Biomimicry, the process of using nature to guide innovative thinking and development, can be useful in helping students grasp scientific concepts. Teachers interested in incorporating biomimicry into lesson plans might find that experiential learning at informal science institutions (ISIs) with natural models and artifacts is a valuable tool to…

The Troubleshooting Portfolios approach was developed at the Olathe Northwest High School in Olathe, Kansas. This approach supports integrated STEM and "informed design" thinking and learning, in which students: (1) use design strategies effectively; (2) work creatively and collaboratively in teams; (3) make knowledge-driven decisions;…

In most STEM industries, teamwork is essential. Engineers, scientists, statisticians, and medical professionals, for example, must communicate with one another and work together. Someday, students may enter the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) workforce, where they also will need to collaborate effectively. This article describes…

This article describes how the authors began a science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) collaboration and completed three projects of varying complexity in their art and chemistry classrooms. The projects align with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States 2013).

With the introduction of "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS"), teachers have been called to find meaningful and engaging ways to teach science content while incorporating engineering practices and, to a lesser extent, computing and computational thinking. The task becomes even more complex when they also have to…

The best Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) design challenges are student centered, with students themselves making the key decisions. But with young children who are still learning basic academic and social skills, implementing projects where they truly take the lead can be quite challenging. To give students at one…

In the STEM classroom, students can work in collaborative teams to build those essential skills needed for the 21st-century world. In project-based learning (PBL), teams of four to six students are often randomly selected to describe a realistic situation that may occur in today's workplace; this may be done by counting off in fours, fives,…

In this powerful collection of personal accounts, successful and respected teachers from across the country reveal how recent education policies have played out in their schools and classrooms in negative and counterproductive ways, and offer teacher-led alternatives for providing equitable, engaging, and empowering education. Framed by critical…