The Joy of Teaching

STEM education is a wonderful addition to your classroom curriculum and provides hands-on learning experiences so that children can make connections between their learning and the world around them. STEM challenges allow students the freedom to test and refine their designs, giving them the opportunity to learn and understand more through failure.

Discover new STEM challenges to include in your classroom curriculum and learn why failure is an important element in STEM pedagogy.

STEM and the Benefits of Failure

STEM challenges provide the opportunity to help students adopt a mindset that will influence their work for the rest of their lives—their ability to persevere and believe in the process and to know that their success and self-worth are not determined by the outcome of the challenge, but rather by their belief in themselves. We are part of fueling that belief. We are part of modeling the mindset that engages students in creative thinking. We are part of helping them understand that many times, failure is one of the best stops on the road to success. Learn why including STEM challenges that embrace failure is an important mindset to foster within the classroom.

Blubber Glove STEM Project: How Polar Bears Stay Warm in Winter

Who doesn’t love a hands-on activity? Most often, the lessons our students remember are the ones that require active participation. This winter-themed STEM lesson on polar bears challenges students to create a blubber glove and offers an interesting way to engage students in learning about winter animals.

Native American STEM Challenge: Build a Native American Shelter

This STEM challenge arrives just in time for Thanksgiving celebrations and fall lessons. Children use their problem-solving skills in a creative way while developing a better appreciation for the challenges that colonists in the New World faced 400 years ago. Children learn how Native Americans taught colonists to build homes in the 1600s using only what they could find in nature. Children design and build a model version of their own.

STEM Challenges for the Classroom: build a ship, skyscraper and bridge 

Learn how to teach three physical science STEM challenges for grades 3–5 from Evan-Moor’s STEM Lessons and Challenges. These projects are simple versions of real-world examples of science that kids see every day: cargo ships, skyscrapers, and bridges! Hands-on learning activities like these make STEM concepts fun, simple and applicable!
 

Heather Foudy is a certified elementary teacher with over 7 years’ experience as an educator and volunteer in the classroom. She enjoys creating lessons that are meaningful and creative for students. She is currently working for Evan-Moor’s marketing and communications team and enjoys building learning opportunities that are both meaningful and creative for students and teachers alike.

STEM experiments were one of the highlights of elementary school, and even though I went on to be English major, I’ll never forget dropping Mentos mints in soda bottles and building wooden bridges in science class.

Evan-Moor’s STEM Lessons and Challenges (available for grades 1–6) provides fun and easy activities that engage children and educate them on the scientific process. Each book provides 15 STEM units that cover physical, earth, and life science concepts. Each STEM challenge guides students through the basic concepts and key terms of every STEM activity before directing them to design their own creations. Students are expected to test their invention and are given the opportunity to refine and redesign it.

Below, you can find three units from Evan-Moor’s STEM Lessons and Challenges that showcase physical science activities that kids love. These projects are simple versions of real-world examples of science that kids see every day: cargo ships, skyscrapers, and bridges! Hands-on learning activities like these make STEM concepts fun, simple, and applicable!

STEM Challenge: Building a Cargo Ship: Grade 3

Buoyancy and Gravity
 
Design a floating piggy bank with this physical science STEM challenge from grade three! This challenge asks students to design a cargo ship that can hold 30 pennies and stay upright when being pushed through the water by a fan. This activity explores the concepts of buoyancy and gravity, using the example of a ship afloat in water to convey the balance of the two forces. The lesson also explains center of gravity before students launch into the design process. Suggested materials range from pie tins to rubber cement, allowing kids to take creative license with their design and test different types of materials.
 
Before beginning the challenge, students read about and study different cargo ships and develop a plan for their design. For more fun, have the kids name their boat or make multiple designs and test them against each other. Whoever floats, wins!
 
Find this unit on TeachersPayTeachers here.

STEM Challenge: Building a Skyscraper: Grade 4

Structural Engineering (Height)
 
The skyscraper STEM challenge is from the fourth grade STEM Lessons and Challenges book. As a part of the physical science unit, the skyscraper STEM challenge asks students to build a solid structure out of uncooked spaghetti, marshmallows, clay, glue, and tape. This can also be attempted with just toothpicks and marshmallows. The goal is to build a three-foot-high structure that stands alone and can support a ruler placed across the top. This activity explains concepts like foundation building, shock absorbers, and building reinforcement in a way that allows kids to understand and apply these concepts to their own design. Students will become contractors to design their building, and they will create a plan, test it, evaluate it, and redesign it if needed.
 
Find this unit on TeachersPayTeachers here.

STEM Challenge: Building a Bridge: Grade 5

Structural Engineering (Strength)
 
Your students have been promoted to bridge engineers! This STEM challenge can be adapted for all ages, and is a popular high school physics experiment. This fifth grade version outlines physical science concepts like compression, tension, and suspension, and also teaches children about the different kinds of bridges that they see. They can model their own wooden bridge after the Golden Gate Bridge or even the Sydney Harbour Bridge! This open-ended experiment has limitless possibilities for students to explore the design process using materials like cardboard, craft sticks, string, and glue. The goal of this challenge is to create a bridge that can withstand a small amount of weight, using rubber erasers as “cars” crossing your child’s bridge! If their first creation does not pass the testing phase, students are given the opportunity to redesign their bridge using the redesign page at the end of the STEM unit.
 
Find this unit on TeachersPayTeachers here.
 
Challenge students throughout the school year with STEM activities! Watch your students become junior scientists, engineers, and technicians with Evan-Moor’s STEM Lessons and Challenges!
 
Browse STEM Lessons and Challenges (print or e-book) at www.evan-moor.com. (Available for Grades 1-6.)

Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning. 

When I was studying to become a teacher, one thing that impressed me most about my mentors was how these teachers purposefully used bits and pieces of time for effective learning. I am talking about those precious minutes ranging from 5 to 20 minutes that happen “just because.” They may happen daily, weekly, or unexpectedly. I found myself thinking how the value of quality time fillers adds up over a period of time. It became one of my goals to use effectively these precious bits of time during a school day.

Why are bits and pieces of time important?

1. Educators can use bits of time to recall prior knowledge, build on previously learned skills, or apply concepts already learned—all important to retention and memory. Caine and Caine suggested that spatial and rote memory types are enhanced with these opportunities.
2. Many students, especially those with short attention spans, thrive with having short chunks of instruction embedded into a day that primarily consists of longer lessons and tasks.
3. It is an opportunity to focus on target areas that will benefit or enrich students’ learning.
4. Used creatively and efficiently, time fillers effectively enhance the regular curriculum.

Getting the most out of quality time fillers

• Be purposeful: Assess how this mini-block of time will best serve your students.
• Be prepared: Have everything ready so that each student can access what they need in less than a minute.
• Focus on one type of skill or topic: This dedicated time will have an impact.

Quality Time-Filler Ideas

1. Evan-Moor’s Thinking Skills for grades 1–6 develops critical, creative, and logical thinking skills in concise, imaginative activities. Check out the links below for free critical thinking lessons.

• Logical Thinking: Grades 1–2: “Find the Pet Owners”
  
• Creative Thinking: Grades 3–4: “Combine and Create”
  
• Deductive Reasoning: Grades 5–6: “Bug Trivia”
  

2. Evan-Moor “Daily” titles provide review and practice of math, language arts, science, and social studies in 10–15 minute activities.  Daily titles include:

Daily Academic Vocabulary
Daily Geography Practice
Daily Higher Order Thinking
Daily Language Review
Daily Paragraph Editing
Daily Reading Comprehension
Daily Science
Daily 6-Trait Writing
Daily Word Problems: Math

3. Art project kits stored in individual zip-lock bags like weaving projects or paper crafts. Check out the links below for free craft templates from Paper Tube Zoo for grades K–3.

Paper tube animal project 

Paper weaving project 

4. Music ideas:
Total Physical Response such as dancing, clapping, singing, and chanting
Music theory such as learning about rhythms or notes (e.g., clapping rhythms)

What are some ways you have effectively met the needs of your students using teachable moments?

For more free activities and teaching tips subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter!

Marti Beeck started her career in education as a parent volunteer in her three children’s classrooms. Her teaching experience, including adult school, intervention, and the primary classroom, was inspired by her background in psychology and interest in brain-based learning. Marti currently works in the field of educational publishing as an editor.

The end-of-the-school year can be a challenge for students and teachers alike. Everyone is in countdown mode and classroom behavior becomes difficult to control. Keep your sanity and your classroom organization at the end of the year by switching up your routine and lessons!

Here are ideas and activities to keep your classroom running smoothly until the last day of school.

Rewards, Rewards, Rewards

Since most students are not extrinsically motivated to learn with summer just around the corner, create new rewards for the whole class to aspire to! Create a dual system that rewards individual students, as well as the whole class.

• Free Choice Friday
  For students who follow classroom rules and finish their homework/lessons, provide a 20 to 30 minute time slot at the end of the day for them to play games, read, or do fun activities. (Students who don’t make the requirements can spend that time with you working on unfinished work.) Activities can be as simple as:
  • Draw and write time
  • Board/card games
  • Center activities
  • Creative toys such as Legos
• Class Behavior Goal
  Challenge students to meet a behavior goal as a class and reward them with:
  • A pajama day
  • Extra recess
  • Class movie (Read a book aloud and watch the movie)
  • Lunch with the teacher

Take it Outside

Spring is in full bloom and summer is just around the corner. Plan some lessons for outdoors to give students a break from their desks.

• Silent outdoor reading: Invite students to take turns silent reading outside your classroom. Break them into small groups and invite a different group each day to read outdoors. (This only works if you have an aide or parent willing to help monitor students.)
• Plan a science lesson outdoors: Check out DIY Schoolyard Habitat Lesson
• Outdoor draw and write: Ask student to bring their writing journals outside and choose one plant in the schoolyard to draw. Ask them to write about their plant, as if they were describing it to someone who is blind.
• Math review scavenger hunt: Turn your math task cards into a scavenger hunt. (You will need an extra adult for this activity.)
  
  • Create master list of math problems students could solve. (This works great for end-of-the-year math review.)
  • Using 3×5 cards, write down the answers to the problems and place the cards around the playground. (It helps to create one set of answers for each group playing.)
  • Assign students into small groups with clipboards.
  • Each group must solve the math problems on their master sheets and look for the correct answer card, hidden on the playground.
  • Bonus feature: You can include an extension problem on the answer task cards to challenge students to think deeper!

Movement Activities for the Last Week of School

Incorporate brain breaks more frequently in May and the last days of school! Studies have shown that children are more engaged when they are allowed to move frequently.

• Use classroom apps such as Go Noodle and Motion Maze.
• Randomly fill a jar with movement activities and choose a student to pick one.
• Play a game of charades with your weekly vocabulary words.

Creative Activities to Switch up your Lesson Routine

Let’s face it: the class schedule that provided so much organization and predictably for your students in the beginning of the school year is old news by now. Take a break from the textbook and insert some creative lessons into your end-of-the-year routine.

• A Postcard Home- Creative Drawing and Writing Free Printable
  Download this free creative writing activity here. 
  
  This writing activity sets up a situation in which students are spending the weekend away from their family and friends and write a postcard to tell what they have done and seen, including drawing a picture on the back. (From Evan-Moor’s Giant Every Day Write.)

• “What is it?” Drawing and Writing Activity
  When the school year ends, the “What Is It?” lesson may prove to have been your favorite for its simplicity.  Students turn a doodle (such as a shape or line) into a drawing that corresponds with a particular theme or unit, and then explain their drawing orally or in writing.  You can easily adapt this for all ages, calling the activity a “Squiggle Story” or “Doodle Draw.”
  
  For more details and examples, read: What Is It? A Fun Drawing and Writing Lesson Integrates Standards Across the Curriculum

• Pop Art Activity – Free Printable
  
•  This is a great activity to have students do during testing week or at the end of the school year. Check out this article and free download on how to make a Pop Art food poster! Making Art Relevant in the Classroom: How to Teach Pop Art

• Time Filler Activities
  Quality time filler activities are perfect for the last week of school when textbooks have been turned in and attention spans are short. Read this article for tips and free activities for grades 1-6, including free thinking skills activities and paper crafts that are easy to complete in short chunks of time: Teachable Moments: Using Quality Time Fillers

• Book Swap
  This is a great activity to encourage summer reading!
  • Every student brings a used book to class (wrapped) with a brief summary of why they enjoyed the book. No spoilers!
  • Each student is randomly given a wrapped book to open (one at a time in front of the class).
  • Students record each book title opened so they have a list of summer reading books to check out at the library.
  • Students can highlight their top ten favorite books they would like to read over the summer!

• Make a Paper Book
  • Students can write and illustrate their own story or make a paper book for class autographs.
  •  For directions on making your own paper book view this video.

• • For creative writing prompts, see: Creative Writing Prompts for the End of the Year

Making Memories: Last Week of School Activities

The last week of school is usually filled with school assemblies and classroom organization. Listed below are some activities to keep your students occupied during the bustle and create a positive experience to end the school year.

• Chalk Memories: This activity works well during the last week of school.
  
  • Get a box of sidewalk chalk.
  • Students can draw their favorite memories of the school year.
• Picnic: Invite students to meet you on the grass for a lunch picnic the last day of school.
• Autograph Keepsake: Have students create an autograph book/paper for their classmates to sign. (This works well when not everyone in your class purchases a yearbook.) They can spend time decorating it and signing.
• Host a Mini-Olympics: Plan to host an outdoor Mini-Olympics with your grade level! Ask each classroom to create five outdoor activities (staffed with parent volunteers.)
  
  • Each class creates gold medal necklaces with students’ pictures and names for students to wear during the event. (Necklaces can be attached with yarn.) Each time a student completes an event, add a sticker on the back of the medal.
  • Before beginning the event, classes can line up for an Olympic parade around the school before starting the events. (You can even play the theme song!)
  • Olympic events can be very simple and use the available playground equipment. Some ideas for outdoor Olympic events are:
    
    • Hula Hoop
    • Bean Bag toss
    • Jump rope
    • Soccer goal kicks
    • Three legged race
    • Basketball throw
    • Race around the track
    • Monkey bar course
    • Jumping jack station

What is your favorite end-of-the-year activity? Please share with our readers!

For more great teaching tips and ideas, sign up for Evan-Moor’s free monthly e-newsletter!

Heather Foudy is a certified elementary teacher with over 7 years’ experience as an educator and volunteer in the classroom. She enjoys creating lessons that are meaningful and creative for students. She is currently working for Evan-Moor’s marketing and communications team and enjoys building learning opportunities that are both meaningful and creative for students and teachers alike.