STEAM activities include sharing the Big ideas or curricular standards you would like to focus on from each grade in the science curriculum.  Once you have discovered the focus you can open up the concepts by reading from some of our inquiry based picture books on Overdrive under STEAM in the Collections tab.   Share the main big ideas, and start the dialogue.

Technology implies using some form of technology to learn either with a digital tool or device.  This could be used in the student sharing application when it comes time to present, or during the research stage such as reading an e book on Overdrive or researching an animal on Pebble Go database.

Engineering could include simple engineering ideas like using Keva planks to build different structures or Dash Robots to discover simple coding design sequences.

The art process could be completed in drawing out the design thinking process or making an artistic design like sculpture. Check our Teachers Pay Teachers for design thinking worksheets.

Mathematics is intrinsically linked via measuring out design structures and completing calculations as you complete a project or compare data.

Here are some great places to discover STEAM lesson plans:

• Mystery Science Subscription
• Teach Engineering
• Design Squad Global
• Tynker STEM lesson plans
• Let’s Talk Science

• PBS STEM Resource is a phenomenal site with lessons for K-12 in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math as well as professional development for teachers.
• Lets Talk Science:  Canadian website including lesson plans, and Free, curriculum-aligned, classroom-ready
  STEM resources in English and French.
• STEAM Education Lessons provide several high-quality STEAM lessons that you can browse through.
• The STEAM Academy is a terrific site for advocating and sharing authentic STEAM projects and efforts.
• Planting T’s is a website dedicated to promoting design thinking in K-12 education.
• Working in Scratch: Putting STEAM into Cross-Curricular Collaboration is a prezi that gives practical applications for using the computer program SCRATCH in the arts classrooms.
• Going from STEM to STEAM is a prezi sharing STEAM creatively.
• 100+ STEM and STEAM Resources Livebinder has a variety of tools, videos and resources for you to browse.
• SF MoMA Teacher Resources – This section of the San Francisco MoMA site for teachers is a goldmine of articles you can select and read with students, video interviews, project ideas and an entire section dedicated to STEAM.
• How to Smile is a site that houses wonderful math and science activities.

On Overdrive eBook Library you will find many curated collections under the Collections Tab and Curriculum Tab.  Sign into Overdrive and then click on the following tabs under Collections.

• Inquiry-Based Learning including Picture books.
• MakerEd/Design Thinking
• Growth Mindset
• Core Competency K -Gr 3 Creative Thinking
• Computational Thinking/Coding/Robotics

Then under Curriculum you can also find materials by grade under the subject ADST.

• Find out more about STEM careers with this World of Work career book on STEM careers by Diane Lindsey Reeves.  Print off some lesson plans based on copyright provided.
• STEM in the World of Work series provides an age-appropriate and interactive introduction to the nationally recognized Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics career pathway using informal self-assessment elements, career profiles, informative sidebar features, and back matter activities.
• STEM Trailblazers series covers famous STEM astronauts, engineers and physicists.
• Discover grade level workbooks on STEM from grade K-5.  Engaging tasks and detailed rubrics will help you understand the STEM process and how to apply the standards.
• STEM series workbooks by Mark Twain media have been created by the NCSS (National Science Education Standards)  to help you connect your students in the middle grades to real life science, such as food production and alternative energy.
• STEM to Story helps you connect fiction to science.  Ever wanted to write science fiction, make a planet Oobleck with simple ingredients, or engineer airplanes?  This book is for all grades and has simple lesson plans, which will help walk you through each stage of the process.
• The STEM Labs series is a lovely middle grade series of workbooks which provides labs that cover topics like geology, oceanography, meteorology, and astronomy.
• Complete Classroom Press workbooks are jam packed with activities, many of which are STEM or Inquiry  related. Just type in the keyword “Complete Classroom Press” and you will find tons!
• Inquiry Picture books are perfect for introducing Big Ideas and sharing the topic of interest.  Simply sign into the Overdrive eLibrary, click on Collections , and look for our Inquiry Picture book tab.  

Available for Families to book through the Search Portal

To view a full list of all items and book: click here, then click on the  Hands-On Learning, MakerEd icon

• Circuit Scribe Maker Kit
• Code And Go Robot Mouse
• Cubelets
• Dash robots
• Geosmart Lunar Rover Magnetic Play
• Geosmart Moon Lander
• Keva Brain Builders
• Keva Brain Builders Junior
• Keva Colors – 120 Plank Set
• K’Nex Bridges
• K’Nex Force and Newton’s Laws
• Lego Education – including Lego Mindstorms (Middle grades and up), Early Simple Machines and We-do (primary grades) 
• Light Up Tesla Kit
• Littlecodr – Kids Coding Game
• Magformers Basic Construction Set
• Magformers Designer set
• Magformers Wow Set
• Makedo Cardboard Construction
• Makey Makey kit
• Micro: Bit
• Ozobot Bit Starter Pack
• Robot Engineer
• Snap Circuits Arcade
• Snap Circuits Extreme SC 750
• Snap Circuits Green Alternative Energy
• Snap Circuits Led Fun Science Kit.
• Snap Circuits Junior
• Snap Circuits Strobe Light And Sound Kit.
• Sphero robots
• Squishy Circuits
• Virtual Reality Glasses

Available for Learning Camps/Community Connections

These items must be booked through a special form. Contact Shandra Wiebe for information, swiebe@onlineschool.ca

• Cubelets Classroom Set
• Cue Robots
• Dash Robots
• Edison Robots
• Keva Planks (large sets available in our Learning Commons for groups.
• K’nex Energy, Motion & Aeronautics Kit
• K’Nex Forces, Energy and Motion Kit
• K’nex Introduction To Simple Machines Gear Set
• Lego Education – including Lego Mindstorms (Middle grades and up), Early Simple Machines and We-do (primary grades) 
• Little Bits Rule Your Room Kit
• Little Bits workshop set
• MakerBot 3D printer and scanner
• Makey Makey kit
• Micro: Bit
• Ozobot Kit For Groups
• EZ Robot Revolution: JD Robots
• Virtual Reality Glasses

What is the STEAM Process?  If you are just starting out discovering this pedagogy check out the How to STEAM page 

To understand more with regards to Design Thinking skills check out this website Teach Engineering which covers the engineering process and mindset and give examples of meeting curricular goals.

Websites

• Makerspaces: Hands-on Learning for Students of All Abilities
• STEMJOBS Online
• STEM on a Budget.
• Padlet as an Inquiry tool.
• Inventolearn.com has lots of great ideas for teaching applications.  Sylvia Martinez’s book is a wonderful read and will empower you to help your students get making!  Check the website for constant updates on all things #MakerEd.
• Little Bins for Little Hands.

• SuperawesomeSylvia.com will motivate your youngsters to get learning when they watch and read this young lady in action.
• Professional learning webinars:
• LittleBits Library Makerspaces
• Dash Robots curriculum
• Sphero curriculum
• Worlds of Making:  Establishing a Makerspace in your school, by Laura Fleming
• Makerspace Playbook – School EditionThis is a long document filled with helpful information. Originally intended for teachers, however, it is useful for anyone who wants some in-depth help on setting up and using a makerspace.
• 100+ ENGINEERING PROJECTS FOR KIDS
• What do maker projects look like in each subject area?
• Ultimate Makerspace Resource Guide Lists of resources by topic and/or question.
• 10 ENJOYABLE MATH CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR WORLD MATHS DAY
• 70 Cool Math Games
• Siemens Stem Day – STEM Activities for K-Gr.12. Sort by Grade, S.T.E.M. categories or career paths. PDF Lessons included.
• Challenger STEM Resources & Lessons – STEM Activities for K-Gr.12.

Videos to watch!

• Caine’s Arcade:  Inspiring story of a young boy who made an arcade with cardboard.
• Makey Makey:  An Invention Kit for everyone
• What is LittleBits: Introduction to LittleBits
• Engineering apps and kits to share with your students.
• STEM Makerspace shelf
• Crash Course Kids – Engineers: What is an Engineer, what do they do, and why?
• Vihart – YouTube: Explore fun ways that Science, Math, Art, etc. show up in the world around us.

In Explora Primary go to:

Educator resources:

Lesson Plans; STEM lessons

Student Tools; Engineer Tools

Curriculum Standards; STEAM Instruction and the Common Core

Gizmos Science grade 3 and up has some awesome STEM graphing tools and allows students to manipulate data in real time.  As students experiment with projects they learn to apply new concepts.

In Pebble Go discover many sub topics under Science including;

• Technology,
• Methods of Making Art,
• Science and Engineering Practices,
• Measurements, Shapes,
• Inventions,
• Earth
• Space Science and Math.

Science Power is an amazing source aligned for BC curriculum for all things STEM related with:

• Ask a Scientist,
• Science Lab,
• Featured Scientist,

In this wonderful hands on coding subscription explore the language of coding and STEM lesson plans included at K-4 grade level. Students will learn sequencing skills, math, and science exploration as they make apps, manipulate data and explore basic programming.