iExploreScience: STEM in Elem

Tallest towers. Egg drops. Marble runs. These five challenges use nothing but paper, tape, and cardboard — and they're some of the most engaging engineering activities you can run in the final weeks of school. Listen in to get all five challenges with their criteria and constraints, understand why iteration is the part you can't skip, and hear why building kids' experiences with engineering — even outside your standards — is never wasted time.

No budget. No specialty supplies. No excuses. In this episode Nicole walks through five paper, tape, and cardboard STEM challenges you can run in the next few weeks, explains what makes each one real engineering (not just a fun build), and makes the case for why end-of-year activities that fall outside your curriculum standards still matter more than you might think.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• All five challenges — Tallest Tower, The Bridge, Marble Run, Egg Drop, and Windproof Wall — with criteria, constraints, and what kids are actually figuring out in each one
• Why criteria and constraints are what separate a real engineering challenge from just building something
• The one challenge you should protect extra time for — and why the iteration loop is where the real learning happens
• Why the Egg Drop is actually a great entry point for talking about engineering in the real world (think: NASA, limited resources, and what it means when you can't just test again)
• Why activities outside your standards still build something valuable — and how background knowledge shows up in unexpected places

📬 Stay Connected

• 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
• 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
• 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
• 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
• 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/

You know that feeling you get before you start a science lab or STEM challenge — excitement tinged with nervousness and maybe a little dread? You can imagine success -- kids exploring, talking, problem-solving ... and also the looming potential chaos -- supplies spilled, kids arguing, no one actually following the task? As science teachers, we want to get kids moving, discussing, exploring, engaged... but there's also a sense of "out of our control" when we do (although the "control" is always an illusion anyway -- but that's a discussion for another day!) The thing is, the chaos never really comes from the activity itself. It comes from what wasn't established before it started. In this episode, Nicole breaks down the three classroom management foundations you need before any STEM challenge can work, plus the mistake that turns well-intentioned hands-on learning into stress for everyone.

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Running a STEM challenge without chaos isn't about finding the perfect activity — it's about what you build before the activity ever starts. In this episode, Nicole walks through the classroom management infrastructure that makes hands-on science actually work, explains why giving students more freedom than they're ready for isn't trust (it's a setup for failure), and makes the case for why written instructions are always, always an equity issue.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• The three things that need to be established, practiced, and working in your classroom before you run a STEM challenge — and why reviewing them the day-of doesn't count
• Why chaos in a STEM activity is almost never caused by the activity itself
• How to calibrate the right level of student independence for your class right now (not where you wish they were)
• Why written instructions aren't just good practice — they're an equity move for students with ADHD and working memory challenges
• What a clear "finish line" does for both students and teachers in open-ended challenges
• A one-page STEM Challenge Planning Template (free for Substack subscribers) that walks through all of it

LINKS MENTIONED:

📬 Free STEM Challenge Planning Template — one-page reusable planner for any challenge or lab, free for iExploreScience Substack subscribers: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/

📬 Stay Connected

• 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
• 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
• 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
• 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
• 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/

Oobleck. Spaghetti towers. Vinegar and baking soda. These aren't bad activities by any means! — but most of the time they're not really driving STEM learning in your upper elementary classroom. Listen in to explore the differences between STEM play and STEM teaching, understand the value of each (because STEM play is still great play! even if it maybe doesn't belong in your 45 minute science block!), and dig into where each does belong! Stay till the end for the simple self-check to determine, is this STEM play or STEM instruction?

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STEM play is great — but it belongs in morning bins and Friday afternoons, not your dedicated science block. In this episode Nicole explains exactly what makes an activity real STEM instruction vs. fun exploratory play, walks through three classic "Pinterest STEM" activities and shows what it looks like to transform each one, and shares a personal story about why she didn't feel the connection between science and society until college — and why she doesn't want that for her students.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why STEM play is valuable — just not during your 45-minute science block on a Tuesday!
• What actually makes something real STEM instruction and why this distinction matters more as kids get older
• How you can turn three classic STEM play activities (oobleck, spaghetti marshmallow towers, and baking soda volcanoes) into actual STEM learning (let's talk practices + content!) 
• A four-part self-check for crafting more rigorous and authentic STEM learning activities
• A confession: when Nicole says "STEM" she mostly means science and engineering — math and technology are woven in but not the primary focus in this context (whoops!)

LINKS MENTIONED:

📬 iExploreScience Substack — free weekly newsletter and resources for grades 3–5 teachers: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/

📬 Stay Connected

• 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
• 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
• 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
• 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
• 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/

Morning arrival is one of the hardest transitions of the school day — and one of the most overlooked. In this episode I break down my STEM bin system: what goes in them, how often I rotate them, how kids access them, and why they work especially well for kids who struggle with transitions. I also talk about how to source bins on almost no budget, and why the end of the year is actually a great time to start.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• What STEM bins actually are — and what they're not
• Specific examples of what goes in each bin
• Why the morning transition is hard and how bins address the real problem
• Why bins work especially well for kids with ADHD — the landing pad idea
• My actual rotation system: how many bins, how often I swap them, free choice vs. assigned
• How to introduce bins mid-year or in the final stretch
• Low-cost and no-cost sourcing — Dollar Tree, Target, parents, things you already have

LINKS MENTIONED:

📬 iExploreScience Substack — free weekly newsletter and resources for grades 3–5 teachers: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/

📬 Stay Connected

• 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
• 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
• 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
• 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
• 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/

The post-test crash is one of the most misunderstood weeks of the school year — and it doesn't hit every kid the same way. In this episode Nicole introduces Dr. Thomas Boyce's dandelion and orchid framework: some kids bounce back from stress no matter what, while others are exquisitely sensitive to every disruption. Understanding which kids you have — and what their nervous systems actually need after weeks of testing pressure — changes how you approach the whole week. Plus: the crash is real for teachers too, and that's worth saying out loud!!

In This Episode

• The dandelion and orchid framework — why testing hits kids so differently and what it means for your classroom
• Why orchid kids are most likely to crash after testing — and why it looks like behavior when it's actually dysregulation
• The unseen ADHD characteristics that make post-test week especially hard: anxiety, working memory, emotional regulation
• Why you might be crashing too — and why that's completely normal
• What types of learning actually work this week: student choice, hands-on making, community building, outdoor time
• The gazelle/shaking phenomenon — why movement literally releases stress hormones and how to use it with your class
• Concrete strategies: student-choice "I'm the Expert" projects, schoolyard living things assessments, getting outside, and the six-word year reflection
• The reframe: this isn't a throwaway week — it's a rare window, and kids who feel seen in it come back stronger

FREE DOWNLOAD — Testing Week Activity Menu: A one-page printable with every idea from this episode plus more — organized by phase, with a time estimate and materials list for each one. Free for Substack subscribers. 👉 Subscribe and download here: https://substack.com/@iexplorescience 

LINKS MENTIONED:

📬 iExploreScience Substack — free weekly newsletter and resources for grades 3–5 teachers: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/

📰 NPR Article -- Dandelion & Orchids

📬 Stay Connected

• 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
• 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
• 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
• 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
• 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/

Testing season is a lot. This episode is for the days before, during, and after the test — what to actually do with your class when the schedule is weird, the kids are anxious, and your attention is divided seventeen ways at once.

I walk through my favorite low-prep strategies for each phase of testing season, talk about what works with kids who may struggle with long stretches of quiet independent work (aka standardized tests 😂), and share the thinking behind why the community stuff matters just as much as the academic stuff in these weeks.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• why testing week is harder to manage than people admit — and what actually helps
• before the test: the "I've Got This" sticky note wall, breathing practice, and  letter to future self
• during test week: STEM bins, nature journaling
• after the test: open STEM free build
• why the community stuff isn't fluff — it's the foundation

FREE DOWNLOAD — Testing Week Activity Menu: A one-page printable with every idea from this episode plus more — organized by phase, with a time estimate and materials list for each one. Free for Substack subscribers. 👉 Subscribe and download here: [your Substack URL]

LINKS MENTIONED:

📬 iExploreScience Substack — free weekly newsletter and resources for grades 3–5 teachers: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/

🎧 Teaching Science In 3D: Bringing Nature Journals Into Your 3D Teaching

📬 Stay Connected

• 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
• 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
• 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
• 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
• 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/

If you've ever stood in front of a class and realized your students are afraid to be wrong — this episode is for you.

Episode 1 is the introduction to iExploreScience: STEM in Elem — who I am, what I believe about upper elementary science and math, and what this show is going to be. It's also an honest conversation about why I built this, including the part where I grew up completely convinced I was not a science or math person.

If you're a grades 3–5 teacher who wants more hands-on science and math in your classroom without the overwhelm — you're in exactly the right place.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• the classroom moment that stopped me mid-sentence — and what a ten-year-old said that I'm still thinking about
• why I think grades 3–5 is a super important window in a child's STEM education
• a brief origin story — including growing up believing I wasn't a math or science person
• what you can expect from this show: practical, hands-on, real classroom content every single week
• a quick look at what's coming this season — testing week, STEM challenges, end of year, and more

LINKS MENTIONED:

📬 Subscribe to the free weekly Substack newsletter — resources, freebies, and the written companion to every episode: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/

📦 Browse the iExploreScience TpT store — NGSS-aligned, hands-on science and math units for grades 3–5: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience

🆓 Download your free STEM Starter Kit — my go-to supply list, next-level tools, and two activities you can run this week: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/

📬 Stay Connected

• 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
• 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
• 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
• 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
• 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/

If you've been here since Teaching Science in 3D — thank you. This short episode is for you.

I'm using this space to be honest about what's changing, why it's changing, and what you can expect from this feed going forward. The short version: iExploreScience: STEM in Elem is launching this week — a podcast for grades 3–5 teachers who want hands-on, rigorous science and math in their classrooms without the overwhelm.

If that's not your grade band, I get it — and I say as much in this episode. But if you're curious, or if you know upper elementary teachers who could use this, I'd love for you to stay.

New episodes start this week. Episode 1 drops Monday, April 13.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• What Teaching Science in 3D meant to me and why it's evolving
• Where iExploreScience: STEM in Elem is headed and who it's for
• An honest acknowledgment of the start-stop history — and why this time feels different
• An invitation to stay, and permission to go if this isn't your thing

📬 Stay Connected

• 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
• 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
• 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
• 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
• 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/

In this episode, Erin continues her conversation with middle school science teacher Char Ritchie.  Char explains how she builds on the community building practices discussed in the last episode to build a science routines that contribute to a safe classroom community. 

More Resources:

• Episode 121: Respect Agreements
• Check out Char’s resources on Teachers Pay Teachers

More Resources:
Teaching Science in 3D on Instagram & Facebook

Are you looking for a quick, easy and FREE way to improve your lessons?
 Download Erin's 3D Lesson Planner. Then, all you have to do is write down what you are already doing in class. She’ll send you instructions for EASY next steps. Click here to grab this FREE download.

You're invited to check out Bring Wonder Back, an on-demand video series designed to help you take your first steps to transforming your students into scientists with 3D teaching practices — what the NGSS is all about! Access the video series at iexplorescience.com/wonder and get ready to bring wonder, engagement, and a love for learning back to your science class.

📬 Stay Connected

• 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
• 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
• 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
• 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
• 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/

In the second episode of our 3-part series on building classroom community and expectations, Erin shares conversations with two special guests — Bailey and her 8th grade science teacher, Char Ritchie.

They reflect on their experiences with Respect Agreements (also called Community Agreements) and Community Circles — what worked, what was challenging, and how these practices shaped their classroom community. From both the student and teacher perspective, this episode offers practical insight into building mutual respect and trust in the science classroom.

More Resources:

• Episode 121: Respect Agreements
• Check out Char’s resources on Teachers Pay Teachers

In the final episode of the series, we’ll share strategies for putting these ideas into action in your own classroom.

More Resources:
Teaching Science in 3D on Instagram & Facebook

Are you looking for a quick, easy and FREE way to improve your lessons?
 Download Erin's 3D Lesson Planner. Then, all you have to do is write down what you are already doing in class. She’ll send you instructions for EASY next steps. Click here to grab this FREE download.

You're invited to check out Bring Wonder Back, an on-demand video series designed to help you take your first steps to transforming your students into scientists with 3D teaching practices — what the NGSS is all about! Access the video series at iexplorescience.com/wonder and get ready to bring wonder, engagement, and a love for learning back to your science class.

Support the show

Connect With Erin Sadler & Nicole VanTassel
Instagram: @SadlerScience // @iExploreScience
Website: Sadler Science // iExploreScience

📬 Stay Connected

• 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
• 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
• 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
• 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
• 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/