STEM Made Teacher Friendly

How many of you love the idea of STEM but are nervous about what it will look like in your classroom? Scared about finding activities? Worried about getting the materials and about the cost of the materials?

Well, my teacherfriends, Carson Dellosa has done it again!!!! I love this company and all that it creates for teachers! I always have! But their STEM box is amazing!!!

They have created a group of STEM lessons just for us! This box has  30   Lessons ( 10 lessons for physical science, 10 lessons for life sciences and 10 lessons for earth science) and they are all for grades 2 to 5 but my first graders could do them with a little changing of the directions (a little more explanation or different vocabulary at times)! 

These lessons come on laminated cards with the visual list of materials needed on the front! All materials used are found in classrooms and schools so we do not have to go into debt to supply our kids what they need in order to complete these activities! The challenge is also listed on the front! These activities are kid friendly and can be used independently, small group or even whole group!! There is so much flexibility with this product!!! 

The cards are laminated for durability and on the back of each card are questions in each area to ask your students to extend their learning!!! There is also a little more information about the science behind the activity! 

I used these cards as whole group activities at first! I did this just to familiarize them with the cards and what my expectations were when they were completing them! After we did two as a whole group then I let them choose activities as a small group! Once I was comfortable with them completing them as a small group, I have put them out to use independently when they are done with their work. I also use them on science days as an activating strategy, the lesson or a science day wind up!

This stem kit is amazing and I highly recommend it for any Classroom! 

January should be called National Indoor Recess Month!!!

January! What a month! It is a month that seems to never end! From snow days to indoor recess, this month just seems to hang there!!

But oh my, I found these two amazing activities from Learn 365 From Oriental Trading and I am telling y’all that indoor recess has been transformed in my room!!!

First, let’s discuss indoor recess!! This is a time when I as a teacher,  I  literally would get the sweats and an automatic headache!! The dreaded phrase, teachers please keep your classes inside today due to the windchill or the due to the weather is like listening to someone scrape their fingers down the chalkboard!!!

Well, problem solved! I found these two amazing products from learn365 and my kids are not only collaborating without screaming but they are also learning during indoor recess! No yelling! No running! No arguing! Tell me more right!!!

Here is what I found! 

In this activity, they have to work together to create a maze to get their balls frommkne end to another! They also have to work together to manipulate the ball! The conversations and team work were amazing and so enjoyable! 

The other activity was this one!!!

The kids had to work together to create a track for the marble to travel! The goal is to get it from the beginning to the u shaped piece at the end. 

There were cards for them to use as guides if they wanted to try it that way first! One group of my kiddos tried the cards and used the heater! Another group vetoed the cards and tried it on their own! They used the lockers!! The conversations in both groups..... priceless!!

So if you are looking for ways to “improve” your indoor recesses... you need to check out all of the amazing stem or steam activities that learn365 and oriental Trading    have!! You won’t be disappointed! Learning while they play... a teacher can’t ask for anything more then that especially during the year of January oops sorry month of January! LOL!!!!

Click here to check out learn365!!!

I am a teacherblogger and was not reimbursed for my ideas or opinions! I was given the materials from learn365 and orientalist Trading in return for my own honest opinion and ideas! These are my own views!