Looking for end of year activities that your students will love but are more than just a craft or activity to pass the time? These Summer STEM Challenges (or STEAM Challenges) will keep your students engaged in brain-busting work disguised as fun!
The basic premise:
Students work in partners or groups against criteria & constraints lists to design and build summer themed objects. Modification suggestions are included to make these challenges engaging and productive for students in grades 2 – 8.
Take me to this resource on TpT.
There are five STEM design challenge events included in this bundle:
This bundle saves you 40% off the cost of buying each challenge separately. What a bargain! ☺
Note: The version you are viewing is compatible with Google Slides ™.
Click here for the printable version of this resource.
If you have questions about which version is right for you, please check out this blog post and/or feel free to reach out with a question: [email protected].
Materials you’ll need to do the activity are easily modified. Materials lists can be found in the product descriptions for each individual challenge linked above.
Resource includes:
• Overall STEM Tips
– Suggestions on timing and whether or not to treat these challenges as competitions
– What to say (and what not to say) during STEM Challenges
– 5-event Data Tracker handout
Plus, each challenge comes with:
• NGSS aligned standards, Grades 2 – 8
• Teacher Tips
– Links to STEM Challenge “How-to” Videos
– Links to challenge-specific video walk-throughs
– Materials and timing
– Criteria & Constraints (including modifications to increase difficulty for older students)
– Measuring results
– Post-design extension activities list
• Student Slides
– Criteria and Constraints list (editable version provided)
– Results and Design Data Analysis
– Discussion Questions
• Extension Slides
– Process Flow Map
– Math Extension
– Additional handouts vary by challenge
Benefits of this STEM Design Challenge:
– Focus on critical thinking, problem solving, and application of learning
– Helps students develop growth mindset traits like persistence and resilience
– High levels of student engagement
– The potential to hit upon all NGSS ETS standards depending on the depth and number of iterations you choose to implement in your classroom (modifications included)
– Highly flexible and differentiated for materials, timing, grade levels, and rigor.
Each design iteration should be planned for ~60 – 90 min. if you are including data gathering and analysis rather than just building for fun. If you add extension activities, you will need to adjust timing accordingly.
NOTE: Coming in May 2018, this bundle will be part of the
STEM CHALLENGE YEAR-ROUND PAPERLESS MEGA-BUNDLE!!!
(Reviews taken from the TpT Store)
“So excited to try – there was much more here than I initially realized so a great value!”
“We didn’t get to all the challenges but my students were highly engaged and really enjoyed them!”
“My students loved these. We used them the last 2 weeks of school. It was a great and fun way to incorporate learning while having fun.”
“What a great unit. I am using this with my summer school group and they are excited about each day. It makes being in school over the summer a little easier for both them and me.”
“Love the options for the different grade levels.”
“Used these all summer. Kept my class interested and engaged in science all summer.”
“I can’t wait for summer school! Thank you”
“This was a great purchase! My students loved these activities. I used them in my summer program and I really think it helped them with their math skills. Thank you”
“Wow! What a resource. You made it so easy to differentiate and my kiddos at all levels enjoyed the activities. Thank you for all of your hard work and attention to detail.”
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