Adding STEM to Your Classroom

Adding high-quality STEM instruction to your classroom does not have to be a daunting proposition. You don’t need to tackle it all at once! Consider small changes to things you might be doing already, to make current lessons more “STEM friendly.”

For example:

• Propose open-ended problems that have multiple correct approaches and answers. 
  Talk about the options with students, so they begin to understand that there are many effective ways to solve problems.
• Let students iterate.
  When students attempt to solve a problem and it doesn’t work out as they hoped, help them reflect on what didn’t work out and what they might change before trying again. Let them try again to see if the results change.
• Structure opportunities for collaboration. 
  Not all learners are natural teammates. Structure lessons to include teamwork with clear roles. After the lesson, have students reflect on the process of working together and propose ways to collaborate more effectively.
• Ask students what matters to them. 
  Not sure what kind of STEM problems to tackle? Ask students to propose a list of problems (maybe in the school, at home, or in the community) that they could potentially solve or improve with STEM thinking. Choose one from the list to work on as a class.

What is STEM?
What does high-quality STEM instruction look like? 
Where can I find STEM resources?