The STEM Space

Show Summary:

How do we break stereotypes? More specifically the ones where our students tell us the picture of the guy in the white lab coat is “definitely” a scientist, but the picture of the beautiful lady standing next to a telescope is “just a model”. In this episode of The STEM Space, Claire and Natasha share a listener’s email asking how to be inclusive of boys and girls within an after-school STEM program. Tune in to learn how to start an exciting program and convince your students that they, too, can be successful engineers, scientists, or whatever else they aspire to be.

Links from the Show:

Vivify Blog Posts in this Episode:

- Top 10 Ways To Encourage Girls In STEM 

- Bring Space Club to Your School!

- How to Start an After School STEM Club

- STEM Explorers: Travel the World with STEM Activities for Elementary

- How to Teach Growth Mindset and Failing Forward

Previous The STEM Space Podcasts Mentioned:

- Why You Should Teach Space

- STEM Careers in your Classroom

Girls outperform boys at school, yet still shy away from STEM

- Download the full study here: Hands Up for Gender Equality: A Major Study into Confidence and Career Intentions of Adolescent Girls and Boys

NASA - Request a Speaker

Skype a Scientist

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

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES:https://www.vivifystem.om/thestemspace/2022/50/how-to-involve-girls-in-after-school-stem

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

Show Summary:

Feeling overwhelmed? Quarantines. Hybrid classes. Distance learning. Whew! Well good news! We are focused on continuing to provide more STEM resources for you than ever before, wherever you are! Your favorite space nerd teachers are so excited to help you bring all of these exciting things (and more) to you! What are you most excited for this year? (Our Marketing and Programs Coordinator is most excited for a new addition from one of us and is hoping to share a birthday!)

Links from the Show:

Learn more about Space Club!

- Space Club website/registration

- Space Club Career Chats (Vivify STEM YouTube)

SEEC (Space Exploration Educators Conference)

27. Launching a High Altitude Balloon (from The STEM Space Podcast)

Elementary STEM Con & Beyond

STEM Homework (from the Vivify Instagram)

Invention Convention

SA Smart

“What is a Stage 3 challenge?” The 3 Stages of STEM

Alphabet STEM

Vivify Team

STEM Explorers (from the Vivify blog) and Curriculum

Baby Remi Science Videos can be found on the Vivify STEM TikTok

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES:https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2022/49/big-things-happening-in-2022

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

Show Summary:

“WHAT ARE THOSE?!”

Pictured are two real pig lungs that were part of a scientific inquiry activity on air pollution! On this episode of The STEM Space Podcast, Natasha and Claire take a deep dive into an authentic inquiry experience that involves using air sensors to measure sources of air pollution in your local area, playing a “Mystery Town” game to discover air pollution around the world, and using a gross demonstration to highlight the impacts of air pollution on human health.

The episode describes a curriculum developed through Natasha’s work with CARTEEH at Texas A&M University. Click here to request access to the FREE Air Pollution Curriculum and Science Kit!

Links from the Show:

42. How Do You Chew?

Nasco-Guard, Preserved BioQuest® Inflatable Lungs Comparison Kit

STEM Balloon Rocket Design Challenge

Teach Engineering’s “I Breathe WHAT?” Activity that failed for Natasha

How to make SMOG experiment! (Make smog in a jar)

47. What Maps Have To Do With Creativity

This Is Your Brain On Drugs Ad, explained (Most Famous Anti-Drug Ad)

The Pig Lungs in Action!

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES:https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/48-what-is-in-our-air

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

Show Summary:

Everyone is born either creative or not, right? WRONG! Listen in as Claire and Natasha discuss creativity and an exciting project you can try in your STEM classroom. From Mapsco (if you feel bad, don’t - Natasha didn’t know what this was either) to creating your own compass, listen in and find out just how much technology has been replacing some important life skills and how Claire creatively brought them back into the classroom.

Links from the Show:

Claire’s Graduate Program books:

- Zig Zag: The Surprising Path to Greater Creativity by Keith Sawyer

- Creativity: The Psychology of Discovery and Invention by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

NASA Space Place: How Does GPS Work?

“What the heck is Mapsco?” Here is a history for those of us, like Natasha, who didn’t know.

How to Make a Simple Compass

The Importance of Failure

5 Skills That Students Are Losing Because of Tech

12 Ways to Boost Social-Emotional Learning with STEM

The Science Of Twinkies: How Do They Last So Darned Long?

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES:https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/47-what-maps-have-to-do-with-creativity

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

Show Summary:

Everyone knows that engineers are nerdy guys with glasses and scientists always have crazy hair! Our STEM Career Chat with bioengineer Dr. Georgia Lagoudas is here to help students break down the stereotypes around STEM careers by showing them that anyone, including them, can be an engineer or scientist! Whether she’s sleeping on snow (not something she was used to having grown up in Texas) or fangirling in an elevator with movie stars and senators, Dr. Lagoudas discusses what it’s like to be a Congressional Science and Technology Policy Fellow and how you don’t necessarily have to narrow your life path down to one fork in the road.

Links from the Show:

Space Club Career Chats: Dr. Lagoudas

Georgia Lagoudas, AAAS Congressional Science & Technology Policy Fellow

Finding Student Sparks: 10 Easy STEM Career Classroom Activities

Learn more about getting your students involved with Space Club here!

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES:https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/46-stem-career-chat-with-bioengineer-dr-georgia-lagoudas

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

Show Summary:

Weather balloons, rockets, and space landers? Oh my! STEM has so many projects and products out there, it can be hard to narrow it down to not only what works, but what's fun and STILL educational for your students. From pizza-stealing aliens to homemade roller coaster projects taller than a third grader, tune in to learn about and become inspired by Natasha and Claire's favorite STEM challenges.

Links from the Show:

Vivify blog posts mentioned:

- 10 Amazing STEM Family Night Activities

- How to Teach Growth Mindset and Failing Forward

- Pipecleaner STEM Challenge

Pitsco Education Straw Rocket Launcher

Food Truck Championship of Texas

Acronyms: STEM vs STEAM+

Architect Wanira Magaloni Space Club Career Chat

Learn more about Space Club here! It’s FREE!

Space Exploration Educators Conference (SEEC)

Vivify products mentioned

- Straw Rocket STEM Challenge (Forces & Motion)

- Weather Balloon Launch: STEM Engineering Project Guide

- Roller Coaster STEM Challenge - Engineering Design (K-5)

Moon/Mars Colony Project/Competition

- Mission to the Moon: K-5 or 6-9

- Mission to Mars: K-5 or 5-9

Space Lander STEM Challenge: K-5 or 5-8

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES:https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/45-the-best-stem-challenge-ever

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

Show Summary:

How do you manage your STEM classroom? Do you have labels on everything or are you a bit less organized but still (somehow) coordinated? Join Natasha and Claire as they jump into a STEM classroom management discussion with special guest, Julie Lyons, a 15-year veteran of STEM education and current guest blogger and curriculum designer for Vivify STEM. Listen in as she shares her information on how routines are useful to classroom management but sometimes you just have to let it (kind of) go and work within the boundaries of "coordinated chaos".

Links from the Show:

Vivify blog posts by guest Julie Lyons

- 10 Tips for Managing a STEM Classroom

- Brain Safety Football STEM Challenge

Not all STEM is Equal: 3 Stages of STEM Education

Making Time for STEM

Must Haves for a STEM Lab

STEM Task Cards: Building Icebreakers

Bridge Engineering STEM Challenge

Vivify’s Favorite STEM Suppliers:

- Pitsco Education

- Steve Spangler Science

- STEMfinity

- STEMfinity - Robotics

Need more STEM resources? Check out Vivify Recommendations for the best websites, games, and phone apps to organizations and STEM suppliers! We carefully searched for high quality activities that are not only fun and engaging but educational and promote STEM careers. Updated semi-annually.

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES:https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/44-how-do-you-manage-your-stem-classroom

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

Show Summary:

Can you design a roller coaster? Is it the process or the product that matters? How do we define success in STEM, especially with all of the variables presented to us as teachers? In this episode of The STEM Space, Natasha and Claire discuss all the learning curves the majority of us encounter when trying to map out a STEM curriculum, make sure all the proper standards apply, and discern whether our students are actually taking anything away from their STEM activities. Listen in and let us know what you think!

Links from the Show:

Space Club - FREE!

Roller Coaster STEM Activity

Superhero Robotic Arm: STEM At Home Activity

Rover STEM Engineering Design Challenge

Elementary (K-5) version

Middle School (5-9) version

How to Teach Growth Mindset and Failing Forward

Engineering Habits of Mind: Understanding a Framework for P-12 Engineering Learning

Debug an Object: Backpack

Vivify STEM Curriculum Map

Reflections from a First Year STEM Teacher

Natasha’s Thesis

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

Show Summary:

In this episode of The STEM Space, Natasha and Claire return to answer the much anticipated question: did Natasha get to eat her sandwich in class? Her professor had some very specific instructions (including but not limited to: don’t eat breakfast, bring a sandwich for lunch, and also bring a 1 pound bag of M&M’s) which left both Claire and our listeners scratching their heads. Listen now to find out what happened and how you can apply the thinking to your classroom!
P.S. Sadly, we could find no studies proving Claire’s statement that M&M’s taste differently.

Links from the Show:

STEM Drag Device Parachute Challenge

M&Ms “Blending In” Activity

Texas A&M University (Claire and Natasha’s alma mater as well as their “Aggies” reference)

Introducing Kids to STEM Concepts

Abraham Wald and Survivorship bias (WWII planes returning with bullet holes)

How to Plan a STEM Curriculum

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES:https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/42-how-do-you-chew

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

Show Summary:

In this episode of The STEM Space, Claire and Natasha discuss how to solve other problems you or your students may encounter. From Monkey the dog crossing a river without getting wet to a Masters Degree Program Professor inviting Natasha and the rest of class to participate in an oddly specific experiment, tune in to discover how you might benefit from asking the right questions.

Links from the Show:
Scientific Method vs. Engineering Design Process: Which is used in STEM learning?

Understanding a Framework for P-12 Engineering Learning

Bird Feeder STEM Engineering & Research Activity

Thinking Tools - CIA Phoenix Checklist

Save the Bees! Pollinator Hotel STEM Challenge

What is a Mind Map?

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES:https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/41-what-is-your-problem

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem