These are my top 4 STEM tools for my classroom. I have listed them in order of the ones that are used most in my class.
#1 Kapla Wooden Planks
So why have these plain planks made my Top 4 STEM tools list?
If you are looking for a versatile resource for your STEM room that can be used with ALL age groups, then these wooden planks are it. I have used Kapla planks with 5 year olds, building castles all the way up to the teaching staff for an ice-breaker activity. Having wooden blocks may sound like a basic resource, but these planks are more than that.
Firstly my students, of any age, get excited when they see that we get to use the Kapla wooden planks. My grade 6’s have build intricate Rube Goldberg designs with them. My grade 3’s have made marble runs and my Preps have created mazes and castles and fish and words and anything their imagination can imagine. One thing about these blocks, although we have the large tub of 1000, it is never enough. Students always want more of them. Although the price point may seem high, we have had them for 3 years now and they have definitely been value for money. They do not chip or scratch and our students have really put them to the test.
#2 Makedo
Comes in at number two in my Top 4 STEM tools list. This is my childhood dream come true in a product. Have you ever created anything out of cardboard and tape? Well this is next level. Makedo is a cardboard construction set that allows for open ended tasks. Depending on which set you buy you generally receive a cardboard saw, and most importantly cardboard screws and a screwdriver. All those tasks that were tricky and unsecured with tape are now held firmly in place with the Makedo screws, which I love.
Everything is reusable, so as long as you look after it and the students return all the screws when they have finished, you can continue to use this resource for the long run. Our grade 3 and 4 students created cardboard arcades using this resource. The arcade games were strong enough for the rest of the school to play on, when they opened up the arcade store. Durable, easy to use and look good. Makedo resource is suitable for all ages that I teach (5 years up to 12 years old).
#3 Makey Makey
I just love the magic and curiosity the Makey Makey’s bring. The students, and adults, are in awe when they see a demonstration. From that point on they want to explore and discover what Makey Makey can do. Made from the team at MIT they had education at the forefront when designing this. It is very user friendly, with the option to step up the difficulty and get more technical if the students need a great challenge. I tried out a set before buying 12 for our classroom.
I have only used them with grades 3 to 6. The grade 5s and 6s have used the Makey Makeys to make interactive posters. While the grade 3 and 4 students were exploring circuits and coding. Makey Makeys can be used to teach how electrical circuits work but because they can work as a keyboard they can be used with any program, making the possibilities of use are endless. We have had pianos, drums, flappy birds, human pianos and game controllers, a sneaky way for my students to get to play games in class is to hook it up to a Makey Makey and disguise it as learning (little do they know, that they are actually learning). A great tool/resource for a STEM classroom. You, and your students will not be disappointed if you purchase one. We have had them for 2 and a half years and not one has broken.
#4 Circuit Playground Express
Our final recommendation in our Top 4 STEM tools list. So this is a little known product that I absolutely love. I had an idea in mind that my students would create a Natural Disaster Detection Device. But I didn’t know how they would execute this plan. So I called a tech company (Core Electronics) and they led me to the Circuit Playground Express.
So what is the Circuit Playground Express? It is a micro controller that can be coded to respond to certain stimuli. For example, my students coded it to respond to wind speeds, moisture, noise and shake. All of these abilities lend themselves well for our purpose, which was Natural Disasters. We used Microsoft Make Code, a free online coding application to code our micro controllers, the good thing about Make Code is that they have a drag and drop coding ability or Javascript. Our students then created simulators to test if their Circuit Playgrounds would work.
The best thing about Circuit Playground Express, is that they are affordable, compared to most other coding/micro controllers and when I bought them I started teaching with them before knowing how to. The students and I learnt along the way and it wasn’t difficult. One thing to note is that the battery connection is a bit fiddly and can get damaged easily, so best to let the teacher handle that part. I purchased my Circuit Playground Express from Core Electronics in Australia. They have fantastic videos explaining how to use the Circuit Playground Express. YouTube video.
Related Resources for your classroom
We’ve gathered a bunch of resources that use the Top 4 STEM tools. Check them out here.
Makey Makey Interactive Poster
This guide steps through lessons that enable the student to create an interactive poster using the Makey Makey.
Visual STEM Task Cards
The visual task cards in this STEM set often require the use of blocks. I always use my Kapla planks, however you can use whatever you have on hand.
Ultimate STEM Bundle
With over 54 STEM challenges, this will keep your students busy engineering and designing for more than a year!
For ideas on how to set up STEM resources check out the blog post here