PreK-5 STEM Explorers

Does your New Year’s resolution involve bringing more phenomena-based learning into your classroom? If so, check out the new phenomena videos from the Carolina Knowledge Center! Each clip is under one minute and perfect for sparking curiosity.

Phenomena are simply “observable, naturally occurring events that are everywhere.” These short clips give students something concrete to wonder about and serve as excellent launchpads for NGSS-aligned, three-dimensional learning.

🧑🏽‍🏫 Teacher Tips

• Use them as quick warm-ups or transitions. Play a video when you have an unexpected 5–10 minutes. Students can jump right into noticing and wondering without any prep.

• Align videos with your current unit. Pick a phenomenon connected to the ideas you're teaching—motion, weather, matter, ecosystems, light, etc.

• Let student questions drive the learning. After watching, ask: “What did you notice? What do you wonder?” Chart student ideas, then revisit and build on them throughout the lesson or unit.

We're just a week out from Thanksgiving! 🦃🥧 Check out this fun Pie Preference Pictograph activity from Data Science Learning Progressions. This activity, designed for grades K-5, walks learners through the data collection and analysis process in a fun, hands-on, relevant way.

Try this activity before or after the holiday, or change up the theme based on your students' interests!

Full STE(A)M Ahead! This Saturday, November 8th is National STE(A)M Day!

Thank you to all of the incredible teachers, STEM professionals, and families committed to encouraging children to explore, create, experiment, and be problem-solvers every day. 🧬🔬🚀🔎🐛🛠️

Where might STE(A)M take your students next?

It’s always a joy to bring hands-on STEM experiences into classrooms! Recently, I had the opportunity to lead a STEM + literacy integrated activity with a class of bright, creative third graders.

After reading "21 Elephants and Still Standing" by April Jones Prince, students explored what makes a bridge strong, then applied the engineering design process to create their own bridges using simple materials. The challenge: build a bridge that could hold 21 pennies.

Their designs showed so much imagination, problem-solving, and perseverance. See them hard at work! 💪

👀Stay tuned to see these Storybook STEM lessons published to our website. Want me to come and visit your class? Send me an email at cfelderman@cgesd.k12.or.us and let's schedule something!