Everyday we are creating and learning. Our students are asked to adjust and challenge themselves and within each day we utilize an invention that helps make our life easier! Everything around us was once an idea in someone's brain. If we take that into consideration, we can look around us and see a room of endless possibilities that have changed our lives. They surround us...from the doors we walk in and out of each day, to the chairs we sit on.
Inventors and Inventions in STEM
Everyday we are creating and learning. Our students are asked to adjust and challenge themselves and within each day we utilize an invention that helps make our life easier! Everything around us was once an idea in someone's brain. If we take that into consideration, we can look around us and see a room of endless possibilities that have changed our lives. They surround us...from the doors we walk in and out of each day, to the chairs we sit on.
Taking Inventory: Jumpstarting Your Science Lessons with Phenomenon
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Adaptation Lesson Ideas For Primary Scientists
- The San Diego Zoo has a ton of Virtual Cameras for students to see what animals look like and how they survive and adapt found here.
- Students love this song (I have to say it's one of my favorites because by the time we are done with our mini unit they know the definition of adaptations=a change in the body to fit a location, as well as how a camel learns how to adapt in so many ways)
- I love giving my students a baggie of paper, a cup, and a pipe cleaner. I don't give them the colors that they may need, but making sure that I have white for them to adapt. You can pick whatever colored paper you would like, but students can learn to adapt to whatever you give them that is another way to reiterate the understanding of what adapting means
- We also extend this lesson to making a baby for our parent and we focus on how parents pass on traits to their children as well as teach them how to survive. I give them just one notecard. With that notecard they must make a child that has similar characteristics to the parent. This gives us a chance to now look at animals that have fur/hair, scales, smooth, moist skin, feathers, and hard shell
- Pick an animal and focus on one to start if that helps. I start off our lessons focusing on Penguins and Camels. We compare and contrast where they live and how they survive in extreme conditions. We practice protecting our baby eggs by waddling with small balls/ bean bags from PE that we borrow. We also learn about animal coverings by testing repel and absorb.
- One of my favorite go to's has always been bird beaks. We have always utilized my Bird Beak Stations, however this year I needed to adjust for independent learning. I placed in each baggie: beans, different shaped noodles, beads, (you could use whatever you see that might work such as popcorn, blocks....) two dixie cups (one for cutting like a beak, one for placing food in), a straw, and a clothes pin. The clothespin, straw, and cup once cut on each side are all beaks.
- Another great way to teach adaptations and survival is to do a fun camouflage lesson! Once again, I adjusted for our learners both virtual and in person. I printed off a picture of flowers in a field and we focused on what "organisms" such as insects could they find that are camouflaged in the picture after placing bead down on it. Here is the picture I used with my class. Grab a copy!
- Want more ideas for adaptations? Grab my Hibernation, Migration and Adaptation STEM pack for K-1 which has digital and hands on activities!
- Looking for summer fun activities as the end of the year approaches? How about this fun flip flop and flower power adaptations pack? Check it out!
- Exploring heredity and the NGSS adaptations concepts is sure to be a success with this pack. From genetics to plant connections this is my go to!
A Rainbow of St. Patrick's Day STEM Ideas That Are Golden
Here are over 12 different Science and Engineering ideas that are golden:
Setting up a Makerspace in your classroom or even making individual bags of supplies to hand out to your students along with task cards and a fun tic tac toe challenge will keep them chasing a few rainbows on St. Patty's Day as well.
Want to Jumpstart Your STEM Makerspace In You Classroom?
That is the beauty of it, I built a place at our school even before a referendum was even considered. What we have in our makerspaces do not have to be expensive. It can be high tech and low tech.
What about challenges like STEM?
In STEM, there are several tiers to challenges we can give our students. We give them an engineering design model to go through, criteria when necessary, and a time constraint to adhere to. With Makerspaces, I like to use passive design challenges such as task cards if students are seeking a challenge in any way. Giving them a choice in supplies that are needing to be cleaned up after they are done using them, sharing supplies with others, and creating then deconstructing also help the organization of a makerspace so that the materials are more impermanent. Challenges are finished in a given time, often like a STEM challenge, but what I find is that they aren't as attached to their creations in a makerspace. We often snap a picture, share with a friend then take them apart until the next time we are together. You can do this with supplies such as Keva planks, blocks(Jenga is perfect for this as well), Legos, K'nex, and Playdough for example. I have different task cards with themes and tic tac toe boards if they want to continue for a few weeks in a row...these task cards are kept in a ring for them to get easily.
Who gets to go where and other organizational questions:
Organization is a teacher's middle name. If students want to work with robots, the sewing machines, or any popular area in a makerspace, it is best to determine what students want to work on before they arrive. This might mean each area in your makerspace is considered a station that they can sign up for. If they are done, or change their mind, then let them go to an area that is not occupied. We also have students bring their ipads and use qr codes and google slides where they can use coding apps or online challenges. Creating centers where students rotate allows for the structure that teachers often need. Remember, however when you put any control on a makerspace then you are losing some of the open exploration that makerspaces are best known for. You have to do what works for you.
Organizing supplies is a whole other can of worms. I put all of my supplies in tubs that I label. I place our task cards on rings and hang them from the wall for easy access. We have built in shelves that house all of our labeled tubs. Because we don't have a designated space yet, we house supplies in my science room and in the library because our librarian can use them during her classes. Our makerspace area is expanding and with that how we will organize supplies will change.
I hoped this helped her as well as helped you out as well. It is hard during a pandemic to continue to allow students to work in groups, share supplies and gather in small areas...as time passes I am positive that makerspace will be even more important to helping our students be creative, work together, and make!
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Don't forget to give it a try with this free Makerspace Resource as well! Grab it today!
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