AWESOME ways to start a STEM Program at school:

  1. TEAM BULLETIN BOARDS:
    Printed images of project results, team names, graphs, etc...
  2. HIGH SCORES: 
    High Scores Board/Trophies for the teams that do the best on certain projects. 1st/2nd/3rd ribbons are pretty cheap, as are other such rewards. I know it can sometimes be disheartening to students who don't necessarily win, but I've always thought rewarding excellence and offering new opportunities for positive competition are important things - real life skills.
  3. THEMATIC UNITS:
    Working on correlating the projects with other subjects when possible - PE, History, Music, etc... Some of the connections might be sort of vague, but at least inventors and whatnot could be pulled into it. I imagine early boat-making and the story of the Kon-Tiki would be great for the boat projects. Similarly, Robert Goddard, the Apollo Missions, and that sort for the rocket missions...
  4. TECHNOLOGY:
    Have students to typed write-ups and presentations to report their findings/ideas. Graph data and present ideas before and after the projects. All that use of technology is going to be amazingly important in middle/high school and beyond.
  5. GET THE WORD OUT:
    Add reports of the missions to a school newspaper/newsletter. This might encourage parent donations of project materials as well. 
  6. PARENT INVOLVEMENT: 
    Have parent/student teams day This would be a fun activity to add to any school activities and events, like Fall or Spring Festivals. It would have to be a fast one, like paper airplane distance or something.
  7. SCIENCE FESTIVAL: 
    Instead of just science projects, these STEM projects can be featured at a science festival if your school holds one. If it does not, this is something that can be added to other school events, like Spring, Winter, or Fall Festivals and/or curriculum nights. 
  8. MATERIALS COLLECTIONS: 
    Ask for donations of card stock, paper, cardboard, tape, and the common things that you will QUICKLY run out of. I have gone through an inordinate amount of packing tape! You can even make special sponsors stickers for projects that will be displayed.
  9. TEACHER VS. STUDENTS:
    Make your own projects! Compete against the kids. I can usually win, but sometimes I get surprised! The kids get really excited when they beat me!
  10. EXPERT OPINIONS:
    Have local experts come in to offer advice and/or judge the projects! Engineers, Architects, Pipe-Fitters, Construction Workers... There are a lot of people who can offer help in these projects!
  11. MYSTERY CRATES:
    Have boxes of random materials, like popsicle sticks, yarn, spools, paper, tape, notecards, and a task card. Students must accomplish the given task with ONLY the materials provided!

10 AWESOME things about the 50 STEM LABS SERIES:

It's not always easy to get that STEM Program running at school. That's why we're here to help. Don't reinvent the wheel! Wait, that would be a good STEM idea, wouldn't it? Ideas can be that easy, but don't despair if you don't have your own. Check out why our books are a great fit for your needs:
  1. Each experiment is only a single page. It's easy to copy and easy on your printer and ink!
  2. Experiments are purposely designed to encourage creative problem-solving. They do NOT tell you how to do the experiment. They have loose guidelines and rules. The rest is up to YOU to figure out.
  3. Each project has a grading rubric for a quiz and test grade, depending on how students do on their projects. Results are very important!
  4. STEM Labs can be competitive! In a classroom setting, the difference between a grade of a C, B, or A can be how much effort you put into your project. Try and try again to get those results!
  5. The Labs in each volume are tagged with categories, so you can easily teach units on certain skills or find similar projects to do.
  6. These labs have a framework of ideas that are easy to adapt to your individual needs in your setting. 
  7. These labs are done with common household and classroom items. Some are even scavenger projects where students have to find what they can at home and bring them in to complete their projects!
  8. STEM Labs are designed for 1-4 members per project team, but they're still something you can do at home with your child!
  9. STEM Labs make teaching physical science interesting. There is no better way to learn about machines, energy, motion, and physics than to make something with your hands and test it! Plus, with hundreds of ideas to work with, you will never run out of things to do!
  10. The 50 STEM Labs Series is affordable! Most of the books are affordably priced at $19.99 or under!