1. The 3 Stages of STEM
6/28/2020
Show Summary:
In this episode, Natasha and Claire discuss the 3 Stages of STEM, where skills like teamwork, problem solving, and collaboration are progressively built upon to complete challenges of increasing complexity within a STEM program.
“You need to be an engineer to teach STEM. Is that true? NO! Anybody can do it!”
For an activity to truly be STEM, it must bring all of the subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) together.
“The definition we use for STEM is that students apply math and science to a problem, using the engineering design process through technology.”
A brief overview of the three stages is as follows:
Stage 1 includes activities like tower challenges where students learn how to work together. These activities are often called icebreakers.
Stage 2 is where you introduce the engineering design process and add math and science, then use technology to solve a problem.
Stage 3 consists of longer, more complex challenges with a research component. In this stage, students solve a more open-ended problem and there is typically a final project that they present.
Links from the show:
Find out more about the 3 Stages of STEM in our blog post here.
Stage 2 example activity: Straw Rockets (for K-2nd grade)(for 4th-10th grade)
Stage 3 example activity: Launch a Weather Balloon
Stage 3 example activity: Design a Mars Colony
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