Overview

Spark a passion for STEM Teaching STEM For Dummies is an easy-to-read and exciting new guide for teachers who want to inspire their students with engaging lessons and thoughtful discussions about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This practical roadmap to developing hands-on classroom material relevant to the real world shows you how to define STEM topics and overcome the most common challenges to teaching these complex subjects to younger students. You'll learn how you can make STEM more welcoming—using inclusion, scaffolding, and differentiation—and discover resources for STEM teachers you can deploy immediately in your classroom. Inside the book: Understand the STEM concepts students are expected to learn at different grades and how to connect those ideas together in engaging lessons Teach your students the inquisitive mindsets, logical reasoning, and collaboration skills they'll need to succeed in STEM fields Increase STEM inclusivity in both the classroom and the industry by engaging all students in STEM from early ages Discover resources to educate students on the problem-solving concepts at the core of STEM subjects Perfect for teachers, homeschooling parents, tutors, and other educators, Teaching STEM For Dummies is a can't-miss read for anyone who wants to open young minds to the wonders of STEM.

Full Product Details

Author:   Andrew Zimmerman Jones
Publisher:   John Wiley & Sons Inc
Imprint:   For Dummies
Dimensions:   Width: 18.50cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.408kg
ISBN:  

9781394313464

ISBN 10:   1394313462
Pages:   304
Publication Date:   01 May 2025
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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Table of Contents

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 unique goals for a learner 258 Exploring depth as well as breadth 258 Expanding Beyond Just Study Time 259 Bonding over STEM Game Nights 261 Optimizing the gameschooling process 261 Examining the Terraforming Mars game 262 Chapter 15: STEM for All 265 Being a Voice for the Underrepresented 266 Surveying Traditional STEM Barriers 267 Incorporating Universal Design and Personalized Instruction 268 Instilling universal design in lessons 268 Adjusting lessons when needed 269 Part 5: the Part of Tens 271 Chapter 16: Ten STEM Lessons with Minimal Prep 273 Providing Free Build Time 273 Accessing an Hour of Code 274 Designing Storage Solutions 274 Making a Parachute 274 Setting Up a Tallest Tower Competition 275 Designing a Contraption 275 Making Oobleck 275 Building a Catapult 276 Conducting a Remote Control Race 276 Making an Egg Drop Challenge 276 Chapter 17: Ten Key Resources for Every STEM Teacher 277 Finding Online Interactive Simulations 277 Accessing Coding Platforms 278 Using Government Websites 278 Using Open Education Resources 279 Working with “Trash” STEM Building Supplies 279 Discovering University, Nonprofit, and Corporate Websites 280 Using the Calculator Application 280 Finding Digital Editing Suites and Resources 281 Locating Tinkercad and 3D Printing Websites 282 Looking for Citizen Science Communities and Resources 282 Index 283

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Author Information

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.

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