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STEAM Inspiration Hub

STEAM helps to spark children's curiosity about the world. In this blog we explore ideas, resources and inspiration for STEAM education.

Posted on Monday 22nd February 2021

Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve

Roger Lewin

What is STEAM?

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Maths.

STEAM is the principle of teaching these subjects through a cross-curricular approach rather than in isolation. It embraces the teaching of knowledge and skills in way that relates to real life. Children are encouraged and given the time to explore, investigate and problem solve using their STEAM skills.

Why teach STEAM?

Bringing these subjects together in this way, helps to:

  • Spark children’s curiosity about the world.
  • Develop their passion and enjoyment for these subjects from the earliest opportunity.
  • Prepare young people with the skills they may need for the future.
  • Model the way we combine these subject areas in real life.
  • Develop essential skills that extend beyond the STEAM subjects including problem solving, resilience, initiative and the 4 C’s of creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication.

The future belongs to the curious. The ones who are not afraid to try it, explore it, poke at it, question it and turn it inside out.

Anon.

How and when to teach STEAM?

Teaching STEAM does not involve adding a new ‘subject’ to an already busy timetable.

It involves teaching objectives across the STEAM subjects through cross-curricular planning. This is often through enquiry-based lessons or projects that require children to bring together skills from across the curriculum.

So, for example you may set your children a project to build a motorised vehicle as part of a topic on transport or travel. Children will have to use their knowledge and skills across science, technology, engineering, arts and maths to successfully design and build their moving vehicle.

It is really important that we provide children with STEAM experiences from the earliest opportunity, so that we can inspire and shape their thinking towards these subjects.

One of our favourite class kits with everything you need to make … a brush monster!

Ideas, Inspiration and Resources

At TTS we offer a wide range of resources that will support STEAM learning across your school from Early Years through to KS3.

Start your STEAM journey in the Early Years.

Extend learning opportunities in children’s play with open eneded resources. Encourage children to be inventors, sculptors, architects, engineers and designers. Our STEAM resources have been designed to support the integration of STEAM activities into your settings.

For more information, explore our blog ‘What does STEAM look like in the Early Years?’

Take a look at our full range,here.

Class Kits offer everything you need to plan an engaging STEAM project.

Many of the TTS kits have teaching notes, videos or how to guides available online to support you with planning and delivering your project. There are kits to build model fairground rides, fan boats, motorised vehicles,  houses, periscopes, balloon buggies and so much more! Notes and resources are available on the product pages.

For the full range, click here.

We also have a wide range of components and individual resources available.

Take a look at our full STEAM range.

Creating a Makerspace in your school offers children an inspiring STEAM learning environment.

Our TTS Makerspace Trolley is the perfect storage (and workspace) solution for all of your STEAM resources.

For ideas and inspiration for your next STEM project, take a look at our STEM Activity Cards.

With a wide variety of different STEM projects suitable from KS1 to KS2, the STEM Activity cards offer all teachers a great starting point to plan their class projects.

At TTS, we have collaborated with STEM Expert, Caroline Alliston, to create our STEM class kits and STEM Activity Cards.  Caroline is a professional engineer and award-winning STEM educator, best known for her successful ‘Technology For Fun’ series of books.  After 25 years working in industry, she decided to use her knowledge and skills to develop fun, exciting design and build projects to inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers. Caroline also runs hugely popular workshops for children, teachers and STEM ambassadors.

Caroline Alliston, our STEM expert, has created 3 STEM at Home videos using the STEM Activity Cards, which are perfect for helping to get children excited about STEM.

Take a look and find out more in our blog, “Stem at Home Projects with Videos”.