STEM-Infusing the Elementary Classroom

Miranda Talley Reagan - Sam Houston Elementary; Maryville, TN
STEM-Infusing the Elementary Classroom
February 2016 | 160 pages | Corwin
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ISBN: 9781506336961
Available from January 0001
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ISBN: 9781483392363
Available from January 0001

Description

Make learning relevant with STEM essential questions

Planning interdisciplinary STEM lessons that meet K-5 grade level expectations can be a challenge. How do you fit it all in? In this engaging, well-organized guide, STEM instructional trailblazer Miranda Reagan provides a teacher-friendly, research-based guide to quickly and confidently infuse STEM concepts across content areas. Real-world vignettes, sample lessons and templates, discussion questions, and immediately applicable action steps help you seamlessly promote college and career ready skills. 

This inspiring guide helps teachers use STEM-infused interdisciplinary instruction to:

  • Deepen all content areas, including English/ Language Arts 
  • Promote the 4Cs: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity 
  • Require students to take risks to solve problems
  • Differentiate instruction and scaffold support 
  • Expand students’ specific measurable capabilities
  • Incorporate design skills into the curricula

Save valuable time and confidently develop standards-aligned STEM projects across all content areas with this breakthrough guide!

“Spirited Teachers Eliciting Memories. Miranda's book is an inspiration for the elementary teacher who wants to begin using STEM in the classroom.”  She has answered all of the "but what ifs" and the "I'm not sures” and given teachers the answers to the "hows and whys" it will work.”
–Dr. Jill C. Mertz, Adjunct Professor of Education at Maryville College, Maryville, TN

“After reading this book, infusing STEM into your elementary classroom will be as easy as 1,2,3…A, B, C!”
–Susan Schipper, Elementary Teacher, Charles Street School, Palmyra, NJ

Contents

Foreword by Cary Sneider

Foreword by Cary Sneider

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Author

  • Chapter 1. STEM-Infusing All Content Areas
  • A Way of Teaching
  • Misconceptions About STEM-Infusion
  • Said No One Ever
  • Spiraling Down
  • A Breath of Fresh Air
  • Model Not Subject
  • Working Smarter
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 2. Why STEM in Elementary?
  • Then and Now
  • 21st Century Readiness
  • Motivating Change
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 3. Rigor Meets Relevance
  • Explosion
  • Emotional Relevance
  • Making It Matter
  • The Relevance Trap
  • The Role of Technology
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 4. The Cross-Cutting Concepts Approach to STEM-Infusion
  • The Pattern Revelation
  • Cross-Cutting Concepts
  • Creating STEM-Infused Lesson Plans With Cross-Cutting Concepts
  • Concerns About Rearranging Standards
  • When to Use This Approach
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 5. The Standards Alignment Approach to STEM-Infusion
  • Operation Top Secret Message
  • Starting With the Standards
  • Connecting the Unconnected
  • When to Use This Approach
  • Brainstorming Project Ideas
  • Let the Creativity Begin
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 6. The Thematic Approach to STEM-Infusion
  • Play Ball
  • The Thematic Approach
  • Not Your Mama’s Thematic Teaching
  • When to Use This Approach
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 7. Assessing STEM
  • The Testing Mess
  • My Mistake
  • Assessing STEM
  • Rubrics
  • Student Goal Setting
  • Student Journaling
  • Improvement Logs
  • Teacher Clipboard
  • Assessing Social Emotional Learning
  • Standardize Testing and STEM
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 8. The Benefits of the STEM Mindset: Risk Taking and Resilience
  • Locked Out
  • A Mindset Shift
  • Growth Versus Fixed Mindsets
  • Growing From STEM
  • Student Empowerment
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 9. Student Collaboration
  • Lego Trench
  • Foundation of Communication
  • Richness of the Interaction
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 10. Leadership for Change
  • A Really Hard Night
  • Progress as an Expectation
  • Modeling
  • Parent Involvement
  • Goal Setting
  • Sharing Resources and Providing Support
  • Teaching Teams
  • Teacher Trust and Autonomy
  • Closing
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step

Resources

  • Resource A. Pipeline Lesson Plan
  • Resource B. Volcano Lesson Plan
  • Resource C. Candy Cane Lesson Plan
  • Resource D. Germs Lesson Plan
  • Resource E. Top Secret Message Lesson Plan
  • Resource F. Baseball Lesson Plan
  • Resource G. Moon Rover Lesson Plan
  • Resource H. Improvement Log
  • Resource I. Storm Shelter Lesson Plan
  • Resource J. Lego Lesson Plan
  • Resource K. Tennis Shoe Lesson Plan
  • Resource L. Helmet Lesson Plan
  • Resource M. Blank Lesson Plan Template 1
  • Resource N. Blank Lesson Plan Template 2
  • Resource O. Additional STEM-Infused Activity Ideas

Glossary

Glossary

References

References

Index

Index

Additional materials

Description

Make learning relevant with STEM essential questions

Planning interdisciplinary STEM lessons that meet K-5 grade level expectations can be a challenge. How do you fit it all in? In this engaging, well-organized guide, STEM instructional trailblazer Miranda Reagan provides a teacher-friendly, research-based guide to quickly and confidently infuse STEM concepts across content areas. Real-world vignettes, sample lessons and templates, discussion questions, and immediately applicable action steps help you seamlessly promote college and career ready skills. 

This inspiring guide helps teachers use STEM-infused interdisciplinary instruction to:

  • Deepen all content areas, including English/ Language Arts 
  • Promote the 4Cs: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity 
  • Require students to take risks to solve problems
  • Differentiate instruction and scaffold support 
  • Expand students’ specific measurable capabilities
  • Incorporate design skills into the curricula

Save valuable time and confidently develop standards-aligned STEM projects across all content areas with this breakthrough guide!

“Spirited Teachers Eliciting Memories. Miranda's book is an inspiration for the elementary teacher who wants to begin using STEM in the classroom.”  She has answered all of the "but what ifs" and the "I'm not sures” and given teachers the answers to the "hows and whys" it will work.”
–Dr. Jill C. Mertz, Adjunct Professor of Education at Maryville College, Maryville, TN

“After reading this book, infusing STEM into your elementary classroom will be as easy as 1,2,3…A, B, C!”
–Susan Schipper, Elementary Teacher, Charles Street School, Palmyra, NJ

Contents

Foreword by Cary Sneider

Foreword by Cary Sneider

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Author

  • Chapter 1. STEM-Infusing All Content Areas
  • A Way of Teaching
  • Misconceptions About STEM-Infusion
  • Said No One Ever
  • Spiraling Down
  • A Breath of Fresh Air
  • Model Not Subject
  • Working Smarter
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 2. Why STEM in Elementary?
  • Then and Now
  • 21st Century Readiness
  • Motivating Change
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 3. Rigor Meets Relevance
  • Explosion
  • Emotional Relevance
  • Making It Matter
  • The Relevance Trap
  • The Role of Technology
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 4. The Cross-Cutting Concepts Approach to STEM-Infusion
  • The Pattern Revelation
  • Cross-Cutting Concepts
  • Creating STEM-Infused Lesson Plans With Cross-Cutting Concepts
  • Concerns About Rearranging Standards
  • When to Use This Approach
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 5. The Standards Alignment Approach to STEM-Infusion
  • Operation Top Secret Message
  • Starting With the Standards
  • Connecting the Unconnected
  • When to Use This Approach
  • Brainstorming Project Ideas
  • Let the Creativity Begin
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 6. The Thematic Approach to STEM-Infusion
  • Play Ball
  • The Thematic Approach
  • Not Your Mama’s Thematic Teaching
  • When to Use This Approach
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 7. Assessing STEM
  • The Testing Mess
  • My Mistake
  • Assessing STEM
  • Rubrics
  • Student Goal Setting
  • Student Journaling
  • Improvement Logs
  • Teacher Clipboard
  • Assessing Social Emotional Learning
  • Standardize Testing and STEM
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 8. The Benefits of the STEM Mindset: Risk Taking and Resilience
  • Locked Out
  • A Mindset Shift
  • Growth Versus Fixed Mindsets
  • Growing From STEM
  • Student Empowerment
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 9. Student Collaboration
  • Lego Trench
  • Foundation of Communication
  • Richness of the Interaction
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 10. Leadership for Change
  • A Really Hard Night
  • Progress as an Expectation
  • Modeling
  • Parent Involvement
  • Goal Setting
  • Sharing Resources and Providing Support
  • Teaching Teams
  • Teacher Trust and Autonomy
  • Closing
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step

Resources

  • Resource A. Pipeline Lesson Plan
  • Resource B. Volcano Lesson Plan
  • Resource C. Candy Cane Lesson Plan
  • Resource D. Germs Lesson Plan
  • Resource E. Top Secret Message Lesson Plan
  • Resource F. Baseball Lesson Plan
  • Resource G. Moon Rover Lesson Plan
  • Resource H. Improvement Log
  • Resource I. Storm Shelter Lesson Plan
  • Resource J. Lego Lesson Plan
  • Resource K. Tennis Shoe Lesson Plan
  • Resource L. Helmet Lesson Plan
  • Resource M. Blank Lesson Plan Template 1
  • Resource N. Blank Lesson Plan Template 2
  • Resource O. Additional STEM-Infused Activity Ideas

Glossary

Glossary

References

References

Index

Index

Additional materials

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STEM-Infusing the Elementary Classroom

Miranda Talley Reagan
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February 2016 | 160 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781483392363 $37.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781506336961 $35.00

Make learning relevant with STEM essential questions

Planning interdisciplinary STEM lessons that meet K-5 grade level expectations can be a challenge. How do you fit it all in? In this engaging, well-organized guide, STEM instructional trailblazer Miranda Reagan provides a teacher-friendly, research-based guide to quickly and confidently infuse STEM concepts across content areas. Real-world vignettes, sample lessons and templates, discussion questions, and immediately applicable action steps help you seamlessly promote college and career ready skills. 

This inspiring guide helps teachers use STEM-infused interdisciplinary instruction to:

  • Deepen all content areas, including English/ Language Arts 
  • Promote the 4Cs: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity 
  • Require students to take risks to solve problems
  • Differentiate instruction and scaffold support 
  • Expand students’ specific measurable capabilities
  • Incorporate design skills into the curricula

Save valuable time and confidently develop standards-aligned STEM projects across all content areas with this breakthrough guide!

“Spirited Teachers Eliciting Memories. Miranda's book is an inspiration for the elementary teacher who wants to begin using STEM in the classroom.”  She has answered all of the "but what ifs" and the "I'm not sures” and given teachers the answers to the "hows and whys" it will work.”
–Dr. Jill C. Mertz, Adjunct Professor of Education at Maryville College, Maryville, TN

“After reading this book, infusing STEM into your elementary classroom will be as easy as 1,2,3…A, B, C!”
–Susan Schipper, Elementary Teacher, Charles Street School, Palmyra, NJ


Table Of Contents:

  • Foreword by Cary Sneider
  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Author
  • Chapter 1. STEM-Infusing All Content Areas
  • A Way of Teaching
  • Misconceptions About STEM-Infusion
  • Said No One Ever
  • Spiraling Down
  • A Breath of Fresh Air
  • Model Not Subject
  • Working Smarter
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 2. Why STEM in Elementary?
  • Then and Now
  • 21st Century Readiness
  • Motivating Change
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 3. Rigor Meets Relevance
  • Explosion
  • Emotional Relevance
  • Making It Matter
  • The Relevance Trap
  • The Role of Technology
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 4. The Cross-Cutting Concepts Approach to STEM-Infusion
  • The Pattern Revelation
  • Cross-Cutting Concepts
  • Creating STEM-Infused Lesson Plans With Cross-Cutting Concepts
  • Concerns About Rearranging Standards
  • When to Use This Approach
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 5. The Standards Alignment Approach to STEM-Infusion
  • Operation Top Secret Message
  • Starting With the Standards
  • Connecting the Unconnected
  • When to Use This Approach
  • Brainstorming Project Ideas
  • Let the Creativity Begin
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 6. The Thematic Approach to STEM-Infusion
  • Play Ball
  • The Thematic Approach
  • Not Your Mama’s Thematic Teaching
  • When to Use This Approach
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 7. Assessing STEM
  • The Testing Mess
  • My Mistake
  • Assessing STEM
  • Rubrics
  • Student Goal Setting
  • Student Journaling
  • Improvement Logs
  • Teacher Clipboard
  • Assessing Social Emotional Learning
  • Standardize Testing and STEM
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 8. The Benefits of the STEM Mindset: Risk Taking and Resilience
  • Locked Out
  • A Mindset Shift
  • Growth Versus Fixed Mindsets
  • Growing From STEM
  • Student Empowerment
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 9. Student Collaboration
  • Lego Trench
  • Foundation of Communication
  • Richness of the Interaction
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Chapter 10. Leadership for Change
  • A Really Hard Night
  • Progress as an Expectation
  • Modeling
  • Parent Involvement
  • Goal Setting
  • Sharing Resources and Providing Support
  • Teaching Teams
  • Teacher Trust and Autonomy
  • Closing
  • Discussion Starters
  • Your Next Step
  • Resources
  • Resource A. Pipeline Lesson Plan
  • Resource B. Volcano Lesson Plan
  • Resource C. Candy Cane Lesson Plan
  • Resource D. Germs Lesson Plan
  • Resource E. Top Secret Message Lesson Plan
  • Resource F. Baseball Lesson Plan
  • Resource G. Moon Rover Lesson Plan
  • Resource H. Improvement Log
  • Resource I. Storm Shelter Lesson Plan
  • Resource J. Lego Lesson Plan
  • Resource K. Tennis Shoe Lesson Plan
  • Resource L. Helmet Lesson Plan
  • Resource M. Blank Lesson Plan Template 1
  • Resource N. Blank Lesson Plan Template 2
  • Resource O. Additional STEM-Infused Activity Ideas
  • Glossary
  • References
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

This book was a great fit for the course.
Mrs Melissa Wynn, Early Childhood, Univ Of West Georgia
"Reagan shows the importance of STEM-infused learning with much support. The importance and relevancy of the book is very clear. She adequately explained any desired target outcomes and gave steps to achieve them. Many good examples were included . . . An excellent choice to purchase for a school or team."
Marsha Basanda, Monarch Elementary, Simpsonville, SC
"This book does an excellent job of describing a STEM classroom and the basics for beginning to design your own curriculum . . . As a teacher who helped develop the STEM program in the elementary school where I teach, I could understand and relate to the issues and concepts presented in this book. STEM has become the curriculum of the future. This book will help educators not only understand what STEM is, but its importance and how to incorporate it in their classrooms."
Marti Hooten, Early Childhood/Elementary Teacher, Leaphart Elementary School (Leaphart Engineering Arts Program), Columbia, SC
“After reading this book, infusing STEM into your elementary classroom will be as easy as 1,2,3…A, B, C!”
Susan Schipper, Elementary Teacher, Charles Street School, Palmyra, NJ
"Spirited Teachers Eliciting Memories Miranda's book is an inspiration for the elementary teacher who wants to begin using STEM in the classroom. She has answered all of the "but what ifs" and the "I'm not sures” and given teachers the answers to the "hows and whys" it will work. STEM-Infusing the Elementary Classroom is full of useful and fun information to guide teachers in this new, exciting area of education. Watching the STEM classes in Miranda’s school, while working on their projects, is amazing. The students work together well, discuss their ideas freely, and take pride in “improving” their projects! Rigor, relevance, and creativity, ...what more can you ask for? I cannot wait to use Miranda's book with my Science and Social Studies Methods Class as an inspiration for our preservice teachers!"
Dr. Jill C. Mertz, Adjunct Professor of Education, Maryville College, Maryville, TN

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