The 4 C’s of Engineering are collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking. They should be at the foundation of every successful STEM Challenge you facilitate with your students, and what better way to start the school year than by emphasizing the importance of all four?!

Back-to-School STEM Challenges are my favorite ice breaker because it’s about so much more than students getting to know each other. It gives you a chance to practice your procedures and class rules. You’ll be covering content standards, of course. But the real draw for me is how much you’ll learn in such a short time about how your kids think, how well they work in teams, and where you’ll need to spend some time helping them develop those 4 C’s. I’ve prepared these 4 C’s posters with an activity that you can grab for free to get you on your way below!

If you’re looking for Back-to-School STEM Challenges that are a little more original and that your students are less likely to have #beenthere #donethat, check these out! My personal favorites are Apples A-head and Apple Annihilator, but you really can’t go wrong with any option!

Find More Back-to-School Relationship Building Activities linked below the image!

Click through to find more Back-to-School activities and freebies to help build relationships from the first day of school!

Building Personal Relationships with Your Students on the First Day of School // Samson’s Shoppe

How to Get to Know Your Students as Workers and Partners – Think Grow Giggle

Learn Your Students’ Names on the First Day of School // Reading by Heart

First Day of School Relationships // Mikey D Teach

Get to Know Your Students with the 4 C’s of Engineering // Kerry Tracy