Shaping the Future with STEM Instruction

This book builds on an interdisciplinary approach that combines two or more of the STEM subjects. The goal is to help students see the relationship among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Useful ideas, activities, and lesson plans are part of the package.It is up to the teachers to encourage students to apply STEM knowledge to interesting real-world problems. Motivating ideas and activities are presented in this book. Teacher/student friendly suggestions build on collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity.Creating a STEM culture in the classroom can help students learn the qualities that must be cultivated in a technology-intensive world. Innovations that radiate from the STEM subjects are driven by intellectual curiosity and the ability to act on beliefs.The future is something we can and should influence. Understanding of the STEM subjects is key to making a positive difference.

In Shaping the Future with STEM Instruction, Adams and Hamm encourage teachers to create engaging STEM curricula that challenge students to stretch their abilities. Then, the authors provide tools, activities, and numerous suggestions to help teachers design instruction to accommodate all learners while motivating them in ways that increase achievement. The authors also demonstrate how communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaborative problem solving are the core of curriculum and instruction in the STEM subjects. Adams and Hamm realize there are multiple paths to competency, and they support teachers in taking risks as they weave together two or more STEM topics and engage their students in active, participatory, and connected learning.--Luann Okel Adams, Wisconsin Teacher, One of the dilemmas that faces every teacher is how to shape their instruction so that they can maximize learning for students with widely varying backgrounds and styles of learning. In their book, Shaping the Future with STEM Instruction, authors Dennis Adams and Mary Hamm take on the challenge of making STEM instruction interesting, while developing an instruction style that will suit the needs of a wide range of students. STEM curriculum is becoming increasingly important to prepare students for the future, and Shaping the Future with STEM Instruction will help teachers develop their curriculum to enable all of their students to reach their full potential in the STEM fields.--Charles Frisk, Wisconsin Science Teacher, Shaping the Future with STEM Instruction by Dennis Adams and Mary Hamm taps into students' curiosity and successfully introduces STEM activities in ways that are motivating, collaborative, and impactful. This teacher-friendly book is definitely a deep dive into STEM instruction. Besides helping educators analyze, reflect upon, and improve their teaching methods, it provides educators with pertinent background information, effective STEM strategies, and engaging lesson ideas.--Martha Kronholm, professor, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, The authors point out the social nature of learning and show how collaboration can empower students to take an active role in mastering the STEM subjects. A path is laid out for teachers who want to employ more active and connected methods. The book also pays close attention to motivating both eager and reluctant learners.--Karen Seyffarth, French Immersion Teacher, Nova Scotia, Today's students like Greta Thunberg are feeling the moral dilemmas of what can and should be done to make the world a better place. STEM Instruction connects STEM concepts to real world problems by imbuing science, technology, engineering, and math with creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. This book will give teachers sample lesson plans and the knowledge to craft tomorrow's innovators, politicians, and thinkers.--Taylor Weinfurter, Youth Services Librarian

Dennis Adams, former Fulbright Scholar, has taught at the elementary school level. In higher education, he has taught at the University of Minnesota, University of Maine, and McGill University in Montreal. He did graduate work at Harvard University and has a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is author of more than 30 books and more than 100 journal articles on various educational topics.Mary Hamm has taught at Ohio State University and the University of Colorado. More recently, she has been teaching at San Francisco State University. She has worked on both math and science standards and has published more than a dozen books and eighty journal articles on these subjects.