~ MMGM MAKING & TINKERING WITH STEM ~

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~ MARVELOUS MIDDLE-GRADE

MONDAY STEM FEATURE ~

--  'MAKING & TINKERING WITH STEM: 

SOLVING DESIGN CHALLENGES

WITH YOUNG CHILDREN'  --

AUTHOR CATE HEROMAN

~Post Includes:  Book Spotlight, 

Author Bio & Review~

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ABOUT THE BOOK {from Amazon}:

Tinker, make, engineer—solving problems from picture books . . . 

Can you build a sturdy house that is safe from the big, bad wolf?

Imagine your dream car. What special features does it have? What can you use to create it?

Teaching and learning STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is more accessible than ever before! Children will be inspired, delighted, and challenged as they use everyday materials and STEM concepts to design and build solutions to problems faced by characters in their favorite books. This practical, hands-on resource includes:

• 25 engineering design challenges appropriate for children ages 3–8;

 
• Suggestions for creating a makerspace environment where children can tinker with materials, use tools to make creations, and improve on their ideas;

• A list of 100 picture books that encourage STEM-rich exploration and learning;

 
• Questions and ideas for expanding children’s understanding of STEM concepts;

• A planning template so you can create your own design challenges;

 

Use engaging children’s books together with the guidance and ideas in this book to extend children’s problem-solving skills and creative thinking.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR {from the Publisher's Website}:

Cate Heroman is an author, early childhood consultant, and volunteer education chair at Knock Knock Children’s Museum, a museum designed for children birth to age 8.

Cate Heroman devotes most of her time volunteering as the education chair of the Knock Knock Children’s Museum in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A member of NAEYC since the 1980s, Cate loves helping children become successful learners. The current buzz surrounding Maker education is something that excites Cate, as she grew up in a household passionate about making and tinkering. She hopes to use this passion to bring making activities to the Knock Knock Children’s Museum. Cate’s proudest accomplishment is raising two amazing children who have grown up to be warm, nurturing parents to her four grandchildren.

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MY REVIEW:

This awesome book blends STEM activities and fine literature to inspire young learners to invent amazing things using their knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Many of the children pictured in the book are young—like four or five years old. I was astonished by their knowledge at this young age.

Each challenge is built around a piece of literature. The chapter guides a teacher or parent through the process by listing elements of the challenge in order:  Let's Look at the Problem, Materials, Tinker with the Materials, STEM Concepts, The Design Challenge, Questions and Comments, Back to the Problem in the Book, Going Deeper, and Other Books to Use.

The photography is well-done—detailed, colorful, and enriching to the lesson. The Appendix includes a Design Challenge Planning Template, a list of Books and Materials for Design Challenges, and a Book List.

I wish this book had been available to educators during my long career in the classroom! I found this book to be inspiring and exciting.

Highly-recommended!

I borrowed this book from the local public library.

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Find the links to read more great Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts from middle-grade authors and bloggers at Greg Pattridge's 'Always in the Middle' Blog.

 

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