STEM 40303/50303 Introduction to STEM Education
This course provides an introduction to the foundations of STEM education disciplines and the strategies used to deliver integrated STEM education in the elementary and secondary school setting. The nature of STEM education disciplines, STEM pedagogy, teaching strategies, integrated STEM learning, STEM careers, and project-based instruction are addressed.
Updated 3-11 – STEM 40303 – Spring 2026 Tentative Course Schedule
Final Exam – Tuesday, May 5 – 3:00 – 5:00
STEM Content Standards
- Arkansas Science Standards
- Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy (STEL) – The Role of Technology and Engineering in STEM Education
- Arkansas Mathematics Standards
- Additional Arkansas Learning Standards
Course Resources
Developing Big Ideas and Essential Questions
Potential-Materials-and-Tools List
Engineering-Design-Journal Example
Performance-Based-Assessment-Guide
Final Exam – Tuesday, May 5 – 3:00 – 5:00
Week 16
Tuesday, April 28
- Cardboard Engineering
- Challenge (in-class) – MakeDo
- Review these automata resources for class on Thursday and preparation for the final project
Thursday, April 30
- Paper Engineering Project Presentations
- Automata Presentation PP
- Automata Final Project Rubric and Ideation Guide
Week 15
Tuesday, April 21
- Introduction to Paper Engineering PP
- Paper Engineering Ideas (in-class challenges)
- Paper Engineering Project – complete ideation sheet and begin the challenge
- Resources:
Thursday, April 23
- Introduction to Cardboard Engineering
- Paper Engineering Project -Project Development
- Due next Thursday – Please be ready to present your project at the beginning of our final class
Week 14
Tuesday, April 14 and
- Electricity Curriculum Project Development
Thursday, April 16
- Electricity Curriculum Project Due before class – Presentations at the beginning of class
- Introduction to Paper Engineering PP
- Paper Engineering Pop-Up Basics (in-class challenges)
- Homework: Paper Engineering Project – begin ideation for your project
Week 13
Tuesday, April 7
- The Electricity Project Ideation
- Electricity Curriculum Project Development – Teaching Models, Technical Procedural Directions, and refining Teacher and Student Guides
Thursday, April 9
- Electricity Curriculum Project Development – Teaching Models, Technical Procedural Directions, and refining Teacher and Student Guides
Week 12
Tuesday, March 31
- Review of basic transfer of energy in an electric circuit – The Electricity Project PP
- Select Teams of 2 or 3 and discuss the Electricity Curriculum Project
- Generate ideas and begin developing a prototype
- Each team member will individually develop their own exemplary teaching model based off of the team’s initial prototype
Thursday, April 2
- Complete team prototype and begin fleshing out ideas for the written portion of the project
- Develop these ideas to present to the class on Tuesday –
- 4th Grade Standards and Content
- Big Ideas and Essential Questions
- Scenario and Challenge
- Reading: Chapter 1: http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/index.html
- Basic Concepts of Electricity
- Conductors, Insulators, and Electron Flow
- What Are Electric Circuits?
- Voltage and Current
- Resistance
- Voltage and Current in a Practical Circuit
- Develop Rough Draft of the Teacher and Student Guides
- Basic Concepts of Electricity
Week 11 – Spring Break
Week 10
Tuesday, March 17
- Introduction to Electricity – Building electrical circuits to demonstrate transfer of energy.
- Challenge (in-class) – Paper Circuits –Drawing a Circuit & The Simplest Electric Motor Quick Challenges
Thursday, March 19
- Challenge (in-class) – Creating an electrical circuit with 2-LEDs and a switch
- Major Assignment – Electricity Curriculum Project
Week 9
Tuesday, March 10
- Technical Procedural Problem Solving PP PP
- Challenge (in-class) – Lego back-to-back Challenge
- Pocket Solar System Activity
- Weekly Reading Assignment – Writing a Technical/Procedural STEM Problem and Reflection
Thursday, March 12
- Reading Review
- Technical Procedural Problem-Solving – Commercial Example
- Challenge (in-class) – Teacher Geek
Week 8
Tuesday, March 3
- Construction Blocks (continued)
- In-class Construction Block Challenges
- Crazy Forts
- Keva Maze Design Challenge
Thursday, March 5
- Computational Thinking – Construction Block Extension Challenges PP
- Code & Go Robot Mice Challenges (in-class)
- Challenge (in-class) – HexBug Challenge – Part 1
- Reading Assignment: The Block Project: Creating a Block Set For Another Class
Week 7
Tuesday, February 24
- Literature-based Curriculum Peer Review
- Peer Review Checklist
- Final Submission Due – Thursday
- Using Blocks and Construction Toys for Teaching STEM – Tinkering-Making-Quick Challenges – Construction Blocks PP
Thursday, February 26
- Using Blocks and Construction Toys for Teaching STEM PP
- Keva Design Challenges (in class)
- KEVA Educator Guide Lesson Plans Lesson Plans
- Weekly Reading Assignment – Using Block Play and Blocks As a Tool for Learning
Week 6
Tuesday, February 17
- Literature-based Design Challenge Development
- Homework – Lit-based Curr. Rough Draft – Part 2 – and Engineering Design Journal Due Thursday by noon.
Thursday, February 19
- Literature-based Design Challenge Development
- Major Assignment – Literature-Based Curriculum Project – ready for Peer Review on Tuesday
- Dogzilla Example PP
Week 5
Tuesday, February 10
- Reading Review
- STEL standards and benchmarks
- AR science and math standards
- The Literature-based STEM Curriculum
- Weekly Reading Assignment – Integrating Literacy and Engineering Instruction for Young Learners and Reading Reflection
Thursday, February 12
- Literature-based Design Challenge Development
- Weekly Reading Assignment – Writing a STEM Design Brief and Developing Big Ideas and Essential Questions
If you have finished your rough draft Part 1 and would like to work ahead – Here is Lit-based Curr. Rough Draft – Part 2. We will be completing this for class on Thursday along with starting our engineering design journal.
Week 4
Tuesday, February 3
- Reading Review
- Challenge (in-class) – Engineering Design Challenge – A Bridge to Nowhere
- Reminder – Major Assignment – Major Assignment – The Engineering Design Loop – Due Thursday by noon
Thursday, February 5
- Design Loop Presentations
- Weekly Reading Assignment – Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy and STEM Education and Reading Reflection – answering the questions –
- If I was to tell another teacher about the STEL, what would I tell them?
- Why would it be important to know about and understand the STEL?
- How could I use these in my future classroom?
Week 3
Tuesday, January 27
Thursday, January 29
- Complete Space Frame
- Tools, Materials, and Processes (cont.)
- Reading Review
- Weekly Reading Assignment – Connecting Compassion Empathy’s Role in STEM and Literacy Integration and Reading Reflection
Week 2
Tuesday, January 20
- Reading Review
- Measuring: Materials, Tools, and Processes PP
- Challenge (in-class) – Space Frame Building Challenge
- Weekly Reading Assignment – Enhancing the Technology and Engineering in Elementary Classrooms: Safer Tool Usage and Reading Reflection
Thursday, January 22
- Reading Review
- Space Frame Building Challenge (continued)
- Weekly Reading Assignment – A Framework for STEM Problem-Solving and Reading Reflection
Week 1
Tuesday, January 13
- Syllabus and Schedule Review
- Introduction to STEM Education PP
- Challenge (in-class) – Earth Ball Introductions
- Challenge (at-home) – YouTube Introduction Assignment – Due Friday.
- Weekly Reading Assignment – The Nature of Interdisciplinary STEM Education article and Reading Reflection.
- In this course you will complete reading reflections in a variety of formats, including handwritten reading reflections. Your reading reflection is a written analysis of a text, where you capture your thoughts, feelings, and understanding of the material in your own handwriting. It’s a way to engage with the text more deeply, making personal connections and fostering critical thinking.
- Due before class next Tuesday
- In this course you will complete reading reflections in a variety of formats, including handwritten reading reflections. Your reading reflection is a written analysis of a text, where you capture your thoughts, feelings, and understanding of the material in your own handwriting. It’s a way to engage with the text more deeply, making personal connections and fostering critical thinking.
Thursday, January 15
- Introduction to STEM Education (continued)
- Challenge (in-class) – Engineering Design Challenge