Lesson Planning Approach
As I shift from teaching science to teaching STEAM, I am transitioning from an isolated and fragmented form of teaching to an integrated model that draws connections between the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. The integrated model is like a kaleidoscope, where interdisciplinary subjects are rearranged around overlapping concepts and common patterns emerge (Fogarty, 1992). STEM education engages students in curriculum integration, problem solving, critical thinking, and tool use as they explore complex problems, build prototypes, and make improvements (Sias, Nadelson, Juth, & Seifert, 2017). The process below describes my approach to planning integrated STEAM lessons for elementary-aged students.
1. Study the science curriculum: What unit and science standards are the students learning about in their general education classroom? How can I support their learning? Pick one science standard that correlates to a real-world scientific problem.
2. Research the real-world problem: Who does it affect and how? Why should students be concerned with this problem? How can students learn more about this problem? Find a method for presenting the problem at the beginning of the lesson so it will hook students' attention.
3. Brainstorm engineering solutions to problem: How are engineers trying to solve this problem? What kind of project-based learning activity can students use to develop a prototype for solving this problem? What materials will students use? What guidelines will they follow as they use the engineering design process to solve the problem?
4. Incorporate technology: How can technology be incorporated into this lesson? Will students use technology for research, gathering data, developing prototypes, presentations, and/or assessments?
5. Look for correlated math standards: How will students use math in this lesson? Which standards from the math curriculum can be reviewed or taught during this lesson?
6. Allow for creativity: How can students creatively express their work in an artistic manner? What art medium and supplies will students need for this lesson?
A main goal for each lesson I create is to integrate each of the five disciplines of STEAM. Sometimes it is hard to incorporate all five disciplines, so I try to use as many as possible. I always aim to plan lessons that require students to engage in collaborative, hands-on learning as they use the engineering design process to solve a real-world scientific problem. When lessons are based on authentic investigations related to current events, students will view the content as relevant and gain an awareness of real-world science and engineering concepts (Smith, Roemmele, Miller, & Frisbee, 2018).
Now that I have explained my background, lesson planning process, and purpose of this blog, I will begin to share lessons I have created for my STEAM classes using the process described in this post.
- Jennifer Clark, FCPS STEAM Teacher
Fogarty, R. (1992). 10 ways to integrate curriculum. The Education Digest, 57(6), 53-57.
Sias, C., Nadelson, L., Juth, S., & Seifert, A. (2017). The best laid plans: Educational innovation in elementary teacher generated integrated STEM lesson plans. The Journal of Educational Research, 110(3), 227-238. doi: 10.1080/00220671.2016.1253539
Smith, S., Roemmele, C., Miller, B., & Frisbee, M. (2018). There's something in the water: Using problem-based scenarios to analyze porosity, infiltration, and aquifer contamination. The Science Teacher, 85(3), 58-62.
1. Study the science curriculum: What unit and science standards are the students learning about in their general education classroom? How can I support their learning? Pick one science standard that correlates to a real-world scientific problem.
2. Research the real-world problem: Who does it affect and how? Why should students be concerned with this problem? How can students learn more about this problem? Find a method for presenting the problem at the beginning of the lesson so it will hook students' attention.
3. Brainstorm engineering solutions to problem: How are engineers trying to solve this problem? What kind of project-based learning activity can students use to develop a prototype for solving this problem? What materials will students use? What guidelines will they follow as they use the engineering design process to solve the problem?
4. Incorporate technology: How can technology be incorporated into this lesson? Will students use technology for research, gathering data, developing prototypes, presentations, and/or assessments?
5. Look for correlated math standards: How will students use math in this lesson? Which standards from the math curriculum can be reviewed or taught during this lesson?
6. Allow for creativity: How can students creatively express their work in an artistic manner? What art medium and supplies will students need for this lesson?
A main goal for each lesson I create is to integrate each of the five disciplines of STEAM. Sometimes it is hard to incorporate all five disciplines, so I try to use as many as possible. I always aim to plan lessons that require students to engage in collaborative, hands-on learning as they use the engineering design process to solve a real-world scientific problem. When lessons are based on authentic investigations related to current events, students will view the content as relevant and gain an awareness of real-world science and engineering concepts (Smith, Roemmele, Miller, & Frisbee, 2018).
Now that I have explained my background, lesson planning process, and purpose of this blog, I will begin to share lessons I have created for my STEAM classes using the process described in this post.
- Jennifer Clark, FCPS STEAM Teacher
References
Fogarty, R. (1992). 10 ways to integrate curriculum. The Education Digest, 57(6), 53-57.
Sias, C., Nadelson, L., Juth, S., & Seifert, A. (2017). The best laid plans: Educational innovation in elementary teacher generated integrated STEM lesson plans. The Journal of Educational Research, 110(3), 227-238. doi: 10.1080/00220671.2016.1253539
Smith, S., Roemmele, C., Miller, B., & Frisbee, M. (2018). There's something in the water: Using problem-based scenarios to analyze porosity, infiltration, and aquifer contamination. The Science Teacher, 85(3), 58-62.
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