The STEM Space

Show Summary:

How do you feel about the education system where you live? In this episode, Natasha shares a project she completed comparing the education systems in different countries. Tune in to hear what is working and what isn’t in education around the world.

Links from the Show:

Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes

73. Does STEM Track?

71. How to Create a Relevant STEM Challenge

56. What Do Kids Need To Prepare For Engineering?

Vivify STEM Blog Posts

I Didn't Always Want to be an Engineer

Critical Issues of K-12 Engineering Education

Understanding a Framework for P-12 Engineering Learning

Vivify STEM Lessons & Products

STEM Creativity Tools: 5 Activities to Boost Brainstorming Power

Intro to Science & Engineering: STEM Critical Thinking Challenges

Inspirational STEM Classroom Posters

STEM Career Classroom Posters

Other STEM Resources

National Geographic Kids - Country Profiles:

- Greece

- Poland

- United States

United States Standards:

- Common Core State Standards

- Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

- PISA 2018: Highlight indicators (use this to sort data by country)

What is Montessori Education?

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2022/80/how-does-your-education-compare

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Show Summary:

From launching Space Club to hosting STEM Family Nights, Natasha reflects on her last 8 years as STEM Director at a nonprofit in San Antonio, Texas. She discusses with Claire the transition from engineer to educator and the impact of STEM programs. Plus, Claire shares a super easy apple spice cobbler recipe!

Links from the Show:

Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes

73. Does STEM Track?

67. Is STEM After School Effective?

56. What Do Kids Need To Prepare For Engineering?

52. How to Host a STEM Family Night

50. How to Involve Girls in After-School STEM

Vivify STEM Blog Posts

#FBF: Natasha’s New STEM Job! (2014)

I Didn’t Always Want to be an Engineer

How to Launch Model Rockets & Amaze Your Students! Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

STEM Family Night:

- STEM Family Night Planning Guide

- 10 Amazing STEM Family Night Activities

- How to Host a Virtual STEM Family Event

Pitsco Education Family STEM Night Bundle (takes out all the guesswork!)

Vivify STEM Lessons & Products

STEM Creativity Tools: 5 Activities to Boost Brainstorming Power

Stop Motion Animation Activity - FREE in the STEM Space Explorer Library!

Bundle: STEM Family Night Planning Guide, STEM Activity Instructions, Posters

Microscope Mystery: Life Science Center - FREE in the STEM Space Explorer Library!

Who is an Engineer or Scientist? STEM Career Game & Activity

Other STEM Resources

SEEC - Space Exploration Educators Conference

Meet the Vivify Team

Communities In Schools - San Antonio (CISSA)

Tick Tock And TikTok: Shorter Attention Spans And The Consumer Market (Forbes)

Claire’s new fave baby item - Doona Infant Car Seat & Latch Base - Car Seat to Stroller in Seconds

Pitsco Ed Collab: STEM Family Night Kit

Vivify STEM TikTok Videos:

Mars Colony Project

Rocket Launches with Middle Schoolers

All About Space Club

Bring Space Club to Your School!

Blog: STEM Curriculum: Mission to Moon

Video: Space Club Mission to Moon Project Highlights

Video: Space Club Mission to Mars Project Highlights

Podcast: 37. The Learning Potential of Space Club

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2022/79/the-impact-of-stem

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Show Summary:

Ready to elevate your STEM class with a Stage 3 STEM project? Here is the part 2 we promised in episode 75! Claire and Natasha dive into ideas for long-term research-based STEM projects for elementary and middle school. We discuss animal habits, a project for a custom-fit aquatic wheelchair, and tackling a local city challenge. We also share how any Stage 2 engineering design challenge can be translated into a more in-depth Stage 3 STEM project.

Links from the Show:

Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes

75. Space Colony Competition

66. Eco-House Sustainable STEM with Kristina Ohl

33. My Students Built A Wheelchair

Vivify STEM Blog Posts

Not all STEM is Equal: 3 Stages of STEM Education

Design a Sustainable Eco-House STEM Project

Design a Prosthetic Leg STEM Activity...for Animals!

STEM Explorers: Travel the World with STEM Activities for Elementary

How to Launch a Weather Balloon: Ultimate STEM Challenge

Vivify STEM Lessons & Products

Prosthetic Leg Engineering Design STEM Challenge

STEM Creativity Tools: 5 Activities to Boost Brainstorming Power

STEM Explorers: Elementary STEM Curriculum Around the World

STEM Catapult Math & Engineering Activity (Angles and Ratios)

STEM Scope & Sequence (Pacing Guide) - FREE! - Elementary or Middle School

Stage 3 STEM: Design Projects

- Design a Sustainable Eco-House STEM Project

- Mission to Mars Semester STEM Unit + Mars Colony Project!

- Animal Habitat & Biomes STEM Diorama Engineering Design Project

- Weather Balloon Launch: STEM Engineering Project Guide

Other STEM Resources

Space Colony Competition

Makey Makey

- Makey Makey Invention Kit - Amazon affiliate link

- Makey Makey STEM Activity - FREE in the The STEM Space Explorer Library! Learn the basics + Activity to build a game controller!

Scratch Jr.

SA Smart Challenge

NAE Grand Challenges for Engineering

Vivify Curriculum Map

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2022/78/stage-3-stem

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Show Summary:

Need some low-prep icebreakers for back to school? Claire shares her favorite Stage 1 STEM activities that build a foundation of teamwork, collaboration, and communication to set the stage for engineering design challenges. Plus, she describes how to add new constraints to some of our most popular STEM icebreakers to adapt for older students or to re-use with a class.

Links from the Show:

Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes

54. HELP! My Students Are Struggling With TEAMWORK!

45. The Best STEM Challenge Ever

38. Back to School STEM

31. Reflections from a First Year STEM Teacher

Vivify STEM Blog Posts

Not all STEM is Equal: 3 Stages of STEM Education

The Best 3 Back to School STEM Icebreakers (Challenges/instructions for Space Docking, Tower, and Helium Stick)

50 Distance Learning Icebreakers & Games

Vivify STEM Lessons & Products

Stage 1: Icebreakers & Teambuilding

- Newspaper STEM Challenges: 3 Engineering Activities

- Tower STEM Challenges: 5 Icebreaker Activities

- Back to School STEM: 6 Icebreaker Teamwork Activities

- Back to School (Stage 1 STEM) Bundle: 50+ Icebreaker Activities

Other STEM Resources

Vivify Curriculum Map

Stacking Chairs (Game) - Vivify Amazon Affiliate Link

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2022/77/back-to-school-icebreakers

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Show Summary:

What's it like to live and work in outer space? In this special episode of The STEM Space, we share our most viewed Space Club Career Chat with former astronaut Bonnie Dunbar! She worked for NASA for 27 years, flew five times on the space shuttle logging over 50 days in space, and is now a professor of Aerospace Engineering. Dr. Dunbar shares her journey to becoming an astronaut and then answers questions submitted by elementary and middle school students! You can also watch the presentation on our YouTube channel.

Links from the Show:

All About Space Club

Video: Career Chat: Retired Astronaut Bonnie Dunbar (Texas A&M)

Bring Space Club to Your School! FREE TO ALL EDUCATORS!

Video: Space Club: Mission to Moon

Space Colony Competition

Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes

37. The Learning Potential of Space Club

46. STEM Career Chat with Bioengineer Dr. Georgia Lagoudas

53: Getting Data From Our Poop? Career Chat with Dr. Olesen

62. Life on Another Planet? Career Chat with an Astrobiologist!

64. Inspire Kids with Space: Chat with NASA Ground Controller!

70. Career Chat with a Satellite Program Manager

Vivify STEM Blog Posts

Top 10 Ways To Encourage Girls In STEM

10 Easy STEM Career Classroom Activities

I Didn't Always Want to be an Engineer

Vivify STEM Lessons & Products

Who is an Engineer or Scientist? STEM Career Game & Activity (PreK-9th)

STEM Careers BINGO Game! (Middle & High School)

Digital STEM Choice Board: STEM Careers!

STEM Career Classroom Posters

Other STEM Resources

All About Bonnie J. Dunbar

NASA biography (PDF)

Texas A&M University profile

News Article: Space Suits Of The Future Will Fit Better And Do More

Vivify YouTube: STEM Career Chats

Book: Jules Verne “From the Earth to the Moon”

NASA - Historical References:

- Alan Shepard Becomes the First American in Space

- John Glenn, the First American to Orbit the Earth aboard Friendship 7

- President Kennedy Proposes Moon Landing Goal in Speech to Congress

- Historical Origins of ISS

- Skylab - America’s First Space Station

- Artemis Program

- How To Be An Astronaut

- Astronauts Homepage

Smithsonian Article: Rita Rapp Fed America’s Space Travelers

YouTube: Stunning aurora as seen from the Space Station | European Space Agency

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2022/76/career-chat-with-an-astronaut

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Show Summary:

Can you survive a mission to space? We invite your elementary and middle school students to submit their designs for a colony on the Moon or Mars that can keep a crew alive and happy! With a blend of research, engineering, architecture, math, and science - this is an epic Stage 3 STEM challenge that only requires recycled materials to bring it to life! Claire and Natasha discuss the launch of the virtual Space Colony Competition plus how Claire’s planning is going for her STEM classes in grades K through 8!

Links from the Show:

Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes

71. How to Create a Relevant STEM Challenge

65. How to Plan Your Year in STEM

37. The Learning Potential of Space Club

31. Reflections from a First Year STEM Teacher

Vivify STEM Blog Posts

Not all STEM is Equal: 3 Stages of STEM Education

Rate Your STEM Lesson: What Stage is Your STEM Challenge?

Go on a Mission to Mars! An inside look into Space Club’s Mission to Mars

Sub Plans for a STEM Classroom

10 Tips for Managing a STEM Classroom

Vivify STEM Lessons & Products

STEM Scope and Sequence - FREE!:

- Elementary (K-5)

- Middle School (6-8)

STEM Creativity Tools: 5 Activities to Boost Brainstorming Power

STEM Catapult Math & Engineering Activity

Space STEM Starter Challenges MEGA Bundle:

- Elementary (K-5)

- Middle School (6-8)

Plants In Space STEM Challenge:

- Elementary (K-5)

- Middle School (5-9)

Other STEM Resources

Space Colony Competition by Cosmic Leap Foundation

Vivify STEM Curriculum Map

Vivify STEM Resource Recommendations

NASA: Growing Plants in Space

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2022/75/space-colony-competition

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Show Summary:

What is the focus in your STEM classroom? Do you love teambuilding activities? Or perhaps you spend most of the year on engineering design. In this episode, we discuss a quiz to rate your STEM lessons or program, plus some exciting projects we are working on including Alphabet STEM for kindergarten and an epic Space Colony Competition!

Links from the Show:

Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes

73. Does STEM Track?

71. How to Create a Relevant STEM Challenge

69. Can My Baby Do STEM?

59. How to Motivate Students and Regulate Emotions in STEM

Vivify STEM Blog Posts

Not all STEM is Equal: 3 Stages of STEM Education

Rate Your STEM Lesson: What Stage is Your STEM Challenge?

Design a Mars Colony: STEM Project (Distance Learning)

How to Launch a Weather Balloon: Ultimate STEM Challenge

Vivify STEM Lessons & Products

Alphabet STEM Challenges Bundle - Kindergarten STEM Unit

Upstairs Downstairs Brain Paper Circuit SEL STEM Activity

Design a Mars Colony STEM/STEAM Project Bundle!

Weather Balloon Launch: STEM Engineering Project Guide

Other STEM Resources

Vivify Team

STEM Checklist - FREE in the STEM Space Library!

Space Colony Competition by Cosmic Leap Foundation

Vivify STEM Curriculum Map

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2022/74/rate-my-stem-lesson

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Show Summary:

Is STEM really accessible for all students? What is the purpose of tracking students in school? Claire and Natasha discuss inequalities in our school system and how putting students in a track may limit their educational potential. We also share our own experiences in struggling with math, but due to parental support and resources, we were able to persevere and become engineers. But what about students who don't have the same support system. Should they have less of an education? We get pretty passionate about this topic!

Links from the Show:

Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes

71. How to Create a Relevant STEM Challenge

67. Is STEM After School Effective?

58. Are You Training Up Innovators?

Vivify STEM Blog Posts

Not all STEM is Equal: 3 Stages of STEM Education

Top 10 Ways To Encourage Girls In STEM

10 Easy STEM Career Classroom Activities

I Didn't Always Want to be an Engineer

Vivify STEM Lessons & Products

STEM Careers: -

- Who is an Engineer or Scientist? STEM Career Game & Activity (PreK-9th)

- STEM Careers BINGO Game! (Middle & High School)

- Digital STEM Choice Boards

- STEM Career Classroom Posters

Project-Based Learning (PBL):

- Animal Habitat & Biomes STEM Diorama Engineering Design Project (K-5th)

- Design a Sustainable Eco-House STEM Project (Environmental Science 5E PBL) (4th-8th)

Other STEM Resources

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD): The Case for Untracking by Anne Wheelock

Texas House Bill 5: Foundation High School Program

Savage Inequalities book

Project-Based Learning: What is PBL? - PBLWorks.org

Vivify STEM Curriculum Map

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2022/73/does-stem-track

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Show Summary:

Natasha chats with Dr. Roman Gomez, a lead research scientist in the Space Science and Engineering division of Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. Roman shares his story of growing up in San Antonio, joining the Army, and then eventually getting his Ph.D. in astrophysics. Using questions submitted by Space Club elementary and middle school students, we discuss his journey in STEM, how he learned from his mistakes and his passion for all this space and science.

Links from the Show:

All About Space Club

Video: Career Chats: Dr. Roman Gomez (Research Scientist)

Bring Space Club to Your School! - FREE for educators!

Blog: STEM Curriculum: Mission to Moon

Video: Space Club Mission to Moon Project Highlights Video

Podcast: 37. The Learning Potential of Space Club

Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes

46. STEM Career Chat with Bioengineer Dr. Georgia Lagoudas

53: Getting Data From Our Poop? Career Chat with Dr. Olesen

62. Life on Another Planet? Career Chat with an Astrobiologist!

64. Inspire Kids with Space: Chat with NASA Ground Controller!

70. Career Chat with a Satellite Program Manager

Vivify STEM Blog Posts

How to Teach Growth Mindset and Failing Forward

10 Easy STEM Career Classroom Activities

I Didn't Always Want to be an Engineer

Vivify STEM Lessons & Products

STEM Careers:

Who is an Engineer or Scientist? STEM Career Game & Activity (PreK-9th)

STEM Careers BINGO Game! (Middle & High School)

Digital STEM Choice Boards: STEM Careers, Space Mission, Virtual Field Trip, Branches of Science, and ISS Labs in Space

STEM Career Classroom Posters

Growth Mindset Back to School Rocket About Me Activity

Mission to Moon STEM Curriculum Unit (Space Exploration):

Elementary (K-5)

Middle School (6-8)

Other STEM Resources

Vivify YouTube: STEM Career Chats

Dr. Roman Gomez Speaks at 2019 Fall STEM Lecture Series

What is Olympic Weightlifting? via Wikipedia

U.S. Census Bureau Releases New Educational Attainment Data (2020)

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2022/72/astrophysics-and-weightlifting-with-dr-roman-gomez

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Show Summary:

With no internet access and limited supplies, how can you inspire and engage kids with STEM? We often think of robots and circuit boards as an integral part of STEM education, but hands-on learning doesn't need fancy tools. In this episode of The STEM Space, Claire and Natasha discuss ideas for offering STEM in rural communities (with special guest, baby Fenya). We also provide a framework for developing relevant STEM challenges that are based on students' lived experiences.

Links from the Show:

Agastya International Foundation

Website

Video: Redefining Education

Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes

64. Inspire Kids with Space: Chat with NASA Ground Controller!

60. Why Should You Have More Than One Solution?

58. Are You Training Up Innovators?

47. What Maps Have To Do With Creativity

Vivify STEM Blog Posts

Mission to the Moon: Virtual STEM Program

STEM Activities for Distance Learning

Not all STEM is Equal: 3 Stages of STEM Education

Design a School Garden STEM Project

Vivify STEM Lessons & Products

How to Create a Relevant STEM Challenge (Flow Chart) - FREE in the STEM Space

Design a School Garden: STEM Project Guide

Mission to Mars: Middle School STEM Curriculum Unit (Space Exploration)

STEM Activity Hoop Glider Challenge (Variable Testing)

Straw Rocket STEM Challenge

Lower Grades (K-3)

Upper Grades (4-10)

Other STEM Resources

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Young Reader’s Edition (paperback)

William Kamkwamba: How I harnessed the wind | TED Talk

William Kamkwamba: How I built a windmill | TED Talk

Space Club Outdoor Habitat Video

Dee Howard International Education Foundation

Bernoulli's Principle

Vivify STEM Curriculum Map

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2022/71/how-to-create-a-relevant-stem-challenge

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