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Teaching Early and Elementary STEM
Alissa A, Lange, East Tennessee State University
Laura Robertson, East Tennessee State University
Jamie Price, East Tennessee State University
Amie Craven, East Tennessee State University
Copyright Year: 2021
Publisher: East Tennessee State University
Language: English
Formats Available
Conditions of Use
Attribution-NonCommercial
CC BY-NC
Reviews





This text provides a comprehensive description of the integrated STEM model and is a useful initial tool for implantation of STEM in elementary classrooms. read more
This text provides a comprehensive description of the integrated STEM model and is a useful initial tool for implantation of STEM in elementary classrooms.
Content seems accurate, connects to NGSS science standards and related research and current theory.
Connect to STEM and equity, recognition of white dominant perspectives in science and acknowledgment of the need to make space for diverse voices including culturally responsive teaching methods, a focus on equity, and strengths vs. deficit-based approaches to learning. An emphasis on integration and authentic representations of the real world. One drawback is an emphasis on Tennessee standards making it less relevant in other parts of the country though some similarities likely exist.
Clear and concise materials and resources. Terminology is described using understandable context, at times very academic and less accessible.
Terminology appears consistent throughout the text. The 5 Es are used throughout the text to connect science methods to units of study (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate).
Chapters begin with relevant research and background knowledge for STEM then shifts to potential units of study. Chapters are divided into unit, each with a different topic related to STEM.
Chapters were organized in a logical fashion and each chapter itself was organized by subtopic. Relatively easy to navigate, a suggestion for future additions would be quick links from the Table of Contents to its corresponding page.
Links, images and charts are all accessible and easy to read.
No noticeable grammatical errors noted.
I appreciated the connection to STEM and equity and the acknowledgement of the need for diverse perspectives. Images of white students and teachers was still overwhelmingly present.
Table of Contents
- Unit 1: Introduction to STEM
- Unit 2: Theory & Framework
- Unit 3: Integration
- Unit 4: Standards, Lesson Planning, & Assessment
- Unit 5: Integrated STEM Through Physical Science Anchor Standards
- Unit 6: Life Science
- Unit 7: Earth and Space Science
- Unit 8: Technology and Engineering
- Unit 9: Math
Ancillary Material
About the Book
This Open Access Educational textbook, "Teaching Early and Elementary STEM", was written to support pre-service early childhood and elementary teachers in their journey to become facilitators of science, technology, engineering, and math, or “STEM,” and "integrated STEM" in their future classrooms. Students who read and use this text will deepen their understanding of “STEM” and “integrated STEM,” learn what early childhood and elementary students need to know and be able to do in relation to STEM, and understand ways to create activity plans and implement current research-based approaches to teaching and pedagogy. This text arose out of our Early/Elementary STEM Collaboration project, which started in 2017 with the intention of increasing the quality of teacher preparation in STEM across early childhood and elementary education. The team is composed of math and science education professors, classroom in-service teachers, and pre-service teachers in pre-school through fifth grade. We are driven by the values of collaboration, strengths-based approaches to teaching and learning, constructivist philosophy of teaching and learning, and applied STEM experiences to increase access and equity. Our model of preparing pre-service teachers has been published elsewhere in more detail (Robertson, Nivens, & Lange, 2019). We built this open access product to include the following: 1) completely new content that includes input from our team as well as examples of integrated STEM learning experiences; 2) adaptations of existing resources, and; 3) compilations of existing free resources (e.g., Next Generation Science Standards).
About the Contributors
Authors
Dr. Alissa A. Lange, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education, ETSU, Johnson City, TN
Dr. Laura Robertson, Associate Professor of Science Education, ETSU, Johnson City, TN
Dr. Jamie Price, Associate Professor of Math Education, ETSU, Johnson City, TN
Mrs. Amie Craven, teacher and graduate student, Early Childhood Education, ETSU, Johnson City, TN