#STEMlearning Archives - Modern Teaching Blog

22/05/202024/09/2020

Screen-free STEAM Games

The skills of problem solving, critical thinking and creativity can be taught through STEAM learning experiences using robots, apps and technological gadgets, but how can we continue to provide children with opportunities to develop these STEAM skills without needing to use these technologies?

In this blog, we explore five games that support STEAM learning that can be conducted at home or school that do not involve technology or screen time.

ThinkFun – Code Programming Game Series

Age: 8+
Players: Single or collaborative game play
40+ challenges per game

The Code Programming Game Series contains three games that were created by Mark Engleberg, a teacher and former programmer for NASA. These games are designed to build the skills needed to learn key coding concepts. They allow students to work through over 40 challenges from beginner to expert level. Each of these games develops students’ understanding of problem solving and computational thinking. All three games in this collection are screen-free, unplugged coding experiences.

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ThinkFun – Code Programming Game Series

On the Brink

On the Brink teaches procedures and problem solving skills through its single or multi-player game. The aim of the game is to use your problem solving skills to program the robot to move along the different game boards using the coloured control panel and movement cards. Each panel on the control panel has space for two movement cards which you need to program to move the robot from start to finish.

The game includes:

- Challenge booklet
- Instructions booklet
- Movement cards (grey = beginner, yellow = advanced)
- Control panel
- Robot character

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On the Brink

ThinkFun – Code Programming Game Series

Rover Control

Rover Control teaches control structures and problem solving skills through its single or multiplayer game. The aim of the game is to move the rover from start to finish. The rover can only be programmed to travel on the coloured paths. The game board has been wiped off the coloured paths, and players must use the clues to redesign the path and program the robot character to move it from start to finish for each mission.

The game includes:

- Challenge booklet
- Instructions booklet
- Solution booklet
- Game boards – Terrain cards x 4 (beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert)
- Whiteboard markers with erasers (red, green, blue)
- 2 x rovers (yellow, purple)
- Tokens that include (charging station, data upload, and rover start and end discs)

Featured Product:

Rover Control

ThinkFun – Code Programming Game Series

Robot Repair

Robot Repair teaches logic principles which are a key part of programming. The aim of the game is to fix the four broken robots by connecting colours and wires on each of the game cards through the clues given on each mission challenge.

This game includes:

- Challenge booklet
- Instruction manual
- Solutions booklet
- Game boards
- Tokens (power cells, on/off and true/false)

Featured Product:

Robot Repair Game

ThinkFun – Code Programming Game Series

Pixel Plezier

Age: 5+
Players: Single or pairs

Pixel Plezier is a puzzle game that helps students develop their understanding of binary code by creating pixel characters. Binary code represents text, computer processor instructions and any other data using a two-symbol number system consisting of ‘0’ and ‘1’ from the binary number system.

Within the kit there are 8 puzzles to create and solve. This is a great activity to have students complete on their own or working collaboratively in pairs. Each kit contains 8 puzzles and 4 coding mats (2 boards 7×7 and 2 boards 6×6).

Extension
Using this template, students can extend this game by creating their own Pixel binary code for others to solve.

Download: Pixel Plezier Template

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Pixel Plezier

Cyber Attack Board Game

Age: 6+
Players: 2-4

The Cyber Attack Board Game supports students in developing their understanding of cyber safety and how to act and behave online. It follows the format of traditional board games with question cards related to digital problems that students may encounter online. If students get the answer correct they can either proceed forwards two places in the game or can move an opponent back two places. If they get an answer incorrect they move two places back.

Extension
This game can be extended by having students create their own question cards. This personalises the game, particularly if you have certain rules at school or home related to using a device and how to act and behave online.

Featured Product:

Cyber Attack Game

About the author

Eleni Kyritsis is an award winning Year 3 teacher and Leader of Curriculum and innovation from Melbourne, Australia. Eleni facilitates professional learning workshops around the world that focus on unleashing creativity and curiosity in classrooms. You can contact her at elenikyritis.com and @misskyritsis

Featured Products:

ThinkFun – Code Programming Game Series

On the Brink

Rover Control

Robot Repair Game

Pixel Plezier

Cyber Attack Game

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15/05/2020

LEGO Education® SPIKE™ Prime Activities

LEGO Education Spike Prime dancing robot and laptop in background

LEGO® bricks have been a staple resource in schools around the world since they were first manufactured in 1949. In recent years, the LEGO® Education team has continued to develop and support STEM learning experiences for our students by creating a range of products that incorporate technologies, robotics and computer programming. The LEGO product range is equipped with resources that will engage and empower students to learn to code from our youngest learners through to secondary school students.

LEGO Education provides a continuum of learning through its products:

Foundation / Prep / Kinder /Reception – Year 1
LEGO® Education Coding Express

Years 2 – 4
LEGO® Education WeDo 2.0

Years 5 – 8
LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime

Years 6 – 12
LEGO® Mindstorms® Education EV3

The LEGO Education Website has a range of lesson plans and challenges for students to develop their engineering and programming skills.

LEGO Education’s most recent product launch is the LEGO Education SPIKE Prime. This kit supports students to develop the essential STEM and 21st century skills needed to become the innovative, confident and creative minds of tomorrow. SPIKE Prime forms part of the continuum that builds upon students’ prior knowledge of coding that they have developed through LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 block coding system.

Each SPIKE Prime kit can be used by a small group of students, preferably two to three students per group. The kit provides students with:

- 528 pieces in a range of shapes and colours
- 3 motors
- 3 sensors
- A series of data cables
- Multi-port Hub that serves as the brain of the set

Multi-Port Hub	Sensors	Motors
6 x Input/Output ports 5 x 5 Light Matrix 6 x Axis Gyro Speaker	1 x Colour/Light 1 x Distance/Ultrasonic 1 x Force/Touch	1 x Large 2 x Medium

The Hub connects to the LEGO Education SPIKE app via Bluetooth or USB. It is compatible across devices including iPad, computer and Chromebook, with the ability to carry multiple programs and be commanded to light up and play sounds. Extending the functionality of the Hub, there are six inputs/outputs to connect the motors or sensors to create movement, patterns and actions.

The LEGO Education SPIKE app intuitively introduces students to coding and robotics. The four SPIKE Prime curriculum units engage students while developing design skills, problem solving and critical thinking skills. Each of these units can be implemented into classrooms with focus on real world relevance.

The four curriculum units are broken into:

Invention Squad

- The Engineering Process

Kickstart a Business

- Applying and Developing Computational Thinking Skills

Life Hacks

- Working With Data Representation and Manipulation

Competition Ready

- Getting Ready For Competitions and Challenges

The LEGO Education SPIKE app includes a range of resources for both teachers and students, from lesson plans for teachers to templates that support students in building a range of creations using the kits.

Once students know the basic fundamentals of the kit, teachers can explore and integrate the skills learnt through the lesson plans and curriculum units to connect SPIKE Prime to other creative lesson ideas and challenges.

Six Lesson Ideas to Extend SPIKE Prime in the Classroom

Design a Mini Golf Course

Materials required:

- Cardboard
- Masking tape
- Scissors
- Various art and craft materials
- 1 x SPIKE Prime kit per group
- Toy golf kits (1 per group)

In small groups, students sketch and design their own mini golf hole with a moving obstacle and sound effects.
Combine the holes of each group to create the mini golf course.
Students play and give feedback on each hole.

The result….

Create a Moving Animal

Materials required:

- 1 x SPIKE Prime kit per group

Students work in pairs to create an animal of their choice.

- Use the sensors to have the animal move away from different coloured LEGO blocks
- Record animal sounds to play as the animal moves
- Program their animal to move through a course

Teachers can connect this challenge to various curriculum areas including endangered animals, ocean life, Australian animals etc.

Design a Sustainable House

Materials required:

- Cardboard
- Masking tape
- Scissors
- Various art and craft materials
- 1 x SPIKE Prime kit per group

Students design and create a sustainable house.

- Design a house using the SPIKE Prime kit
- Include an object that moves or gives messages to support sustainability

Create a Futuristic Car

Materials required:

- 1 x SPIKE Prime kit per group

Students will work in small groups to create a futuristic car

- Sketch and design the car prior to constructing it
- Use the ‘Driving Base’ building template within the LEGO SPIKE App to help build the base of their car
- Add Sensors to create a self driving car

Code a Car Through a Racing Track

Materials required:

- 1 x SPIKE Prime kit per group
- Masking tape

Create 2-3 race tracks (depending on the size of your classroom) on the floor using masking tape.

- Students design, create and program a racing car
- Work in pairs
- Use the ‘Driving Base’ building template within the LEGO SPIKE app to help them build the base of their car
- Program and code their car to move around the race track

Extension:
Creating Obstacles on the Racing Track.
Materials required:

- Sensor added to car
- Coloured LEGO blocks

Using coloured LEGO blocks as obstacles, students can program their car to move around the track by adding the sensor to their car.

Create a Dancing Robot Dance Routine

Materials required:

- 1 x SPIKE Prime kit per group

Students will work in pairs and design their own robot. (Any students who find this difficult can use the template in the LEGO SPIKE app under BUILD – ‘Break Dancer’ to help them build a basic robot.)

- Program the robot to move and dance to their chosen song or music
- Record an original song by recording directly within the app
- Host a dance competition

The end result…

How do you use SPIKE Prime in your classroom? We would love to hear from you!

About the author

Featured Products:

LEGO® Education Coding Express

LEGO® Education WeDo 2.0

LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime

LEGO® Mindstorms® Education EV3

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22/02/2019

What Does STEM Mean In Early Childhood?

The term ‘STEM’ is often a grey area for educators and parents alike. What exactly is it? How do I incorporate it into my curriculum planning or home? What resources do I need to help me do this?

Well, STEM refers to the integrative exploration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The focus on STEM in early childhood has grown dramatically over the years with the rise of technology and an increased understanding of the importance of these areas for life and careers of the future (think problem solvers, explorers, creative thinkers. Think building resilience in kids to create resilient adults).

So how do you incorporate STEM into your little one’s world? You may be surprised to realise that you are probably already doing this every day. Have you ever cooked with your child at home or with children in the classroom?

Think about all of the STEM moments that were happening:

Adding a cup of flour / oil / water = Maths (capacity and volume)
Adding an ingredient one by one, such as three eggs = Maths (numbers, counting and one-to-one correspondence)
How are we going to get the eggs out of their shell? = Engineering
Mixing different ingredients and observing the outcome = Science
Using senses to see, touch, smell, taste and hear = Science
Was the recipe from a book or was it from an online source? = Technology
Placing the mixture in the oven and watching it rise = Science
How many cupcakes did we make? = Maths

Think about when your little one has a bath. Are there toys that sink and float? What about a cup that they fill up and pour out. These are all STEM moments.

Do you go on nature walks and explore? Play with loose parts and make patterns or create structures? Do you value box construction play? Do you have blocks in your classroom or home? STEM moments! Have you seen children looking for butterflies? Counting petals on a flower? Building a cubby house? STEM moments!

Do you have toys with magnets? Have you ever built a marble run? Do your children build with Lego? STEM moments! Have you ever tried oobleck / playdough / kinetic sand? Do you have a tinker table in your classroom or home? Compost bin or worm farm? Light table? Torch?

Featured Product: Colourful Bells

STEM! STEM! STEM!

Often, without us even realising, the intertwined relationship of these disciplines is occurring and children are learning and developing through play. Have you ever observed a child building a block tower? They will often count the number of blocks used and measure the height of the tower against themselves: “The tower is taller than me!” That’s engineering, maths and science entwined right there.

Whilst STEM is occurring naturally within a quality early childhood classroom setting through open-ended play opportunities and resources, STEM based activities may be intentionally planned at times too. For example, after reading The Three Little Pigs story, children might be encouraged to try and build a house of their own design from sensory materials such as recyclables / loose parts / blocks that can withstand the force of the wolf’s huff and puff (aka a fan). Beebots are often a part of schools’ curriculum planning and this may take on not only a coding role but also additional STEM elements.

Recently, we adopted silkworms into our home as ‘simple pets’ (full disclosure – 100 silkworms who are extremely hungry and need to be fed mulberry leaves constantly are not as ‘simple’ as I had anticipated). The language and learning around this was phenomenal and probably the reason you will find silkworms in a lot of Kindergarten classes around August and September every year.

Not only was it a great science-based project but we also spent time looking online and in books for information on how to care for them. We counted how many we had and added numbers as new silkworms were cocooning each day, we spoke about how we could help them find a space to cocoon (as they need to spin off something, usually a corner – our solution was to cut cardboard tubes into small cylinders and place around the box for the silkworms to cocoon inside) and so much more.

During the early years, children spend much of their time playing, however in an early learning environment the planning, scaffolding and intentional teaching that occurs is shaping those little minds and they are actually LEARNING THROUGH PLAY.

The blocks aren’t out only for fun. The opportunities for STEM learning while playing with blocks are endless. Not only are the children developing mathematical skills through engineering with 3D shapes, developing an understanding of quantity, number sense, spatial awareness and geometry, block play also develops science skills through the properties of materials, stability and balance.

Playing with loose parts offers children the opportunity to explore different materials, build and construct, use their imagination, count and make patterns, test density and stability and so much more.

Featured Product: Stackable Counters

STEM in early childhood is occurring every day through observation, exploration, investigation, experimentation and most importantly – PLAY. “Play is not a break from learning. It is endless, delightful, deep, engaging, practical learning. It’s the doorway into the child’s heart!” ~ Vince Gowmon

How do you Incorporate STEM into your classroom ? We’d love to hear from you!

About Brea

Brea Brand is an experienced teacher who is currently completing her Master of Education in Early Childhood. She has extensive experience working with young children, from working in schools, childcare centres, as a nanny and tutor as well as with her own three young children. Brea is passionate about learning through play and the social and emotional development of young children. Follow @wonder.and.awe for play and learning inspiration for both school and home.

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