STEM Projects Box from Prim Ed 3rd Class

Inspire and prepare today’s pupils to become tomorrow’s innovators with STEM Projects.

The STEM Projects series provides opportunities for pupils to creatively apply skills and knowledge in a wide range of cross-curricular learning contexts. Although science is the subject area upon which most of the projects are based, other curricular areas (geography, mathematics, SPHE and visual arts) along with design and technology skills come into play in a cross-curricular fashion, depending on the project.

Each box is divided into four colour-coded sections:

• Living Things;
• Energy and Forces;
• Materials; and
• Earth and the Environment.

The variety of projects contained within each section also allows them to be successfully incorporated into a cross-curricular approach to topic teaching.

The STEM Projects box for 3rd Class contains:

• two introductory cards explaining STEM education, including: time allocations for using the cards; tips for planning, differentiating, assessing and supporting teaching and learning; and classroom and resource management ideas;
• one card with icons, explaining each step of the designing and creating process, in child-friendly language;
• one teacher reference card in each colour-coded section, outlining the knowledge and skills that pupils will use in the projects in that section and providing an overview of each project and the suggested materials needed;
• six short-term projects and one long-term project in each of the colour-coded sections; and
• six copies of each project to allow for small-group use.

Some ‘stand out’ projects include:

• design and create a solar toasted sandwich maker (Energy and Forces)
• design and create a sundial (Earth and the Environment)