Every year, four amazing, creative KidLit folks get together and organize a super fun writing contest called The KidLit Chuckle Challenge. April Berry, Julie Hausworth, Kris DeCaro, and Bri Lawyer provide a list of characters and objects. Those of us who enter are challenged to choose one character and one object and create a brief (no more than 200 words) chuckle-worthy story. Here are the choices from this year's contest:

Anyone who knows me knows I HAD to choose the World's Loveliest Toad; I mean, come on, how could I resist?! And immediately, Super Squeaky Sneakers in a woodland setting made me laugh out loud.

Fast forward a few weeks (the judging was done in RECORD time!) and I found myself on the winner board! Hooray!

But the BEST news is that I won signed copies of Charlotte Offsay and Abi Cushman's The Quiet Forest and The Quiet Ocean! I am so excited about these two fantastic prizes! Thank you for donating them, Abi!

Writing contests like this one always help me stretch my writing skills and are just so darned fun! Thank you to the organizers, judges, and every writer who entered! And without further ado, may I present Toad's Super Squeaky Sneakers.

I’m currently working on building a strong, engaging STEM learning experience for first graders while I learn a new grade level and content. As a first-year first-grade teacher, I’m figuring out how to make STEM concepts developmentally appropriate, hands-on, and accessible for young learners while still challenging them to think creatively, collaborate, and solve problems.

I’m excited about finding more ways to integrate hands-on STEM challenges into our CKLA units so students can apply what they are learning in meaningful, creative ways. I especially love seeing first graders become engineers and problem-solvers, like when we recently designed and built the tallest tower possible to protect the Golden Goose’s egg!

I plan for successful STEM learning by connecting hands-on challenges to the content students are already learning, no matter the subject. I think carefully about the goal of the challenge, materials that are accessible to young learners, and how to group students so they can collaborate, communicate, and learn from one another. As I learn first grade, I’m also building a collection of STEM challenges that are engaging, manageable, and developmentally appropriate for my students.

One of my favorite recent STEM moments was our Golden Goose engineering challenge! After finishing our CKLA learning, my first graders worked in teams to design and build the tallest tower they could to protect the Golden Goose’s egg. They tested their ideas, made changes when things didn’t work, and practiced teamwork and problem-solving, all while being completely engaged in the challenge. Seeing them take ownership of their designs and proudly explain their thinking was such a magical first-grade STEM moment!

One thing I’ve learned is that STEM doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful. With my first and second grade students, I’ve found that simple, hands-on challenges with clear goals give students the opportunity to think creatively, collaborate, test ideas, and learn from failure. I’m also learning that integrating STEM directly into our CKLA content makes the learning feel more purposeful and gives students a chance to apply what they’ve learned in a completely different way.

If you’re hitting a roadblock trying to come up with a STEM idea, ask AI to be your brainstorming partner! Give it the grade level, content you’re teaching, and materials you have available, and ask for a few simple, hands-on STEM challenges that connect to your lesson. You don’t have to use the ideas exactly as generated; let AI get you started, then add your own teacher creativity!

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog, Carrie! Congratulations on your National Champion of the Presidential AI Award. Your dedication to bringing relevant and meaningful STEM experiences to ALL children is inspiring! We appreciate you sharing your tips with us.

Readers, we welcome your comments, and as always, be sure to share this post using the links below!

As an elementary teacher who wants to incorporate non-fiction read-alouds into an almost nonexistent science time, the picture book must accomplish a lot quickly. This beautifully illustrated story of the Giant Cuttlefish does just that.

It would make the perfect addition to a life cycles unit, especially if the kids have heard year after year about all the usuals…the frog, the butterfly, the chicken. 

If you are a teacher looking for something just a bit unique, yet still want to hit all the standards related to adaptations, survival needs, patterns of behavior that allow offspring to survive, habitats, and predator/prey relationships, this book should be at the top of your list.

The narrative text with immersive, brilliant lyricism conveys all the expository information engagingly and fascinatingly. And Mike Orodán’s colorful illustrations truly bring the science to life.

Featured Picture Book:

Giant Cuttlefish, Chameleon of the Sea (2026)

Written by Elaine M. Alexander

Illustrated by Mike Orodán

Publisher’s Summary:

Follow the fascinating chameleon of the sea—a dazzling, hypnotic mystery that changes its appearance many times in order to survive and thrive.

Peering into the face of a giant cuttlefish is like gazing at a creature from another planet. Eight arms grow out of its head, two suckered feeding tentacles shoot out from pouches below its eyes, and a fearsome beak hooks its prey. In a blink, the giant cuttlefish changes the color and texture of its skin. Blending into its surroundings, the camouflaged fish evades predators, tricks prey, and throws rivals off-balance. With its otherworldly features, superior eyesight, and an ability to learn complex behavior, this remarkable cephalopod has survived for 500 million years. Elaine M. Alexander and illustrator Mike Orodán give readers a clear and close-up look at the smartest and largest of all mollusks, the rock star of the ocean, the chameleon of the sea: the giant cuttlefish. Back matter includes brief explorations into its life cycle, adaptations, hunting behavior, mating, and threats to survival, as well as a glossary and bibliography.

Related Themes and Standards:

• Adaptations
• Survival Needs (including camouflage)
• Life Cycles
• Habitats
• Animal Behaviors
• Predators/Prey

STEM Ideas:

• The Giant Cuttlefish has a unique way of attracting and grabbing its prey. Have students engineer a grabber using recycled materials. Have them test it on various objects.
• Have students create a stop-motion video that demonstrates how Giant Cuttlefish use a burst of ink to evade predators.
• Create a class Venn Diagram that compares and contrasts the life cycle of the Giant Cuttlefish to more well-known life cycles they’ve studied (frogs, chickens, butterflies…).
• Students may not have heard the term cephalopod. Have them research other members of the cephalopod class.
• Give students a colored photo of a Giant Cuttlefish. Have them design and build a three-dimensional habitat that helps the creature hide using what they know about camouflage.
• Since Giant Cuttlefish use jet propulsion to move quickly in the water, have students conduct a simple experiment to see how it works. HERE are some easy directions. They’ll get life science and physical science all in one lesson!

Do you have other ideas for this story? Please share! #BetterTogether

As part of the STEM Pioneers Teacher Corps, my main focus is to help elevate K-5 STEM in my state and across the country whenever possible. 

Right now, my main focus is filling a gap to keep our youngest learners excited about STEM competitions. Last year, our Intermediate Unit (IU) hosted a K–12 Keystone Competition, and watching our K–4 students fall in love with teamwork and hands-on problem-solving was unforgettable. However, this year’s competition shifted to serve only grades 5–12.

Refusing to let our younger students lose that spark, I am working on creating a brand-new STEM competition tailored specifically for 1st–4th graders. I recently gauged interest across our county, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. The demand is definitely there, and one way or another, we are going to make this happen!

I find immense joy in the excitement our elementary students exude. Last year we took several teams (1st -4th grade) to our Keystone Competition. This year the competition is only for 5th -12th graders. So I've decided to create a version of that competition within my county. There is a lot of interest, and I think our young students deserve a chance to display what the have learned!

As a STEM educator, I believe continuous learning is essential. With technology like AI rapidly expanding and scientific breakthroughs occurring daily, staying prepared requires ongoing professional growth. I actively seek out high-quality, job-specific professional development to keep my instruction current and relevant. Additionally, I intentionally over-plan my lessons; having extra content ensures I always have meaningful learning activities ready to carry over into the next rotation or class period.

My recent magical moment occurred last spring when we took three teams to the state-level competition for the very first time. One of our teams earned third place in the 4th–5th grade division while also taking home the Sustainability Award! Afterward, all three teams had the opportunity to present their experiences to our School Board.

I love having a few "tricks up my sleeve" for unexpected downtime. It doesn't happen often, but when a class finishes a project with just a few minutes left—not quite enough time to start anything new—I like to keep the students active and engaged. I found some fun videos that prompt them to move based on what they are watching. The students love them, and those last eight minutes fly by! Here is a link to one I use with K–2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2KXKJ3YVrg

I am thankful for the toolbox of 4Cs activities I have gathered over the years. One of my favorites is a "docking" game. Every student holds one string attached to a single metal ring (my initial version was made with a large binder ring). A ball is balanced on top of the ring, and working together, the class must transport it to land safely on an inverted Solo cup. It is amazing to watch an entire class move as one! Here is a quick video of this activity in action during a professional development workshop I helped lead for Engineering by Design: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mJfvU8-OlhTbkybSy7T9uB1_4nLKAeq7/view?usp=drive_link 

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog, Jen! You are doing amazing work, and the rest of us certainly benefit from your ideas, links, and super tips. We appreciate you sharing.

If you'd like to follow Jen's STEM classroom activities, make sure you give her a follow over on LinkedIn or Instagram  @PioneeringSTEM!

We welcome your comments, and as always, be sure to share this post using the links below!