Bringing Hands-On Learning to Middle School Science with Makerspace Collaborations
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This session will look at a variety of ways that you can collaborate with your science classes and incorporate makerspaces and maker activities into the curriculum. I’ll focus on a year-long collaboration with my 6th grade science classes where the teacher and I led a different maker focused project each quarter that tied in with her curriculum. This included projects on lab safety, earthquakes and weather detection devices. We’ll look at practical examples of ways to collaborate with your science teachers, as well as different makerspace supplies and activities that can help support your science classes.
Check out a recording of this presentation here:
Resources
Challenge Based Learning in the School Library Makerspace
My book that I co-wrote along with Colleen and Aaron Graves. Much of this presentation is based off of the content of this book, so if you find this presentation valuable, you’ll probably like the book too.
In this book, we go into depth about how to create a maker culture within your school, develop an interactive learning space and more. We discuss the logistics of hosting maker workshops, creating design challenge prompts and documenting the learning process.
Recommended Books
- Making Science: Reimagining STEM Education in Middle School and Beyond (My review) <<- Both the teacher and I read this book over the summer, and it has excellent ideas and advice for bringing hands-on making into the science classroom.
- Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering and Engineering in the Classroom <<– The classic Maker text and a must-read.
Our 6th Grade Collaboration:
- How to Start a Classroom Makerspace from Scratch <<- This post includes a the process we took in creating a classroom makerspace for this project and what supplies we purchased.
Our IDEAlab and Makerspace:
- Starting a Makerspace from Scratch: Introducing the IDEAlab and Makerspace
- COVID Library Update: Our Makerspace in the Time of COVID
Best Practices:
- How to Create Makerspace Organization that Actually Works
- How to Choose the Right Makerspace Cart
- 5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Planning a Makerspace <<– If you’re just getting started, this post will help you brainstorm your makerspace collaboration.
Maker Days themes
- Cardboard Challenge Tips Part 1: The Tools
- Cardboard Challenge Tips Part 2: More Tips and Tricks
- How to Teach an Intro to 3D Printing Class
Design Challenges at Stewart Middle Magnet School (my previous school):
- A Student Designed Maker Cart (School Library Journal)
- How to Run a Rubber Band Launcher Challenge
- Stewart Cardboard Challenge
- The Stewart-Lamar Catapult Challenge
- The 2015 Cardboard Challenges
- K’nex Club and Digital Learning Day
- K’nex Club: Making Models of Real Places