STEM Archives - Teaching the Stars

12 Back to School Quick and Easy STEM Challenges

STEM Quick Challenges STEM Quick Challenges are great ways to get your students engaged in learning and also a way to introduce a new topic or concept. These challenges can also be thought of as a “hook” for a lesson, getting students mentally ready to learn. It can also build wonder in your students! Why use Quick STEM Challenges?… Read More

Distance Learning STEM Challenges: Boxes of Awesome!

With school closing because of COVID-19, our school was looking for a way to keep our students planning, designing, and creating. A week after our school closed, we received some new student Chromebooks. Inside were beautiful new laptops, that I know our students will be so happy to use when we return to school. But what about now? I couldn’t… Read More

Tell Me Something Good!

This is a crazy time! I start all my Zoom meetings with my kids by saying, “Tell me something good!” I’m going to tell you something good today!!! Two Amazing Things are Coming Your Way!!!! TPT Sale: April 6thand 7th TPT is having a Site Wide Sale because so many parents and teachers are in need of resources. This will happen on… Read More

Learning From Home? Here are Some Fun Websites and Free Resources!

Looking for activities and websites to use at home?

Fun March STEM Activities and Books

Looking for fun STEM ideas for March?

5 Great Winter Books and STEM Activities

Winter Books and STEM Activities that your elementary students will love! I love reading picture books! Yes, I teach 5thgrade and still read picture books daily! My students enjoy listening to books about snow and winter topics! They even reread them several times during the time they are out! I love displaying seasonal picture books around my classroom! Here are… Read More

My 5 Favorite November STEM Activities

November is such a full month, Veteran’s Day and then to Thanksgiving Holiday Activities. STEM Fridays are a regular routine in my classroom. I try to have an engineering design challenge and connect it with a book or a science/social studies concept. One of my favorites is with the book Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet. This story is about… Read More

How to Set Up a Creative Space in Your Classroom

How do you start off working in your classroom? Do you cannonball in or do you slowly emerge yourself into your work? Well, I barely get my feet wet and slowly edge in. I started this year by thinking about the colors I wanted to use and how I could incorporate things I already have! Designing my bulletin boards and my… Read More

5 Fun and Easy Christmas STEM Activities

I love integrating STEM into my fifth grade classroom, especially during the Christmas holiday season. If you are like me, I like planning out my STEM Activities for December early! Getting all the supplies ready and gathered up! Students get excited and stay engaged whenever learning is made fun! It also gives my students something to look forward to on… Read More

Thanksgiving STEM Challenges

Happy November!! I just want to share a couple exciting things with you! The first thing is November STEM! I have several STEM products in my store that will engage your students during the Thanksgiving season. Check out these fun products! My students loved making Totem Poles and floating their tinfoil canoes. Keep your students excited about learning and thinking… Read More

5th Grade Matter Unit & Fun Activities

Fun ways to teach matter! Wow! What an exciting day. We finished up our Unit on Matter with a “Cookin’ Up Chemistry” Breakfast. It was a fun and yummy way to end our study of matter. Over the… Read More

5 Tips For Using Robots in Your Classroom

I love using Robots in my classroom! I teach fifth grade and my students get so excited about learning with robots. Here are a few tips I have found useful!! Tip #1 How to Get Robots for Your Classroom I received most of my robots through grants from Donorschoose. If you are not familiar with this nonprofit grant organization, click this… Read More