I currently serve in a rural library that does not have a dedicated makerspace. I was able to secure a $2,200 donation from our local Kiwanis Club to create a mobile maker cart, which has given our patrons access to hands-on STEAM experiences without needing a permanent makerspace.

The cart is two-sided. One side includes art and craft supplies, recyclables, and open-ended materials, while the other side is focused on building and engineering materials. My next challenge is finding ways to incorporate more technology so children can take their creations further and explore how technology connects with hands-on making.

I am also working to address a larger challenge: how can we make quality STEM resources more accessible to rural libraries? I am exploring the idea of creating a shared STEM resource lending library throughout Indiana so libraries of all sizes can provide meaningful STEM experiences, regardless of their budget, space, or staffing.

I serve as an ambassador for Grand Universe, a $450 million space and science center coming to Indiana. When it opens, I will help develop programming for PreK through 4th grade, and I am especially excited about imagining how every exhibit can be hands-on, interactive, and universally designed.

I want children to do more than simply learn about science. I want them to wonder, experiment, create, and see themselves as scientists and engineers. I also want to intentionally build computational thinking into these experiences by encouraging children to break down problems, look for patterns, think through steps, test ideas, and revise their solutions.

My dream is for kids to walk away inspired and curious, with the confidence to think, create, and solve problems. I want their families to leave with simple ideas and activities they can continue exploring together at home.

Being in a public library gives me the freedom to design STEM experiences around curiosity, creativity, and exploration. I don't have to plan toward a final grade or assessment, so I can focus on the learning process and what children discover along the way. I intentionally design my STEAM challenges to be as open-ended as possible. I don't want every child to create the same thing in the same way. I want them to use their imaginations, make their own decisions, try different approaches, and figure out what works. I plan the materials and challenge, then let the children take the learning in directions I may not have expected.

For me, that is where innovation thrives. When children have the freedom to experiment, make mistakes, rethink their ideas, and create something that is truly their own, they are developing the problem-solving and critical-thinking skills that STEM is all about.

One of my programs is called Tinkers and Thinkers. We read an inspirational picture book biography about an important figure in STEAM and then take on a related challenge. For one program, we read Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane and I challenged the kids to design a paper airplane. They could decide what they wanted their plane to do, whether that meant flying far, doing tricks, or something completely different.

One boy decided he wanted to build a paper airplane that could take off without being thrown. He experimented with pipettes and straws and used his breath to help launch his plane. When we ran out of time, he was still thinking like an engineer and had started designing a platform for his airplane to rest on before launching.

That experience reminded me why I love open-ended STEM challenges. You can give children the same materials and the same starting point, and they can take their ideas in completely different directions. Sometimes the most meaningful learning happens when we give children the freedom to follow their own questions and see where their thinking takes them.

I have learned that it’s okay not to have all the answers. I think many elementary teachers (and librarians) feel intimidated by STEM because they worry they need to be the expert in the room. I’ve discovered that my role isn’t to show children exactly how to complete a project. My role is to guide them through their own learning and discovery. Sometimes that means figuring things out together. It’s okay to say, “I don’t know. How can we figure that out?” In fact, I think those moments can be some of the most valuable STEM learning experiences.

One small change teachers can make tomorrow is to ask, “What could you change?” after a STEAM activity. Instead of stopping when a child gets something to work, invite them to change one part of their design and test it again. Change the angle of a ramp, the size of a paper airplane, the materials in a structure, or even one step in a process. It takes almost no extra preparation, but it encourages children to experiment, iterate, and think about why something worked or didn’t work. Sometimes a simple question is all it takes to turn an activity into a STEAM experience.

Thank you for stopping by the blog, Elissa! Your perspective as a librarian in a public library adds a unique view and so much to the conversation on creating ways for STEM to be accessible for EVERY child. You are doing amazing work!

If you would like to follow Elissa's STEM journey at the public library, make sure you give her a follow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/elissa-dee-76b346288

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

Kids and adults alike are so intrigued by outer space, and for good reason!

If you are looking for an amazing picture book to integrate into a relevant STEM lesson, here are some that I've featured from the Always Wonder Blog archives! All posts include book information as well as integration ideas.

I've also included a post where I shared two different STEM lessons based on current-event space articles the students were reading. Literacy + STEM!

What are your favorite space picture books? How about STEM lessons that help kids learn more about space? Leave a comment! #BetterTogether

Space science is always a popular subject among young children. The amazing ability of rockets and astronauts to go to places that are hard to imagine, not to mention understand, at an early age fascinates and intrigues!

Mae Among the Stars is the perfect picture book to use as a foundation for a STEM space challenge. It is a biography sparse in words, but big in conveying determination, perseverance, and goal-setting. A positive lesson for our aspiring astronauts.

The included back matter shares exactly how Dr. Mae Jemison achieved her lifelong goal of seeing Earth from space. The illustrations are large, colorful portrayals of important events in her early childhood that helped shape the astronaut she became.

Featured Picture Book:

Mae Among the Stars (2018)

Written by Roda Ahmed

Illustrated by Stasia Burrington

Publisher’s Summary:

A beautiful picture book for sharing and marking special occasions such as graduation, inspired by the life of the first African American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison. An Amazon Best Book of the Month!

A great classroom and bedtime read-aloud, Mae Among the Stars is the perfect book for young readers who have big dreams and even bigger hearts.

When Little Mae was a child, she dreamed of dancing in space. She imagined herself surrounded by billions of stars, floating, gliding, and discovering.

She wanted to be an astronaut.

Her mom told her, "If you believe it, and work hard for it, anything is possible.”

Little Mae’s curiosity, intelligence, and determination, matched with her parents' encouraging words, paved the way for her incredible success at NASA as the first African American woman to travel in space.

This book will inspire other young girls to reach for the stars, to aspire for the impossible, and to persist with childlike imagination.

Related Themes and Standards:

• Earth’s place in the universe
• Using observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns
• Engineering: solving a problem through a new or improved object or tool
• SEL: growth mindset, perseverance, self-confidence, curiosity, and goal-setting

STEM Ideas:

• Have students engineer a new helmet (or other piece of equipment astronauts might use) out of recycled materials.
• Have students conduct experiments with straw rockets.
• Students can research Mae and other astronauts and conduct mock interviews. Record and post them on your class website or Padlet, and have a viewing party.
• Create pocket constellation viewers so students can recreate the page in the story where Mae is looking at the stars.
• Have students engineer and conduct the always-a-favorite Alka-Seltzer rocket launches outside.

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