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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!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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

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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!

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One of my favorite Citizen Science activities with kids involves ants, so this picture book really appealed to me! Although you may need to take another look at this one in the spring, I wanted to share it now. It would also make a great hook for a study on where insects go in the winter!
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Featured Picture Book:
Hey, Little Ant (1998)
By Phillip and Hannah Hoose (@PhillipHoose)
Illustrated by Debbie Tilley

Summary
A boy and an ant have a discussion about whether the boy should step on the ant. They compare aspects of their lives that are similar and different. The final decision is left up to the reader!

Related Themes:
SEL:
Taking the perspective of others
Caring about others
Peer pressure
Similarities and differences

Science:
Insect studies

STEM Ideas:
1. There is a great lesson on Mystery Science that you could tie in after reading this book called Where do bugs go in winter? 

2. Here are my lesson slides that incorporate the Mystery Science video and an engineering challenge with Hex Bugs!

3. Engineer a safe trap to bring with you on a picnic so no ants get harmed. Use recyclable materials during the design process!

4. Plan out, write a script, and record a video convincing the boy to save the ant.

5. Create a green screen project (either video or just still photos) where the kids are small like ants. DoInk is my favorite app for these types of projects, but you could use whatever green screen app you like!

6. Bring live ants/ant farm into your classroom for student observations! Here is a great site with ideas and support. Or take your kids out into nature to do some ant observations - make sure you bring the hand lenses and science notebooks!

Do you have other ideas? I'd love to hear about them in the comments! #BetterTogether
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Whenever I am asked what materials I  couldn't live without in the STEM lab, when integrating STEM in the regular classroom, or at home, besides recyclables like cardboard tubes, these are my MUST HAVES!
I've included  Amazon links (these are affiliate links), ways I use these materials in my lessons, as well as lots of actual lesson slides. As always feel free to make a copy of the lesson slides and tweak for your needs!


​#1
Masking Tape

TONS and TONS of masking tape! I always make sure at the very least, each group has its own roll.   A management strategy I use is to have students tear off an arm’s length piece and attach it to the edge of their table to they aren’t waiting for the group roll. 
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You’d be surprised how many kids don’t know how to tear tape. Modeling this fine motor skill and giving them time and grace to practice is important. Of course, scissors can be provided as well. 

Some of my STEM challenge constraints include only using a certain amount of tape (ie. 30cm). This helps kids think before building/cutting and allows them to develop other ways to attach materials together (ie. making slits in straws, pushing straw ends inside one another, etc.)


​​#2
Toothpicks
(Round Pointy!)

Toothpicks, I always use the round  type for their strength and  pointy ends which are more user-friendly for kids, are  used by the box in my lessons!
  • Bridge Building: Toothpicks can be used to construct miniature bridges. This activity requires planning, design, and execution. Kids can test the strength of their bridges by adding weights to them and observing how much they can handle before collapsing. It's a great way to introduce concepts of architecture, engineering, and materials strength.
  • Structure Building: Building with Play-Doh, packing peanuts, cardboard, gumdrops, marshmallows, and other materials can kick up the level of challenge.
  • Geometry Lessons: Toothpicks can serve as excellent tools for teaching geometry. They can be used to create various 2D shapes like triangles, squares, rectangles, and more complex polygons. Similarly, by joining these shapes, 3D structures can be formed, giving a physical representation of geometric figures.
  • Seed Germination: Insert toothpicks into a seed, such as a bean or avocado pit, and suspend it over a cup of water with the toothpicks resting on the rim. This offers a unique way to observe seed germination and root development. 
  • Crystal Formation: Toothpicks can be used to create a framework on which crystals can grow. By using a saturated solution of borax or sugar, kids can watch the crystallization process in action over several days.
  • Windmill Construction: Construct a simple windmill using toothpicks, paper, and a pin. This activity can demonstrate concepts of wind energy and mechanical energy transformation.
  • Vehicle axles: Toothpicks are great when students are challenged to build mini-vehicles during their study of forces and motion.


​​#3
Straws

I like to have plenty of both the bendable and non-bendable type straws on hand! Let the kids decide which will be better for their particular design. There is a lot of failure learning associated with the bendable kind. Allow that failure to happen, even if you see it coming!
  • Straw Tower Challenge: Provide a number of straws and some tape to each team of students. The challenge is to build the tallest tower possible that can stand on its own while holding an object. This task promotes team collaboration, critical thinking, and understanding of basic engineering principles.
  • Straw Bridges: Similar to toothpick bridges, students can design and construct bridges out of straws. The challenge here is to make a structure that can support as much weight as possible. This teaches about structural design, load distribution, and the properties of materials.
  • Straw Rockets: Kids can build simple rockets using straws and paper. By blowing through the straw, the rocket will launch. This demonstrates principles of physics like force, pressure, and aerodynamics. (Rather than use the template in the above video I would let the kids design and create their own.) Straw rockets are a great integration into any measurement unit!
  • Straw Mazes: Create a maze on a flat surface and use a straw to blow a small ball (cotton balls and pompoms work great)   or a piece of paper through the maze. This activity can help children learn about the force of air pressure and control while also promoting problem-solving skills. Straws can also be the walls of the mazes the kids build.
  • Water Flow Experiment: Construct a water system using straws. By connecting straws together, students can create a piping system and observe how water travels through it. This is a practical demonstration of fluid dynamics.


​​#4
Pool Noodles

Pool noodles make great boundary areas for activities. I tape them down with Painter’s Tape as Start/Finish lines, to make arenas for robotic challenges, and in large squares to delineate each team’s building area. In addition, they can be used in many challenges.
  • Boat Building: Pool noodles can be cut into various shapes and used to build floating structures. Children can design and create their own boats, learning about buoyancy and design principles. They can then test their boats in water to see if they float. This activity is a great way to introduce concepts such as buoyancy, displacement, and balance.
  • Marble Runs: Cut pool noodles in half lengthwise to create channels for marbles. This can be a fun way for children to experiment with gravity, inertia, and momentum. They can create complex systems by changing the angles and heights of the channels, and observing how these changes affect the marble's speed.
  • Bridge Building: Pool noodles can also be used to create bridges. Children can use them to explore the principles of engineering and physics, learning about the structural integrity and what design elements make the strongest bridges.
  • Vehicle Builds: Create wheels using sections of pool noodles and use other materials like straws or wooden dowels as axles. This activity can help teach children about simple machines, friction, and motion.
  • Building 3D Shapes: Cut the pool noodles into different lengths and use toothpicks or skewers to connect the pieces together. This can be a hands-on way to learn about geometry, specifically different types of 3D shapes and their properties.
  • Drone obstacles:  Allow teams to construct various drone obstacles for a class course using pool noodles  cut however they want  and other materials.


​​​#5
KEVA Planks

KEVA Planks    are one of my favorite STEM materials because of their simplicity and versatility. They are lightweight, identical pieces of smooth polished wood.
  • Bridge Building: Challenge students to design and construct a bridge using a specified number of KEVA planks. We have had them try to bridge the distance between two desks, two piles of books, and other materials. This can be an excellent activity to teach about principles of engineering and physics like load distribution, balance, and material strength.
  • Replicate Famous Structures/Structures in Literature and Picture Books: Assign or let students choose famous architectural structures around the world or from a recent story and challenge them to replicate these structures using KEVA planks. This can help students learn about design, scale, and construction principles.
  • Design a Maze: Have students design and build a maze for a marble, a HexBug, or a robot to travel through. This can involve principles of physics (like gravity and momentum) and engineering design.
  • Tower Challenge: Challenge students to build the tallest tower they can with a fixed number of planks. This activity can teach students about stability, gravity, and structural design.
  • Robot Navigation Course: If you have access to programmable robots, have students design a course with KEVA planks that the robot has to navigate. This involves coding, problem-solving, and spatial understanding.
  • Earthquake Simulation: After students build a structure with KEVA planks, put it on a shake table (or a simulated one) to see how well it holds up under earthquake conditions. This can lead to lessons about architecture, geography, and seismic activity.
  • Create a Domino Rally/Rube Goldberg Machine: Ask students to design a complex domino rally or a chain reaction machine using KEVA planks along with other materials. This helps students understand cause and effect, physics principles, and sequential reasoning.
  • Mathematical Shapes and Models: Use KEVA planks to construct geometric shapes or mathematical models, like a 3D graph or a fractal design. This can help students understand complex mathematical concepts in a tangible way.


​#6
Pipe Cleaners

I use pipe cleaners as a material choice in almost every engineering design challenge at every grade level. It always amazes me how many primary students have never held, twisted, or otherwise played with a pipe cleaner!
  • Building Structures: Students can use pipe cleaners to design and build various architectural structures. This can range from simple shapes, such as squares or triangles, to more complex designs like towers, bridges, or buildings. This not only promotes understanding of engineering principles but also encourages creativity and problem-solving.
  • Circuit Creation: Because most pipe cleaners have a metal core, kids can create simple circuits, lighting up a small LED or powering atiny buzzer. They'll learn about the flow of electricity and the basics of circuit design. Note: Always prioritize safety when working with electricity.
  • Geometric Shapes and Patterns: Have the students create various 2D and 3D geometric shapes with pipe cleaners. This helps students understand the properties of different geometric figures and their dimensions. Makes a great hands-on math center/rotation.
  • Create Simple Machines: Students can create models of simple machines like levers, pulleys, or wheels and axles. Pipe cleaners can form the frame or moving parts of these models.
  • Stop Motion Designs: Use pipe cleaners to model the growth of a plant from a seed to a full-grown plant or other stop motion design topic projects. They are easy to work with and change in small increments.
  • Biome Models: Students can use pipe cleaners to create miniature models of different ecosystems or biomes. Pipe cleaners are good for   modeling plants and animals. This can help students understand the diversity of life on Earth and the adaptations each species has developed to survive in their particular environment.
  • Maze Creation: Pipe cleaners can be one of the material choices in any type of maze challenge. They work great taped to paper plates for mini-mazes.


​​#7
Packing Peanuts

I always keep a huge bag of packing peanuts as part of my STEM materials. The cheapest place I’ve found them is at your local UHAUL rental store, but you can also get them at mailing stores and on Amazon. I use the common white ones a lot, but have also found that the more expensive water-soluble kind are great for various challenges as well.
  • Static Electricity Experiment (depending on what type you buy): Students can explore the concept of static electricity by rubbing a balloon on their hair or woolen cloth and then bringing it near packing peanuts. The static charge on the balloon will attract the peanuts, helping to explain this concept.
  • Buoyancy Test: Create an activity where children test the buoyancy of different materials, including packing peanuts. Have them hypothesize about whether the peanuts will float or sink, then test their hypotheses. This activity can be expanded by using different kinds of packing peanuts (biodegradable and non-biodegradable), leading to discussions about material properties and environmental implications.
  • Insulation Experiment: Use packing peanuts to demonstrate the concept of insulation. Have students create a container using different materials, one of which includes packing peanuts. Then place ice inside each container and observe which one stays frozen the longest.
  • Building Structures: Packing peanuts can be used for engineering activities such as building towers or bridges. Some peanuts, when dampened, can stick together, making them an excellent material for constructing various structures. This can spark discussions about stability, balance, and load-bearing structures.
  • Plant Growing Experiment: If you have biodegradable packing peanuts, they can be used as a medium for growing plants. This activity can demonstrate the biodegradability of certain materials and how they interact with living organisms. Make scientific observations comparing soil, hydroponics, etc.
  • Sound Absorption Experiment: Use packing peanuts in a sound absorption experiment. Have students place a sound source inside a box filled with packing peanuts and measure the change in volume or perceived loudness. This demonstrates the principle of sound absorption.
  • Sorting and Classifying: This activity can be helpful for younger learners. Students can sort peanuts based on their properties, such as size, shape, and color (if you color them), which can help develop early math skills and the concept of classification.
  • Creating a 3D Model: Packing peanuts can be used to create 3D models of structures, geometric shapes, or even constellations. This allows students to visualize abstract concepts in a meaningful way.


​​​#8
Craft Sticks

Everyone’s favorite go-to for STEM challenge materials. You can never have enough, and I usually make sure I have small and large versions for kids to choose from.
  • Bridge Building: Of course, bridge building has to be on the list! This engineering project is all about creating the strongest and most efficient bridge design. Children can use craft sticks and glue or tape to build bridges, then test their strength with weights. This activity allows kids to learn about structural engineering, force distribution, and design principles. Providing a limited amount as a constraint or a budget can provide additional challenges.
  • Catapults: Teach students about physics, specifically the laws of motion and tension, by having them construct small catapults using craft sticks, rubber bands, and a bottle cap or a plastic spoon.
  • Coding Activity: Colored craft sticks can be used to teach coding concepts offline. For instance, different colored sticks can represent different commands or actions. Arrange them in sequences to create a 'program' that others must follow. 
  • Mazes: Another popular use! Create a 2D or 3D maze using craft sticks and glue. It's a fun way to learn about spatial awareness, problem-solving, and design.
  • Geometry Shapes: Craft sticks can be used to make various 2D shapes, helping students visualize geometry concepts. With older students, these can be extended into 3D shapes for a more advanced exploration of geometry.
  • Simple Machines: Create simple machines such as levers, pulleys, gears or wheel and axle using craft sticks. This introduces basic mechanical engineering concepts to children in a hands-on way.
  • Robotics Extensions: Have students create plows, collection devices, arm extensions, or other add-ons for their robots (Dash, Sphero, Beebot, or whatever you have) to carry out engineering/coding challenges.
  • Craft Stick Airplanes: Have students design and build their own airplanes using craft sticks. Once they are built, you can discuss the principles of aerodynamics and conduct experiments to see whose airplane flies the farthest. Compare them to traditional paper airplanes. Measure and use the results for data analysis activities.
  • Magnetic Activities: Glue a small magnet to the end of a craft stick and sprinkle iron filings on a piece of paper. By moving the magnet under the paper, kids can see the invisible lines of the magnetic field. I’ve had good success with a paper image of the original Wooly Willy or another character inside a gallon-sized plastic bag with the filings!
  • Craft Stick Windmill: Using craft sticks, children can build a windmill, and this can lead to discussions about renewable energy and how windmills generate electricity. It's a good introduction to environmental science and energy engineering.
STEM materials don't have to be fancy, electronic, or expensive. These are definitely 8 I wouldn't want to do without! If you have any questions about any of the suggestions or lesson slide links, please don't hesitate to reach out!

I'd love it if you would add your MUST HAVES in the comments!