PowerPoint presentation and handout: "Languages can be STEAM-Y! How Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics Can Liven Up Your Language Classroom"

 

Principles of STEM Curriculum Design (adapted from: http://enhancinged.wgbh.org/research/eeeee.html)

• Engage: This phase of the 5 E's starts the process. An "engage" activity makes connections between past and present learning experiences, anticipate activities and focus students' thinking on the learning outcomes of current activities. Students become mentally engaged in the concept, process, or skill to be learned.
• Explore: This phase provides students with a common base of experiences. They identify and develop concepts, processes, and skills. Students actively explore their environment or manipulate materials.
• Explain: This phase helps students explain concepts they have been exploring. They have opportunities to verbalize their conceptual understanding or to demonstrate new skills or behaviors. Teachers introduce formal terms, definitions, and explanations for concepts, processes, skills, or behaviors.
• Elaborate: This phase extends students' conceptual understanding and allows them to practice skills and behaviors. Through new experiences, the learners develop a deeper and broader understanding of major concepts, obtain more information about areas of interest, and refine their skills.
• Evaluate: This phase of the 5 E's encourages learners to assess their understanding and abilities and lets teachers evaluate students' understanding of key concepts and skill development.

 

STEAM resources

• Pinterest collection of STEAM lesson ideas, projects, infographics and other resources
• STEM modules: Lesson plans and handouts designed with an interdisciplinary and problem-solving approach for teaching science in Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and English to K-5 students.
• Article: “Putting the FL in STEM: The Link Between Foreign Languages and the STEM Fields”
• Article: “STEM to STEAM: Art in K-12 is Key to Building a Strong Economy”: A rationale for adding Art to the STEM curricula.
• Science Materials: From NASA and the GLOBE Project, materials in a variety of languages for teaching Science concepts. Available in Spanish and other languages.
• Multilingual Periodic Table of the Elements: Available in Croatian, English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
• Climantica: A fun interactive game about the environment – available in Spanish and Galician.
• Mi Primer Jardín: This website is meant for upper elementary students to learn about planning, nurturing and enjoying the benefits of gardening.
• Float or Sink Interactives: Don't have a big fishtank lying around for your "Float or sink" activity? Use one of these virtual/interactive pages to allow students to make their predictions and everyone stays dry in the process!