STEM Resources

Brackitz is the only construction toy that lets you design any driving machine you can imagine. Anything.

The Brackitz Driver Set includes 43 pieces and directions for ten driving machines - from a spinning gyro-copter to a space rover to a wind-up blaster. With wheels, axles, hubs and rubber-band drivetrains, engineers of all ages can design and build machines that spin, explore space, fly through the air, or drive crazy fast. No driver's license required!

• falling dominos, swinging hammers, rolling balls, and more physics-inspired accessories

The magic of gravity pushes the spheres through the Geomag gravity motor spiral. A magical and eco-friendly system that uses the invisible forces of attraction and repulsion to set in motion the models. Starting at the base of the system, the weight of the spheres creates a never-ending spiral that kickstarts a real gravity motor. This set contains 11 magnetic rods, 32 spheres and 126 plastic mechanical elements. Gravity is the innovative evolution of the Geomag mechanics line. Developed with expert players in mind, the new construction system is based on an innovative "gravity motor": this uses the weight of the Geomag spheres to Kickstart the mechanisms and movements of the Geomag mechanics structures. The motion is provided by the invisible forces of gravity and magnetism, without using electricity or batteries. The play experience is based on these fundamental principles of physics. Mechanics gravity is a STEM product that can truly stimulate curiosity and inspire to learn more about science.

Science, technology, engineering, art, and math work together to make learning fun in these STEAM lessons!

Perfect for Makerspace!

This first grade teacher resource book includes:

• A year's worth of teacher lesson plans
• STEAM design challenges that turn elementary students into inventors
• Easy-to-follow lesson format (with standards identified for each lesson)
• Classroom-tested lessons

The STEAM Design Challenges in this book follow engineering practices to teach students in Grade 1 to solve a problem by designing, creating, and justifying their designs. They also allow art to support and enhance the learning of science and math while the engineering process is followed.

These engaging STEAM lessons:

• Integrate the Next Generation Science Standards and national standards from other disciplines
• Enhance learning across various disciplines
• Facilitate students in collaborating to solve real-world scenarios
• Promote critical thinking, analytical thinking, and reflective thinking
• Incorporate the Five Es Instructional Model (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate)
• Are classroom tested

Engineering Design Process
The lessons in this book are intended to support the engineering design process in which teachers become a facilitator by encouraging and guiding students to work as a team to find a creative solution to a real-world problem without providing step-by-step instructions. Students are inspired to act as scientists and engineers through the use of sketches, diagrams, mathematical relationships, and literacy connections. By creating their very own models and products based on background information from their studies, students are immediately engaged through a meaningful, rewarding lesson.

More about the lessons
Each lesson begins by presenting students with a design challenge scenario in order to immediately excite students with a real-world situation that they are on a mission to solve. Students are then given a dilemma, mission, and blueprint design sheet and are asked to collaborate with team members to create several prototypes. Students present their prototypes to their teacher, construct their design, test their design, engage in a class discussion about their design, and then modify their design. Finally, teams create a justification piece in order to sell their new prototype (ex. persuasive letter, video, advertisement etc.).

About the Authors
The Steam Dreamers, a group of four classroom teachers, desired to create more interactive learning environments and science classrooms through student-centered problem-solving lessons. They created this collection of cross-curricular design challenge lessons to provide teachers and students with real-world scenarios that are driven by core learning standards and enriched through the inclusion of literacy and the arts.

While the visual and performing arts are powerful curricular companions to early STEM experiences, educators may not have the tools and resources to introduce art beyond painting and drawing. Creative Investigations in Early Art provides them with an inquisitive, explorative approach to boost young learners' creativity and critical-thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills through artistic expression.

Each chapter provides educators with practical ideas for intentionally fostering young children's hands-on, minds-on explorations connecting the following areas of the creative arts to STEM:

• Music and Movement
• Dramatic Arts
• Visual Arts
• Artists and Artworks

• 2 cars, 2 double-sided tracks, 4 weighted blocks, pendulum ball, ladder with 2 removable bars, and a comprehensive activity guide with reproducible materials.