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Children ask lots of questions. Even before children can put together words, they point at things that they want to learn about.

Some are easy enough to answer - "What's that animal?" or "Can I drink your beer?" Others like "What is God?" and "Why do people die?" are tougher.

One study found that kids between three and five years old ask an astounding average of 76 questions per hour. This rapid-fire search for information is important for kids' learning. Their inquisitiveness gives them access to knowledge that others can share.

In working on my doctorate in human development, the science of how children grow and learn, I'm studying kids' questions and how they make sense of the responses they get. I'm also looking into whether and under what circumstances children can be skeptical of those responses.

With the emergence of the internet and social media, people don't access information like they used to. It's also harder to know for sure if that information is reliable.

For that reason, it's more important than ever, in my view, to be a good consumer of information. And, more importantly, learning how to search for information now has to start in childhood.

20 Questions

To see what makes questions good or bad, consider how the 20 Questions game works. Typically, one person has to think of a person, place or thing and then answer yes or no to questions from the other players so they can try to figure out what it is.

Broad questions, like "Is it an animal?" work best at first. With more questions answered, the players can ask more targeted follow-ups, like "Does it fly?" Eventually, it makes sense to ask a much narrower question, along the lines of "Is it an eagle?"

Recent studies by scientists who examine how people ask questions or explore problems have shown that by the time kids turn five, they have some understanding of what makes a question good or bad.

A good question is geared toward the kind of information that you're looking for. If there is a lot that you don't know, it's best to first ask a broad question that can eliminate lots of possible answers at once.

Just like with 20 Questions, once you know a lot more, it's more reasonable to ask a narrow question.

There's no one-size-fits-all way to ask good questions. Coming up with them depends on what the person asking wants to learn and what they already know.

Despite the ability to think about what information will probably be produced by a given question, children - as well as some adults - have trouble asking good questions.

And, more importantly than whether someone is adept at playing 20 Questions, in the digital age, people of all ages sometimes can't distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources of information as they seek answers to their questions. This is especially problematic with scientific topics such as the probability of earthquakes or the benefits of getting vaccines.

There are many explanations for this problem. It can happen with topics that become politicized, making it harder to revise a belief, or with issues that experts have failed to explain in ways the public will understand, or when there's no public awareness of what's involved in a field of research.

Choosing good sources

Some children do understand that more supportive evidence means that a conclusion is more justified, or can be trusted to be accurate.

In a recent study that I helped design and publish, for example, kids preferred to learn from people who fully supported what they said with evidence, as opposed to insufficient support, or none at all.

But there are some cases where this preference is challenged. This is, in part, because of the fact that how we all access information has changed. With the advent of the internet, its gotten harder to tell whether claims are actually empirically supported.

Until the 1990s, people seeking answers to questions like "What do you call a scientist who studies insects?" or "How does the radiator in a car work?" would turn to textbooks, manuals and encyclopedias. In nearly all cases, professionals had vetted and edited those resources before they became available to the public.

Now, people feel freer to make up their own minds about what they read, and, because there are so many, more than occasionally conflicting, sources of information, people sometimes feel empowered to dismiss evidence they should actually accept.

Alexa, what's a reliable source?

What's more, anyone, including children, can do a Google search or ask Siri or Alexa their question. Within an instant, they get access to hundreds, thousands or even millions of answers. What they don't get is a guarantee that the responses are accurate.

This makes understanding both what makes a good question and what makes for trustworthy answers more complicated.

Scholars, including a team of Stanford University researchers, have found that students would benefit from getting more training at school for how to detect falsehoods when they search for information online or follow the news.

That is why researchers at the Right Question Institute, an education research nonprofit that seeks to increase information literacy, are starting to help teachers explain what a good question might sound like in different contexts.

For example, teachers can encourage students to work together to construct one or two questions that become the focus of the class. The nature of the question differs based on whether the class is, for instance, science or history.

In a science class, a good question to consider might be something like, "How does evolution work?" or "Why do redwood trees get so tall?" In a history class, they might sound like, "Why did England leave the Catholic church?"

The idea is to leverage questions that kids might already be pondering to increase their engagement in the material and help them think about what would constitute a good answer to those questions. These questions therefore open the door for investigation and thoughtful discussion.

I believe that all students would benefit this kind of training.

[ You're smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation's authors and editors. You can get our highlights each weekend. ]

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Kids may need more help finding answers to their questions in the information age

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Children ask lots of questions. Even before children can put together words, they point at things that they want to learn about. Some are easy enough to answer - "What's that animal?" or "Can I drink your beer?" Others like "What is God?" and "Why do people die?" are tougher.

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Students kick off a unit of study, investigate different questions they have, put the pieces together from those investigations, and then problematize the next set of questions to investigate.

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To help teachers and students advance through the content of a unit, OpenSciEd takes advantage of routines-activities that play specific roles in advancing the storyline through the content with structures to help students achieve the objectives of those activities.

How and where the routines are found will vary somewhat across the units in OpenSciEd, but these routines typically follow a pattern as students kick off a unit of study, investigate different questions they have, put the pieces together from those investigations, and then problematize the next set of questions to investigate.

The infographic to the right and below provides a general path through an OpenSciEd unit using the routines. The Navigation Routine is something that occurs from lesson to lesson and is not on the infographic, but described more fully below.

Anchoring Phenomenon Routine

Kicking off a Unit with an Experience to Motivate Investigation

The Anchoring Phenomenon routine is used to kick off a unit of study and drive student motivation throughout the unit. The purpose of the Anchoring Phenomenon routine is to build a shared mission for a learning community to motivate students in figuring out phenomena or solving design problems. More specifically, the Anchoring Phenomenon routine serves to ground student learning in a common experience and then use that experience to elicit and feed student curiosity, which will drive learning throughout the unit. The Anchoring Phenomenon routine also serves as a critical place to capture students' initial ideas as a pre-assessment opportunity. The Anchoring Phenomenon is introduced at the beginning of a unit.

The Anchoring Phenomenon routine pushes students to represent their initial thinking. Students might represent their thinking in the following ways:

Drawing or writing initial models, explanations, or design solutions in their science notebooks

Discussing an initial model, explanation, or design solution with a classmate

Creating a shared classroom representation of an initial class consensus model, a Driving Question Board, and ideas for potential investigations

Navigation Routine

Motivating the Next Step in an Investigation

The Navigation routine enables students to experience the unit as a coherent storyline in which each activity has a purpose and is connected to what has gone before and what is coming. It also provides a valuable opportunity for students to reflect on their learning over time. The Navigation routine is conducted throughout the unit at transition points.

The Navigation routine is all about linking learning across lessons and activities. Students might represent their thinking in the following ways:

Revisiting their initial ideas and focus questions in their science notebooks

Revisiting their individual models in their notebooks to add to or revise their thinking

Recording a "consensus" model, using a Model Tracker, in their notebooks and publicly in the classroom

Returning to the Driving Question Board to answer questions, add new questions, or refine their questions

Investigation Routine

Using Practices to Figure Out Science Ideas

The purpose of the Investigation routine is to use questions around a phenomenon that lead the class to engage in science practices to make sense of the phenomenon, and then develop the science ideas as part of the explanation. This is the basic structure of the work of three-dimensional learning. The Investigation routine is conducted throughout the unit, whenever students identify gaps in their understanding of the Anchoring Phenomenon.

Students represent their thinking during Investigation routines in many different ways, including these:

Developing a plan of action

Recording observations and measurements

Organizing evidence

Articulating new ideas and comparing them to current models

Revising models

Revising the Driving Question Board

Putting Pieces Together Routine

Using the Science Ideas We've Built So Far

In the Putting Pieces Together routine, students take the ideas they have developed across multiple lessons and figure out how they can be connected to account for the phenomenon the class is working on. This routine serves to help students take stock of their learning and engage with the class to develop a consensus representation, explanation, or model to account for the target phenomenon (the phenomenon anchoring the unit or learning set).

The Putting Pieces Together routine is conducted at strategic moments when students have synthesized evidence from a range of situations to construct an important component of the explanatory model. This is often at the end of a lesson set and at the end of the unit.

Students typically represent their thinking through the following:

A gotta-have-it checklist

A class consensus model

Problematizing Routine

Motivating Learning through Each Part of a Unit

The purpose of the Problematizing routine is to reveal a potential problem with the current model or explanation in order to motivate students to extend or revise their models. The teacher seeds, cultivates, and capitalizes on an emerging disagreement that reveals the potential problem and gets students to focus on an important question that could extend their models. The Problematizing routine is often conducted after a Putting Pieces Together routine or at strategic locations where students need to recognize that there is more to figure out.

Portions of the OpenSciEd Instructional Model were adapted from tools and processes developed by NextGen Science Storylines at Northwestern University NextGen Science Storylines at Northwestern University and from the Next Generation Science Exemplar System Project (NGSX) at Clark University and Tidemark. Reiser, B. J., Novak, M., & McGill, T. A. W. (2017). Coherence from the students' perspective: Why the vision of the framework for K-12 science requires more than simply "combining" three dimensions of science learning. Paper commissioned for the Board on Science Education workshop "Instructional materials for the Next Generation Science Standards". Retrieved from http://sites.nationalacademies.org/cs/groups/dbassesite/documents/webpage/dbasse_180270.pdf

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OpenSciEd Instructional Model - OpenSciEd

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To help teachers and students advance through the content of a unit, OpenSciEd takes advantage of routines-activities that play specific roles in advancing the storyline through the content with structures to help students achieve the objectives of those activities.

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Join the Design Global Challenge. Post your designs and get feedback from the world!

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Be creative and help people with engineering at DESIGN SQUAD GLOBAL. Watch videos, play games, try activities, and share designs with the community.

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Looking for something a little more high-tech for your 4th or 5th Grader? Try paper circuits! Using copper tape, a coin-cell battery, and an LED, kids can make all kinds of light-up paper designs as they learn about how circuits work.  A perfect extension for 4th Graders.

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Paper circuits are a great way of adding light to your drawings, origami, or papercraft creations. Instead of using wires to connect a battery to LEDs, paper circuits use conductive metal tape.

Copper tape can be found online at places like Amazon, Sparkfun, and as part of the Circuit Stickers kit at Maker Shed. It can also be found at hardware stores as " slug tape". Or try cutting long, narrow strips of aluminum foil tape, used for repairing HVAC ducts (but not duct tape!)

Popularized by technology-oriented artists like Jie Qi and Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories, refined in places like the Tinkering Studio and nexmap, and now a wonderful product by chibitronics called Circuit Stickers, this lovely synthesis of art and technology is a great way to introduce artists to electronics, and engineers to art. Click any maker link in this paragraph to discover their paper circuit resources.

This Make: Project is just the beginning of what's possible. Add multiple LEDs in parallel referencing the Make: Project for Paper Circuits: Parallel with Pressure Switch, use the copper tape to make a design, try surface mount LEDs, add an ATTiny85 microcontroller for programmable circuits, or even control bending wings.

You decide if you want your copper tape circuit to be part of your drawing or hidden from view, with just the LED poking through a top layer of paper. Either way, it's pretty amazing.

When your LED stops lighting up, replace the battery. The battery will stop working long before the LED does.

Download a one page paper circuit PDF here.

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Paper circuits are a great way of adding light to your drawings, origami, or papercraft creations. Instead of using wires to connect a battery to LEDs, paper circuits use conductive metal tape. Copper tape can be found online at places like Amazon, Sparkfun, and as part of the Circuit Stickers kit at Maker Shed.

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Build empathy skills with the whole family. "Children are telling us they don't need permission to make the world a better place. Get inspired by their solutions to some of their greatest challenges."

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Powered by the principles of design thinking, Design for Change offers a simple 4 step framework FIDS (Feel-Imagine-Do-Share)- to unleash the I CAN superpower in every child.

Using this framework, children are encouraged to 'FEEL' (observe and identify any situation that bothers them), 'IMAGINE' (brainstorm a way to make it better), 'DO' (work in teams to implement their solution) and finally, 'SHARE' (their solution of change with the world) to inspire others to say, 'I CAN'!

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Powered by the principles of design thinking, Design for Change offers a simple 4 step framework FIDS (Feel-Imagine-Do-Share)- to unleash the I CAN superpower in every child.

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There’s just so much science, nature, music, art, technology, storytelling and assorted good stuff out there that my kids (and maybe your kids) haven’t seen. It’s most likely not stuff that was made for them…

But we don’t underestimate kids around here.

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The Kid Should See This: Educational videos for curious kids of all ages, a free resource for parents & teachers. Science, art, nature, animals, & more.

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Kids and parents will love to LISTEN these podcasts. Build inquiry, wonder, and appreciation for the world around us!

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Most podcasts aren't made with kids in mind. That's okay. But why is it so hard to find stuff you can listen to with your kid?

Really, it's a shame. Podcasts are an incredible medium for kids. Audio is imaginative, easy to consume, and you don't need to "make time" to listen to a podcast - prime listening time is when you're in a car. There are tons of educational TV shows and apps for kids. I believe there should be more podcasts for kids.

I've done the heavy lifting of combing through iTunes to find kid-friendly science podcasts. I've indicated where some podcasts are better suited to older or more mature kids based on content.

A quick disclaimer: I haven't listened to every episode of all of these podcasts. As most are not made with a young audience in mind, there could be material you deem inappropriate for your kids - and also, the definition of inappropriate varies with every family. But hopefully, this list will spur some great discoveries.

**Update: Finally, there's a listening app with ONLY content for kids! It's called Kids Listen, and it features a playlist curated especially for educational shows! It's now on the web, with an iOs app coming later this summer. The app is a great way to let your kids discover what they love. Now, back to the list:

Full disclosure, this is my own podcast. Tumble is all about the stories of science discovery - how science works, the bumps along the way to knowledge, and how we come to know what we know. It's hosted by me (a science radio producer) and my husband Marshall (a middle school teacher). Tumble is made with kids ages 6-12 in mind, but we often hear from parents that they love listening, because they always learn something, too. Check out our episodes on dark energy, vomiting robots, whale sharks, dinosaurs, and more!

If you've ever thought, "Hey, is there such a thing as a science podcast for kids?" you likely know about Brains On! Produced by Minnesota Public Radio, each episode is co-hosted by a kid. There's interviews, there's science songs, there's no end to interesting topics. Like farts!

3. The Show About Science

Warning: You will not find a science podcast cuter than this. It's hosted by a five year old who interviews adults about science. He's a surprisingly good interviewer, and curious in that very special five year old way. It's something great. Listen to the episode with Gross Science host Anna Rothschild.

4. But Why?

4. Aaron's World

Aaron started producing this show with his dad when he was six. He's now nine years old - that's impressive! The production quality is good, too. It's a science-focused narrative that takes place in prehistoric times. Go back and listen from the beginning.

5. Meanwhile in the Future

This is a show from Gizmodo about science, technology, and scenarios about future. What if the Earth stopped rotating around the sun? What if all diseases become resistant to antibiotics? What if a supernova happened in the galaxy next door? Okay, it's a little scary. It's better listening for older kids.

6. What's the Point

I can't help but recommend What's the Point, one of my favorite podcasts. It's a smart show that older kids who are into numbers might love. Host Jody Avirgan interviews people from all corners of the data world- from books to health to politics. The episode on how science works (or doesn't) is a must-listen, and the show recently went into the field to learn how data can help save an endangered bird species.

6. Transistor

Transistor is a STEM-focused podcast, brought to you by PRX (the same folks who help bring you Radiotopia.) Early episodes transformed scientists into science reporters, by pairing them with experienced producers. I loved the episode about food and fungus, hosted by a microbiologist. Mixed in are stories from independent producers sponsored by PRX's STEM Stories project. These are not all kid-appropriate (episodes about crime are generally more sensitive), so you should judge episode by episode.

8. Imaginary Worlds

Imaginary Worlds is a science fiction podcast, and it's so good, I'm calling it close enough. Science fiction lover Eric Molinsky crawls into every corner of science fiction culture, and talks to experts to get at the deeper truth behind the fictions. This is another one that's best for older kids who are into scifi, and judging episode by episode.

9. Science Friday

Okay, so you probably know about Science Friday. But have you really thought about the fact that it's available in podcast form? Personally, Fridays aren't great days for me to listen to the radio. Problem, solved. Thanks, podcasts!

10. Point of Discovery

This podcast brings you stories from research in the natural sciences. I love that the show focuses on the process of science - you hear from the people in the trenches.

11. 60 Second Science

Scientific American produces these little bursts of science that cover all sides of science. Perfect for when you're not ready to sit down for an entire science meal, but hungry enough for a science snack.

12. Star Talk Radio

Neil DeGrasse Tyson hosts. Need I say more?

13. People Behind the Science

This is an interview show that's great for older kids and adults who are curious about what it's like to be a scientist. In each episode, scientists from all different fields share their personal stories about what led them to do what they do, along with their successes and failures.

14. Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality

This is not your typical science podcast, but if your kids love Harry Potter and you love rationality, it's the perfect fit. It's fan fiction, in audio form.

From the website: "This is an alternate universe story, where Petunia married a scientist. Harry enters the wizarding world armed with Enlightenment ideals and the experimental spirit." Just go with it.

15. Eyes on Conservation

Got a kid who cares about wildlife? Good for you. This podcast features interviews with conservationists, talking about animals, research, and the big challenge of saving species. It's an offshoot of a conservation filmmaking company, so you'll also find videos and episodes about creating documentaries.

16. Curious Minds

This is a well produced show about science, technology and history. Episodes are about 45 minutes long, making them great for long car rides.

17. Origin Stories
18. The Adaptors
This is a podcast produced by the Leakey Foundation, so you know that means early human evolution, Jane Goodall, and other evolutionary interestingness. It's highly produced, and sounds like the best of NPR science reporting.

This is a podcast about climate change. Or, rather, adapting to climate change. So really, it's a podcast about people and the future. It's produced by a Science Friday alum, so you know it's quality.

19. NOAA podcasts
Note: I intentionally did not include podcasts you've likely already heard about, like Radiolab and This American Life. I excluded podcasts that are not actively publishing, too. If you have suggestions of off-the-beaten-path shows I've missed, please comment and let me know! I'd like to keep updating this list. I'd also love to hear from other people who believe there should be more podcasts for kids. Talk to me on Twitter , or on .
If you're into ocean science and you don't hate the government, you'll probably like NOAA's two podcasts. Diving Deeper deals with the ocean environment, and Making Waves is about the coast. It's like exploring the ocean without the scuba gear!

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19 Great Science Podcasts You Can Listen To With Kids

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Most podcasts aren't made with kids in mind. That's okay. But why is it so hard to find stuff you can listen to with your kid? Really, it's a shame. Podcasts are an incredible medium for kids. Audio...

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If there's one thing parents envy about their kids, it's their uninhibited imaginations. Picture books are the perfect way to celebrate children's innate to ability imagine fantastic machines, invent new forms of travel and believe anything is possible. All of these books to inspire young inventors and engineers are also great for STEM and STEAM learning and for teaching growth mindset.

Spark your child's interest in inventing, or encourage the passion he already has with one of these books. I had so much fun making this list because I loved how illustrations in all of them got my kids talking about how they would invent something, or what changes they would make to the character's contraption. These are all fiction books rather than biographies of actual engineers - although one is based on a real life inventor. (Note: book covers and titles are affiliate links)

Be sure to also check out these great STEM books for kids!

Kids Books about Inventing and Engineering:

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts, the team behind Iggy Peck, Architect. Imaginative Rosie loves to tinker, build and invent. She gets discouraged when her inventions flop on the first try. Her wonderfully eccentric great-great-great aunt, however, explains to her that a flop is a successes because it paves the way for the next step in the inventive process. I love this message because it encourages kids to keep trying and trying - that genius talent is not necessary for success. It's perseverance that helps us improve. The rhyming, winsome text is infectious and the illustrations are full of imaginative inventions that will get kids chatting. Also available: Ada Twist Scientist.

Violet the Pilot by Steve Breen. I was excited to find a second book about creative kids with a girl protagonist. I was rather afraid most books would star boys with tool belts! Violet Van Winkle is a mechanical genius. At the age of 2 she was fixing appliances, at the age of 8 she was inventing elaborate machines like the Tub-bubbler, a flying bathtub. She wants to win over her skeptical classmates and so builds a flying machine to enter into the Air Show. On the way to the show, Violet makes a decision that shows she is not just about engineering but she has a strong character as well. Kids will love the illustrations of all the flying machines Violet invents.

Papa's Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Boris Kulikov. This book was inspired by inventor Lodner Phillips, the creator of one of the first modern submarines. His family took an underwater trip in his invention in Lake Michigan in 1851. In this picture book the children observe their father inventing one "mechanical fish" after another. Determined to make a workable submarine, he tests each new invention out, adding improvements and starting over again. The narrator asks her father questions about fish, such as how they swim, how they see, etc. and each question inspires a new improvement of the machine. I love the way the whole family shows support and enthusiasm for the father's work, even though it is a bit eccentric. The onomonopoetic text adds a nice touch and kids will join in each "Clankety-bang!" and "Clacketa-claketa-clacketa!" Also available as an ebook.

Awesome Dawson by Chris Gall. I originally checked this one out from the library because the author wrote Dinotrux, a book my 4 year old adores. Dawson is a kid who has been inventing things since birth. He upcycles everything he can get his hands on and has a secret workshop in the basement. One day he realizes he needs to invent something to do his chores for him or his mom's nagging will never stop interfering with his work! ( It's always the mom, isn't it.) Thus, the Vacu-maniac is born. The Vacu-maniac gets a bit out of control, however, and Dawson must find a way to reign it in. There is tons of stuff to look at in every illustration and my sons both loved how Gall labels all the different items strewn over the pages. I liked how Dawson deliberately reuses junk and parts of discarded items for his creations. This would be a fun book to read in conjunction with an upcycling craft project.

If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen. Young Jack has grand ideas for his fantasy car and he relates them all in fast-paced rhyme. Would you like a car that has a built in swimming pool? One that drives itself without sacrificing safety? One that goes underwater? That flies? Well, Jack's car is made just for you. There's no plot per se, but the ride is certainly wild! If your child is more domestic then check out If I Built a House. Both books can be followed up with discussion about how your child would design his or her dream car and home. Also available as an ebook.

Anything Is Possible by Giulia Belloni, illustrated by Marco Trevisan. Jealous of the birds' ability to see life from different perspectives, a sheep decides he wants to build a flying contraption. The wolf ( gotta love the sheep-wolf pairing!) is not convinced it's possible. The motto of this book is "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again," a saying we are all familiar with and which is worth teaching our kids. I really liked the illustrations, which are mixed media collage with an interesting contrast between the simple animals and the elaborate inventions. I agree with many of the reviews that the book seemed a little incomplete, but I think it's worth getting from the library.

How to Bicycle to the Moon to Plant Sunflowers: A Simple but Brilliant Plan in 24 Easy Steps by Mordicai Gerstein. This book was also on my list of fiction picture books about the moon but it's such a fun read for older kids it's worth including here, too. Using a garden hose, a slingshot, a NASA spacesuit and lots of imagination, a boy lays out his plan to travel to the moon.... by bike. This is a very enjoyable book with a lot of humor and also a bit of magic with an ending that will bring a smile to your face.

Galimoto by Karen Lynn Williams, illustrated by Catherine Stock. The first time I read this book, I kept waiting for the explanation of what "galimoto" means. I thought it was odd that my kids never asked what a galimoto was until I realized that it was my adult sensibility getting in the way. A galimoto is simply a push toy crafted out of found material. I was hung up on the word, whereas my kids were just listening and following the story! D'oh! ( There's actually an explanation of the word at the beginning of the book which I missed.) Kondi decides he wants to make a galimoto out of wire, he's been saving up in his shoebox. Undeterred by his short supply he wanders around his village in search of more wire. I love how his determination to make a galimoto is also admired by the others he meets during his search and that despite a few obstacles he remains persistent. Even when he finally completes his toy, he looks to the future, imagining what he will make next.

What Do You Do with an Idea by Kobi Yamada, illustrated by Mae Besom. A boy has an idea. He shows it to others, but they try to discourage him Nevertheless, he holds tight onto his idea, and nurtures it. A lovely book to inspire kids not to let their ideas fall away, but to keep on working. Also available What Do You Do with a Problem?.

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires. Having a can-do attitude like the protagonist is a must for any person wanting to make make her mark in the world of science and technology. With the help of her assistant dog, a "regular girl" decides she is going to invent a most MAGNIFICENT thing. She has a lot of false starts. Nothing seems to be turning out the way she wants and it's so frustrating for her! However, she takes a walk, comes back and looks at her inventions afresh, and finally figures things out. I adore the "lesson" in the book, that success comes only after "failure" ( something my kids learned about failure and how it makes you think like a scientist during our diy science camp). You know: trial and error. The book is not at all preachy and Spires's illustrations are a delight.
More lists you will love:
Are your kids inspired to tinker? Want 52 awesome STEAM activities? Get the free list, plus step by step instructions for 2 sample projects - all from the STEAM KIDS book I co-authored! Sign up here.

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Picture Books for Kids Who Like to Tinker and Invent

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If there's one thing parents envy about their kids, it's their uninhibited imaginations. Picture books are the perfect way to celebrate children's innate to ability imagine fantastic machines, invent new forms of travel and believe anything is possible. All of these books to inspire young inventors and engineers are also great for STEM and STEAM learning and for teaching growth mindset.

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With a name like The STEM Laboratory, it's no surprise that we're obsessed about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities for kids.

These 50+ STEM projects are sure to keep little scientists engaged, learning and well-prepared for their STEM-filled future.

Get inspired below and then join The Plato Pack so you can access 150+ more engaging (easy prep!) STEM challenges kids will love!
This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Science Projects

There are countless science experiments for kids but these 14 projects are our hands-down favorites!

Make a mini model of the water cycle with just a Ziploc bag!

Turn your name into crystals!

Find out why the sky is blue. // Rookie Parenting

Test whether objects are magnetic. // The Measured Mom

Whip up some frothy, foamy toothpaste.

Pour ice that is warm to the touch but freezes.

Make one orange sink and another one float!

Pour a rainbow into a jar.

Capture fireworks in a jar using just a few common household supplies. // I Can Teach My Child

Go fishing for ice.

Learn about color mixing when you make water walk! // Parenting Chaos

Catch a cloud in a jar.

Build a sand volcano that really erupts. // Growing a Jeweled Rose

Play with Magnetic Slime. // Frugal Fun 4 Boys

Technology Activities

Build robots that really walk, talk and "think". // Amazon

Teach kids about coding!

Let kids have a little screen time playing 20 teacher-approved apps.

Program a set of kid-friendly robot friends: Dash and Dot. // Amazon

Or build a Kano computer! // Amazon

Engineering Projects

Solve a batch of LEGO challenge cards.

Fold paper into building blocks that really stack. // Babble Dabble Do

Use plastic cups and craft sticks to create four brilliant challenges. // Frugal Fun 4 Boys

Build with straws and tape. // Lemon Lime Adventures

Build structures with marshmallows and pretzels.

Design a pom pom drop that guides the pom pom from one paper towel roll to the next. // Coffee Cups and Crayons

Learn about bridges and then build your own. // Carrots are Orange

Make a craft stick catapult that really launches!

Try a classic! Organize an egg drop challenge. Can you build a structure that will keep the egg from breaking?! // Buggy and Buddy

Build a batch of exploding boomerangs. // I Can Teach My Child

Test the strength of a piece of paper. // Creekside Learning

Make a moveable pulley! // Carrots Are Orange

Work as a team to build with pipe cleaners and aluminum foil. // Housing a Forest

Math Activities

Practice counting with some truck playdough mats. // Pre Kinders

Or add googly eyes to monsters!

Teach kids about odd and even numbers with some hands-on activity sheets.

Clip 2-dimensional shapes. // The Measured Mom

And piece together shape puzzles.

Introduce addition and subtraction with mini activity books. // Liz's Early Learning Spot

Turn a Ziploc into a math problem solver. // Mrs. T's First Grade Class

Build addition facts with LEGOS!

Play a fun round of Math Fact Jenga. // The First Grade Parade

Work on coin values and adding. // 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Learn about AM/PM and telling time to the nearest 5-minute interval.

Introduce fractions with one of kids' favorite things: pizza!

Teach kids a quick trick for solving multiplication problems in a jiffy. // Teach Mama

Grab 150+ More STEM Challenges

Save time piecing together your STEM activities! Hop over and join The Plato Pack so you can download ALL of our print-and-play STEM centers in one spot!

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50+ Genius STEM Activities for Kids - The Stem Laboratory

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With a name like The STEM Laboratory, it's no surprise that we're obsessed about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities for kids. These 50+ STEM projects are sure to keep little scientists engaged, learning and well-prepared for their STEM-filled future. Get inspired below and then join The Plato Pack so you can access 150+ more engaging (easy prep!)

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In this activity from PBS’s Design Squad, kids are challenged to build a car that moves forward when air is released from a balloon. Have everyone in the family build one and race them to see whose design goes the farthest!  Once you have tried testing distance, try testing other factors such as whose car is the toughest and whose can carry the most weight.

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Build | 4-Wheel Balloon Car . DESIGN SQUAD GLOBAL | PBS KIDS

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This hands-on activity introduces kids at home or school to engineering concepts and the design process.

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https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2015/08/14/team-building-activities-that-support-maker-education-stem-and-steam/

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Let it code, let it code! At Code.org, your kids (and you!) can learn the basics of computer science while programming characters from Frozen to make shapes on the ice or to help the Angry Birds get through a maze. They have lessons that are short as an hour or ones that are more extensive. They also offer activities for older or more experienced coders that combine computer programming with art, video games, animation, and more.

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Anyone can learn computer science. Make games, apps and art with code.

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Challenge your kids to construct a vessel using household materials to carry “cargo” in the form of pennies across a wading pool. Kids will learn about the engineering design process as well as buoyancy and propulsion.

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Give your kid a fun design challenge! Ask them to design a bungee cord system to protect a raw egg and keep it from breaking. This project will teach them about gravity and other fun physics concepts!

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Summer Family Science Activities : Techbridge - Inspiring Girls in Science, Technology and Engineering

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www.whatisdesignthinking.org

Design Thinking

Suppose you are part of a thriving business and need to branch out and find that next big thing. Or say you want to change a behavior, like getting people...a lot of people...to use less energy in their homes. How would you go about it?

Design thinking is a powerful tool to tackle the unknown.

It’s a means of going on an expedition, without a map, without even knowing the destination, but with the confidence that you’ll end up somewhere great.

Let’s make it tangible with an example that captures the five key elements of design thinking. Daylight was given the challenge of getting kids in America to move more to help fight childhood obesity. The project started with an idea--provide kids with a digital music player that has a motion sensor, then give them rewards based on their activity.

But the big question was, would kids really use it? What could make the experience so compelling that they would use it long enough to see the health benefits.

Learn from people

We began by talking with kids.  We spent time in their homes and schools, across the country. We listened to them share their motivations, habits, delights and frustrations. 
The research included kids in the mainstream, but also incredibly active kids and the very sedentary. It turns out that those at the extremes are really good at giving a voice to problems  that those in the middle might feel, but have a harder time putting their finger on.

Find patterns

We captured our observations on hundreds of post-it notes and laid them all out to make sense of what we learned.

Using informed intuition, we looked for patterns that pointed to opportunities.   
Daniel said, “I get bored with solo video games, it’s the multiplayer ones that keep me coming back.” Meg said, “I don’t wear my ipod when I’m running because I want to talk to people.”

Define design principles

These quotes along with others, revealed one of the design principles  that would help us get to a successful concept.

“Facilitate social interaction at all times”

Many such design principles emerged. Together, they formed the guideposts of an experience that we felt confident would resonate with kids.

Make Tangible

We asked ourselves “How Might We” questions to bridge the gap from design principles to specific ideas and then quickly turned the best of them into rough prototypes.

Building physical devices out of simple cardboard and mocking up digital experiences with paper and pen allowed us to learn quickly. 

Iterate Relentlessly.

With each prototype we tweaked and evolved the concept.  
We brought digital and physical models to kids to listen and learn.
The concept evolved until we got to a compelling solution.  
Where we ended up was not the original idea of a digital music player.  It was instead a small activity monitor that kids could clip onto their clothes or slip into a pocket.  It was a portal to an online world that allowed kids to share and celebrate their real-world accomplishments with each other and their families.  
In a three month clinical trial, the impact was a 59% increase in physical activity.
 
Learn from people 
Look for patterns
Define design principles
Make tangible
Iterate relentlessly 

Whatever the challenge, design thinking is a powerful tool to reveal new ways of thinking and doing.
What in your world could benefit from design thinking?

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TED-Ed lessons on the subject Science & Technology. TED-Ed celebrates the ideas of teachers and students around the world. Discover hundreds of animated lessons, create customized lessons, and share your big ideas.

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Kid Scientists: True Tales of Childhood from Science Superstars (Kid Legends)

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Kid Scientists: True Tales of Childhood from Science Superstars (Kid Legends)

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BOOK FOR STUDENTS

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With the best elements of KID PRESIDENTS, KID ATHLETES, KID ARTISTS, and KID AUTHORS--colorful illustrations, kid-relatable subjects, and...

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When we explain things to kids, we shouldn't pretend that we have all the answers. We shouldn't turn science class into a dry recitation of facts that must be memorized, or only conduct experiments in the classroom in which the results are known in advance. This is what gives kids the desire to keep finding out about the world

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Pablo Picasso once declared: "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." Well, something similar can be said about scientists. According to a new study in Cognition led by Claire Cook at MIT, every child is a natural scientist. The problem is how to remain a scientist once we grow up.

The psychologists conducted their experiments on four and five-year-olds, so they had to be pretty simple. Sixty kids were shown a boxy toy that played music when beads were placed on it. Half of the children saw a version of the toy in which the toy was only activated after four beads were exactingly placed, one at a time, on the top of the toy. This was the "unambiguous condition," since it implied every bead is equally capable of activating the device. However, other children were randomly assigned to an "ambiguous condition," in which only two of the four beads activated the toy. (The other two beads did nothing.) In both conditions, the researchers ended their demo with a question: "Wow, look at that. I wonder what makes the machine go?"

Next came the exploratory phase of the study. The children were given two pairs of new beads. One of the pairs was fixed together permanently. The other pair could be snapped apart. They had one minute to play.

Here's where the ambiguity made all the difference. Children who'd seen that all beads activate the toy were far less likely to bother snapping apart the snappable bead pair. As a result, they were unable to figure out which beads activated the toy. (In fact, just one out of twenty children in that condition bothered performing the so-called "experiment".) By contrast, nearly fifty percent of children in the ambiguous condition snapped apart the beads and attempted to learn which specific beads were capable of activating the toy. The uncertainty inspired their empiricism.

A second study was similar to the first, but this time the children were only given a single bead pair that was permanently fixed. This toy was trickier to activate, since it required that the kids place the pair of beads so that one bead was one top and one bead was dangling over the edge. Once again, children first presented with ambiguous evidence were five times more likely to perform this original "experiment" and thus activate the toy.

The lesson of the research is that even little kids react to ambiguity in a systematic and specific fashion. Their mode of playing is really a form of learning, a way of figuring out how the world works. While kids in the unambiguous condition engaged in just as much play as kids in the ambiguous condition, their play was just play. It wasn't designed to decipher the causal mechanisms of the toy.

"Much as science goes beyond simple experiments, so too does exploratory play," the researchers write. "Exploratory play is a complex phenomenon, presumably subserving a range of functions other than the generating informative evidence...However, to the extent that children acquire causal knowledge through exploration, the current results begin to bridge the gap between scientific inquiry and child's play."

So if kids are natural scientists, then how can we encourage their empirical instincts? And why do children seem to lose this innate curiosity as they grow older? After all, the very same toddlers who experiment with ease on their toys end up detesting chemistry class in high school. Although the world is still full of mystery, we stop investigating it.

One provocative answer to this important set of questions comes from a recent study, "The Double-Edged Sword of Pedagogy," led by Laura Schulz, an MIT psychologist who was also senior author on the box-bead experiment. This research consisted of giving 4-year-olds a new toy outfitted with four tubes. What made the toy interesting is that each tube did something different. One tube, for instance, generated a squeaking sound, while another tube turned into a tiny mirror.

The first group of students was shown the toy by a scientist who declared that she'd just found it on the floor. Then, as she revealed the toy to the kids, she "accidentally" pulled one of the tubes and made it squeak. Her response was sheer surprise: "Huh! Did you see that? Let me try to do that again!" The second group, in contrast, got a very different presentation. Instead of feigning surprise, the scientist acted like a typical teacher. She told the students that she'd gotten a new toy and that she wanted to show them how it worked. Then, she deliberately made the toy squeak.

After the demonstration, both groups of children were given the toy to play with. Not surprisingly, all of the children pulled on the first tube and laughed at the squeak. But then something interesting happened: While the children from the second group quickly got bored with the toy, those in the first group kept on playing with it. Instead of being satisfied with the squeaks, they explored the other tubes and discovered all sorts of hidden surprises. According to the psychologists, the different reactions were caused by the act of instruction. When students are given explicit instructions, when they are told what they need to know, they become less likely to explore on their own. Curiosity is a fragile thing.

The moral is that parents and teachers must navigate the fine line between giving kids a taste of knowledge - the universe is not all mystery - while at the same time preserving a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty. When we explain things to kids, we shouldn't pretend that we have all the answers. We shouldn't turn science class into a dry recitation of facts that must be memorized, or only conduct experiments in the classroom in which the results are known in advance. Because it's the not knowing - that tang of doubt and possibility - that keeps us playing with the world, eager to figure out how it works.

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Editor's Note: Portions of this story in italics below were found to come from BPS Research. Pablo Picasso once declared: "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." Well, something similar can be said about scientists.

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How to raise smarter children

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How to Raise Smarter Children | Neil deGrasse Tyson | Goalcast

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Great books to build the wonder and scientific thinking

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The practices describe behaviors that scientists engage in as they investigate and build models and theories about the natural world and the key set of engineering practices that engineers use as they design and build models and systems. The NRC uses the term practices instead of a term like "skills" to emphasize that engaging in scientific investigation requires not only skill but also knowledge that is specific to each practice. Part of the NRC's intent is to better explain and extend what is meant by "inquiry" in science and the range of cognitive, social, and physical practices that it requires. Although engineering design is similar to scientific inquiry, there are significant differences. For example, scientific inquiry involves the formulation of a question that can be answered through investigation, while engineering design involves the formulation of a problem that can be solved through design. Strengthening the engineering aspects of the Next Generation Science Standards will clarify for students the relevance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (the four STEM fields) to everyday life.

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The NSTA Next Generation Science Standards Hub offers information, resources, news, professional learning opportunities, and expert advice in understanding and implementing the Next Generation Science Standards - NGSS

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Apps to be used with the Inquiry Cycle

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Our school just unrolled the first phase of our 1:1 iPad program tonight. In preparation of this big event, I spent some time this summer looking into how I could support and guide students through the research process using apps.

It was tougher than I expected to build a list like this....

Apps come and go.
Opinions vary.
And upgrades can leave a favorite app on the bottom of the heap.

But it was also a lot of fun to read through suggestions, try new apps, and build a chart that includes all phases of the research process. You are welcome to take it, use it, and share it:

At my school, we follow Kath Murdoch's Inquiry Cycle so I have grouped the apps according to the steps of that model. But I think they can easily be adapted to other models.

My simple hope in sharing this is that I get you thinking about which apps you use with students during the research process.
And let's keep the conversation going...

Because apps come and go Technology evolves.
But the need to be able to locate, evaluate, and use information will continue.

What would you add to the list?

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Our school just unrolled the first phase of our 1:1 iPad program tonight. In preparation of this big event, I spent some time this summer looking into how I could support and guide students through the research process using apps. It was tougher than I expected to build a list like this....

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Open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science.

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Mystery Science offers open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science. The hook, visuals, and activity have all been prepared for you. Less prep, more learning.

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innovative ways to teach elementary science

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LEGO Education encourage students to get involved in elementary science exploration by asking questions and communicating their findings.

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Scholastic DynaMath | The Math & Literacy Magazine for Grades 3- 5

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Boost math and reading skills with ONE irresistible magazine! Scholastic DynaMath features math-based nonfiction, motivating practice problems, and a whole lot more!

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OK Go Sandbox is an online resource for educators that uses OK Go's music videos as starting points for integrated guided inquiry challenges allowing students to explore various STEAM concepts.

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It's almost Summer! If you are like us, you can't wait to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and have fun! If you are a regular here, you know just how much we love science. For us, summer is the perfect time to do some of the summer science activities for kids we have been putting on our to-do list all year. If you are looking for inexpensive, easy projects that are great for summertime, you have come to the right place!

Icy Science Activities for Kids

I can't think of a better way to enjoy the summer, than with a nice cold science experiment. Here are just a few that we love and adore. They are simple and easy to set up. Best of all, your kids will want to do them OVER and OVER again.

Lego Ice Excavation Science | Our lego-lovers are obsessed with incorporating their legos into their everyday acience activites. We had so much fun with this lego ice excavation science activty!

1. Sticky Ice| Turn a Piece of Ice into Glue using this simple and easy experiment using salt and ice. You can try this one today in your kitchen or wait for a warm day when you just want something fun to cool you off.

2. Icy Treasures | Ice Excavations with Lego, Rainbows, or Spacemen can be downright exciting for kids. They can test a variety of materials to try to save their beloved toys that are stuck inside the ice. The variations are endless.

3. Fizzing Ice Cubes | Another simple kitchen science activity that your kids are sure to love. The colors and the tactile sensory fun are an added bonus.

Bubbling, Exploding and Fizzy Experiments

What kid doesn't want to explode something, right? Summer is perfect for these messy science activities because you can get outside and bubble or fizz away. The bigger the better!

Exploding Lunch Bag | Learn about gas and expansion through this simple and fun activity. My kids have done this at their dad's house and absolutely love it. I know we will be trying it here this summer too!

Rainbow Bubble Snakes | Who wouldn't want to try this? I have seen this over and over and I just can't wait to try it. I love how it will open the door for such great scientific conversations about bubbles. I can already imagine all the questions, can't you?

Pop Rocks | Try to blow up balloons with this classic candy. We have this and Mento science on our list for this summer. There is some fascination with seeing the explosive chemical reaction that kids just love!

Lemon Suds | Okay, I might have put this in here just because its Lemon. No, that's not it, I think it is a beautiful sudsy mess that would be perfect on the back porch on a warm summer day!

Summer Earth & Life Science Activities

What better time than summer to get outside and explore the world. Its a great time to take time to learn about the elements and the creatures that surround us. It is a great time to investigate things just a little further.

Exploding Volcano with a Twist | Everyone has tried the volcano exploding science experiment, but this one has a fun twist that makes it even more realistic!

Study Rocks | If your kids are anything like mine, summer is a time for collections and bringing the outdoors inside. We loved collecting rocks and learning more about their hardness and their names through this science activity.

Beach Density Jar | We love this beach density jar science experiment. It's such a fun blend of science and sensory fun!

Edible Rock Cycle | After you learn about rocks, it can be really fun to learn some about the different kinds of rocks, how they are formed and the rock cycle. This is a great activity for those rainy days when you need something fun and scientific for the kids.

Giant Worm Tower | We love worms. We have a compost bin in our backyard and had a worm bin in the basement, but there is nothing like being able to see them work on such a grand scale. We might just have to make this soon!

Weather Science Activities for Kids

Summer is a time of so many different weather experiences. Kids are naturally curious about the way weather works such as rainstorms, clouds, changing temperatures and more.

Lego Shadows | Take advantage of the summer sun with this super fun lego shadow activity! Build different lego towers and test out the shadows.

Rain Clouds | We have still not made rain clouds and I can't believe it. They are so beautiful and easy to make yet they explain so much. Just a little kitchen science to make the summer a little more fun. Try this outside on the deck or in the kitchen for a break from the sun.

Make Lightning | Summer is a time that is filled with thunderstorms and lightning. If your kids are anything like mine, they are fascinated by the lightning and how it works. This simple demonstration is perfect for explaining the phenomenon to them.

photo credit: orangeaurochs via photopin cc

Cricket Thermometers | Did you know you can "read" the temperature with crickets. I didn't, but I can't wait to try now. This is such a simple activity to do on those summer nights when the sounds of summer are all around you.

Pool Science | Learn about Condensation at the pool with this simple science activity. This would be great for those minute that seem to never end when kids are waiting to get back in the water after lunch.

Wind Science | Build your own Anemometer to learn about wind. This is such a beautiful project that will carry your summer learning into fall. What a great activity for any kid who loves to build and create.

Summer Chemistry and Physics Experiments

Sinking Soda Summer Science | Add some science to your next backyard barbecue with this super simple summer science project finding out if soda sinks!

Outdoor Chemistry Lab | Create an Outdoor Chemistry Lab and test unknown materials and liquids. Just getting outside means you get to be messier and investigate those pesky unknown liquids with all your might. Get messy and enjoy the summer weather while becoming a budding chemist!

Summer Physics | Create and Engineer an egg drop project this summer. Test a variety of locations, conditions and contraptions. Summer is the perfect time for a project like this. We might even try this again, and do it into a pool.

Film Canister Rockets | Engineer the coolest rockets using a simple technique. I know film canisters might be hard to come by. We are planning on trying this with Pringles cans or medicine containers. I think it will be a blast!

Solar Oven S'Mores | Build a Solar Oven to cook your s'mores this summer. I know how much my kids love s'mores and they love them even more from a creation they engineered themselves.

Sprinkler Science | How cool is this simple sprinkler? Its such a perfect outdoor summer engineering project for kids. Don't tell them what it does and let the fun begin with outdoor science fun.

Wth these must-try summer science activites you'll be able to keep your kiddos busy all summer long. When the weather gets hot and the kids get whiny, be sure to pull out one of these super simple experiments and you're pretty much guaranteed a meltdown-free afternoon!

Looking for more STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) projects and inspiration?

Looking for some more STEAM inspiration that use can use right now? Instant gratification style? Check outSTEAM Kids: 50+ Hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math Hands-On Projects for Kids ebook! It's packed full of a year's worth fun learning activities that will wow the boredom right out of your kids.

And Don't Forget to Check Out The Other Must Try Science Experiments!

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25+ Must-Try Summer Science Activities for Kids

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It's almost Summer! If you are like us, you can't wait to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and have fun! If you are a regular here, you know just how much we love science. For us, summer is the perfect time to do some of the summer science activities for kids we have been putting on our to-do list all year.

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Welcome to K is for Kinetics! As part of this month's A-Z STEM blog series, we created Googly Monster Kinetic Sculptures. They combine engineering with a bit of art to make a fun, movable puppet show. Plus, they're a great way to teach about kinetics, the study of forces acting on mechanisms. This post contains affiliate links.

What are Kinetic Sculptures and How Do They Work?

Kinetic sculptures are art that rely upon perceivable motion to create an effect. The motion can be powered by machines, by the wind (think mobiles) or by you. Famous kinetic sculptors like Alexander Calder used motion to change how a person perceives the pattern and colors in their art.

Today's project uses mechanics to give motion to a static object and is of the automata style of kinetic sculpture. Automata use mechanical elements like cams, followers, cranks and pulleys to make parts of the sculpture move.

We used recycled materials like cardboard and chopsticks to create the parts in the sculpture. Cardboard disk cams translate a chopstick's circular motion into up and down and circular googly monster motion. Here are the Googly Monster Kinetic Sculpture cams and followers in action.

Kinetic Sculpture Inspiration

This post was inspired by our visit to San Francisco's Exploratorium. In their Tinkering Studio, you can take a workshop to build these kinetic sculptures. The Babe is a little too young for the workshop, but we took pictures and built ours at home :) By the way, this post is more for elementary aged kids than the preschoolers, but my nearly four year old daughter really loved being an assistant and playing with the sculpture.

Click here to find all about the museum's cardboard adventures, which are absolutely amazing! And if you go visit, you definitely have to check out their Tinkering Vending Machine. I need one in my garage...

Make Your Own Googly Monster Kinetic Sculpture

Supplies needed:

Small cardboard box (narrower than a chopstick)

3 chopsticks or bamboo skewers

2 wide straws

Large milk bottle cap or other circle shaped item ~2″ across

Pen

Scissors

Skinny, pointy item like a screw or skewer (I used a meat thermometer...)

Masking tape

Glue gun

2 Monster Finger Puppets

Build Your Googly Monster Kinetic Sculpture

Make your sculpture frame: Cut top and bottom off of your cardboard box. Put unused cardboard aside for another step.

Reinforce the sculpture frame: Reinforce sides and corners with masking tape. We used cute masking tape that we store on our DIY PVC Pipe Tape Dispenser.

For the puppet chop stick holes: Poke two holes in the top of the box with your skinny pointy item. Where you ask? You need them far enough apart that the mechanisms won't bump into either each other or the sides of the box. In my 6 1/4″ inner diameter box, I placed the holes at about 2″ and 5″ from the left side. Poke a pen through the holes in the top to make the holes wider. Insert a 2-3″ long piece of straw so that half is above the box and half is inside the box. Glue around the straw and hole with the glue gun.

For the cam chop stick holes: Mark a hole half way down both sides of the frame. Poke with your skinny pointy item and then make the holes bigger with a chopstick.

Make your sculpture cams: Cut 4 ~2″ circles from the unused top or bottom of the cardboard box. These are your cams and cam-followers.

Mark the center of two of the cardboard circles. Balance the pointy tip of a chopstick in the hole of the cams. Glue in place with the glue gun (you might need to hold it upright for a minute while the glue cools down). This combo is called the cam-follower and the push-rod.

To make your monster turn in a circle, take a cardboard circle and mark the center. Poke a hole all the way through the cam with your skinny pointy item. Then poke a chopstick all of the way through the hole. Pipe a bead of glue all the way around the circumference of the cam to give the cam some grip.

To make your monster go up and down and turn in a circle, mark a cardboard circle half way between the center and the edge. Poke a hole all the way through the cam with your skinny pointy item. Then poke a chopstick all of the way through the hole. Pipe a glue edge on this cam as above.

The picture below shows where to attach the chop sticks.

1. Make your googly monsters: Instructions to make these adorably easy googly monsters are in the Googly Monster Finger Puppets post. Click through for the easy how-to.

2. Putting it all together:

Feed one chopstick through a side hole, then add both cams and feed through the other side holes.

Feed each puppet push-rod through a straw hole and put a googly monster on top.

Align the vertical cams with puppet cam-followers so that the puppets turn and raise up and down. Once you've found the right spot for optimum movement, glue the vertical cams in place.

There are a few more things you could do to your sculpture... Decorate it. Add a crank handle to the chopstick. Add washers to the puppet cam-followers if they seem to be popping off the vertical cams.

More Automata Resources

Want to make your monster get a real workout? Or have your older kiddo get a harder brain workout? Teacher Lizabeth Arum has posted an amazing middle-school level Automata Curriculum. You'll find information on more advanced cam/follower configurations as well as the math behind how these work.

For even more inspiration, these Automata books look really fun. {affiliate}

Can't get enough STEM?

This post is part of a series this month called A-Z STEM. Every day is a new letter and new ways to learn and play with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Click through to Little Bins for Little Hands to see a list of all the projects.

To be the first to see what Left Brain Craft Brain has in store for the letters V (for viscosity) and W (for weight), sign up for the Left Brain Craft Brain newsletter or follow me on Pinterest.
Visit Anne @ Left Brain Craft Brain's profile on Pinterest.

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Welcome to K is for Kinetics! As part of this month's A-Z STEM blog series , we created Googly Monster Kinetic Sculptures. They combine engineering with a bit of art to make a fun, movable puppet show. Plus, they're a great way to teach about kinetics, the study of forces acting on mechanisms. This post contains affiliate links.

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Tumble is all about the stories of science discovery — how science works, the bumps along the way to knowledge, and how we come to know what we know. Tumble is made with kids ages 6–12 in mind, Check out the episodes on dark energy, vomiting robots, whale sharks, dinosaurs, and more!

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A SCIENCE PODCAST FOR KIDS

Tumble is a science podcast for kids, to be enjoyed by the entire family. We tell stories about science discoveries, with the help of scientists! Join Lindsay and Marshall as they ask questions, uncover mysteries, and share what science is all about.

"Often compared to a kid-friendly Radiolab, this podcast not only addresses fascinating topics but also tries to foster a love of science itself by interviewing scientists about their process and discoveries. Even kids who think they don't like science may change their minds after listening to this podcast."

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Podcast | Tumble Science Podcast for Kids | Austin

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Tumble is a science podcast for kids and grownups. We tell stories about science discoveries, with the help of scientists!

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Ask an Expert: Answers to Your Science Questions

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Get answers to your science questions with help from our Science Experts

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Ideas For Art Projects | Elmer's Craft Ideas For Teachers

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Looking for classroom inspiration? Here at Elmer's, teachers can get ideas for school art projects, view tips, join the Teachers' Club, and more.

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What is human centered design?

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Building growth mind set according to science

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Building growth mind set according to science

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collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation and confidence.

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How To Raise Brilliant Children, According To Science | KQED

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Two developmental psychologists break down 21st century skills and give everyday tips for parents on how to instill them.

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Kobi Yamada writes pictures books with a great focus on embracing ideas, creativity, failure, and creativity.

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Kobi Yamada has 83 books on Goodreads with 42787 ratings. Kobi Yamada's most popular book is What Do You Do with an Idea?.

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Book that connect students with real scientific struggles

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Book that connect students with real scientific struggles

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Student who read about the personal and intellectual struggles of scientists feel more motivated to learn science.

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Ada Byron Lovelace was the world's first computer programmer, creating a coding algorithm years before the modern computer was invented. This picture book biography describes how measles left her temporarily blind and paralyzed and how she overcame society's negative attitudes towards women in the sciences.

Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World, by Laurie Lawler and Laura Beingessner

Rachel Carson's writing and research helped launch the modern environmental movement. This picture book shares her struggles growing up in poverty during the Great Depression, the sacrifices her family made to send her to college, and the challenges she faced entering a male-dominated field.

On a Beam of Light, by Jennifer Berne and Vladimir Radunsky

Through simple text and stunning illustrations, this book explores Albert Einstein's early struggles with learning and school - and how they propelled his later accomplishments. The New York Times described this book as ""something of an It Gets Better Project for mathematically precocious children."

Snowflake Bentley, by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and Mary Azarian

Wilson Bentley was a nature photographer who showed the world that "no two snowflakes are alike." This picture book describes his unstoppable grit in pursuit of his dream and includes sidebars with more information about the methods and science behind his work.

The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by H. Joseph Hopkins and Jill McElmurry

Botanist Kate Sessions, the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a science degree, is best known for transforming San Diego from a desert town to a green paradise. The picture book describes obstacles and social taboos that she faced and overcame, utilizing the refrain: "but she did."

Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian by Margarita Engle and Julie Paschkis

In the seventeenth century Europe -- when many thought butterflies were evil creatures that generated spontaneously from mud --entomolygist Maria Merian made her mission to study them. After years of study, she wrote and illustrated a groundbreaking book about the life-cycle of a butterfly. This picture book describes how she conducted much of her work in secret because of the negative perceptions around this insect.
Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola
As her biography at National Geographic notes, " called 'Her Deepness' by the and the New York Times , 'Living Legend' by the Library of Congress, and first 'Hero for the Planet' by magazine, [Sylvia Earle] is an oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer." This beautifully illustrated picture book describes how a difficult move to a new state during her childhood awakened a life-long passion. The author's note would also make a good read-aloud for teens, describing her scientific work in more depth and how she "defied conventional expectations at every stage of her life."

At 144 pages, this brief memoir is broken into several small chapters in which theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking writes about his childhood, his research and - of course - his life with ALS, which gradually paralyzed him over the course of decades and required him to develop compensatory methods for engaging in his research. Teachers could use or read aloud excerpts of this compelling autobiography.

Written for teens, this graphic novel vividly portrays the life of the vivacious physicist Richard Feynman. It captures his tenacity in the face of trying circumstances -- from working on the Manhattan project to uncovering the cause of the Challenger explosion to caring for his ailing wife.

This is another graphic novel for teens, tracing the lives of three primatologists who were students of Richard Leakey and who lived among the primates. As the Booklist review notes, "For all the playful mugging and gratifying discoveries, though, Ottaviani doesn't shy away from the struggles of living and working in the bush."

Breakthrough! How Three People Saved "Blue Babies" and Changed Medicine Forever, by Jim Murphy

Knapp describes this short nonfiction narrative as a "wonderfully written story of a black man, a white man and a woman, who all struggled in different ways (personally and professionally) to pioneer a surgery that saved the lives of 'blue babies.'"

This collection features several short life-sketches of African-American inventors - from Henry Sampson (who created the gamma-electric cell) to Percy Julian (who synthesized cortisone from soy). The stories emphasize the perseverance of these inventors in the face of racism and other life challenges.

These short biographical sketches average four pages in length - an easy read aloud - and highlight female scientists in the following fields: medicine, biology and the environment, genetics and development, physics, earth and stars, math and technology, and invention. Several stories note obstacles they faced, including gender bias, illness, and family disapproval.

Brilliant Blunders: From Darwin to Einstein - Colossal Mistakes by Great Scientists That Changed Our Understanding of Life and the Universe, by Mario Livio

In this 300+ page book, astrophysicist Mario Livio draws on the lives of five scientists (Charles Darwin, Lord Kelvin, Linus Pauling, Fred Hoyle, and Albert Einstein) to show how great progress often comes in the wake of "colossal mistakes." This is a great resource book for high school science teachers who want to infuse their classes with stories about how can setbacks set the stage for progress -- if we let them.

Bonus Resource: The PBS/NOVA web-series, The Secret Life of Scientist "provides a humanizing snapshot of scientists who are shaping our world." Each episode profiles a contemporary scientists in three or four discrete, one-to-three minute video clips. The site is searchable by topic and includes blog posts and a teacher's guide.

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14 Books That Connect Students With Valuable Scientists' Struggles | KQED

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Ada Byron Lovelace was the world's first computer programmer, creating a coding algorithm years before the modern computer was invented. This picture book biography describes how measles left her temporarily blind and paralyzed and how she overcame society's negative attitudes towards women in the sciences.

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Representation matters: Girls do better on science tests when their textbooks include images of female scientists. And a 2017 survey by Microsoft found that girls in Europe begin to show interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields at 11 years old but lose it at around 15-and a lack of female role models is one reason for the drop in interest.

That's why we've created this list of books showing girls and women who are passionate about STEM fields. After asking librarians for recommendations, pulling still more from School Library Journal, and checking best-seller and award lists, we selected picture books, biographies, novels, and memoirs appropriate for kids from kindergarten to 12th grade. These books-most of which were published in 2016-represent a wide range of STEM fields, from marine biology to volcanology to math.

You'll find recommendations for lower elementary, upper elementary, middle school, and high school. For each book, we list the appropriate grade levels, and the Lexile measure when possible.

Kindergarten to Grade 3

Rosie Revere, Engineer
Andrea Beaty's New York Times best-selling picture book explores growth mindset, perseverance, and failure. Rosie Revere wants to create a contraption that flies, but it only hovers. Her great-great-aunt, Rosie the Riveter, describes her failure as a success and tells her, "You can only truly fail if you quit." (Grades K and up; Lexile measure: AD860L)

Ada Twist, Scientist
Ada Twist, Scientist, also by Andrea Beaty, follows Ada Twist, a young black girl who uses science to explore her world. Ada's curiosity takes her on a journey to uncover the source of a horrible smell in her house. Through asking questions, experimenting, and gathering facts, Ada realizes that some questions lead to more questions rather than answers. (Grades K-2; Lexile measure: 550)

Grades 4 to 6

Grades 7 to 8

Grades 9 to 12

Lab Girl
Winner of the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award for autobiography and noted by Time, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Amazon as a best memoir or best book of 2016. Hope Jahren chronicles her lifelong passion for nature and science. Her memoir explores her relationship with her parents and the impact it had in cultivating her love of science as a child, and how her passion for plants and science gave her a deeper insight into herself. (Grades 9-12; Lexile measure: 1240L)

In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom
This memoir by Qanta A. Ahmed, a British Muslim doctor, begins in the late 1990s when her application to renew her U.S. visa is denied and she accepts a job in Saudi Arabia. Though excited about the prospect of forming a deeper connection to her faith, she struggles with being a feminist, a doctor, and a Western woman living and working in a country that's deeply oppressive to women.(Grades 9-12)

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Science, technology, engineering, and math are more important than ever, so we've put together a list of books to encourage girls to persevere in these subjects.

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With STEAM programs on the rise, teachers across the country are inspiring students to build, create, tinker, and make. And what better way to create a springboard for learning than with engaging picture books that will hook kids on a plethora of topics? We've spent some time at the library to find some of the best picture books to foster creativity and celebrate science, mathematics, engineering and the arts with children. And beyond using these books to reinforce essential curriculum topics, you'll also find a few other important lessons in our top picks... like perseverance, confidence, innovation, and the importance of making mistakes.

Sandy's Circus by Tanya Lee Stone is a story about a young boy who was always fiddling with odds and ends and using his imagination to make things. When he got older and became an artist, his fiddling led him to create wire sculptures. One day, he made a lion and then a lion cage. This is a great springboard for making and a must-have book for makerspaces!

Music over Manhattan by Mark Karlins is a bout a little boy who has lived his entire life in the shadow of his cousin Herbert. But after his eccentric teaches him to play the trumpet, he no longer has to play second fiddle to his cousin. With a theme of persistence and determination, this is also a great book for integrating the standards of mathematical practice and artistic creativity.

What Color is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors by Kareem Abdul Jabbar introduces 16 mostly lesser-known African American inventors through a fictional story told by young twins who discover many of the items we use every day were invented or developed by African Americans.

Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty is fun story about a hopelessly curious little girl with a boundless imagination. Ada sets out to answer some of the nagging questions in her head by applying the scientific method. This is a delightful addition to Beaty's Iggy Peck, Architect and Rosie Revere, Engineer.

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty makes the exploration and experimentation of building things exciting for kids. Rosie loves to invent things, but not all of her ingenious inventions work on the first try. Beaty humorous, heartfelt story combined with the fun illustrations help children understand that the learning is in the process not the final product.

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant is an outstanding picture book biography of a self-taught artist who finds his artistic voice after being wounded in WWI. The story is full of memorable details of Pippin's life such as his early love of art, his thrill of winning an art contest as a boy, and his determination not to give up.

Me....Jane by Patrick McDonnell shares the early life primatologist Jane Goodall. Told through the eyes of 10-year-old Jane when girls were discouraged to live the life of science and adventure, this heartwarming story shares the determined spirit of a child who was told that her dreams were impossible.

What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada explores how having a creative, unique idea can be both exciting and uncomfortable. Yamada tells the story of how one child's confidence grows despite discouragement from others, and his idea becomes a reality.

Philip Reid Saves the Statue of Freedom by Eugene Walton tells the story of a little-known but significant manner in which the Statue of Freedom made it to the top of the Capitol dome. Rich with history, Walton showcases innovative thinking and problem solving to preserve one of our country's most important symbols.

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires is a wonderful story about a young girl who loves to create things. When she tries to create something truly magnificent, things don't go as planned. The story and illustrations impart a great message that encourages kids not to quit in the face of disappointment but that sometimes we just have to find a new perspective.

On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne begins with the birth of an odd little boy who didn't utter a word until he was nearly four years old. However, the awkward little boy discovered an insatiable curiosity in the world around him. In his quest to understand the mysteries in the world, he asked countless questions. His teachers labeled him a disturbance and determined that his prospects would be limited unless he learned to follow the rule and behave. The central message of this wonderful picture book is not what Einstein discovered for us, rather his quest for understanding that which we do not understand.

Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian by Margarita Engle and illustrated by Julie Paschkis combines art and science to engage students. Maria Merian, a 17 th century naturalist who discovered the process of metamorphosis at the young age of 13. The gorgeous illustrations and thoughtfully told story explain one of the most important contributions to our understanding of entomology.

Bon Appetit! The Delicious Life of Julia Child by Jessie Hartland delivers a heartwarming illustrated biography of one of the most iconic women of our time. Readers of any age will enjoy the story of this legendary chef that revolutionized cooking long before women had a voice in business or the media.

The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau by Michelle Markel shares the challenges of one of the greatest painters in history. Born into poverty and self-taught as an artist later in his adult years, Rousseau earned money for art supplies by teaching music lessons and continued to paint until he finally paints his masterwork "The Dream" at the end of his life. The central theme of this story, that success is found within ourselves rather than from critics, is a powerful message for young artists.

The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Heiligman tells the story of "the magician from Budapest," one of the most prolific mathematicians of the 20 th century. Beyond the mathematical theme, Heiligman reinforces the beauty of our unique differences that are often classified as weird or nerdy.

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak teaches children that they have the ability to stretch and grow their own brains. In fun, easy to understand language and illustrations, Deak explains the parts of the brain and the functions of each. She also delivers the crucial message that making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn and grow.

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children's literature to promote creativity and the arts

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Great Picture Books to Promote Creativity and STEAM

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With STEAM programs on the rise, teachers across the country are inspiring students to build, create, tinker, and make. And what better way to create a springboard for learning than with engaging picture books that will hook kids on a plethora of topics?

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'Tis the season for making book lists and checking them twice! This week on Science Friday, authors Deborah Blum and Annalee Newitz wrap up the Best Science Books of 2014. But what about the kids? In these five children's books, wickedly talented authors and illustrators take on the science of supernovas, worms, stomach rumblings, and more with impressive style.

Professor Astro Cat's Frontiers of Space, by Dominic Walliman and Ben Newman (Flying Eye Books)

Every child deserves to learn moon facts from a space-cat wearing a tiny fedora. Written by physicist Dominic Walliman, with pictures by award-winning illustrator Ben Newman, Professor Astro Cat's Frontiers of Space explains everything kids need to know about our universe and how we explore it. Ever wonder how rockets work, how spacesuits evolved, or just how big Earth is compared to our neighboring planets? Professor Astro Cat breaks it down with clever diagrams and ingenious comparisons. (If Earth were a cherry tomato, Mercury would be a peppercorn and Jupiter, a watermelon!) Best of all, like any good scientist, Walliman doesn't claim to have all the answers. Sections on the future of space travel and the possibility of extra-terrestrial life leave the mysteries of deep space open for future scientists to unravel.

Shackleton's Journey, by William Grill (Flying Eye Books)

Ernest Shackleton once wrote, "I believe it is in our nature to explore, to reach out into the unknown. The only true failure would be not to explore at all." That passion for adventure comes to life in Shackleton's Journey, William Grill's beautiful picture book about the explorer's failed attempt to cross Antarctica. Grill's colored pencil drawings are lively and charming, with an attention to detail. Elaborate visual lists immortalize every one of Shakleton's 69 sled dogs and detail each piece of equipment packed on board the explorer's ship, Endurance. Meanwhile, vast seascapes convey Antarctic loneliness and the peril of an ice-packed sea.

Animalium (Welcome to the Museum), by Katie Scott and Jenny Broom (Candlewick Press)

For the kid who lingers over the cases of taxidermied animals at the natural history museum, is the ticket. Consider this oversized encyclopedia a museum visit between two covers. Katie Scott and Jenny Broom divide the animal kingdom into "galleries," arranged in evolutionary order from sea sponges to mammals. Some showcase animal families; others explore habitats or zero in on a single species. Scott's full-page pen and ink spreads have the timeless elegance of a John James Audubon print, and Broom's prose moves nimbly between broad facts to curious details. Take, for example, the book's account of frog metamorphosis. The illustrations carefully record the stages from spawn to adult, while this tidbit-Darwin's frogs nurture their young in their mouths-is memorable enough to stick with readers long after their tour.

Infographics: Human Body, by Peter Grundy and Simon Rogers (Candlewick Press)

For every gross or awe-inspiring fact about the human body you'll find in Infographics: Human Body, designer Peter Grundy has a stylishly minimalist infographic to match. Take, for example, the image exploring the body as a "factory." Grundy's blocky human icon sports a pencil leg (we each contain enough carbon to make 900 pencils), a cannon firing from its backend (humans produce one liter of gas every day), and a cleaver hovering above an itchy pet (humans contain enough sulphur to kill a dog's fleas.) With bold colors, simple shapes, and subtle humor, Infographics explains complex bodily processes in kid-size pieces.

The Worm, by Elise Gravel (Tundra Books)

Elise Gravel's is the second book in her Disgusting Critter series, which introduces kids to the charms of such squirm-inducers as head lice, flies, rats, slugs, and spiders. In this installment, Gravel covers basics like worm anatomy and diet with simple text and bold, hand-lettered typography. But it's the earthworm protagonist, sporting a beret and greeting readers with a worldly "Énchanté!", that helps make the book so entertaining. It has a witty quip for every wormy fact (at one point, the hermaphrodite exclaims "You look ravishing today, dear!" to its tail). But even the book's more aesthetically challenged creatures-tapeworms, I'm looking at you-can't help but woo with their cute dot-eyes and expressive mouths. The Worm is gross, silly, and informative-the perfect combo for maximum kid appeal.

Meet the Writer

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Five Books Guaranteed to Make Kids Love Science - Science Friday

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'Tis the season for making book lists and checking them twice! This week on Science Friday, authors Deborah Blum and Annalee Newitz wrap up the Best Science Books of 2014. But what about the kids? In these five children's books, wickedly talented authors and illustrators take on the science of supernovas, worms, stomach rumblings, and more with impressive style.

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Growth mindset, engineering and fairy tales

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Growth mindset, engineering and fairy tales

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PK-2 project connecting growth mindset through fairy tales and building.

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Here's some real talk about my experience using STEM in the classroom.

When I am coordinating S.T.E.M. curriculum for grades 1-5, I observe many students exploring the STEM process who are truly engaged with hands-on learning.

For the most part, students LOVE it!

However...

Sometimes I also see students who are not yet comfortable with taking risks.

Some students are not emotionally equipped for dealing with the disappointment that arises when their great idea doesn't quite work out the way they wanted.

Other students feel threatened by other students who have "better" ideas, and feel defeated rather than inspired.

For some students, there's an emotional side of being expected to take risks, make mistakes and collaborate with others. You can probably think of students you know who think their first idea HAS to be perfect. When it's not, they might give up, or worse - act out negatively.

For these students, S.T.E.M. challenges can also be an emotional challenge.

So should we avoid doing S.T.E.M. with those students?

Absolutely not! On the contrary, it's the perfect learning opportunity.

These students need some tools to help them cope with challenges, and I've found Growth Mindset concepts in particular to be a highly effective strategy to teach these coping tools.

I feel that I owe it to my students to give them coping strategies; I am presenting situations that I know will be particularly difficult for some of them. I want to give them the tools they will need to handle it. Hopefully these tools will help them in many other life situations as well!

My solution to this situation has been to combine Growth Mindset concepts with my STEM projects.

S.T.E.M. and Growth Mindset concepts complement and reinforce each other perfectly, so teaching them together is a perfect match!

Growth mindset encourages exactly the kind of positive thinking that will help with STEM challenges.

For example, growth mindset thinking teach us that:
-mistakes help us learn -we can persevere through unexpected problems and disappointments -sometimes it takes several tries to solve a problem
Growth mindset concepts also foster an inner dialogue that is essential for STEM exploration.

For example:
-I can always improve. -I'm on the right track. -I can keep trying even when it's hard. -This may take some time and effort. -I can build on previous ideas. -I haven't solved the problem - YET!
Watch the preview video for my S.T.E.M. bundle below!

We use fairy tales to explore both Growth Mindset and STEM!

Students love fairy tales because they are fun and familiar, so we begin by reading short partner plays together. You can easily write your own plays with student input, or pre-write simple partner plays like I have.

In our partner plays, the characters have either a growth mindset or a fixed mindset. After several readings and discussion, students become experts at recognizing which is which. I little humor goes a long way, too!

For example, in the passage below from Little Red Riding Hood, Granny has a fixed mindset, and Little Red Riding Hood has a Growth Mindset!

Students quickly learn how to tell the two apart:

We also do some writing and sorting to solidify the concept.

We use simple workbooks or flip books as shown below.

This is a bundle of 5 Seasonal STEM sets (30 challenges altogether) that will make it SIMPLE to explore STEM in your classroom, while incorporating literacy through fun PARTNER PLAYS to set up each challenge!

What is STEM? And why are Partner Plays Helpful?

STEM involves:

★ presenting students with an authentic problem
★ challenging students to collaborate for possible solutions
★ making specific plans for the solution
★ testing the model to see if it solves the problem
★ reflecting, revising, and re-testing
★ reflecting on success and recognizing mistakes as part of the process

In our classroom, each STEM challenge is introduced through a simple seasonal partner play so that the engineering challenge will be purposeful and authentic.
The STEM challenge is meant to be completed after reading each partner play, and involves solving a problem for the characters in the play.

For example, at the end of each fairy tale play, students are presented with a STEM challenge that directly relates to the story.

Here is an example of how the partner play ends with a specific STEM challenge:

In the above example, students are given the task of helping Rapunzel out of her tower.

Students now have a relevant purpose for their challenge!

Each table is given a bin of supplies, such as tape, cardboard, stir sticks, paper cups, elastics, pipe cleaners, and anything else I have handy.

Students plan, collaborate and build! Here are some pictures of our creations for various fairy tale STEM challenges:

Here is a video of students designing and testing the catapult they made in order to get the cookies over the forest to land at Granny's house!

I always like to have a written component to document our learning. This way we can also look back to past challenges and see if they might help with our current challenge. We use either WORKBOOKS or FLIP BOOKS to write about our STEM exploration.

Do you use STEM challenges in your classroom?

Are there students who would benefit from pairing Growth Mindset lessons with STEM? You can create your own partner plays, journals or flip books to go along with any fairy tale.

If you'd prefer to try some of the examples I've shown above, they are available two different bundles :

LOOKING FOR SEASONAL STEM?

These partner plays set up seasonal STEM challenges for each season of the school year, plus a bonus pack just for Christmas! They are simple, engaging, and very little prep. Click HERE to see it!

FREE RESOURCES

I have some free downloads to get you started with STEM and Growth Mindset in your classroom.

First, you can try a Growth Mindset flip book which can be used with any version of the Little Red Riding Hood. It is part of the preview for Bundle 2, so click the preview button to grab it HERE.

Pin this free flip book for later!

MORE STEM RESOURCES

Are your students clear on the steps involved with STEM process?

I have posters outlining the steps on my wall so I can refer to them often during lessons and discussions.

If you'd like to download my posters to use in your classroom, you can download them for free.

Pin this free flip book for later!

Pin this post for later!

There are lots of other ways to create a GROWTH MINDSET classroom!

You can write different ideas each day in Growth Mindset journals, fill your room with encouraging Growth Mindset posters and coloring activities, use Growth Mindset task cards and writing prompts, and even positive notes for students!
Click HERE to take a look at all the options for your classroom.
You can also grab two FREE posters and activities for writing, math and coloring (as pictured above) by clicking below!

Pin these free posters for later!

Or, pin this whole post for later!

Thanks for taking a look!

Continue exploring with any of the links below:

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S.T.E.M. and Growth Mindset - Whimsy Workshop Teaching

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When I am coordinating S.T.E.M. curriculum for grades 1-5, I observe many students exploring the STEM process who are truly engaged with hands-on learning. Sometimes I also see students who are not yet comfortable with taking risks. Some students are not emotionally equipped for dealing with the disappointment that arises when their great idea doesn't quite work out the way they wanted.

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DOGO News - Kids news articles! Kids current events; plus kids news on science, sports, and more!

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DOGO News has fun articles for kids on current events, science, sports, and more! There are also lots of stories, pictures, videos, games and the DOGO news map for kids! Add your comments, read reviews of cool websites, and more!

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There are no shortage of apps out there that make kids really hyper. And any parent knows how hard it is to pry an iPad out of a kid's hands when it's time for bed. So we rounded up some end-of-day options that are a good compromise: Whether they play relaxing sounds, or teach simple-to-follow meditation techniques, they can lull just about any amped-up kid to sleep.

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There are no shortage of apps out there that make kids really hyper. And any parent knows how hard it is to pry an iPad out of a kid's hands when it's time for bed.

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Teachers' #1 Choice for Current, On-Level Nonfiction

Over 6 million students read Scholastic News every week! See why so many teachers rely on this exceptional magazine to engage their students, build nonfiction-reading skills, and increase content-area knowledge.

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Teach current events in your elementary classroom, grades 1-6.

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If your household is anything like mine, the excitement of summer break can come to a crashing halt when the cries of "I'm bored!!!" begin. And that can sometimes happen on day 2 of summer!

If you're feeling fresh out of ideas, check out my list of:

10 Mindful Summer Activities!

These mindful summer activities are mindful in the sense that they are helping our kids learn to pay attention (to their bodies and their minds) and to understand their feelings. You don't even have to use the word mindfulness - make it a fun activity and the learning will happen organically!

1. The Popsicle Challenge

The next time you eat a popsicle on a hot day, challenge your kids to be silent until their popsicle is entirely gone. Encourage them to really notice all the different tastes (one of those three-flavor popsicles would be great for this).

What flavors do they notice? Does the popsicle start to feel different in their mouth as it starts melting? What temperature changes do they notice? Was it hard to stay quiet the whole time? There are lots of things you could talk about when you finish the challenge!

2. Sky Study

Put a blanket down on the lawn and spend some time staring at the clouds. What shapes do they see? Animals? People?

Spend at least 10-15 minutes studying the sky - and notice how the clouds gently move along. Notice how the cloud that first looked like a pig now looks like a cat. This is a great way to introduce the idea that our minds are kind of like the sky - thoughts float through on their own, and they change on their own. We can watch our thoughts in our minds like we watch the clouds!

3. Noticing Walk

Go for a walk in your neighborhood and ask your kids to try to notice 10 things they've never really paid attention to before - perhaps the color of the neighbor's shutters or the flowers along the boulevard. You could also try to listen for new sounds, too. Ask them why they think they've never noticed them!

4. Slow-Fast-Slow

With mindfulness, we practice slowing down, so we don't feel so rushed all the time. The next time you're at the playground, try playing "Slow-Fast-Slow." Whatever your kids are doing - playing in the sand, running through tunnels - have them try to do it slow, then fast, and then slow again.

Talk about what it felt like to do something slowly. Did it feel different? Did you notice something you hadn't before when you were playing fast? Did you like moving more slowly, or do you like to be quick?

5. Free Lemonade Stand

My kids LOVE having lemonade stands in the summer (my daughter thinks she's going to make enough money for an iPhone through her lemonade and cookie business). But what about doing a free lemonade stand? Talk to your kids about generosity and heartfulness and the joy of doing things for others without expecting something in return.

6. Mindful Reading

The next time you read a story with your kids, take some time to engage in conversation about the feelings of the people (or animals) in the book. It can be hard for children to talk about their own emotions, so sometimes it's easier to talk about fictional characters. You can ask questions like,"What do you think the girl is thinking about?"; "Why do you think he is sad?"; "How do you think you would feel if that happened to you?"; or, "Have you ever felt like that before?"

7. Organize Your Photos or Make a Scrapbook

Have your kids help you sort through old photos. This can spark some great conversations about their favorite memories, and, if you've seen , you could ask kids what they think their "core memories" are. Create collages that represent core memories or the different "islands" that make up their personality.

8. Make Mind Jars

This is one of my favorite mindfulness activities for kids. Using glitter and water, you can make a "mind jar" - the glitter represents all the thoughts and emotions in their minds (and when the jar is shaken they go crazy!) But if you stop moving it and breathe for a few moments, the glitter settles and the water becomes clear. You can read my post about making mind jars here.

9. Color

When we color, we focus our attention on a single activity, and that can feel really pleasant. This is probably why so many adults are coloring now! Join your kids in coloring time, perhaps with a cool mandala coloring book or one with intricate designs. Enjoy the calm that can arise from single-minded concentration.

You can find some printable mindful coloring pages here.

10. Dance Party!

Crank up the tunes and dance! Get out of your head and into your body. I love dancing with kids - there's no self-consciousness. It's just pure movement and joy and self-expression. We can learn a lot from them!
Enjoy your mindful summer activities, and have a wonderful summer! p.s. Mindfulness is for YOU, too! Get your FREE guided meditations just for mothers below:
lemonade photo credit: Lemonade via photopin (license)

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10 Mindful Summer Activities To Do With Your Kids

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If your household is anything like mine, the excitement of summer break can come to a crashing halt when the cries of "I'm bored!!!" begin. And that can sometimes happen on day 2 of summer!

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It's time to improve literacy skills during social studies instruction and ensure that readers of all abilities have what they need to access grade-level social studies concepts.

Join us on Thursday, December 7 for a look at scaffolded materials that provide extra literacy support while building key social studies concepts and skills.

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Newsela | Content and assessment platform

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Content Aligned To National & State Standard, Flexible To Support Relevant Curriculum. Find the Perfect Piece Of Content For Lessons. Go beyond the book.

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Words for a Mindful Moment with the Breath

"Gratitude is a gracious acknowledgement of all that sustains us, a bow to our blessings, great and small. Gratitude is the confidence in life itself... As gratitude grows it gives rise to joy. We experience the courage to rejoice in our own good fortune and the good fortune of others.... Joy gladdens the heart. We can be joyful for people who we love, for moments of goodness, for sunlight and trees, and for the very breath within our lungs. Like an innocent child, we can rejoice in life itself, in being alive."

Jack Kornfield, The Wise Heart

Moments of Gratitude

I officially have one week left of summer. And even that week is filled with technology trainings and meetings at school. I am full of gratitude and joy for a summer well spent ~ a summer that was at once relaxing, rejuvenating, invigorating, and intellectually stimulating. As I enter this last week, fully committed to living in the moment for the remaining days of summer, I am grateful for everything that made this summer amazing:

Being home with my husband and my kids.

Adventure Days with my family ~ the zoo, picnics, nature walks, amusement parks. We had a blast!

Getting to know our wonderful neighbors in the brief few months Minnesotans venture out of their homes.

Watching my daughter plow through her chapter books, and seeing her excitement grow for 1st grade.

Having time to work on my blog ~ finding my niche, my authentic voice, new projects, and plans for the future of Left Brain Buddha.

Travel and learning ~ Vegas for a teacher conference, Chicago for BlogHer. Travel + conferences + amazing people = awesome!

Time in the backyard reading, napping, or playing water toys with my kids.

Spending time with grandparents, sisters, cousins, nieces, and nephews ~ so glad we got this picture of four generations of mothers and daughters and sons.

Reading great books, including Daring Greatly, Quiet, The Light in the Ruins, How Children Succeed, and Traveling Mercies.

New writing and publishing opportunities, including developing teacher resource materials, and contributing to several upcoming e-books to be released in the fall {details to come!}

Playing Superheroes with my son, who dressed in Superhero gear most days this summer.

Quiet mornings with my coffee.

What are you thankful for this week? What has made your summer amazing?

Latest posts by Sarah Rudell Beach ( see all)

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Mindfulness and Gratitude: Thankful for Summer! - Left Brain Buddha

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3Shares Words for a Mindful Moment with the Breath "Gratitude is a gracious acknowledgement of all that sustains us, a bow to our blessings, great and small. Gratitude is the confidence in life itself... As gratitude grows it gives rise to joy. We experience the courage to rejoice in our own good fortune and the ...