...Lemon Squeezy!

3. Ask a simple inquiry based question for them to solve!  Here are a few questions to consider...What do you think zoo keepers must think about when keeping an animal at the zoo? What is a habitat that a monkey might live in? How can a zoo create that environment for each animal? It is your job to create the perfect environment for a/n_____________. Before you start draw where this animal would live. Next to it, draw how you can create that habitat using just...

All it takes is a great book...simple materials...and great inquiry based questions. Leaving it up to the students to create...explore...and learn!

STEM-tastic learning by kindergartners when you give them a little time to be creative!

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Tacky Penguin Palaces

This week, we celebrated with a penguin antics winter fun reward party in 4th and 2nd grades. Second graders learned about working as a team after reading Tacky...then with tape and paper they started their penguin palaces to see who could build one as tall as possible that fits Tacky on top. They could earn bonus items after waddling over to get a vocabulary question...can they remember what opaque means....we shall see!

The planning stage...working together...listening to everyone's ideas before starting is key to successful teamwork! Modifying and adjusting is also important as you take a look at the raft below!

Fourth graders, for a motivational goal, they needed to pass their bones identification test to have an engineering reward. They could pick what materials they wanted to use in order to build their palaces. The other students worked with me on studying the bones...a retest...then an oral Simon says...game to help them remember.

I love the final results...the smiles....the team work!

With melty marshmallows...they decided Tacky could use a raft instead!

This tall marshmallow tower was a hit! Tacky loved his palace!

Love the smiles on their faces when they are successful team members and have fun to boot!

Noodles were a great addition to this tower!

 This activity can be found in my Penguin Winter Antics STEM Station Pack. Check it out...

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Building Engineers!

Our school is getting a significant addition for the next school year! We are adding 4-K classrooms, a bigger lunchroom, and more classrooms. Not to mention...I will have my own room!!!!!!!!!! I am currently teaching in the teachers' lounge.

I am taking this opportunity to have my students observe how a foundation is built, how buildings need a plan, and how everyone has to work together to complete the job! This week, our second graders are finishing their solid part of the FOSS solids and liquids unit. What a great time to add a STEM activity...building a skyscraper!
Here are some of their creations...

All you need is Jenga blogs and cardstock paper and this STEM activity is a hit!

The students have to take into account cost. Each Jenga piece they use costs one dollar! We discussed how to get a bid for building...costs of building...and creating a strong product!

They must work as a team and if it knocks down, they must modify and adjust to build a stronger foundation...

First:  I asked them what it takes to create a skyscraper or better yet an addition to a school? We looked at the plans that we have of our new addition and school.

Second: We discussed what they might see when we take a look outside? And what is a foundation?

Third: We went on our field trip! Take a look at what we got to see!

He was inches away from the window! They watched him scoop dirt up...dump it...then pound it down! It was pretty amazing!

Finally: We went back to read a book and build a skyscraper!

This book was a great connector for what we were about to build. Each jenga piece was worth one dollar and they had to build the skyscraper with the most floors! They had to be architects first and create a plan just like the one I showed them of our new addition! They worked so hard!

What a great way to tie in something that is happening around you. What mini-field trip can you take your kiddos on? What can they see on your school grounds? Don't forget to check out the Skyscraper freebie for your little engineers {FREEBIE HERE}!

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Unwrapping Holiday Ideas Linky: STEM STYLE

The kids are all nestled all soundly in bed...while visions of really excited students go around in YOUR head. Kids love to be actively engaged! I know that can be hard when it gets cold outside or you are needing to test your students, or that our kiddos know there is a break in sight...

Focus On Fifth...a team of teachers devoted to 5th grade...(a grade I taught for over 15 years, until I switched to K-5 science) are hosting a great link up to celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas! Here is how we can celebrate along with them...whether you teach 5th or like me anything in between, here are great ideas for the holidays!

A great way to support academics, yet unwrap some holiday fun,  is to read a great book that can tie in Science Stations...STEM engineering fun...or even team building reading...writing...science activities! Let's get started!!!

Here are some easy STEM steps to unwrap some holiday fun:
1. Pick a great picture book to start discussion. For my Penguin stations I like to use...

I use this book because it has great facts about Penguins and I can then go into an anchor chart that allows me to discuss what they would need if they lived where penguins did...and then what we would need if we were penguins. It leads into many STEM station ideas. I also to unwrap some fun with the book...

2. Find a transition with your book as to why students are engineering. This is a fun way to add some science adventure into your day! It is great for students to be themselves...and work as a team! Great transition into engineering when Tacky and his penguin pals can work together, too!

3. Using the scientific process is key to making another key transition...making connections through writing. For each station that  my students participate in...we follow up by drawing... reflecting... modifying...and sharing our ideas with the class(which are included for each station in the packs!

If you want to unwrap some Gingerbread fun...cookie decorating...gingerbread house making...reading and writing...and STEM science fun...Here are some more great ideas for before and after Christmas break!

Again...First, unwrap a great book!

Second...make connections....and predictions...plan...then create...


Finally...reflect...modify...and then share! And repeat with another great STEM station!


Here are some great STEM products or what I like to call Teacher's Little Helpers to get you through the holiday season and beyond...

STEM Penguin Stations on TPT

STEM Christmas Stations on TPT

Gingerbread STEM Station Pack on TPT

Christmas Science Stations on TPT

STEM Winter/Christmas Stations for Littles on TPT

Add some holiday cheer into your classroom day by unwrapping more great ideas over at...

Happy Holidays from the Science School Yard!

An InLinkz Link-up

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Turkey and Billy Goat Science

 This week, we started to use my STEM Fall Into Thanksgiving Pack. We have finished up our first units for FOSS at many grade levels and it is sure fun to take a STEM break!

I love the way that the book Run, Turkey, Run! fits our STEM activity of making a maze. We used the story map to create scenery along the way...You could always use another turkey book's story line to help your engineers...

I start with a box from juice from our lunchroom. We grab colored paper, popsicle sticks, jenga blocks, and cubes that we have in our classroom along with  a marble for each maze. 

Here are some of their a-maze-ing turkey runs!

They loved working together as a team to create the runs and the scenery, but most of all to play with the maze!

What a great Fall STEM station!

Their teacher even had fun!

Looking for more STEM lessons and ideas? Grab my Thanksgiving pack that includes scarecrows, oak trees, Turkey hideout, along with other a-maze-ing challenges here... TPT STEM Fall Into Thanksgiving Pack .

In Kindergarten...we finished up another positional word STEM activity with the Three Billy Goats Gruff! There is a great version of this story to read on EPIC books that is a nice positive twist! It goes along well with the positive twist on Miss Muffet we use with the song on youtube!

This version is great...the troll doesn't want to "have them for dinner"...He wants to have them over for dinner!

  Take a look at the kindergarten bridges and puppets that they use to retell the story! Science and language arts can go hand in hand!

We work with retelling word cards...up...across...over...under...next to...

We draw and discuss what a bridge needs in order to get across...

We then let our kinders play with the puppets to reenact the story line!

I love to see them be creative and play and science can do that! 

STEM Three Billy Goats Gruff Pack

   Next week...boats to go under the bridge! They are very excited!

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