What are the benefits of STEM in elementary lessons? It’s a common question, especially for those new to the principles of STEM. Bringing STEM activities (and STEAM) into the lessons of elementary students is not as intimidating as it sounds. In fact, creating STEM activities and lesson plans brings benefits to all students, at all levels of ability, creating a truly inclusive and effective educational opportunity. Hence, this is your chance to make use of these TWENTY (20) STEM projects. The teacher and students will have more than enough resources to choose from and with these cutting across elementary and secondary school topics, the STEM Fair will certainly be an amazing day to remember!!!

Active Learning means students engage with the material, participate in the class, and collaborate with each other. Don’t expect your students simply to listen and memorize; instead, have them help demonstrate a process, analyze an argument, or apply a concept to a real-world situation. Students learn through their participation in the attainment of knowledge by gathering information and processing it by solving problems and articulating what they have discovered. Each activity below provides students with opportunities to deepen their learning by applying concepts and articulating new knowledge and many of these activities also provide the instructor feedback about the students’ learning. Whether you’re facing a lecture hall filled with 300 students or a seminar table with 15 students, one of your primary goals for the class should be to actively engage students with the material. Students learn more when they participate in the process of learning, whether it’s through discussion, practice, review, or application (Grunert, 1997). This is in stark contrast to traditional styles of teaching, where students are expected to sit for hours, listening and, theoretically, absorbing information presented by the instructor. Incorporate active learning strategies into every component of your course design. For example, encouraging short partner discussions during lectures (i.e., think-pair-share), adding problem- or case-based research projects to the curriculum, and incorporating time for small-group critical analysis exercises during seminars are all great ways to actively engage students in learning.