STEM & CS PLN by Sam Burr

How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk

sburr1 — 2019-10-02 20:16:58 UTC

This is a great book to use to introduce coding. It can be used with various levels of students and be a springboard for an unplugged introductory coding activity. The author includes key vocabulary that students need to understand the basics of coding languages and provides further resources in the back of the book to help build students knowledge.

Little Bins Little Hands Blog

MsOutka — 2019-10-02 20:51:59 UTC

This site has some great STEM ideas and often matches with books.

2019-10-02 20:59:07 UTC

Math For All Seasons by Greg Tang
Mind-stretching math riddles and looking for patterns...
I am going to use this (well attempt) with 1st grade to build upon their base ten math skills.
Susan

The Technology Tail by Julia Cook

2019-10-02 21:01:07 UTC

I just got this book, and am hoping to embed it into Digital Citizenship.
Susan

If I Were a Wizard by Paul Hamilton

2019-10-02 21:02:52 UTC

A fun story to start relating repeats & looping, sequence & order, algorithms, variables, conditionals, functions, debugging, and patterns to real life situations and scenarios.

Susan

Andrea Beaty books and website

MsOutka — 2019-10-02 21:07:51 UTC

Andrea Beaty has some great books about being a scientist, engineer and architect. I use these to teach 2nd grade community helpers and talk about STEM careers rather than your typical fireman, police officer, teacher, etc.

My First Coding Book by Kiki Prottsman

2019-10-02 21:18:02 UTC

A fun book to read with the class talking about different concepts of coding. I have used it 3-5.
Susan

Ringles Challenge

2019-10-02 21:40:15 UTC

I did the Pringles Ringles challenge with my 5th/6th grade students. Here is a link to the Google Slides I used with them. They each group 3/4 student received one can of Pringles to complete the challenge. I also have a worksheet that goes with it as well. It wouldn't let me post two items.
Staci Miller

Robots, Robots Everywhere!

2019-10-03 03:38:48 UTC

I used this books to introduce the coding kit, Let's Code: Robot Maze. The students took part in a conversation about how robots are programmed to do different things. This lead to the activity and how were would be programming each other. - Vanessa Bentsen

How to Code a Rollercoaster was just released on 9.24.19!

sburr1 — 2019-10-03 15:26:27 UTC

This book is by the same author as How to Code a Sandcastle. It introduces variables to students and includes great connections to the CS world that you will catch and be able to point out to students . . . such as the rollercoaster they ride is called the Python coaster :0)

Triangle by Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen

hgibson2 — 2019-10-03 18:53:29 UTC

I get a ton of mileage out of this book! I use it mostly with kindergarten and we read it and the kids build with zometools along with the story (any shape that is mentioned, we pause and they build it). Then we use it again with animation in Flipbookish in first grade. They draw triangle and animate his journey. Because there are other books in the series, there are so many other possibilities!

Cult of Pedagogy Podcast

sburr1 — 2019-10-03 20:40:52 UTC

I love this podcast as a good dose of PD. The focus is on good pedagogy . . . hint the name . . . and spans a variety of good pedagogical practices that can impact any teaching. There also is always some good ones that relate specifically to technology. You can easily sort by podcast topics and tags to find just what you need.

Ozobot Education Lesson Library

sburr1 — 2019-10-15 17:09:01 UTC

There are great lesson developed and curated by Ozobot education. Explore at https://portal.ozobot.com/lessons

Osmo Teacher Guide

sburr1 — 2019-10-15 17:11:45 UTC

Visit the Osmo blog for educator resources by clicking the following link: https://www.playosmo.com/blog/category/educator-resources/.
Click on the Osmo Teacher Guide graphic below to access the teacher guide PDF.

Google Stories I have been using Google Stories each week to help with my "why". There are short videos about people who are using STEM in their daily jobs and making a difference in the world. So far, we have learned about a woman using a program she created to track asteroids, a girl who invented a device to test water for lead, and a veteran who works as a rehabilitation engineer. I didn't do one this week and the kids have been asking. Ooops...

2019-10-16 14:21:56 UTC

https://about.google/intl/en_us/stories/
Janaye

I found this kit as I was looking for kits and activities to add to the STEM lab. It looks very interesting and engaging for students. Just wanted to share.

2019-10-17 20:42:23 UTC

ENGAGE YOUR STUDENTS WITH PIPER

With Piper, students will be immersed in inquiry-based and project-based experiences to learn STEAM & computer science from the inside-out.
https://www.playpiper.com/pages/educators
Becky

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

sburr1 — 2019-10-25 15:04:48 UTC

This is a really great site for ideas for learning experiences in the lab. There are great connections to grade level content. There are connections beyond just space :0)

Code.org Video Library

sburr1 — 2019-11-04 21:59:02 UTC

Within the code.org website there is a WONDERFUL video library that helps explain key aspects of computing and computer science. They would be excellent to lead into various lessons.

Google Drawings Launcher Template

sburr1 — 2019-11-05 17:06:29 UTC

If you are designing launcher stickers and find the Word version from CLS not converting into Google Drive well, I created a Google drawings template that you can use. Just click on the link and make a copy.

Zometools Lessons

hgibson2 — 2019-11-05 17:07:34 UTC

For those of you who have Zometools...this site is so helpful for coming up with ideas! Even though a lot of them are for upper grades, I often can scale them down for my students. If Zometools didn't come with your lab, I highly recommend getting them!

Sometimes you WIN, Sometimes you LEARN

MsOutka — 2019-11-08 22:59:16 UTC

I won this book in Deanna's session and I'm so excited to start reading it. Thanks Deanna!

Expand the walls of your classroom with virtual field trips

MsOutka — 2019-11-08 23:36:07 UTC

This was my session and I have had people ask me for my slides. There are lots of resources here. Just thought I would share with anyone interested.

Growth Mindset- build a flashlight (Grades 3-6)

tennis3 — 2019-11-10 03:58:45 UTC

I used this activity as one of my introduction to the STEM Lab activities. I purchased flashlights from the Dollar Store and had 3rd-6th grade work in partners to put the flashlight back together (I gave it to them in pieces). Some groups were successful, but some students became very frustrated. It was a great lesson on choosing the right mindset!

Growth Mindset- International Dot Day (Grades 1-2)

tennis3 — 2019-11-10 04:09:57 UTC

For International Dot Day (September 15th), we read the book "The Dot" by Peter Reynolds. Students then used candy dots and toothpicks to construct something out of a dot. They had to make a plan with their team and then work together.

Growth Mindset- Little Red Riding Hood (grades 1-2)

tennis3 — 2019-11-10 04:14:03 UTC

After reading the altered version of Little Red Riding Hood, we talked about characters that had a growth mindset versus and fixed mindset. Then students had to help Little Red get the cookies to Grandma's house by creating a catapult.

October STEM Challenge for 1st-2nd Grade

tennis3 — 2019-11-10 04:17:15 UTC

Read "Room on the Broom" by Julia Donaldson and constructed a broom from legos (any materials can be used) and then we tested to see how many pumpkins the broom could hold. As a class, we traveled around to each broom and "flew" it to see if it was built strong enough. They loved it! Afterwards, the students could eat the pumpkins- yay for healthy schools! 😃

Book: Rosie Revere, Engineer!

tennis3 — 2019-11-10 04:24:14 UTC

Grades 1-2
This was part of our lesson on STEM careers. After reading Rosie Revere, students were tasked with creating a paper airplane that can fly further than 10 feet. They had to come up with a plan, build, fly, and document each time.
After day 1 it was apparent that no 1st or 2nd grader knows how to make a paper airplane these days, so we extended the activity to 2 weeks so they could learn tips on airplane building and make their build more successful. They loved it. Below is documentation that one group had, They had to label:
Airplane #
Names
How far it flew

Book: Ada Twist, Scientist!

tennis3 — 2019-11-10 04:34:21 UTC

Grades 1-2
This was part of our lesson on STEM Careers. After reading Ada Twist, Scientist, we talked about the scientific method. We made a hypothesis and went out and tested our theories. We used mentos and soda. Which mentos (gum, candy, or mints) worked best. Some classes decided to test which soda exploded the farthest (diet code, coke, orange soda). It was literally a blast!

Book: Iggy Peck, Architect!

tennis3 — 2019-11-10 04:43:23 UTC

Grades 1-2
This was part of our lesson on STEM Careers. After reading Iggy Peck, Architect, we learned how architects build things. Before they build, they make a plan and then construct their plan. The students challenge was to build a bridge that held all the students safely so that they could cross the water. It was a challenge for kids to sketch a plan and then follow that sketch. Many just wanted to free build. It was a learning experience!

Social Media PLN

tennis3 — 2019-11-10 04:48:38 UTC

STEM Teacher Tribe

Social Media PLN

tennis3 — 2019-11-10 04:50:41 UTC

Elementary STEM Teachers Club
I love this one because every Sunday they do a Facebook Live that gives new ideas for challenges with your littles. I love their hands on and creative ideas!

Social Media PLN

tennis3 — 2019-11-10 04:52:38 UTC

Technology Teacher Tribe with Brittany Washburn
Not STEM related... but tech related. This is a must follow page!

Social Media PLN

tennis3 — 2019-11-10 04:58:16 UTC

STEM and STEAM Activities with Meredith Anderson- Momgineer

Great resource with all things STEM!
Latest ideas were bubble wands in 3D printer- great idea!

Book: I Need My Monster

tennis3 — 2019-11-10 05:02:52 UTC

Grades 1-2
During October, I read this book. Students need to use the Engineering Design Process to come up with a plan for their monsters. They can only use 2 supplies (straws, toothpicks, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and craft puffs). They can only use up to 2 play-doh colors ( I choose to make homemade play-doh to keep costs down). Their monster could not be taller than 4 inches. The following week, students made beds out of legos to hide their monster under. Beds had to be made 6inches tall by 5 inches wide. This project was perfect for incorporating measurement!

STEM Student of the Week

tennis3 — 2019-11-10 14:18:07 UTC

Something I tried that is giving me a lot of success is making a STEM Student of the Week. I wanted to reward those students who work really hard in the lab and show a growth mindset. Each week (you could do less- once a month) I (along with the teachers) choose one student (sometimes a teacher or a whole class) who has demonstrated that they are working hard in the lab. They are announced on Monday and then get to visit me to do a 3D print during their free time. I have seen a huge difference in my students! Here are a few of my winners.

Go virtually anywhere...

vbentsen — 2019-11-11 15:46:59 UTC

Susan's presentation has stuck with me. I never knew that it has become so easy to connect with experts in the field. She shared information about connecting with the National Forest Service. I do plan on connecting there. I also learned that Deanna is someone who knows several (powerful) someones. Networking is the take away... I need to move forward. :)

PBL Learning Media

hgibson2 — 2019-11-11 18:12:45 UTC

This was shared at the Innovations Conference and there is so much here! You will need to make a free account but after that most things you find can be shared through Google Classroom or just used as lesson resources.

Discovery Education

hgibson2 — 2019-11-11 18:15:18 UTC

This is another site I love for lesson resources. The visuals are beautiful and so engaging for students. The resources are really easy to use as well!

Karl's New Beak: 3D Printing Builds a Bird a Better Life by: Lela Nargi

sburr1 — 2019-11-15 17:04:22 UTC

At the Innovations Conference I discovered this book in one of my sessions. It is amazing how it brings instant relevance to 3D printing in relation to a real world problem and the design process. I think students would really respond to the this text as an anchor for a 3D printing engagement.

Grace Hopper Queen of Computer Code by: Laurie Wallmark & Katy Wu

sburr1 — 2019-11-21 21:11:10 UTC

This is a GREAT book to share the story of Grace Hopper and her contribution to the STEM world.

Wyoming PBS

sburr1 — 2020-01-10 17:02:01 UTC

Wyoming PBS has curated an impressive video and resource library you can use in your classrooms. They even have a section on Engineering & Technology. There are some great videos that help students understand the design process.

Tips for Tello Drones!

sburr1 — 2020-01-28 22:10:15 UTC

Eduporium has an article that shares hints and tips on using a block coding app with Tello drones. Tello drones are what most of our phase 3 labs are equipped with. This might be a great resource for some ideas.

Young Women in STEM Article

2020-03-06 18:00:38 UTC

This is a great article on five different young ladies who are having hug impact on our world. Would be a really neat way to help students realize that even at a young age they too can have impact!

Ozobot 3D CAD Library

sburr1 — 2022-08-16 20:20:18 UTC

Ozobot now has a 3D CAD Library of .stl files that you can download and use or tinker to use with your Ozobots!

Cybersecurity Blog Post from Sphero

sburr1 — 2022-08-16 20:24:43 UTC

This blog post is great for defining the various "actors" in the world of cybersecurity. When we are more versed in what we are teaching, the better we can explain to students these real-world issues in the digital spaces we engage in.

Tinker Circuits!

sburr1 — 2022-08-16 20:29:57 UTC

Tinkercad has an entire new way for students to explore electricity. Checkout the their guide to Tinkercad Circuits!

eCYBERMISSION

sburr1 — 2022-08-16 20:42:13 UTC

Our dearest colleague Devan Jones (Now at Clemson University) shared this with me. This is an online STEM competition sponsored by the Army.

New EVO app

sburr1 — 2022-09-22 20:08:29 UTC

Checkout the new app for the Ozobot Evo robots.

New Ozobot STEM Lessons

sburr1 — 2022-09-22 20:10:20 UTC

STEM grade level Ozobot lessons.

Convert images to use in Tinkercad

sburr1 — 2022-09-22 20:19:00 UTC

Use Convertio to convert images into files that can be pulled into Tinkercad for 3D design. Tinkercad accepts the following files for upload .stl, .obj, and .svg.

Ozobot Snow Plow Lesson

sburr1 — 2022-12-09 16:44:33 UTC

Link to Lesson

Solar Oven w/Pizza Boxes

sburr1 — 2023-01-23 15:57:25 UTC

Kahoot Amazon Fulfillment Center Tour

hgibson2 — 2023-01-30 20:40:08 UTC

This is a different type of Kahoot where a video plays and questions are asked throughout. It's a super cool tour of an Amazon fulfillment center and shows how humans and robots interact to create a system to deliver packages as quickly as possible. A fun follow up activity is to use one of your robots (we used Ozobot) to model the process from pick, to pack, to ship. I did this with 3rd graders and it was a big hit!

hgibson2 — 2023-01-30 20:42:43 UTC

Jami Howe shared this with me from TikTok...basically you cut cardboard to form the top of the drain (you can make it as challenging as possible) and put that over your trash can. At the bottom of the can you put your keys, cell phone, ticket, etc and students have to engineer a way to retrieve the items from the bottom of the "drain."

Sphero Bolt Space Mission Guide

2023-08-16 20:50:15 UTC

Entire guide for completing a past Sphero Challenge Mission.

Sphero Bolt Lesson Progression Chart

2023-08-16 20:55:12 UTC

Sphero Mini Lesson Progression Chart

2023-08-16 20:55:47 UTC

Sphero Rover Lesson Progression Chart

2023-08-16 20:56:24 UTC

Cyber.org

2023-08-17 20:19:52 UTC

This site provides curricula, training, and resources to support teachers in cyber education.

I used this site last year for a WWII micro:bit cryptography unit. It is free after you sign up, and you can find just about anything on it, from digital citizenship to career exploration.

socialmediatestdrive.org

2023-08-17 20:26:09 UTC

Social Media Test Drive simulates realistic digital dilemmas and scenarios that young people may encounter as they enter the social media world. I have used it with 5th and 6th grade as a way for them to test their skills. It also aligns with Common Sense Media's curriculum.

Social Media Test Drive

jdanko1 — 2023-08-17 20:33:01 UTC

Another tool for digital citizenship that simulates realistic digital dilemmas and scenarios that kids may encounter as they enter the social media world. It's aligned with Common Sense Media and covers privacy, online identities, cyberbullying, and more. I have used it mostly with 6th grade.

Cyber.org

jdanko1 — 2023-08-17 20:41:46 UTC

I love this site! It's free to use when you sign up and covers everything cyber from digital citizenship to career exploration. I used it last year for an integrated WWII unit with 6th graders, studying cryptography in the past and now, and making a micro:bit Enigma machine.

New Sphero Bolt Challenge Cards

sburr1 — 2023-09-11 16:11:22 UTC

STEM + Sports

sburr1 — 2023-09-13 19:08:46 UTC

Micro:bit ideas from around the world !

stbishop1 — 2023-10-06 00:41:16 UTC

Great idea to get start with simple tasks for sphero

stbishop1 — 2023-10-06 00:47:10 UTC

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bto_HpUAKOA_kGKvWWoTgyPpG2vLfqpLACGpac0/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

STEM Supply Catalog

sburr1 — 2023-10-12 21:08:38 UTC

STEM X Lesson Plans

sburr1 — 2023-11-03 18:57:29 UTC

Registration Code

tennis3 — 2023-12-01 20:31:38 UTC

Cool STEM Career Resource for 5th/6th Grade students FREE

sburr1 — 2024-03-14 16:08:04 UTC

This is a free platform and the STEM Career Exploration is super cool.

STEM Supplies Online Catalog

sburr1 — 2024-03-14 16:10:53 UTC

Sphero Indi stl. file for "Garage"

sburr1 — 2024-03-14 20:17:33 UTC

CCSD STEM/Tech People

2025-08-24 22:23:05 UTC

STEM Lit. Resource

2025-09-04 15:10:08 UTC

THis is not my link, but it was shared on a national STEM board. Great Resource!