Inspiring STEM Minds

The purpose of this book is toserve as a supplemental reference text for 21st century elementary classrooms. The primary objective is to help teachers inspire and engage their students inthe STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects. The pushfor incorporating STEM education in elementary school has become increasinglyimportant, yet most educators and publishers have offered problem-basedactivities, without considering one of the most important pedagogical entrypoints to lesson planning the hook or the opening. und-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"e;>Inspiring STEM Minds aims atproviding teachers an effective, easy to use text that they can use to discussspecific mathematicians, engineers, inventors, and scientists (although theindividuals chosen for each section of the book are in no way an exhaustive orselective group that may characterize each discipline). This reference text isorganized into four key sections, depicting the four disciplines that make upSTEM education. Each section briefly gives historical background, as well asprovides a problem or short activity designed to use everyday materials so thatteachers can implement the activity in their classrooms. The classroomactivities are directly related to each biography and have, we believe, greatpotential to engage students in the classroom. Each activity is also correlatedto the National Standards, andwe also supplement the activities withsuggestions for interdisciplinary connections. We hope this book serves as avaluable resource for classroom teachers.