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How to Use This Site
Building STEMSS Lesson, Unit Plan, or Case Study: The outline below is provided as an example
of how to develop a STEMSS lesson plan on a “Topic of Interest” using information
on this site. Lesson plan construction should be based on the
BCSC’s 5
E model.
TOPIC OF INTEREST
1) Look at
topic-related standards for science, technology, math
• Benchmarks
• National Stds
• State Stds (WI, MN) or other states
• Other Stds (engineering, plants, etc)
2) Look at the standards in relation to one another on the STEM literacy
maps:
* NSDL Science Literacy Maps
http://strandmaps.nsdl.org/
Before you build a lesson/unit plan/case study on your topic:
3) Look for lessons already developed - examples can be found from the
resources below.
If you can’t find a lesson/unit plan on your topic:
4) Build your own lesson plan (smaller topic focus)
• look at standards (see #1 above)
• modify an existing lesson plan (see #2 above) if possible to fit your needs
• look at 5E’s structure of this example lesson plan:
Botanical Illustration
• look for info on web by searching the resources on this website
• look for grade-level books and materials related to topic in Murphy Library
• look for connections to disciplines other than STEM
• list references
5) Build your own unit plan (larger topic focus): the two examples below are
units produced by AAAS.
•
AAAS’ “Evolution” Teacher Packet (PDF)
•
Communicating and Learning About Global Climate Change (PDF)
Building a Case Study:
6) Build your own case study with a more in-depth focus on one topic: two
examples built around international scientific cooperation and science and
society are provided below.
While many National Science Education Standards (NSES
http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=5704) could be included in this
example, the focus here is on international cooperation among scientists and
educators and specifically “Many different people in different cultures have
made and continue to make contributions to science and technology” (NSES p.
166): NSES Content Standards: 5-8, A (use appropriate tools and techniques to
gather, analyze, and interpret data, p. 145), F (scientists and engineers work
in many different settings…p .169), and G (science as a human endeavor, p.170).
Antarctica: A Case Study of International Scientific Cooperation
Twelve countries comprised the first signatories that built the Antarctic Treaty
http://www.scar.org/treaty/. Today,
many additional countries are part of the treaty which serves as a good way of
discussing global cooperative scientific endeavors. The links below provide
educational materials for teachers interested in Antarctica, the natural world
found in an extreme environment, and the tools, needs, and cooperative spirit of
the people working there.
Start with:
Building International Connections into a lesson or unit:
7) The global perspective in STEMSS topics and education has received a great
deal of press. As a pre- or in-service teacher, you can build lessons or units
which emphasize this global perspective to your K-12 students; however, to get a
global perspective requires looking at the way other countries view education
and the STEMSS disciplines. For the example below, we provide links to
universities and education generally, and STEMSS related education specifically
for Scotland.
General Information:
Education:
Scottish Schools of Education:
Scottish STEMSS standards:
Connecting STEMSS to other disciplinary standards:
STEM Teaching Organizations
Building a lesson or unit around a
grade-level book:
8) A great way to get students interested in a STEM topic is to start with a
fictional or non-fiction story, especially a story you know they like. The best
stories to choose both grab your students’ attention but are also high quality
resources. If using a non-fiction book, it is essential that the book is of the
highest quality from both a readability and accuracy standpoint. Here is an
example of building a lesson around the topic of how organisms can camouflage
themselves.
Look for science trade books for your specific topic:
Example: The 2008 SB&F Children’s Science Picture Book winner - Where in
the Wild? Camouflaged Creatures Concealed and Revealed by David Schwartz and
Yael Schy, with illustrations by Dwight Kuhn (Tricycle Press).
http://www.sbfonline.com/SubaruAward/whereinthewild.htm
Look for a lesson on this book or build one your self: Science NetLinks
“Tools” section list lessons built around SB&F Prize winners. A lesson for
Where in the Wild? Camouflaged Creatures Concealed and Revealed will be on
this site soon. Lessons for past SB&F winners are also on this site and
listed by the book title and grade level.
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/tool_index.cfm
Look for additional materials which correspond to your topic on the homepage
of this site. Here are two interesting examples related to camouflage:
Additional Information
US Dept of Education’s Designing Effective Science Instruction
http://www.t2tweb.us/Workshops/Sessions.asp?Content=Science
US Dept of Education’s Designing Effective Math Instruction
http://www.t2tweb.us/Workshops/Sessions.asp?Content=Math
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Antarctic Geological Drilling (ANDRILL)