Creating STEM Lessons with the
“Secret Ingredient”(7-12)
Gail Dickinson
gdickinson@madison-schools.com
Notes
• www.GMSmavs.com
• Teachers/Gail Dickinson/SDE 2013
secret
Stem’s
Ingredient
Iron Chef Video
Session Focus
Participants will
• Design a meaningful lesson plan using a
“special ingredient”.
• Explore instructional strategies using
“secret ingredients” as a focus.
• Present their work to the class.
How is this used in the classroom?
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•
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Check for prior knowledge
Assessment of understanding
Engaging activity for learning
Exploration
The Engineering Process
The Secret Ingredient is
Cups
This lesson is used
after instruction as
an assessment.
Task/Lesson – Along Came a Spider
• Participants will create an anatomically
correct Arthropod using a plastic cup as the
main ingredient. Participants may also use
any of the items from the “junk’ box.
Pre-assessment
Explore
Post-assessment
Instructions
• Students will work in groups of 3
– Design and build an Arthropod
– Label the parts
– Provide the function of each part – relating it to
the survival to it’s environment
– Present project to the class
• Explain the adaptations
• Answer questions
Now it is your turn!
Create a lesson to use in your classroom
with your “secret ingredient”.
• Your team will create a lesson
plan/activity that uses a “Secret
Ingredient” as the main focus.
• Fill out the lesson plan sheet
• Share your lesson plan/activity.
Shhhhh!
Secret Ingredient
Gumballs
• You will have 20 minutes to create a
meaningful STEM related lesson for your
students using “Gumballs” as the main
ingredient.
• Fill out the lesson plan sheet.
• Share your lesson with the class.
Other Activities
• Secret Ingredient is - beads
– Create a lesson using colored plastic beads
Lesson:
Water cycle bracelet (DI – write a poem, song, perform,
take pictures or create a PowerPoint presentation.)
Math lesson – calculate your bracelet
Math/Technology – estimation lesson
Secret Ingredient is Crayons
• Science: Demonstrate erosion and the rock cycle.
• Math – Fractions – take out ? Number of crayons
out of a box of 12 or 24
Secret Ingredient
is cotton
• Create the 3 main types of clouds
• Demonstrate saturation with cotton
Other “Junk” Project-Based Lessons
Design a simple machine
• Have the machine perform a simple task
• Join 2 or more simple machines together
(from different groups) to make a compound machine.
Survival of the Fittest
• Parody of “Survivor” TV show, students will
be provided with opportunities to solve
problems of various “survivor”scenarios.
• Examples:
– Shelter
– Make shift bedding
– Tools – for eating, protection
– Create a survival kit
Now it is your turn!
Demonstrate one of Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion using “junk”.
Pre-assessment
Explore
Post-assessment
• You will have 20 minutes to demonstrate
one of Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion using
items from the “Junk” box.
• DI- you may present your demonstration
with- drawings, technology, song, poem,
storytelling, movement, etc.
Questions/Comments