STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) sounds like an overwhelming combination of subjects to teach ¨C and only suitable for expert educators. But the reality is doing STEAM is simpler than you think. Here are 5 common STEAM myths and the truth behind them. We also outline a number of simple activities you try with your students.
STEAM projects encourage curiosity, creativity and collaboration in the classroom ¨C but they have a reputation for being preparation-heavy and for requiring a lot of teaching time and energy.
But to get the full benefit of STEAM, there¡¯s no need to plan out a full-blown project that lasts a whole month. In fact, you might integrate just one STEAM lesson into your syllabus. Or a lesson could contain a one-off 10-minute STEAM challenge.?
Here are some easy, low-preparation challenges your classes can take part in:?
The biggest misconception is around technology. When you think of STEAM, you might imagine you need apps, computers, tablets and robots to teach it successfully. It¡¯s true that you will certainly find STEAM challenges out there that involve extensive supply lists, expensive equipment, knowledge of programming and robotics.?
However, in reality, you probably have everything you need already. Technology doesn¡¯t have to be expensive or complicated. It can refer to simple, non-electronic tools and machines, too. Think funnels, measuring cups and screwdrivers, for example. You can use low-cost regular classroom or household items and recyclable materials that learners' families can donate. Toilet paper rolls and cardboard boxes are very popular items in STEAM.
Here is a low-tech activity you can try:?
This challenge involves creating 3D self-portrait sculptures in the using only cardboard. First, teach about parts of the face by observing and analyzing some Cubist portraits (eg, explore Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso). Then have learners cut out cardboard shapes and make slits in them to attach together. They create their self-portrait sculptures by fitting the pieces together using the slits so that the final product will stand by itself. Display the self-portraits and talk about them.
Young children are naturally curious about the world around them, and STEAM experiences begin very early in life. They explore with their senses and test their hypotheses about the world, just like scientists do. Much of their play is based on engineering skills, such as building houses with LEGO?? bricks. They learn to manipulate tools while they develop their fine motor skills and their awareness of non-electronic technology. They use dramatic play and enjoy getting their hands full of paint while engaged in art. They learn about maths concepts very early on, such as size (big and small toys), quantities of things, and even babies start using the word ¡°more¡± if they¡¯re still hungry.?
Check out this simple STEAM experiment to learn about plants and their needs.?
Have students put water and food dye in a pot. Put a white flower in the water. Ask students to guess what will happen.?
After a few days, students should check their flowers and observe how it has changed color. They must then record their results. Extend the experiment by asking if they can make their flowers two colors.
Example from English Code Student's Book
Educators widely believed that teaching STEAM requires having expertise in all these disciplines. In reality, while some basic knowledge about the concepts and processes behind the challenges is ideal, it is up to you to decide what you feel comfortable teaching.
What¡¯s really important is that the learners master the skills behind STEAM, that is collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and inquiry. Rather than being an expert, the teacher needs to facilitate learning and discovery.?
Here¡¯s a simple activity to demonstrate this:
In this activity, your students will build ramps to test how toys roll/slide down them. This activity covers the following disciplines:
Find out more about this ramp challenge in our next STEAM blog (coming soon).?
Some teachers think that you have to stop teaching your regular lessons to do STEAM. However, this is not the case. It¡¯s key to think of ways to connect the challenges with themes and units of work that you plan to teach and integrate them. STEAM can coexist with literacy programs, mindfulness programs or anything else you are teaching.?
Here¡¯s an example:
If you¡¯re teaching a unit on Space and Planets, make a shadow projector.?
Have learners cover one end of a cardboard tube with some thick transparent tape. They should then draw a star, planet, sun or moon on the tape with a permanent marker. Next, have them shine a flashlight through the tubes in your darkened classroom and describe the night sky. They can explore how to make the sky items bigger or smaller by moving the source of light.??
Read our posts 'How to improve literacy in the classroom' and 'How to teach students to be global citizens'.
When you¡¯re teaching English to young learners, you might find that there are a few students in your class who are struggling. But sometimes it can be hard to tell why. Is it because their language level is low? Or are they finding classroom work difficult because of a general cognitive difference, like dyslexia??
Do you ever find it hard to keep students focused and on task? Young learners get easily distracted and it can be hard to find ways to keep them engaged.
So what can we do to get, and more importantly, keep our students¡¯ attention? Here are our five top tips.
Young learners have relatively short attention spans. In the classroom, it is rare to have the whole class fully engaged in something for a long time, since the children will have different interests and levels, so it is essential to plan a number of activities for each lesson.
The more variety you can include in the activities and tasks you plan, the easier it is to provide something enjoyable and relevant for each child. Choose short tasks and try to have a couple of extra activities up your sleeve if something you planned doesn¡¯t work well. However, don¡¯t worry if you don¡¯t have time to do them all ¨C you can always save them for a future lesson.
Another way of keeping students engaged is to mix up the classroom dynamics, having a combination of individual heads-down work, pair work, group work, and whole class discussions or games. When planning your lesson, consider how your students might feel at each stage. After doing some reading or quiet work, students may start to become restless, and this is the ideal time to get them up and moving about.
While you are in class, pay close attention to the mood of the class. When you sense that students are becoming distracted or bored, change the dynamics of the activity.
Ever notice that students become lethargic and show a lack of interest? Why not try introducing brain breaks at strategic points in your lessons? Brain breaks are short physical activities or games designed to get the blood flowing and to re-energize students to help them get ready for learning. They range from short activities that last a couple of minutes, to longer breaks that may be suitable if your lessons last more than an hour.
We can vary different aspects of the lesson using the previous strategies, but one thing that rarely changes is the role of the teacher! One way of keeping students involved is by giving them more responsibility and allowing them to take a more active role in their learning.
Peer teaching completely changes the classroom dynamic and has students teach their peers while you take a step back. For primary classes, ask one or two students to take charge of a ready-made activity, e.g. one from your course book. They should give instructions, demonstrate, monitor as necessary, and check answers.
When students are used to doing this, you can start to have them work in pairs or small groups to plan their own activities to use in class.
Of course, nobody is perfect and there will be times when you lose students¡¯ attention and they are not on task. For these occasions, you can use a wealth of classroom management strategies to regain the class's attention. Here are a few techniques:
Finally, if we want our students to be motivated and engaged in our lessons, we must show enthusiasm for what we are teaching. The more lively and animated you are about the lesson, the more the students will want to join you and learn.
There is a strong link between well-being and friendship, which is just as accurate for children as it is for adults. that children with stable friendships are happier, more able to cope with stress, and have higher self-esteem. Moreover, too, and children who experience friendship adjust more easily to school and perform better academically. School friendships are also a valuable way of learning social skills like sharing, resolving conflict, and engaging with peers positively.
Having friends is an important part of school life, and teachers can play a significant role in creating a positive classroom culture and helping children and young people to form friendships. How can you promote friendships between your students? Here are some ideas:
If there is an example of a good friendship in a book you are reading with students or in your lesson materials, draw your students¡¯ attention to it. For instance, The Jungle Book is an excellent example of a story about friendship. Encourage your students to think critically about the friendships that they read about. You can ask questions like:
By discussing friendship regularly in the classroom, your students will learn about the behavior and characteristics of being a good friend.
You can create lots of opportunities for students to build friendships with one another during class time. Design activities that call for pair or group work, and include at least one or two in every lesson. Focusing on a common goal or problem is a great way to encourage your students to bond with one another.?As a bonus, this collaborative way of working promotes important 21st century skills like communication and problem-solving.
Another way of promoting friendships between different groups of students is moving them around. Adjust your seating plan regularly to ensure that all your students interact with and work alongside different classmates, to promote positive, friendly classroom vibes.
Friendship is a social skill that children need to learn ¨C and you can help by teaching them. Be explicit about exactly what you expect from them. Saying, ¡°Be kind¡± is an abstract, vague concept that children might struggle to put into practice. Instead, give them concrete examples of behavior, such as:
When you see a student engaging in these behaviors, draw attention to them and praise them.
But to really convey the importance of school friendships and kind behavior, it¡¯s not enough to tell them. As the teacher, you must model the behavior you¡¯d like to see in your students. Be consistently positive and upbeat in your interactions with students, thank your learners when they offer help with something, and try to refrain from sounding impatient (even when you are!). All these steps will help to build a positive classroom culture where students feel secure, supported and happy.
Conflict is an inevitable part of school life, but you can help students to navigate arguments and other difficult situations in the classroom. If two students argue, you can help them to resolve it with the following steps:
Following these simple steps teaches children a framework for resolving conflict and gives them the tools to process strong emotions.
An excellent way to promote a positive classroom culture is to do friendship-focused activities with your students:
You could do a Venn diagram activity, where students work in pairs to discuss and write down things they have in common and areas of difference. It¡¯s good to pair students who don¡¯t spend much time together for this activity.
Another positive activity is a 'Honey Roast'. Give students enough squares of paper to have one for each of their classmates. Get them to write their classmates¡¯ names on the paper, and then, on the other side, write down a compliment or something they like about that person, for example, ¡°I like your handwriting¡±, or ¡°You always use kind words¡±. Collect the pieces of paper and read out some nice examples to the class. Alternatively, give them directly to the students to read to themselves.
