Andrew Zimmerman Jones is the author of String Theory For Dummies and Quantum Physics For Dummies. He is the STEM Coordinator for Anderson Community School Corporation and has taught and written about STEM topics for more than 20 years.

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 4

Where to Go from Here 4

Part 1: Getting Started with Teaching Stem 5

Chapter 1: The Nuts and Bolts of STEM Education 7

Thinking about the Meaning of STEM. 8

Core STEM subjects 8

What different people mean when they say STEM 9

Helping Students Acquire Necessary Skills 10

Academic skills 11

Collaboration and employability skills 12

Embracing the Challenge (and Promise) of STEM Education 13

Establish a culture of learning 13

Motivate students with engaging lessons 15

Throwing Out the Old Rulebook 15

Chapter 2: What STEM Is (and Why It Matters) 17

Describing Core STEM Concepts 18

Science: How the world works 19

Technology: Tools of the trade 20

Engineering: Make it so 21

Mathematics: By the numbers 22

Adopting the Major Principles of STEM Education 23

Inquiry and project-based learning 23

Mistakes as cornerstones of learning 24

Integrating concepts across content 24

Centering the student 25

Equity and access in STEM 26

Iterations and reflection 27

Reaping the Benefits of STEM 28

Mirroring natural learning 28

Engaging hands and minds 28

Learning through play 31

Empowering through problem-solving and creativity 32

Developing collaboration and employability skills 33

Instilling digital and technological literacy 34

Chapter 3: Teaching STEM, Then and Now 35

Casting a Brief Look Back at U.S STEM Education 36

Teaching apprenticeships and early education 36

Looking at the rise of public education 37

Understanding the modern education policy 38

Digging into National Science and Engineering Standards 41

Describing desired outcomes 42

Process and practices: Discerning how you know 43

Connections and crosscutting concepts: Understanding how you think 44

Content and core ideas: Figuring out what you know 45

Bringing together the three dimensions 50

Exploring Math and Computer Science Standards 51

Looking at Common Core standards in mathematics 52

Looking at national standards for computer science 55

Part 2: Gathering the Building Blocks Of Stem 59

Chapter 4: Understanding the World with Science 61

Splitting Science into Buckets 62

Studying Matter and Energy 63

Getting to the heart of matter 63

Interacting with forces 67

Getting an energy boost 69

Catching the waves 71

Getting to Know Living Things 72

Processing the structure of life 73

Exploring the ecosystems 75

Passing along knowledge of heredity 76

Evolving an understanding of unity and diversity 77

Exploring the Planets (Including Earth) and Outer Space 80

Understanding space stuff 80

Catching up on the Earth 82

Examining humanity's impact 84

Some Brief Thoughts on the Scientific Method 86

Reviewing the scientific method steps 87

Recognizing the shortcomings 87

Needing more than memorized steps 88

Behind the method: Science and engineering practices 90

Mixing the Buckets Together 94

Crosscutting concepts 94

Integrating science into the real world 97

Chapter 5: Leveraging Computing and Technology Tools 101

Exploring Technology in the Classroom 102

Embracing the overlap 103

Focusing on computer-related technology 103

Living and Learning in a Digital World 105

This crazy little thing called the internet 105

Communicating and working through technology 106

Coding and Computer Science 110

Understanding computer hardware and software 110

Algorithms as the basis of coding 111

Coding with visual blocks and text 115

Incorporating Day-to-Day Technology 118

Preparing for the Future 119

Contextualizing modern technology 120

Dreading (and anticipating) the artificial intelligence revolution 121

Chapter 6: Encompassing Engineering Solutions 125

Centering Innovation and Invention 126

Embracing design principles 126

Adopting the tools of building and fabrication 128

Recognizing the main divisions: Mechanical and electrical engineering 130

Engaging the Engineering Design Process 132

Outlining design process steps 133

Examining design process activities 134

Focusing on Engineering Design Process Steps 135

Ask: What are we doing? 135

Imagine: What could we do? 137

Plan: Okay, let's do this! 138

Create: Actually do this! 139

Test: Did it work? 140

Improve and repeat: Keep doing it 142

Other Approaches to Engineering and Design Cycles 143

PLTW design process 144

Justin Gary's Core Design Loop 144

Physical Programming: Coding Meets Engineering 146

Introducing programmable physical objects 146

Robots and drones 147

Microcontrollers and microcomputers 147

Chapter 7: Crunching the Numbers with Mathematics 149

Thinking About Why We Learn Math 149

Knowing that Kids Will Use Math in the Future 150

Math in science and computer science 151

Psst, they know if you hate math 153

The hard truths about the hard stuff 153

Illuminating What We Talk About When We Talk About Math 156

Beyond computation and memorization 157

Organizing and representing data 158

Critical thinking, reasoning, and logic 160

Chapter 8: Mixing It Up: Integrating STEM Components 163

Combining STEM Areas 164

When using models and simulations 164

When testing hypotheses and solutions 166

Reading, Writing, and STEM 167

The importance of STEM background knowledge 167

Researching and writing with technology tools 170

Reading as the basis of STEM 172

Media Literacy as STEM 173

Promoting Justice for All: STEM and Society 174

STEAMing Up the Arts with STEM 175

Visual arts 175

Music, theater, and musical theater 176

Part 3: Employing Approaches to Stem Education 179

Chapter 9: Engaging Student Minds in a STEM Lesson 181

Unpacking the Learning Brain 182

Transitioning input into long-term memory 182

Following through with repeated exposure 183

Ensuring the connection of concepts 184

Inspiring a STEM Lesson 185

Starting points for STEM lessons 185

Refining STEM project ideas 186

Surface, deep, and transfer learning 188

Studying Up on STEM Teaching 189

POE model 190

5E model 191

OpenSciEd instructional model 195

Getting Students to Ask Questions 197

Guiding question boards 197

Soliciting group feedback 198

Including direct instruction 200

Probing background knowledge 200

Ensuring time for student feedback, iterations, and reflection 202

Embracing Collaboration and Student Roles 203

Chapter 10: Designing a STEM Curriculum 205

Focusing on the Standards Through a New Lens 206

Identifying key academic goals 206

Designing with the end in mind 208

Anticipating contingency plans 210

Setting the Scope, Sequence, and Pacing 211

Considering formal and informal requirements 211

Using gaps to your advantage 212

Revising and Iterating Your Curriculum 214

Chapter 11: Measuring and Assessing STEM 217

Knowing (and Assessing) What You're Trying to Teach 218

Assessing types of evidence and types of students 219

Considering levels of knowledge, learning, and understanding 220

Focusing on grade level skills 222

Offering Formative Assessment as Feedback 224

The Hard Skills: Assessing Content Knowledge 225

Keeping science notebooks 225

Focusing on the necessary academic goals 228

Allowing practical knowledge and skills to count for something 228

Letting students show their thinking 229

The Soft Skills: Assessing Collaboration and Employability Skills 230

Balancing teamwork and individual accomplishment 230

Looking toward future career choices 231

Trust the Experts: Students Evaluating Students 231

Chapter 12: Taking STEM to the Next Level 233

Letting Student Inquiry Lead the Way 233

Letting go of the classroom reins 234

Establishing trust going both ways 235

Fostering STEM student leadership 236

Learning Through Play 236

Exploring flow states and engagement 237

Highlighting the promise and peril of gamification 238

Encouraging the STEM Hobbyist 240

Forming clubs, organizations, and teams 240

Prioritizing STEM labs and makerspaces 242

Promoting maker fairs and entrepreneurship 243

Encouraging school and community projects 243

Part 4: Troubleshooting Stem Education 245

Chapter 13: Planning the STEM Classroom 247

Evaluating Your STEM Resources 247

Physical resources 248

Digital resources 249

Societal and community resources 250

Considering the Little Ones and the Big Ones 250

Simplifying concepts for younger students 251

Giving more autonomy to older students 252

Preparing STEM Educational Teams 253

Emphasizing the STEM approach 253

Communicating STEM expectations 254

Sending teachers to conferences 254

Chapter 14: STEM at Home (and Homeschool) 257

Personalizing Learning Goals 257

Targeting...