The Maker Classroom
1 Follower
Pennsylvania, United States
About the store
I have spent 16 years teaching hands-on STEM and outdoor skills to students ages 5 through 18, from forest school and wilderness instruction to robotics and makerspace programming. I hold a PhD in life sciences, taught for many years in an MSED program, and currently develop and teach classes and workshops in a community makerspace.
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STEM Challenge Cards: 20 Hands-On Engineering and Science Challenges for Grades
This set of 20 printable STEM challenge cards gives students an engineering problem to solve, a constraint to work within, and a reflection question. Each card is designed for small groups and requires only common classroom or makerspace materials. The challenges in this set have been used with students across a range of grade levels, from early elementary through middle school, and include material lists, time estimates, and teacher tips. A free sample card (the Spaghetti Skyscraper challenge)
Not Specific
Engineering, General Science, Other (Science)
STEM Challenge Card: Spaghetti Skyscraper (Free Sample)
This free card is a sample from the 20-card STEM Challenge Card set by The Maker Classroom. Students use 20 sticks of dry spaghetti, one marshmallow, tape, and string to build the tallest freestanding tower they can in 18 minutes, with the marshmallow on top. It sounds simple, but it isn't. This download includes one challenge card front and one teacher notes page with materials list, time, group size, learning objectives, and a classroom-tested teacher tip. Recommended for grades 4–8. Works wel
4th - 8th
Engineering, General Science, Other (Science)
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About the store
Experience
I have spent 16 years teaching hands-on STEM and outdoor skills to students ages 5 through 18, from forest school and wilderness instruction to robotics and makerspace programming. I hold a PhD in life sciences, taught for many years in an MSED program, and currently develop and teach classes and workshops in a community makerspace.
Teaching style
I build lessons around the engineering design process: doing, failing, and trying again. My classes are often controlled chaos, with students building, breaking, and rebuilding. I think kids learn best when the challenge is real, the materials are tangible, and the stakes feel genuine. My resources tend to be open-ended, discussion-rich, and designed to spark curiosity.
Awards & shining teacher moments
I am a First Tech Challenge robotics coach, and we were able to coach a team of rookies to make it to regionals. In both my outdoor teaching and robotics, I always enjoy watching students develop self-confidence.
My own education history
I have a BS in biology, math, and computer science. I hold a PhD in biochemistry, cell, and molecular biology from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. I have sixteen years of classroom and field experience spanning forest school, wilderness education, makerspace instruction, and STEM curriculum development. I have taught kindergartners through medical students as well as teachers earning their MSEd.
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