Many students love STEM experiences in their education and many teachers love creating those opportunities. They don't typically just fall into place, however, and, like all lesson plans, require careful design. In STEM education, lesson plan options are almost endless. This makes it easier for teachers to find or create something that's relevant to the class they're teaching. Educators could research and implement various STEM curriculum options found online or they could go a different route. Many STEM tools these days come with their own lessons and activities, adding an extra layer of reliability and helping educators use the tools optimally.
Elements of a Good STEM Lesson Plan
When designing lesson plans, educators can make them simple or in-depth depending on time and what's being covered. STEM learning gives students the chance to participate in something rather than just reading about it. Since STEM is often very much hands-on, educators should try to make this a priority when designing lessons. In the best hands-on STEM lessons, students are able to interact with various materials and use their creativity to design and build something tangible. If group work is possible, this could also expose students to playing different roles and collaborating effectively. Plus, when learning is largely hands-on, students are typically better able to focus and stay interested in their projects.
STEM relevance and connections.
Another key element of STEM lessons is making them relevant to common or current issues. When students can identify connections between projects and issues they encounter in their everyday lives, they tend to become more engaged and less likely to wonder when they're going to use this knowledge. When they're more engaged, they ultimately end up retaining more knowledge over time as well. Also, STEM activities should involve references to math and science content when possible. These references can be strategically weaved in to help students make these curricular connections. This can help drive student curiosity, lead to them needing to discover solutions, and ultimately keep engagement high.
Creating connections through STEM.
Besides making lessons hands-on for students, there can be some other intent used as well. Engineering is a big part of the STEM economy and introducing students to the engineering design process through classroom activities can help get them thinking in new ways. By applying this process, students can systematically solve problems with real relevance. And, finally, one final element of STEM lesson planning is to allow for collaboration whenever possible. Working as part of a team can help students build communication skills, encourage critical thinking, and show them the importance of persistence and creativity. Seeing that much of what they learn about in the classroom is connected can help students develop a genuine interest in using today's techniques to solve key problems.
Creating a STEM Lesson Plan
There are obviously any number of ways in which educators can design their lesson plans. By now, most of them likely have their own strategies and systems for creating lessons quickly and efficiently. When it comes to STEM learning, however, some of the elements of a good STEM lesson may be new. The goals and experiences educators want students to get from STEM lessons may be a bit more complex than in traditional lessons, meaning they might require a bit more planning. One way to get started is to think about how the letters of 'STEM' relate to the context and goals of the lesson. This makes it a bit easier to tie the lesson to these important pillars. Staying broad and following a guide can certainly help make the design process easier, too.
Getting started with STEM lesson design.
To start, it's sometimes good for educators to decide which letters from 'STEM' will be the focus. It's a common strategy to include examples and learning opportunities that cover at least two of them (any two are fine). Even if educators are teaching a subject we wouldn't consider a 'STEM subject,' they can still look for ways to weave STEM teaching methods into the equation. It's often best for lessons to help students see how the elements of STEM can come together for more relevant learning as opposed to remaining separate parts of the lesson. A good first step for teachers is to brainstorm the subject of the lesson. After deciding on an umbrella topic, make a list of all the subtopics that are relevant and involve students in this discussion if you'd like. From there, you have key discussion points and even some student input.
Other elements of STEM lessons.
STEM lessons should also give students the opportunity to investigate something. In lesson design, teachers can provide context that gets students thinking about hypotheses they may want to state. This should also help educators identify which of the letters of 'STEM' they'll be focusing on in that particular lesson. Once the lesson is designed, teachers can try a dry run by themselves. This should help them identify shortcomings and fix any potential logistical or tactical mistakes. Finally, reflecting on what worked and did not work is equally important. Over time, teachers will develop a better eye for the best techniques and time management approaches. From there, they can apply what they learned in designing their next lesson.
STEM Lesson Plans in Virtual Learning
The hands-on benefits of STEM education have likely fallen off over the last year or so. Aside from educators who teach STEM or STEAM specifically, many students may not have had access to STEM learning at home. As more school doors reopen for in-person learning, however, this could help educators in designing STEM lessons for students who are still at home. We know that not every student will return to the classroom this spring, but that's okay. STEM teachers are incredibly creative and resourceful and it's this ingenuity that can help make distance learning STEM activities possible. The first thought teachers may have is that it's too complicated to try to get STEM materials to students. The truth, however, is that this could work to your advantage.
Determining how to use STEM in remote learning.
There are, of course, tons of different STEM-related activities students could do—even from home. Depending on the learning outcomes you want to achieve, however, the way in which you design virtual STEM lesson plans will likely change from case to case. It might even mean finding examples of successful projects and repurposing them to fit the resources your students have. Let's go back to those resources for a second. One of the factors that might make teachers shy away from STEM in remote learning is the belief that students won't have access to hands-on materials or the devices they need. While this may be true to some extent, their homes might also be filled with materials that are otherwise not being used. With an upcycling mindset and a little ingenuity, students can turn what they find into a repurposed project.
Combining low-tech materials and high-level fun.
In remote learning, students can gather any material from their home that they can manipulate. Depending on what they're studying, projects could include building a bridge, a tower, or something more complex. Even in remote learning, students can still use the design process. This often involves starting with drawing out a design of their vision and determining how they'll incorporate the materials they have. Depending on their skill levels, teachers could also challenge students to build projects that can move. This would (potentially) allow them to also incorporate coding in their virtual STEM activities. With a device like the micro:bit, for example, students could attach it to what they've built and program it to get the structure to move. It won't always be feasible, but that's something to keep in mind just in case.
A Checklist for STEM Lesson Planning
The great thing about STEM lessons is they aren't only for classes dedicated to STEM or even classes related to STEM. Since STEM is so relevant in today's world, educators can weave STEM concepts in almost anywhere. The right planning and the most relevant elements help make this even easier. Once educators have a topic in mind, they can start looking for STEM connections to incorporate. It could start out as simple as blending math and science concepts and building up from there. Next, teachers should brainstorm ways to connect the topic they choose to some real-world problem or challenge. This gives students real context and helps create emotional connections while also boosting engagement.
Lesson design elements to consider.
Next, the lesson planning should involve educators defining the challenge students will be facing. They may be designing a prototype, building a device, or something else, but they must be on the same page when it comes to the challenge. Then, it's up to teachers to determine what successful completion of the STEM project should look like. Having an idea of what success looks like can help teachers with a lot of the lesson design. Also, they can make use of the engineering design process in their own right. Especially if they want students to utilize a creative problem-solving approach, teachers can consider what that might look like during the design phase.
What to do after starting.
Once the actual STEM lesson planning is done, the teacher's involvement doesn't necessarily have to stop. They can help students identify the challenge and an effective approach to solving it. Deciding whether or not to put students in teams for each particular STEM project is also important. In many cases, this will likely enhance their experience. In others, however, students might be better off on their own. When in teams, students can share their problem-solving ideas and build off what each other is thinking. Ultimately, educators should prepare for steering each team towards choosing one approach. Committing to that problem-solving approach and designing a relevant prototype can help students test their hypothesis, draw conclusions, and communicate their results—all indicators of a successful STEM lesson.
Finding STEM Tools with Pre-Created Lessons
There are, of course, hundreds of effective STEM learning tools out there for educators. You'll find hundreds of them from dozens of the most reputable names in STEM education on our store alone. As more emphasis is placed on high-quality STEM learning, we're seeing a lot more focus on developing accompanying curricula for teachers and students to use. This goes a long way in helping educators integrate new STEM tools purposefully. It also helps ensure they cover key educational elements in each activity they roll out. Finding STEM lessons and activities to do with students doesn't have to be all that difficult. With content from some of today's leading EdTech professionals, it becomes easier for teachers wondering how to create an engaging STEM lesson.
Using tech tools with activity guides.
We certainly focus on the hands-on, tangible STEM tools when it comes to classroom or makerspace learning. That's not to say there's anything wrong with digital tools, but our expertise is in the hands-on area. With that being said, we partner with some of today's most well-known EdTech manufacturers and often know where to look to find helpful project and activity content. If they haven't developed an actual end-to-end curriculum, most manufacturers have at least created an activity library. Within these libraries, educators can typically expect to find a variety of STEM activities for use with that particular product. Also, if you're looking for STEM lessons, you're certainly not alone. The fact that many of these libraries are open, free, and filled with teacher-created lessons makes them even more useful.
STEM lesson plans for today's classroom solutions.
As we've said, STEM lesson plans can be found with most of our favorite STEAM tools. At the top of our lists would be the Sphero Robots, Ozobot Evo, Dash Robot, and the micro:bit. Each include access to a lesson library in one form or another. If using the Sphero BOLT, RVR, or Mini, there are tons of lessons available within the Sphero Edu app. For the Ozobot Evo, there are a bunch of robotics and coding activities that can be found online or in the Ozobot Classroom platform. As for teaching coding with the Dash, the Wonder Workshop Class Connect platform is home to lessons and student tracking tools for teachers. Finally, the micro:bit lesson library for coding with MakeCode is very detailed and extensive. Check out any of these tools on our store and, if you're wondering about lesson plans for other STEM solutions, feel free to reach out!
For the latest EdTech, STEM, and 21st century education news, follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Like us on Facebook, too, or sign up for our newsletter for our latest product announcements and offerings. If you have an idea for an Eduporium Weekly theme, send us a message on social media or comment below.