• home
  • store

ASCD Logo

  • ASCD.org
  • Store
  • Blog
  • Virtual Events
  • Navigate Applications
    • ASCD Activate
    • myTeachSource
    • PD In Focus
    • PD Online
    • Streaming Video
  • Help

    ASCD Customer Service

    Phone
    Monday through Friday
    8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

    1-800-933-ASCD (2723)

    Address
    1703 North Beauregard St.
    Alexandria, VA 22311-1714

    Complete Customer Service Details

  • Log In
ASCD Header Logo
Click to Search
  • Topics
    • Assessment and Grading
    • Building Racial Justice and Equity
    • Curriculum Design and Lesson Planning
    • Differentiated Instruction
    • Distance Learning
    • Instructional Leadership
    • Personalized Learning
    • Social-Emotional Learning
    • Browse All Topics
  • Books & Publications
    • Browse Books
    • New Books
    • Member Books
    • ASCD Arias
    • Quick Reference Guides
    • Education Update
    • ASCD Express
    • Newsletters
    • Meet the Authors
    • Write for ASCD
    • ASCD Books in Translation
  • Educational Leadership
    • Current Issue
    • Browse EL Archives
    • Digital EL
    • EL Podcast
    • Subscribe
    • Upcoming Themes
    • Write for EL
    • Tell Us About
    • Contact EL
  • Membership
    • Benefits
    • Team Memberships
    • Member-Only Webinars
    • Communities
  • Virtual Events
    • Webinars
    • Symposiums
    • Leadership Summit
    • PreK and K Conference
    • Annual Conference
    • Exhibit with Us
  • Professional Learning
    • ASCD Activate
    • PD Online Courses
    • PD In Focus
    • ASCD myTeachSource
    • On-Site & Virtual PD
    • Success Stories
    • Request an ASCD Speaker
    • Streaming Videos
    • White Papers
    • Emerging Leaders
  • Main
  • Current Issue
  • Archives
  • Upcoming Themes
  • Write for EU
  • Contact
  • Buy
  • Subscribe
Buy this issue
 Share |
You must be an ASCD member or subscriber to view this content.

To view this article,
  • Log in.
  • Become an ASCD member.
  • Read Abstract

July 2017 | Volume 59 | Number 7

Issue Table of Contents | Read Article Abstract

Road Tested / We're Throwing a STEM PARTY and All Are Invited

Benjamin Riden

Nothing is more defeating than seeing your students excluded from educational opportunities. Particularly when they want to participate in them. Not long ago, I was teaching in a self-contained special education classroom for students requiring academic and behavioral supports, and an announcement came over the loudspeaker. "Students, the bridge-breaking contest will begin after lunch in the gym. See you there!" After the announcement concluded, one of my high schoolers asked, "What is bridge breaking?" I explained that it was a schoolwide contest that involved designing and building model bridges out of craft sticks or other materials, and then testing them to see how much weight they could support before breaking. Our class hadn't been expected to participate, but my students quickly responded with, "Why can't we do that?" Dumbfounded, I responded with "Yeah! Why can't we?" We would STEM if we wanted to!

Now I had to create a STEM unit, something I had no experience in doing. I came up with the PARTY strategy for the bridge-breaking project, and have been able to use it to develop several successful STEM lessons for students with disabilities. The following example involves simple machines, but you could apply the principles to almost any STEM lesson.

Provide an introduction. In order for students to create simple machines, they need to know what simple machines are. At the beginning of the unit, introduce STEM-specific vocabulary and concepts behind the appropriate STEM disciplines. Show several examples of simple machines and schedule a Q&A session to address any confusion. This introduction can serve as "supported inquiry," based on the needs of your students. In this technique, teachers guide students through the learning process by providing educational supports, such as multimodal representation, mnemonic strategies, text adaptations, and graphic organizers.

Assign manageable tasks. After you introduce simple machines, it's time to break out the work. Building the machines will take several class periods to accomplish, so chunk the unit into manageable, yet challenging lessons and activities that lead to a final product. Such activities include brainstorming ideas, creating shopping lists for materials, and drafting blueprints accompanied by lessons explaining each chunk.

Reinforcement. This was the first time some of my students were involved in such an intricate lesson, so I provided continuous reinforcement. You can use behavior-specific praise to motivate your struggling students. Instead of saying "good job," tell your students explicitly what they are doing well: "Jim, you are doing a great job sharing your ideas during the planning phase of this project. You are really contributing to the group!" You can also provide incentives, such as five minutes of free time at the end of a lesson, snacks, homework passes, or access to preferred items like cell phones or computers.

Try again. As my students built their simple machines, we all (me included) encountered a few mishaps and struggles. Encourage resiliency by relating struggles—your own or others'—that have turned into successes after perseverance. I have recounted the stories of professional athletes who barely made the sports team in high school and technology moguls who floundered repeatedly before landing upon a great discovery. One particular quote I use to highlight resiliency is by Thomas Edison: "I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work." With my encouragement, when students run into roadblocks, we work together to overcome them and continue on with the projects.

You did it! When your students achieve their goals, applaud those successes. I celebrated my students' accomplishments by inviting their peers, teachers, and principal to see their simple machines in action during an end-of-unit party.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 8.6 million STEM jobs representing 6.5 percent of U.S. employment in 2015. Unfortunately, students with disabilities are less likely to succeed in STEM subject areas than their typically developing peers. This is why we must expose them to STEM instruction early on. Throwing a STEM PARTY can pique their interest in this growing field and open the door to future careers.

In my former school, students with disabilities now have wide access to STEM instruction. Through the coordinated efforts of administrators, paraprofessionals, and general and special education teachers, these students are encouraged to participate in STEM courses like robotics, coding, and engineering—and of course, compete in bridge-breaking activities.


Would you like to write for the next "Road Tested" column? Visit www.ascd.org/educationupdate for submission details.


Benjamin Riden is a former special education teacher who is pursuing his doctorate in special education at Pennsylvania State University.

KEYWORDS

Click on keywords to see similar products:
STEM, Curriculum design and lesson planning, Struggling students, Special education, audience: Teachers, level: K-12

Copyright © 2017 by ASCD

Requesting Permission

  • For photocopy, electronic and online access, and republication requests, go to the Copyright Clearance Center. Enter the periodical title within the "Get Permission" search field.
  • To translate this article, contact permissions@ascd.org
ASCD Express

Ideas from the Field

Subscribe to ASCD Express, our free email newsletter, to have practical, actionable strategies and information delivered to your email inbox twice a month.

Subscribe Now

Permissions

ASCD respects intellectual property rights and adheres to the laws governing them. Learn more about our permissions policy and submit your request online.

  • Policies and Requests
  • Translations Rights
  • Books in Translation

  • ASCD on Facebook (External Link)
  • ASCD on Twitter (External Link)
  • ASCD on Pinterest (External Link)
  • ASCD on Instagram (External Link)
  • ASCD on LinkedIn (External Link)
  • ASCD on Youtube (External Link)

About ASCD

  • About Us
  • Contact Us / Help
  • Governance
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • News & Media
  • Government Relations
  • Whole Child

Get Involved

  • Membership
  • Educator Advocates
  • Affiliates
  • Emerging Leaders
  • Connected Communities
  • Student Chapters
  • Professional Interest Communities

Partner with Us

  • Partners
  • ASCD Job Ramp
  • Advertisers
  • Sponsors & Exhibitors
  • Distributors
ASCD Logo

1703 North Beauregard St.
Alexandria, VA 22311-1714

MISSION: ASCD empowers educators to achieve excellence in learning, teaching, and leading so that every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

© 2021 ASCD. All Rights Reserved.