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Book Chapter
This chapter features Earth and Space science StEMT lessons. This lesson starts with a basic disaster preparedness which can be adapted to any areas of the country. Students are asked to think about items their family may need for several days. This ...
Book Chapter
This chapter features Life sciences StEMT lessons. With climate change as front-page news, this lesson seems very appropriate. The Explore part has students doing research, which can be very empowering. Provided here is a basic format for the share-o...
Book Chapter
Introducing a New and Urgent Case for STEM Education
The new case for STEM education developed over the course of several years. In this chapter, the author shares how his concerns about the STEM movement resided in the significant diversity in what STEM meant when it comes to educational policies and ...
Book Chapter
Looking Beyond the STEM Acronym
The local, national, and global challenges related to STEM disciplines give reasons to review the meaning and potential of K–12 STEM education. This chapter begins with a discussion of how the STEM acronym is used and the need to discuss the acrony...
Book Chapter
Recognizing and Accepting New Challenges for STEM Education
STEM is popular and widely accepted, but initiatives need to evolve past a simple slogan to have a lasting and meaningful place in American education. In this chapter, an approach is proposed that maintains, and could even improve, the presence of ST...
Book Chapter
Connecting STEM Education, NGSS, and New State Standards
This chapter explores the question, “What are the connections among STEM, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and new state standards?” The question is actually a response to one of several potentially limiting factors for STEM’s lon...
Book Chapter
Proposing Innovations for STEM Education
This chapter introduces a process that has the potential to move STEM education from simply being a collection of initiatives to a plan of action to make STEM a lasting component of American education. Initiating STEM units gets as close as possible ...
Book Chapter
The Enlightenment: Identifying Components of a Cultural Foundation
The reason for including this brief review of the Enlightenment is the clear relationship to STEM disciplines and the values that STEM education should represent. In this brief discussion of the Enlightenment, I have tried to capture the connections ...
Book Chapter
The Constitution: Establishing a Cultural Foundation
This chapter examines some historical and constitutional connections of STEM themes. This justification elevates STEM to a station considerably higher than a simple slogan or education fad. Next, connections between democracy and education are explor...
Book Chapter
Democracy, Schooling, and STEM Education: Building on the Cultural Foundation
Democracy and its processes are themes that unite and support the need for STEM as a basic component of American education. The STEM disciplines and education all exist within society and are sustained by democratic processes. As we consider whether ...
Book Chapter
American Science and Technology: A Cultural Heritage
The relationship between STEM and American society represents a cultural heritage that has its origins in history and prominence in contemporary STEM-related issues. This chapter provides an overview of science and technology in American society and ...
Book Chapter
Citizenship: Exercising the Power and Realizing the Obligations of Our Cultural Heritage
Due to the centrality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in society, it is now appropriate to couple STEM education with the goal of developing students’ skills related to citizenship. This chapter introduces concepts of citizensh...
Book Chapter
The Purposes of STEM Education
STEM should address the part of students’ education that prepares them to become responsible citizens. Although important, K–12 STEM education’s primary aim is not preparation for a specific STEM career but should contribute to the workforce of...
Book Chapter
Perspectives for STEM Programs
The theme of this chapter is addressing the goal of citizens’ preparation to developing and implementing STEM programs. In this chapter, details are provided on specific perspectives, such as one involving a framework for STEM programs and content ...
Book Chapter
Designing Innovative STEM Units
This chapter discusses an innovative strategy for the design, development, and implementation of STEM units. The strategy for state and local leaders is described, along with the critical connection between the development of instructional materials ...