STEM skills are becoming more vital as the market for these careers increases. Preparing today’s students to succeed in these roles is a task for every teacher, regardless of what age or subject they teach. Building a robust STEM program may not easily fit into a school’s budget, but there are many ways to incorporate these educational toys, tools, and activities into existing classrooms.
Reuse Materials
Some STEM products for schools will be highly targeted towards use in a specific classroom. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t reuse them in another classroom with different subject matter. For example, a K’NEX building set may seem an obvious choice for engineering classes, but it could also be used for physics units in science class and measurement units in math class.
Science fairs, after-school programs, STEM clubs, robotics clubs, library activities, and many more projects in your school can use the same STEM tools for different purposes, helping you get the most out of your investment.
Repurpose Lessons
Many STEM product manufacturers will design a curriculum that goes along with their products. Oftentimes this curriculum can be adapted to suit different age ranges or skill levels. Inventor kits for young beginners will use the same general concepts as more in-depth and detail-oriented kits aimed at older and more advanced students.
Ensuring students fully understand STEM concepts is the key to setting them up for a successful future. Incorporating these lessons into other classes helps students see all the ways STEM can be used in their daily lives. Talk to the ELA teacher about having students design or build a house for a character they’re currently reading about through an online tool or real-life model house kit. Passages from the reading can help them explain their design decisions. In social studies, students can write a program for a video game where the main character travels through the geographic area they’re studying.
Reverse Learning
Students are so used to being the ones who are learning, turn the tables on them and let them become the teachers for a day! When you feel students have successfully grasped the current STEM topic you’re teaching, have them try and teach that concept to younger students in the school. This activity will assess their current level of understanding, guide them on how to ask inquiry-based learning questions, open up their social world by introducing them to students outside of their own grade, and give them the confidence to continue STEM learning. They may just feel inspired enough to become educators themselves!
Get Started with STEM Toys and Kits in Your School!
For all the tech supplies you need, Midwest Technology Products is here as your number one school tech supply company. From electronic project kits, to alternative energy and computer science, our thorough selection of technology supplies will have your students engaged in STEM lessons and bragging to their parents at home.