Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods

60+ Third-Grade Journal Prompts

Develop students’ writing skills and encourage a healthy dose of self-expression with these third-grade journal prompts!

Journal writing is a great way to help children develop a range of writing skills, from narrative to opinion and persuasive to informational. Keeping a journal also allows students to express their inner thoughts creatively and engagingly, boosting well-being and reducing feelings of stress and worry.

If you’d like to encourage your students to keep a journal or need some handy ideas for ELA assignments, then look no further. We’ve developed 75 fun, inspiring third-grade journal prompts for you to use in your classroom. Check them out below!

  1. What is your favorite season and why?
  2. Describe your dream three-course meal.
  3. Which five famous people would you invite to your next birthday party?
  4. Which country would you most like to visit and why?
  5. Name a skill you’d like to learn this year.
  6. What’s your proudest achievement?
  7. Who is your best friend, and why are you such good buddies?
  8. What does the word “family” mean to you?
  9. Imagine you’re the principal for one day. What changes would you make to your school?
  10. Write about something that makes you smile.
  11. Who do you admire the most?
  12. Write about something that scares you.
  13. Describe your ideal pet.
  14. What’s the most exciting thing you’ve ever done?
  15. Talk about a time when you overcame a challenge.
  16. Describe your last vacation. Where did you go, and what did you do?
  17. Would you rather it was sunny or snowy every day?
  18. How would you describe yourself?
  19. How would your family describe you?
  20. Describe your favorite item of clothing.
  21. What’s your favorite subject and why?
  22. If you had invisibility for one day, what would you do?
  23. What’s the craziest dream you’ve ever had?
  24. If you could only eat one type of food, what would it be and why?
  25. What makes you laugh?
  26. Why is it vital to be kind to others?
  27. Write about a time you were kind to someone.
  28. What’s your favorite game, and why?
  29. Imagine you have a time machine. What year would you go back?
  30. Describe something, or someone, that cheers you up when you’re feeling down.
  31. What would you do if you could give your home a total makeover?
  32. Write a review of your favorite book.
  33. If you feel comfortable, write about three things that worry you.
  34. Who is your hero? You can choose anyone you want, real or imaginary.
  35. Imagine you’ve just been elected President of the United States. What five new laws would you pass?
  36. My happiest memory is
  37. The first thing I can remember is
  38. I’m looking forward to
  39. The place where I feel most comfortable is
  40. If I could be another person for a day, I’d be
  41. The thing I like about my school is
  42. I love my family because
  43. The thing I want most about myself is
  44. Do you prefer to be indoors or out in nature? Explain your answer.
  45. What five qualities do you look for in a friend?
  46. Describe something you did this week that made someone smile.
  47. Write a review of your favorite movie.
  48. How is third grade going so far? Has anything surprised you?
  49. Write a story in three sentences.
  50. Imagine you have $1 million but only one day to spend it. What would you do?
  51. Write about how you felt on your first day of elementary school.
  52. How do you feel about moving up to fourth grade?
  53. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received, and why?
  54. What’s the best gift you’ve ever given someone?
  55. Describe what you think makes a great teacher.
  56. What’s your favorite word and why?
  57. Imagine you’re stranded on a desert island. What supplies would you need? You can choose three items.
  58. Describe your perfect camping trip.
  59. Would you rather be a bird in the sky or a fish in the sea, and why?
  60. Which musical instrument would you most like to be able to play?
  61. Imagine you were the first person to land on the moon. What would your famous words have been, and why?
  62. If you were a color, what would you be, and why?
  63. Write an acrostic poem about yourself. Handy hint: Use the letters in your name to begin every line.
  64. Which do you prefer, Halloween or Christmas?
  65. Write about someone who inspires you.
  66. Imagine what life was like for third graders 100 years ago.
  67. Imagine what life will be like for third graders 100 years from now.
  68. Describe what it feels like when you’re happy.

Teaching Students About Types of Weather Conditions

What are the kinds of weather conditions?

There are many different types of weather conditions. Below you will find the different kinds of weather we experience daily due to the global weather system. We have also included some weird facts about the weather for kids!

What does weather mean?

Weather can be defined as the conditions of the earth’s atmosphere in a particular area. Climate refers to the average weather in a specific place over time.

Day-to-day weather changes can impact animals, their habitats, and people and their livelihoods. Severe weather can cause lots of destruction and disruption. Climate can change just like the weather, but unlike the weather, significant changes to the climate can take a long time.

What are the different types of weather conditions?

The different types of weather conditions are listed below.

Temperature

Temperature is how hot or cold the air outside is. Temperature is measured in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit. Temperature also tells us how fast air molecules and atoms are moving. If the atoms are moving fast, the temperature is high, but if they are moving slowly, it will be cold.

Humidity

Humidity refers to the collection of water vapor that is in the air. For example, topical regions are often described as high in moisture, whereas arid areas, like deserts, have low humidity. When in a warm and humid environment, it may feel sweltering to you, as high humidity can make it difficult for the body to regulate its temperature through sweating.

Precipitation

Precipitation refers to all the different types of water that fall to the ground. For example, rain, snow, sleet, ice, hail, and drizzle are all precipitation. The temperature of the air affects which type of precipitation falls. For example, if it is freezing at cloud level, water droplets will freeze and fall as hail or snow.

Wind

Wind can be defined as the movement of air near the earth’s surface. The wind is dictated by changes in water, land, and air temperature. When the sun warms the earth’s surface, the warm air rises. Because cool air weighs more than warm air, it moves under the warm air and into the space it once occupied. This movement is what causes the wind to blow.

Clouds

Clouds are assemblages of water droplets in the sky. As air rises, it begins to cool. Water vapor in the air then condenses, forming tiny water droplets in the atmosphere. These water droplets cling to dust particles in the air. A cloud is formed when billions of these suspended water droplets come together. There are four main types of clouds; these are called: cumulus, stratus, cirrus, and cumulonimbus.

Atmospheric pressure

Air has weight! Atmospheric pressure is the weight of the air pushing onto the earth’s surface. A high-pressure system results in cool temperatures and clear skies, and low-pressure systems create warmer weather, storms, and rain.

Different Types of Weather

There are many different types of weather for kids to learn about; some of these are:

Sunny

The weather is sunny when no clouds block the sunlight and the warm temperature. Sunny days are most common in Spring and Summer, but they can also happen in Autumn and Winter, but usually, they are less warm in these seasons. Sunny days are great for playing outside, going out, and enjoying the outdoors. They are also suitable for plants, as sunny days bring the heat and energy that plants need to survive. It is essential to wear suncream on sunny days to prevent sunburn, and when temperatures are high, it is necessary to drink lots of water and spend some time in the shade.

Cloudy

The weather is cloudy when many clouds in the sky get in the way of the sun. Cloudy days can be cold because there is not much sunlight, but they can also be warm if there is lots of humidity. Sometimes clouds can completely cover the sky; this is called overcast weather. Rain will often happen on cloudy days, but not always. Cloudy days are expected in Autumn and Winter but can also occur in Spring and Summer. Usually, cloudy days in the summer are warm, while cloudy days in the winter are frigid.

Rainy

Rainy weather happens when large clouds in the sky produce rain. Cloudy days can become rainy days if the clouds get large enough and there is a lot of precipitation. In some parts of the world, rainy days happen almost every day for weeks at a time, and in other regions, rainy days are rare. Rainy days are good because they provide water for plants. Therefore, wearing a waterproof coat or carrying an umbrella on rainy days is essential.

Snowy

Snowy days usually happen in winter, when precipitation falls as snow instead of rain. This occurs because the low temperatures cause the water in clouds to freeze and become snowflakes, which fall to the ground and pile up. Snowy days are often frigid, but they also allow lots of fun activities such as sledding, snowball fights, and snowman building. On snowy days it is best to dress in warm clothes, including a hat, gloves, and a scarf, when going outside.

Different types of severe weather:

There are six types of severe weather conditions. These different types of extreme weather are:

  1. Thunderstorms – cumulonimbus clouds produce thunderstorms! Thunderstorms include rain, hail, thunder, lightning, and strong winds. Thunderstorms can vary in severity.
  2. Tornadoes – tornadoes occur when warm air collides with cold air, creating a narrow and rotating column of air from a thunderstorm. Like thunderstorms, tornadoes can also vary in severity. We have a scale to measure the severity of tornadoes; this is called the Fujita scale.
  3. Hurricanes and typhoons – hurricanes and typhoons are also spiraling storms, but these are huge and long-lasting. They form over the water and can produce winds of 200 mph. The difference between a hurricane and a typhoon is the location, for example, storms from the north of the Pacific Ocean are called typhoons, but storms from the north of the Atlantic Ocean are called hurricanes.
  4. Winter storms – these storms occur in colder temperatures which causes rain to freeze and create snow and ice. A winter storm is when a large amount of snow has fallen.
  5. Blizzards – blizzards are a type of severe snowstorm that occur for a longer time. Blizzards also include dangerously low temperatures, strong winds, and lots of snow.
  6. Droughts–a drought is a long period without rain or precipitation. They can happen all around the world and can have devastating effects. Droughts can also cause forest fires and famine, lasting for months to years.

Weird facts about the weather

The weather can seem very mundane and boring. After all, it is constantly happening! For something more exciting, check out these weird facts about types of weather for kids to enjoy.

  1. A mudslide can be extremely powerful. They can move cars, trees, and even buildings when triggered by earthquakes or heavy rain.
  2. In Antarctica, there are often extremely heavy snowstorms. Sometimes the snow is so thick that you can’t even see your hand in front of your face.
  3. The wind itself is silent. It doesn’t make any sound until it blows against an object.
  4. Around 100 lightning bolts strike the Earth every second. Talk about electrifying!
  5. Snowflakes can take up to an hour to reach the ground. In addition, they often travel at 2mph, which is relatively slow.
  6. British people have a well-deserved reputation for small talk about the weather. A survey found that 9 out of 10 British people had talked about the weather in the six hours before taking the survey.
  7. The world’s most giant snowflake was 38cm wide and 20cm thick. It was measured in 1887 in Montana, USA.
  8. Sometimes, water creatures can fall with the rain. This can happen when waterspouts – rotating columns of air over the water – pick them up from the water and drop them again.
  9. Aristotle is the father of meteorology! The ancient philosopher wrote a book about weather. In it, he wrote about the water cycle, among other things.
  10. Sometimes snow can be pink. In Colorado and the Sierra Nevada mountains, snow is sometimes pink. The pink color is caused by algae which live in cold climates and turn the wintry countryside pink.
  11. Texas is the American state with the highest number of tornadoes per year – up to 110.
  12. Snow can fall in scorching places. You might not expect snow in the Sahara Desert or Hawaii, but occasionally it can happen.
  13. You can use pine cones to predict the weather! For example, the scales close up when it is about to rain. Try putting one on your windowsill to help you decide whether you need an umbrella.

Teaching Students About the Alphabet

The alphabet is the collection of letters that make up the words in the English language. For example, the English alphabet A to Z letters that we know today are from Latin English and contain 26 letters.

What Are The A to Z Letters?

The English alphabet includes 26 letters that go from A to Z. The A to Z letters include:

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z

Or in lowercase letter form:

A, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, and z

What is The Purpose of The Alphabet?

An alphabet is the visual record of a spoken language.

Alphabets pair the sound of a letter (a phoneme) with a unique graphic representation (a grapheme). And it’s this partnership of sight and sound that allows us to read and write spoken languages.

How Did The English Alphabet Develop?

The English alphabet comprises 26 letters, of which five are vowels, and 21 are consonants.

But, we consider the English alphabet the Roman/Latin alphabet.

Christian missionaries brought Latin to British shores in the 7th century and quickly displaced the Anglo-Saxon language.

The Latin alphabet (A-Z) is the most widely used writing system in the world, being, as it is, present in Europe, America, Australasia, Africa, and some parts of the middle-east.

Did You Know?

  • An abjad is an alphabet with no vowels.
  • The most extensive alphabet is the Georgian alphabet. It contains 33 characters.
  • Japan has three alphabets: hiragana, katakana and kanji.
  • A diphthong is a sound made by two vowels in one syllable, from the Greek “di” (twice) and “diphthongs” (voice or sound).
  • A digraph is when a pair of letters combine to indicate a single sound or phoneme, e.g., chicken.
  • At one point in the 11th century, the ampersand sign (&) was a part of the English alphabet.

A to Z Letters – Phonetically

A to Z Letter Phonetic Sound Pronunciation
A a -/eɪ/
B bee -/biː/
C cee -/siː/
D dee -/diː/
E e -/iː/
F ef – /ef/
G gee -/dʒiː/
H (h)aitch -/(h)eitʃ/
I i – /ai/
J jay -/dʒei/
K kay -/kei/
L el -/el/
M em – /em/
N en – /en/
O o -/oʊ/
P pee – /pi:/
Q cue -/kjuː/
R ar -/ɑːr/
S ess – /es:/
T tee -/tiː/
U ew -/juː/
V vee -/viː/
W double-ew
X ex – /eks/
Y wy – /wai/
Z zee/ zed – /zi/zed/


Is There a Word That Uses All The Alphabet Letters A-Z?

While no single word in the English language uses all 26 letters of the English language A-Z, some sentences use every letter of the alphabet. These sentences are called pangrams and are considered perfect for teaching children handwriting and letters.

Teaching Children to Write Their ABCs.

Teaching children to form nice and neat letters takes time. Like many foundational skills, pencil control is all about practice, practice, practice.

Letter formation activities are an effective way of developing children’s handwriting skills. Like riding a bike with stabilizers, letter tracing activities help kids develop the fine motor skills, confidence, and muscle memory they’ll need to go it alone.

How are Compound Words Formed?

When two words are frequently used in speech and writing, they will be used closer and closer together over time. Usually, this happens in speech and then translates to writing, where compounds become recognized as words within their right.

An excellent example is the closed compound word notebook.’ Before ‘notebook’ was a word, we would have used something like “a book to write notes in.”

Likely, this would have been shortened to an open compound, ‘notebook.’ Words like this would then become hyphenated compound words like note-book until finally, we arrive at the word ‘notebook,’ which we use in the English language today.

We can even see how the English language evolves by comparing compound words that should be similar.

The words ‘backyard’ and ‘backseat’ are closed compound words, but the words ‘front yard’ and ‘front seat’ are open compound words. Yet they both outline either a specific portion of the yard or the seat position in a vehicle.

However, sometimes compounds are formed because of a gap in our language. For example, the word ‘football’ would have been created out of necessity as the game itself would not have had a name to begin with. This compound is thought to be very literal, as it’s a compound of ‘foot’ and ‘ball’ from kicking the ball with the foot.

Teaching Students About Extinct Animals

What are Extinct Animals?

Extinct animals are species that have stopped breeding, died, and no longer exist. The moment the last living species dies is understood as the time of its extinction.

Here are examples of extinct animals:

  • Dinosaurs
  • Woolly Mammoth
  • Dodo
  • West African Black Rhinoceros
  • Baiji White Dolphin
  • Tasmanian Tiger
  • Sabre-Toothed Tiger
  • Irish Elk

What Causes Animals to Become Extinct?

There are four major causes of animals becoming extinct. These include:

  • Habitat loss
  • Lack of food
  • Hunting and overconsumption
  • Pollution and climate change

Facts About Extinct Animals

  • More than 900 species have gone extinct over the last 500 years.
  • Animals become extinct due to habitat loss, lack of food, hunting, pollution, climate change, and overconsumption.
  • Dinosaurs are one of the most well-known extinct animals; it’s believed their extinction was caused by the impact of a meteor or multiple volcanic eruptions.
  • The Irish elk is an extinct species of deer. However, it had the largest antlers of any deer (13 feet long!)
  • The dodo went extinct in the 1680s, they were flightless birds that lived in Mauritius, and their extinction was caused by animals like cats and pigs, as foreign sailors brought them over.
  • The Baiji white dolphin lived in China’s Yangtze River, which became extinct in the 2000s due to overfishing and pollution.
  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) created the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 1964. This is a system that classifies animals based on their risk of extinction.
  • The IUCM Red List comprises several categories, with every animal fitting into one. The categories are Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild, and Extinct.
  • We can learn about animals that went extinct thousands, and even millions, of years ago due to their remains being fossilized or preserved under ice caps, such as dinosaurs and the woolly mammoth.

Habitat Loss

Habitat loss is when the area in which an animal hunt, lives, and breeds become under threat and is badly damaged or destroyed, often due to human activity.

Habitat loss also occurs through natural causes, such as natural disasters, e.g., volcanic explosions, earthquakes, and meteors. A perfect example of extinct animals that suffered habitat loss was the dinosaurs.

Over 65 million years ago, they became extinct when a giant meteor hit the earth. Luckily thanks to archaeology and fossils, we’re able to learn about them, their various types, and how they lived.

Habitat loss can also occur due to human factors, such as agriculture, deforestation, and urbanization. An example is the Balinese Tiger, which became extinct due to agriculture and deforestation in Bali, a small island in Indonesia.

In contrast to other breeds of tiger, this particular subspecies was more petite, when weighing between 63- 100 kg, compared to the Bengal tiger, weighing up to 220kg. In addition, it had fewer markings and darker fur. The last Balinese tiger was reported to die in September 1937 in Bali’s western region: the Sumbar Kimia.

Hunting and Overconsumption

This is another cause of animal extinction due to human impact.

A good example is the West African black rhino which became extinct due to being hunted for its horns. As well as being valuable artifacts, rhino horns were believed to have several health benefits.

That’s why they were often ground up into a powder and used as medicine. Male black rhinos could weigh up to an impressive 1.4 tonnes: the same size as a small car! The last one was seen in 2011 in the central African country called Cameroon.

A less recent species to go extinct is the Dodo, which was seen nearly 400 years ago. They were native to Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island close to Madagascar and the East African coast. Dodos became extinct due to being hunted by Dutch sailors for meat. Unlike most birds, Dodos couldn’t fly, meaning they were easier to catch and trap.

When becoming extinct so long ago in the 1500s, the Dodo is more renowned today for being a fictional character in Alice in Wonderland. It’s tricky to think they ever existed!

Lack of Food

Lack of food is when an animal no longer has enough food to survive. Lack of food highlights the significance of food chains in the animal kingdom and how species often depend on each other for survival.

Ten thousand years ago, this cause led to the saber-toothed cat’s extinction. Despite having long Canine teeth, being excellent hunters, and weighing around 2000kg, they died out when feeding on mastodons and Woolly Mammoths, which also died out. With this food chain collapsing, saber-toothed cats had nothing to eat and could no longer survive.

Pollution and Climate Change

Our environmental impact on the earth can cause animals to go extinct. Marine life, such as fish, dolphins, and whales, is under the most significant threat of extinction. In addition, pollution and climate change are due to plastic pollution, global warming, and toxic chemicals that end up in the ocean.

One of the world’s greatest natural wonders, the Great Barrier Reef, is often mentioned in this context. Home to around 1500 different species and the most extensive reef on Earth, it has lost over half its coral cover in just three decades. This is due to global warming, causing bleaching and urban development along the Australian coast.

One final aspect of this type of extinction is in the polar regions, where animals rely on frigid climates, ice, and snow to survive. As global temperatures rise, polar bears, penguins, walruses, and the arctic fox are increasingly under threat.

Typically, polar bears travel by thick blocks of ice on the sea. This allows them to go considerable distances to find mates, food, and time on land. However, due to global warming, ice caps are melting. This forces polar bears to travel further afield, with more incredible difficulty in survival. Last year, a polar bear was even reported to reach a Russian industrial city called Norilsk. This shows how far polar bears have to go to find food and the worrying threat they are below.

Recently Extinct Animals

When we think of extinct animals, we tend to think of those that lived thousands of years ago and that we, living today, have no way to help. But, sadly, this isn’t the case.

Some animal species have become extinct over recent years, and even more, species are at risk of following in their footsteps. Animals at risk of becoming extinct are known as endangered animals and must be catered to, looked after, and given the best chance of survival. Now, numerous animals fall into this category. Some of these include:

  • Javan rhinoceros;
  • Asian elephant;
  • Red tuna;
  • Vaquita porpoise;
  • Mountain gorilla;
  • Irrawaddy river dolphin;
  • Sumatran orangutan;
  • Baulan turtle;
  • Magellanic penguin;
  • Jaguar.

While these animals are low in numbers, some live in the wild and captivity. This means there’s a chance for them to bounce back and grow in numbers until they’re no longer on the endangered list. For this to happen, they need protection from humans, secure access to food and water, and protection from habitat loss.

How Many Animals Have Become Extinct?

Unfortunately, for some animals, it’s too late. In the last 100 years alone, up to 500 species of animal have become extinct.

  • The Baiji dolphin was declared extinct in 2007. This dolphin was native to China and is presumed extinct because the last documented sighting of one was in 2002.
  • The Tasmanian tiger (or the thylacine) was declared extinct in 1986. It was a dog-like marsupial with stripes, similar to a tiger’s.
  • The Pinta tortoise was a species of Galapagos tortoise native to Ecuador’s Pinta Island. They were presumed extinct at the end of the 19th century until a single male was found in 1971. He was nicknamed Lonesome George and died in 2012, aged 101-2 years old, leaving the species extinct.
  • The Caribbean monk seal is the only species of seal that was made extinct by humans. It was declared extinct in 2008.
  • The Caspian tiger, native to eastern Turkey, northern Iran, northern Afghanistan, and western China, became extinct in the 1970s because of hunting, habitat loss, and lack of food.
  • The Formosan clouded leopard was declared extinct in 2013 because of habitat destruction and hunting.
  • The Pyrenean ibex (also known as a wild goat) was declared extinct in 2000. However, in 2003, the frozen skin of the animal was used to create a clone!
  • The Toolache wallaby (or Grey’s wallaby) was native to southeastern South Australia and southwestern Victoria. Unfortunately, its habitat, swamps, were cleared out along with vegetation, which led to them becoming extinct.
  • The Bramble Cay melomys (or Bramble Cay mosaic-tailed rat) went extinct as recently as 2016. It lived on the isolated Bramble Cay (a low bank or reef of coral) at the tip of the Great Barrier Reef.
  • The Japanese sea lion is thought to have been extinct since the 1970s. It lived in the Sea of Japan and was hunted in the 1900s until extinction.

Teaching Students About AM and PM

What is the meaning of AM?

Once you have established the AM and PM meaning’ with your students, lessons about the 12-hour clock will become much more straightforward.

We think of AM as the morning; any time with am after it, your students should regard it as the morning time. The term AM is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase ‘Ante Meridiem,’ which translates to ‘before midday.’

What is the meaning of PM?

You can think of PM as the opposite of AM. Therefore, we associate PM with the afternoon and evening. The term pm is an abbreviation of the Latin ‘Post Meridiem’, which translates to ‘after midday.’ These time indications are centered around Midday, as this is how the 12-hour clock functions. When using a 24-hour clock, the am and pm indications are unnecessary as the hours 1-12 are not repeated.

Do you need to capitalize AM and PM?

When used in a sentence, it is standard not to capitalize the am and pm. Also, it isn’t required that am and pm are used when the phrase already indicates the time, so we wouldn’t say ‘this afternoon pm,’ as the time is already indicated by the word ‘afternoon.’

Time can be very confusing for people as it’s a broad concept to try to understand. For example, it cannot be clear that 12 pm is the middle of the day when we associate it with nighttime. An excellent way to remember this is that 12 am means the start of the day, and even though that feels like the middle of the night to most people, the date changes at 12 am, and the start of a new day begins.

When are AM and PM not used?

As well as the 12-hour clock, there is also the 24-hour clock. The 24-hour clock is also known as the military clock. The 24-hour clock begins at 00:00 at the start of a new day, which means 12 am in 12-hour clock speak. However, a day reaches 23:59, and the clock resets to 00:00; the 24-hour clock is sometimes easier as the numbers aren’t repeated. However, instead of seeing 2 pm, your students will have to recognize this time as 14:00, as it is the 14th hour of that day at 2 o’clock.

It is better to firmly establish the use of the 12-hour clock before introducing the 24-hour clock to your students.

Why does a day have 24 hours?

Now we know the meaning of am and pm, but why do we signify one day by the time of 24 hours? It is believed to date back to the Ancient Egyptians. The Egyptians used a shadow clock, dividing the day into 10 hours. The Egyptians would also add an hour on either side of these 10 hours as ‘twilight hours.’ Night and day were unequal in Egyptian times and changed with the seasons. So in Summer, the days were long, and the nights became shorter- the opposite happened in Winter.

Here are some cool facts about Time that will get your class thinking:

  • When the Dinosaurs roamed the earth, there were 370 days in a year (we now have 365 days in a year). This is because the Earth’s spin is gradually getting slower, which means we are progressively losing days.
  • On Mercury, a single day is two years long concerning time here on Earth.
  • The Great Western Railway is why we use standard London time in the UK today. In the 19th century, each area of the UK had its concept of time. So, for example, Midday in Bristol was a different time from Midday in Sheffield. This was figured out because people kept missing their connecting trains. So to put a stop, London time was used throughout the UK with the introduction of the Great Western Railway.
  • A day is 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.2 seconds longer than 24 hours. This is how long it truly takes for the Earth to rotate.
  • There are 31,566,926 seconds in a year.
  • In 1930 Joseph Stalin abolished weekends in Soviet Russia to improve productivity. This was introduced in 1931 and finally returned to a 7-day week ten years later!
  • There are 250 babies born a minute across the world. This equates to 5 babies every second.
  • Mcdonald’s sells 375 burgers every 5 seconds.

Teaching Students About Norse Goddesses

Many children will have the chance to learn about the history and culture of the Vikings – a group of Norse pirates.

Norse people had a particular set of beliefs that helped them to understand themselves and the world around them – from the reasons the flowers grew to the movement of stars in the night sky.

During the time of the Vikings, the most popular god was Thor. But, there were also many Norse goddesses Vikings would have told the legend of — and held dear to them.

Freyja – Norse goddess of love, battle, and death

Freyja is the most celebrated of the Norse goddesses. Her father was Njǫrd, the god of the sea, and her twin brother was Freyr – the god of rain, sun, and peace. When Freyja isn’t traveling on a boar with bristles of gold, she is flying in a chariot pulled by cats. She had a golden necklace, crafted by dwarves, called the Brísingamen. Loki stole the necklace features in many famous Norse tales and at one point.

Idun – Norse goddess of spring, new life, and youth

In the Old Norse language, Iðunn means ‘the rejuvenating one.’ This name relates to her powers: she carries a fruit basket granting immortality. The Norse gods must eat them to renew their youth and remain immortal. Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth in nature, which leads to the connection between Idun and spring. Idun is the wife of Bragi, the god of poetry. This match makes sense even today; springtime inspires many poets, artists, and musicians. Unfortunately, there aren’t many tales that have survived that mention Idun. Her adventures remain a mystery, except for the famous story below.

Loki, a cunning God known for his shapeshifting abilities and considered a God of fire, quarreled with a great giant, Thiassi. To appease the giant, he promised to give him the Norse Goddess of spring, Idun. He lured Idun into the forest, and Thiassi kidnapped her, stealing her and her golden apples, away into the realm of the giants. Her absence, and the absence of the revitalizing magic of her fruits, caused the Gods to wilt and age. Their hair turned grey, and their backs stooped. So, they forced the trickster God, Loki, to rescue her.

Loki took the Goddess, Freyja’s, cloak, transforming himself into a falcon. Then, depending on which version you read, he swooped, turned the Norse Goddess of spring into a nut or sparrow, and flew off with her in his talons. This led to the giant transforming into an eagle in pursuit, ultimately leading to his demise.

Frigg – Norse goddess of foresight and motherhood

Friday is named after Frigg – Frigg’s Day. Frigg is the wife of Odin, the leader of all the Norse gods. Frigg’s magic meant that she could determine the course of fate and make events happen – she is often depicted with a spinning wheel and spindle, symbolic of weaving time. However, by the late Viking age – at least in written tales – Frigg and Freya’s names were somewhat interchangeable, and their traits were very similar.

Skadi – Norse goddess of winter and hunting

Skadi is a giantess who hunts in the mountains on skis. Her name is likely linked to the name Scandinavia – the land of the Nordic countries. As to which came first, no one is certain. She uses a bow to hunt in the high mountains, where it’s permanently covered by ice and snow. She was once married to Freyja’s father, Njord, the god of the sea, but the two could not agree on where to live. It was too light, noisy, and warm by the sea for Skadi. Among the giants, she is rare for her loving nature. As a representative of survival during harsh winters, she is favored in tales and was worshipped by Norse people.

Sif – Norse goddess of the earth, homes, and crops

Sif is the wife of Thor. Her golden hair represents the wheat fields that she helps to grow. She plays a vital part in the Norse myth, The Creation of Thor’s Hammer. One day, the mischievous Loki decided to cut off Sif’s long, golden hair. Angered, the god of thunder, Thor, threatened to harm Loki; but Loki persuaded Thor to spare his life if he would find even better hair for Sif. As with many of the Norse goddesses, little detail remains of Sif’s own stories and life. However, in Old Norse, we know that a common moss species is called ‘Sif’s hair.’ Along with her marriage to Thor – god of storms and rains needed to help crops grow – this suggests she was regarded as the Goddess of plants and the earth.

Hel – Norse goddess of the underworld

Hel is the daughter of Loki, and her name means ‘hidden’ in Old Norse. She watches over the dead who arrive and dwell in the underworld, a place called Niflheim. In Old Norse myths, Hel is described as half made from flesh and half blue, always looking fierce and downcast. She recurs in many books of Norse myths from the 13th century. Unfortunately, her name has such strong connections with death that, as of 2017, it is against the law to name your child Hel in Iceland.

Teaching Students About Roman Gods and Goddesses

Roman Gods and Goddesses

The Ancient Roman religion was based on a belief in different gods and goddesses, with each playing an essential role in other aspects of everyday life during Ancient Roman times. So while there were thousands of Roman gods, we’ll introduce you to the 12 major Roman gods and goddesses.

Many Roman gods and goddesses were derived from Ancient Greeks Gods. However, as the years went by, their agnostic religion started to decline when Christianity became more influential during the 4th century, and eventually, Christianity overtook the agnostic religion completely.

Who were the 12 Roman Gods and Goddesses?

  • Jupiter – God of the Sky
  • Juno – Queen of the Gods
  • Saturn – God of Time
  • Neptune – God of the Seas
  • Pluto – God of the Underworld
  • Venus – God of Love and Beauty
  • Minerva – Goddess of Wisdom
  • Mars – God of War
  • Mercury – Messenger of the Gods
  • Apollo – God of the Sun
  • Diana – Goddess of the Hunt
  • Ceres – Goddess of Agriculture and Familial Love

Roman Religion

The Romans worshipped many Gods because they believed that everything from rivers to trees and cows to crops had a guardian spirit watching over it. Each god could be assigned one or more jobs – some of these jobs could be very important, like ensuring the sun rose each day or crops grew in the fields, whereas others were less important.

The people of Rome would pray to their gods at least once a day – the god they would pray to would depend on what they wanted or needed. As Rome expanded and its citizens interacted with people who worshipped other gods, they adopted more and more into their roster. The train of thought was that if the new people in Rome had been successful, the god they worshipped must have played a hand in their success. So the Romans decided to adopt gods from other religions. However, they would change their names to represent Roman names and aspects of their personality. The Romans particularly liked many Greek gods, so much so that they adopted many of them into their religion, combining them with the older Etruscan gods that the Romans worshipped before.

The Romans took the worship of their gods exceptionally seriously and dedicated much of their time to it. As well as prayer, sacrifices were also expected to be made to the gods. Almost everything that happened to a Roman citizen, good or bad, would be linked back to their worship, or in some cases, lack of it – to the gods.

Did you know: the Romans believed that blood sacrifices were the way to communicate with the gods and demonstrate their dedication. As a result, bulls, sheep, and pigs were common sacrifices.

Jupiter – King of the gods and the sky

Jupiter was regarded as the Roman equivalent of the Greek God – Zeus. Jupiter was the brother of Neptune and Pluto. He was the king of the gods, the sky god, or the great protector. He controlled the weather and the forces of nature, and he was known to send thunderbolts to warn the citizens of Rome.

Juno – Queen of the Roman gods

Based on the Greek goddess Hera, Juno was Jupiter’s wife. It is said that she was the Queen of the Heavens, as well as childbirth and fertility. The month of June is named after Juno.

Neptune – Roman god of the seas

Neptune is the Roman equivalent of Poseidon. First, he was the deity of the sea, although later, he was associated with rivers. In art, he is often shown with a trident and a dolphin.

Minerva – Roman goddess of wisdom and war

Minerva is the Roman name for Athena, most commonly known as the goddess of war. However, she was also the goddess of commerce, industry, and education. Legend has it that she sprung from Jupiter’s head.

Mars – God of war

Mars was the Roman version of Ares. He was the god of war and second in command to Jupiter. Mars was considered the father of Romulus and Remus, the mythical twin creators of Rome.

Venus – Roman goddess of love and beauty

Venus is based on the Greek Goddess Aphrodite, the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. According to legend, Venus was born out of the foam of the sea. She is often depicted as rising out of the waves in a calm.

Diana – Roman goddess of the hunt

Diana is the Roman version of Artemis. She was the goddess of wild animals, the hunt, the moon, chastity, and childbirth. She was the twin sister of Apollo, and she was very popular with Romans who lived in rural areas.

Pluto – God of the underworld

Pluto was Jupiter and Neptune’s brother and the Underworld god. The Romans believed the Underworld to be the place people went after death.

Mercury – Messenger of the gods

is the Roman version of Hermes and is the god of translation, interpretation, and messenger of the gods. He was considered the cleverest of all the Olympian gods and a messenger for them. He also ruled over wealth, good fortune, and commerce.

Saturn – God of time

Saturn was the first king of the gods and was also known as the god of time. Saturn carries a scythe – a tool used to cut crops. Saturn’s festival, the Saturnalia, became one of the most famous Roman festivals. When Saturn died, the world was split between his sons, Neptune, Pluto, and Jupiter.

Ceres – goddess of agriculture

Ceres was the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Demeter. She was the goddess of grain and agriculture in Greece and Rome, so she was essential to farmers. She was credited with teaching people how to grow, preserve, and prepare grain and corn, as she was thought to be responsible for the fertility of the land. Unlike many gods, Ceres was believed to be active in daily life. She was also heavily associated with motherhood and motherly love due to her close relationship with her daughter Proserpine (or Persephone), the wife of Hades. The Romans believed that the seasons were caused because Ceres went into mourning for half the year when Proserpine was in the underworld with her husband during the winter months and would celebrate her return by making the earth fertile during the summer.

These are the 12 main gods and goddesses in Greek and Roman polytheism. However, as we mentioned before, there were other gods, too. Though they took a back seat in comparison to the main Olympian gods, you might recognize a few of them:

Vesta – god of the home and domestic life

Pax – the god of peace

Nemesis – the goddess of revenge

Cupid – the god of desire

Bacchus- the god of wine, drunkenness, madness, and revelry

Janus- the god of gates, doorways, and time

The Furies – the goddesses of vengeance

Some other gods were also commonly worshipped in the Roman empire after being adopted from different regions. Some stayed quite regional, surviving as local patron deities, whereas others rose to the status of different faiths worshipped instead of, or alongside, the core Roman pantheon. Here are some of the most well-known examples:

Mithras

Mithras was a god who was very popular with soldiers all over the Roman empire. We don’t know precisely where Mithras came from, and indeed he may have been an amalgamation of a few other gods who were all bundled together to form a new faith. Still, historians and archaeologists believe that Mithras originated in modern-day Iran. He was commonly depicted slaying a bull and was associated with warfare and the sun.

Isis

Isis was originally an Egyptian goddess, heavily associated with magic, mysticism, and healing. She became very popular in Rome after Egypt was added to the Empire.

Cybele

Cybele was a mother goddess, originally from what’s now modern Turkey. The Romans adopted her and renamed her ‘Magna Mater,’ using her to claim Trojan heritage (to which the Romans commonly tried to lay claim to giving themselves a more glorious mythic history). Her worship was originally quite heavily Romanized, but later it began to return to older traditions from Asia Minor, and many Romans saw worshippers of Cybele as effeminate and barbaric.

Sol Invictus

Sol Invictus was a Romanized version of a Syrian sun god, combined with an early Roman sun god Sol who had largely been forgotten when the Romans adopted the Greek pantheon. Nevertheless, the worship of this god was prevalent during the later years of the Roman empire before Constantine I’s conversion to Christianity.

Fun Facts About the Roman Gods and Goddesses

      • It’s believed Jupiter held thunderbolts from his hands that gave him the ability to fly.
      • Juno’s sacred animal was a Peacock.
      • Mars’ symbol was a sacred shield.
      • Mercury-ruled over good fortune.
      • Neptune was seen holding a spear in he would use to catch fish.
      • Venus was made an ancestress due to her importance.
      • Minerva was born from Jupiter’s brain and didn’t have a mother. It’s believed she devoured her in an attempt to prevent her birth.
      • Vulcan was the god of fire and was believed to be behind volcanic eruptions.
      • Vesta is the goddess of the hearth fire and was represented by the fire in her temple.
      • Neptune was known to be moody, so people who lived along the coast were terrified of him.

Rome and Christianity

As we said earlier, the answer to our question of what religion the Romans were, is multifaceted. This is because of the emergence of Christianity in the 4th Century.

It is widely known that Rome got more extensive as it conquered neighboring cities and took control of new land and the citizens that inhabited it. As a result, Romans would meet people with different religious beliefs, one of which was Christianity.

However, Rome didn’t become a Christian empire overnight, and at first, there was a lot of resistance from the Roman people. Jesus was said to be born in Palestine. At the time, Palestine made up part of the Roman Empire, and when Jesus began to teach Christianity around 29 A.D., he was crucified on the cross.

Unlike many other religions at the time, the teachings of Christianity were founded on forgiveness, peace, and unity. Was in stark contrast to the anger, jealousy, and punishment that many of the Roman deities seemed to encompass.

Despite its gentle teachings and messages of unity and forgiveness, followers of the Christian faith were ostracized, beaten, and blamed in Rome for a very long time.

It was not until Emperor Constantine was crowned that Christianity became truly accepted. The acceptance of the Christian faith is believed to have come about because of a dream – Emperor Constantine reported he was told to paint the Christian symbol on his soldiers’ shields in his dream. So he did, and his men won the battle.

As a token of gratitude, he decided that he would allow citizens of the Roman Empire to worship any religion freely, including Christianity. Not long after this, Emperor Constantine converted the temples of the Olympian gods into Christian ones. Polytheism didn’t evaporate, but eventually, it declined, and Christianity became the dominant religion.

It is said that one of the reasons Christianity was able to grow so widely and so quickly was because of the structure of the Roman Empire. For example, the Romans built excellent roads, making it easy for people to travel, and pass on the teachings from city to city.

The Roman Empire was also multi-lingual – they spoke Latin and Greek, making communicating and translating ideas to a bigger audience easier. The Roman Empire eventually became the Holy Roman Empire, and the Vatican, widely recognized as the heart of the Catholic Church, still stands in Rome to day.

What is an Emergent Reader?

Your child’s reading development starts early! Find everything you need to know about what an Emergent Reader needs to succeed in their reading journey here!

What is an Emergent Reader?

Sometimes known as a “Beginner Reader,” an Emergent Reader is usually a term reserved for early childhood students who have shown interest in reading but cannot yet read independently.

Usually found in Pre-K and Kindergarten students, a few specific characteristics can single out Emergent Readers. However, this stage occurs within all children and is vital to their development as independent, confident readers.

Emergent Readers can pick up on reading faster than their fellow students who may not have yet entered this stage of development. Supporting an Emergent Student’s curiosity and attempts to read with vigor will help their reading development increase dramatically!

Signs of an Emergent Reader

As mentioned before, Emergent Readers can be noticed through specific characteristics. For example, your student or child may be an Emergent Reader if they:

  • Have a healthy appetite for reading but may not yet be able to discern sentences or more complicated words.
  • Understand the alphabet and can recite most or all of it without visual aid.
  • Understands the uses of writing, as they know letters, sentences, paragraphs, etc., can convey messages.
  • May attempt or pretend to read stories they are familiar with hearing (as an example, they may try to read along with bedtime stories phonically).
  • Attempt to write (scribble sentences or words, as if to copy sentences they see).

The Stages of Reading Development

The Emergent Reader stage of a child’s reading development is the first step to their growing comprehension of the English language. In most circles, there are Five Stages to Reading Development. These stages are:

Emergent Reader

As mentioned above, these readers are just grasping the concept of the alphabet and words. They are driven by their curiosity and interest in written language but cannot yet read independently. Usually, Emergent Readers are around six months to 6 years old.

Novice Reader

Novice Readers can now read aloud, connecting letters with phonics and allowing them to “sound out” whatever they may be reading. However, novice Readers may still require help from a teacher or parent and struggle to read independently. Novice Readers are typically found between the ages of 6 to 7.

Decoding Reader

Decoding Readers can decode vocabulary to allow the stories they are reading to flourish as they read. In addition, these readers can discern meaning in the words they read through decoding methods. Decoding Readers can be anywhere from 7 to 9 years old!

Fluent Reader

Fluent Readers can thoroughly read sentences and passages and comprehend the basic meaning of each word. In addition, they can recite passages within their head and write fluently. Fluent Readers vary in age, but most are between 9 and 15 years old!

Expert Reader

Finally, Expert Readers can discern different meanings within texts. They can read different tenses, perspectives, and types of writing with little to no issue. It is the final stage of every reader’s development. Expert readers usually fully develop around the age of 16 and older!

Everyone goes through these development stages before they are expert readers! Emergent Readers are simply the first step toward your child’s journey into the world of reading! Being aware of each stage prepares parents and teachers alike for each phase of a child’s development.

Why is the Emergent Reader Stage Essential?

Everyone has to start somewhere. Emergent Readers are the beginning of your child’s learning to read fluently!

The Emergent Reader Stage is when children begin to harness interest in reading. Though they cannot phonically connect language to the written word without assistance, they can comprehend that meaning is derived from the sentences and stories they listen to.

Emergent Reader’s knowledge of the alphabet and certain CORE words (stop, go, on, off, etc.) allows them to easily absorb lessons centered on reading aloud with guidance. Along with interest in writing and stories, reading lessons are ideal for teaching them the next steps of reading development.

Creating moments where reading is fun and engaging for Emergent Readers will invite them to continue reading. And if a student falls in love with reading, they will be inspired to try examining harder passages and increase their reading prowess!

How to Engage an Emergent Reader

Every Emergent Reader is different. With this in mind, you will have to consider other ways to engage your emergent reader! Collecting easy-to-read-aloud books and reading resources will help you find what might interest your students.

Also, when reading with an Emergent Reader, try finger-point reading along with them. Finger-point reading uses your finger to point to each word and then read it out, harnessing both motor and mental functions to make memorization easier. Modeling finger-point reading to children will inspire them to pick up this habit.

Beyond just collecting interesting reading material and training their memorization, you must also find ways to boost your student’s or child’s confidence in their reading skills. For example, allow your children to follow along with simple sentences. Reading aloud independently can help them feel comfortable and aid their growing confidence.

With newfound confidence, children can also begin to see a connection between communicating and writing. Between reading lessons, have open conversations with students about the passages, sentences, or stories you are reading together. Connecting meaning to words harnesses children’s listening skills and reading comprehension, helping their developing brains to gather new information on the words they are just beginning to comprehend.

What is a STEAM Education?

To define STEAM, we must first know what the acronym stands for. STEAM education is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math. They are a group of subjects that are all entwined with one another and cross-pollinate for healthier industries and sectors.

STEAM gives teachers the tools to employ project-based learning to encourage students and children to form collaborative methods and understandings of the five fields of knowledge. Using STEAM uses both sides of the brain. Rather than creating a barrier between the two as was done in traditional education, it aims to bring out the artist within the engineer, the mathematician inside the musician, and the scientist within the designer.

What subjects are included in STEAM?

  • Science: Includes Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.
  • Technology: This incorporates all Information Technology and a range of electronics and other gadgets abroad.
  • Engineering: From construction to vehicle manufacturing, engineering is everywhere.
  • The Arts: Important for literacy, creative thinking, and unique problem-solving.
  • Math: Math is everywhere and used by us every day.

STEM vs. STEAM

We have established what STEAM stands for, so we must look at STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The fact that STEM missed out on the Arts was raised over the years since its introduction by teachers, employers, and parents alike. The absence of creativity that the Arts bring to the program was felt in industries. Because as essential as STEM subjects are, they do not exist in a vacuum, and many disciplines cross over.

A frequently asked question is, “why are the arts important in STEM?” The answer is that the inclusion of the Arts into STEAM is important as it is often overlooked and overshadowed by its counterparts. The initial omission in STEM in the first place speaks volumes about this. How many use logos, concept art, 3D modeling, and creative writing to get their messages and ideas across when we consider all the technology, engineering, science, and information of companies and industries? The answer is all of them. And behind all these processes is a creative mind at work; unless these creative minds are fostered and nurtured, everyone else loses out.

Without incorporating the Arts into the wider field, many children’s full creative potentials often go unlocked and unused. And the heightened cross-disciplined nature of STEAM vs. STEM is advantageous as different perspectives and how people view problems through different lenses are often instrumental in fac

The main objective of implementing the Arts into STEAM is to take advantage of its standards process, where the emphasis is placed on the following:

Creation

  • Conceptualization
  • Development
  • refining

Presentation

  • Analysis
  • Interpretation
  • Convey meaning

Responding

  • Analyze
  • Interpret
  • Criteria application

Connecting

  • Personal experiences
  • Relating

When did STEM become STEAM?

It was in 2006 when researcher, Georgette Yakman, realized the benefit of turning STEM into STEAM as the creativity and innovation the Arts bring to STEM are invaluable. So she did just that, and STEAM has been full steam ahead since!

Why is STEAM Important?

STEAM is important because it prepares students for real-life opportunities that will help them grow and adapt in later life. Rather than having a barrier between subjects and disciplines, the fluidity STEAM education offers is invaluable life lessons to young students and gives them a better appreciation of their symbiotic relationship.

STEAM was created with an end goal in sight – employment and opportunities. Because what good is education if it makes children ill-equipped for when they reach the stage of starting a career? STEAM aims to bridge this gap and provide students with the skill set to help them get the jobs they want and make for an efficient and cohesive workforce where everybody wins!

As technology replaces more repetitive task-based work, employers seek more well-rounded candidates that fit more fluid-based roles. So, the main objective of STEAM-based education is more important than ever, where the end goal is equipping children with multiple skillsets and making them comfortable in various arenas.

The Arts are not just beneficial for STEM, but STEM is advantageous to the Arts too. Think of all the creative outlets that rely on technology, such as photography, graphic design, music production, etc.; training creative students to become more literate in the tech sector can boost it as they can solve problems in this area.

The STEAM Educational Model

Using the STEAM model of education is both exciting and rewarding. However, it can also be detrimental without understanding how STEAM should be implemented and observed. It is important not to fall down the same pitfalls as its predecessor, STEM. Therefore it is essential to follow some core components and maintain standards to get the most out of STEAM.

  • Due to its integrated approach, the standards, assessments, lesson plans, and implementation must have an intentional connection.
  • A STEAM-based lesson or project must have at least two standards from Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math. They must also be assessed through each other.
  • The STEAM learning model’s core emphasizes process, inquiry, and collaboration – this approach must be observed.
  • Ensuring the application and initiative of the Arts is key for a successful STEAM-based project or lesson.

Regardless of what you teach, there is a basic six-step approach to teaching a STEAM-based lesson. By using the Arts standards framework to view the content created, you can ensure a reliable and consistent process and evaluation for your students.

Use this handy process as a lesson guide and plan for your STEAM classes while implementing the STEAM process. Let’s have a look at each step.

  1. Focus

Firstly, it’s time to choose a question to answer or a problem to solve. Remember, it’s imperative to have a clear spotlight on how the chosen question or concern directly relates to the core STEM subjects and how it can be implemented through the Arts standards.

  1. Detail

During this second phase, identifying the factors feeding into the problem or hindering the answer is a question. As observations are made on why the problem persists, you will begin to feel the benefits of cross-disciplinary working – as skills, experiences, and knowledge from other subjects will be used.

  1. Discovery

During the discovery step, research and intentional teaching are key here. For the problem in question, students must research what real-life solutions aren’t currently working and what other solutions are being developed. At this stage, as a teacher, you must gather what processes and skill gaps must be addressed to find a solution.

  1. Application

This is now the part where hands-on solutions are implemented and tried by your students. After they have completed their analysis of the current solutions and have a firm idea of what still needs to be addressed, it is time to make their solution a reality. They must use their prior skills, experience, and knowledge or what they were taught in the discovery stage to make this happen.

  1. Presentation

After students’ solutions have been completed, it is time for presentation and evaluation. This is not just an opportunity for students to receive feedback but also to become active participants in the process, an integral aspect that shouldn’t be understated.

  1. Link

The final stage of the process is the chance for students to reflect on the feedback received about their approach and their own experience. What have they learned? What would they do differently next time? Were they successful? They can refine and improve their solutions and answers by answering these questions or as a group.

5 Benefits of STEAM Education

  • Improve problem-solving abilities.
  • Applying the creative process to multiple disciplines.
  • Champions collaboration and builds an appreciation for other disciplines.
  • Engages students in practical and meaningful activities.
  • Encourages students to make thoughtful leaps and connections.

Literacy in STEAM

One of the most important points about STEAM to stress is the emphasis on process-based learning. Using inquiry and critical thinking in an Arts-style standards framework, pushing children to ask questions and the right questions is super important. The sort of questions where finding out the answers themselves in a practical manner is the best option.

Using creativity, curiosity, and inquiry borrowed from the humanities is a great way to find solutions to a problem or answers to a question. But using STEAM does not mean letting English Language Arts or Social Studies take a step back and lose importance.

Social Studies and the humanities, for example, ask many questions and demand inquiry. STEAM is a very encompassing approach to learning that isn’t exclusive to the main STEM or STEAM subjects but is beneficial to learning and education.

Literacy within STEAM is still very prevalent; as part of the inquiry process, the evaluation, the reflection, and other functions within the main STEAM approach will utilize the written word and reading. Comprehension and making something comprehensive is also an asset.

Literacy is also always thought of in terms of written language – but what about reading music? Understanding chemical equations? Computer coding? These are all proof that literacy comes in many forms, and the STEAM approach will build literacy in one capacity or another.

The future of STEAM

With looming issues and problems not only in the U.S. but also the world over, the power of STEAM must be utilized as soon as possible to reap the benefits better. As the U.S. Department of Education states, it’s more important than ever that our students and future leaders:

  • Develop the knowledge and skills to solve real-world problems
  • Have the capacity to make sense of information
  • Know how to gather and evaluate evidence to make informed decisions
  • And students can do exactly that with high-quality STEAM education.

This highlights the importance of STEAM education and the value even the U.S. government places on it.