STEM Lessons You Can Teach at Home by St. Cecelia Catholic School

Teacher with robot teaching two middle school girls

St. Cecelia Catholic School in Clearwater, Florida, encourages your children to learn STEM lessons at a young age to encourage learning in four key subjects. Take a look at some science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) lessons to teach your kids at home.

Related Post: A Beginner’s Guide to Middle School Robotics

Crystal Sun Catchers

You can make colored crystals at home with salt, and then make them into small suncatchers. All you need is Epsom salt, clear plastic cup lids, water, food coloring, and string.

 

  1. Pour one cup of Epsom salt into an empty glass jar.
  2. Heat one cup of water in the microwave.
  3. Pour the water into the salt and stir until it’s dissolved, usually about one to two minutes.
  4. Pour some of this water mixture into a clear plastic lid, slowly, so it doesn’t spill over the sides. 
  5. Add a few drops of food coloring to the water. 
  6. Set the sun catcher near a window, where the water gradually evaporates.

What’s left are colorful crystal patterns that catch the sun and create beautiful shapes for your kids to gaze at. You and your child can learn science lessons in this exercise.

Jellybean & Marshmallow Building

Get a pile of jellybeans, some marshmallows, and toothpicks. Connect the jellybeans and marshmallows together with the toothpicks and build a structure taller and taller. Along the way, your youngster will learn what a stable building is, what it takes to build a structure higher and higher, and what shapes form the best foundations for construction. You’ll learn some engineering concepts with this lesson.

Stop-Motion Animation

Making a movie is always fun. Use a stop motion app on your smartphone to create a fun movie. Use props, people, pets, plants, everyday objects, and whatever fits your child’s fancy. The beauty here is that you can make a movie that points to your child’s interests, such as superheroes, dinosaurs, trains, dolls, pets, being a doctor, stuffed animals, and more. St. Cecelia Catholic School encourages you to make a fun movie to share with your child’s class.

Sticky Note Numbers

For younger kids learning how to count, add, and subtract, using a movement-based activity is a great way to foster learning about mathematics. This method works better than memorizing lists of numbers.

 

  1. Put stickers on a wall, in groupings of anywhere from 1 to 10.
  2. Write numbers on a sticky note corresponding to the groupings of dots on the wall.
  3. Have your pre-K student hunt for the right sticky note to post on the wall in the right spot.

This activity is a great way to help your child learn the concepts of numbers and math as they get ready for kindergarten. Studies show that movement and physical activity helps kids learn more effectively. It’s one of the principles we adhere to at St. Cecelia Catholic School. 

Related Post: Middle School Technology Design Program

Questions? Contact St. Cecelia Catholic School Today!

The staff at St. Cecelia Catholic School wants your child to have the best possible learning environment, and that starts at home. Contact St. Cecelia online or call (727) 461-1200 if you have any questions about our academic programs.

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