The STEM Space

Show Summary: Are you in search of inspiration for a STEM summer camp? How do you keep your kids learning while having fun? Whether you’re exploring history and learning about other countries, building solar ovens, or even welcoming new people to Mars with a solar tower, tune in as Claire and Natasha discuss all things STEM to inspire your summer camp! Links from the Show: Gravity comparison video...

Show Summary: How does a group of undergraduate engineering students perform on one of Vivify’s most popular STEM activities, the space lander design challenge? Well let’s just say we have seen middle school students with more successful designs! In this episode of The STEM Space, Natasha shares her experience in teaching engineering students, who plan to become STEM teachers, how to use a design...

Show Summary: March is Women’s History Month! Can you name something invented by a woman? How about windshield wipers, Wite-OutⓇ, heating with solar power, the Brooklyn Bridge, the step trash can, and even every kid’s favorite fish-shaped snack? In this episode, Natasha and Claire discuss how to celebrate the contributions of women through hands-on STEM activities for your classroom. Links from th...

Show Summary: This week, we respond to an email from Robert, a STEM teacher, who told us, “I have been a teacher for 11 years, and this is my second as our school's STEM teacher. I am STRUGGLING with teams working together. So much arguing, fighting, crying…I need all the teamwork advice I can get!” How do you facilitate good teamwork in your classroom? Join us as we discuss all things teamwork pl...

Show Summary: Featuring questions from Space Club students, Natasha chats with Dr. Scott Olesen, a biological engineer from MIT who now works in wastewater surveillance at Biobot Analytics! This episode is the audio recording of a Career Chat episode, streamed on Vivify’s YouTube channel, as a way to share the story of STEM professionals to inspire elementary and middle school students. Listen in...

Show Summary: With things finally starting to return to “normal,” how can you get families excited for STEM? HOST A STEM FAMILY NIGHT! But how do you do that? How far in advance should you start planning all of this and recruiting your help? What kind of STEM activities should you include? Planning and executing a STEM family night doesn’t have to be difficult. Tune in as Natasha walks Claire thro...

Show Summary: Time to put on our Thinking Hats! I am light as a feather, yet the strongest person in the world can’t hold me for five minutes. What am I?  Unsure of the answer? How do you facilitate brainstorming and get your students to ask questions? How do you give your students a voice? Do you have any brain teasers or riddles you use to get your students’ creative minds going? Tune in to...

Show Summary: How do we break stereotypes? More specifically the ones where our students tell us the picture of the guy in the white lab coat is “definitely” a scientist, but the picture of the beautiful lady standing next to a telescope is “just a model”. In this episode of The STEM Space, Claire and Natasha share a listener’s email asking how to be inclusive of boys and girls within an after-sch...

Show Summary: Feeling overwhelmed? Quarantines. Hybrid classes. Distance learning. Whew! Well good news! We are focused on continuing to provide more STEM resources for you than ever before, wherever you are! Your favorite space nerd teachers are so excited to help you bring all of these exciting things (and more) to you! What are you most excited for this year? (Our Marketing and Programs Coordin...

Show Summary: “WHAT ARE THOSE?!” Pictured are two real pig lungs that were part of a scientific inquiry activity on air pollution! On this episode of The STEM Space Podcast, Natasha and Claire take a deep dive into an authentic inquiry experience that involves using air sensors to measure sources of air pollution in your local area, playing a “Mystery Town” game to discover air pollution around th...

Show Summary: Everyone is born either creative or not, right? WRONG! Listen in as Claire and Natasha discuss creativity and an exciting project you can try in your STEM classroom. From Mapsco (if you feel bad, don’t - Natasha didn’t know what this was either) to creating your own compass, listen in and find out just how much technology has been replacing some important life skills and how Claire c...

Show Summary: Everyone knows that engineers are nerdy guys with glasses and scientists always have crazy hair! Our STEM Career Chat with bioengineer Dr. Georgia Lagoudas is here to help students break down the stereotypes around STEM careers by showing them that anyone, including them, can be an engineer or scientist! Whether she’s sleeping on snow (not something she was used to having grown up in...

Show Summary: Weather balloons, rockets, and space landers? Oh my! STEM has so many projects and products out there, it can be hard to narrow it down to not only what works, but what's fun and STILL educational for your students. From pizza-stealing aliens to homemade roller coaster projects taller than a third grader, tune in to learn about and become inspired by Natasha and Claire's favorite STE...

Show Summary: How do you manage your STEM classroom? Do you have labels on everything or are you a bit less organized but still (somehow) coordinated? Join Natasha and Claire as they jump into a STEM classroom management discussion with special guest, Julie Lyons, a 15-year veteran of STEM education and current guest blogger and curriculum designer for Vivify STEM. Listen in as she shares her info...

Show Summary: Can you design a roller coaster? Is it the process or the product that matters? How do we define success in STEM, especially with all of the variables presented to us as teachers? In this episode of The STEM Space, Natasha and Claire discuss all the learning curves the majority of us encounter when trying to map out a STEM curriculum, make sure all the proper standards apply, and dis...

Show Summary: In this episode of The STEM Space, Natasha and Claire return to answer the much anticipated question: did Natasha get to eat her sandwich in class? Her professor had some very specific instructions (including but not limited to: don’t eat breakfast, bring a sandwich for lunch, and also bring a 1 pound bag of M&M’s) which left both Claire and our listeners scratching their heads....

Show Summary: In this episode of The STEM Space, Claire and Natasha discuss how to solve other problems you or your students may encounter. From Monkey the dog crossing a river without getting wet to a Masters Degree Program Professor inviting Natasha and the rest of class to participate in an oddly specific experiment, tune in to discover how you might benefit from asking the right questions. Lin...

Show Summary: In this episode of The STEM Space, Claire and Natasha are discussing Claire's "Escape the STEM Room" challenge that she is teaching the first week of school, and the importance of introducing your students to difficult situations. From teamwork to public speaking and sharing what they've learned, tune in to learn more about Claire's plans to navigate this challenge and hopes to inspi...

Show Summary: The STEM Space loves hearing from you! In this episode of The STEM Space, Natasha and Claire address an email from listener Jess Luttrell, who wanted to know how they decided to make the transition from careers in STEM fields to STEM education. Having a STEM background can mean an easier way to connect STEM to student interests by engaging kids with the exciting possibilities of real...

Show Summary: It’s time to go back to school! In this episode of The STEM Space, Natasha and Claire talk about ideas you can use at the beginning of the school year. From icebreaker activities and character-building exercises to engineering design challenges and classroom decor, tune in to get some tips and tricks as you prepare for the best year yet in STEM education! Links from the Show: Get You...

Show Summary: In this episode of The STEM Space, Natasha and Claire discuss their excitement around Space Club: a STEM program designed to excite your students about real-world STEM and space exploration. Whether you use Space Club during school hours, after school, or even at your local library, tune in to this episode to learn about the benefits of participating in Space Club, how it relates to...

Show Summary: Are you a visualizer or a verbalizer? In this episode of The STEM Space Podcast, Natasha and Claire discuss learning styles as well as exploring if the old adage of "left brain versus right brain" still holds true. How can we modify our teaching to accommodate individual student learning styles while maintaining the integrity of our subjects? Tune in to find out! Links from the Show:...

Show Summary: In this episode of The STEM Space Podcast, Natasha and Claire discuss biases in the technology we use every day. We tend to trust computers and technology, but they are actually just as flawed as the humans who created them. These flaws can include biases in the algorithms that make decisions. How can you talk to your students about how to be cautious when using technology and interp...

SHOW SUMMARY: Who doesn't dream of growing up to be an astronaut? In this episode, Natasha and Claire share their experience from interviewing an astronaut! So much can be gained from exposing your students to professionals that work in STEM fields too. Tune in to learn about the importance of connecting your students with STEM professionals and tips on how to bring speakers to your classroom. Lin...

SHOW SUMMARY: Do you know a child in need of a wheelchair? In this episode, Claire shares her experience with her 4th graders that took on building an inexpensive wheelchair for a child in need thanks to the Open Wheelchair Foundation. Tune in to hear how she was surprised by her students and what plans there are for future builds. Links from the Show: BYU students make the world's lightest, least...