Tools & Teaching Strategies for Grades 4-8

Anne's Blog / Summer Learning Loss

STEM and Summer Learning Loss

Let’s put a stop to summer learning loss! Summer is a great time for informal learning and, given the right opportunities, kids can continue thinking, experiencing, and learning. Take a look at these ideas for STEM applications and see if any work for your kids.

Anne's Blog / STEM Launchers

Use Mini-Lessons to Launch STEM Projects

A STEM launcher is a mini-lesson that reminds students to adopt an engineer’s mindset as they tackle and solve problems using the engineering design process. It’s helpful anytime you need to channel middle school energy in a productive way. Here’s one ready-made Well, two actually!

Anne's Blog / STEM Teacher Traits

13 Traits of Great STEM Teachers

National STEM curriculum leader Dr. Susan Pruet offers her list of 13 traits or skills associated with effective STEM teachers. Anne Jolly writes: “She remarked that this STEM job description has been pretty well defined by research and experience over the past decade.”

Anne's Blog / Summer STEM Fun!

8 Tips for Planning Summer STEM Fun

Summer is almost here and it’s time for kids to officially forget everything they learned during the school year. Right? Well, maybe not right, writes STEM expert Anne Jolly, if schools, communities, and families keep the learning going. She has eight ideas!