I love teaching STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics). Not only is it a rich area of academic learning, but it also brings a sense of awe about the universe into to the classroom, and motivates children to ask questions and follow the path to their answers.
However, I find the best part of teaching STEAM is actually the opportunity it provides for social emotional growth. Children are consistently challenged and encouraged to take creative risks, all the while navigating successful communication and compromise with their team.
One of the better ways I have encouraged children to push boundaries in this area is by starting a lesson with reading aloud. Picture books are a fantastic resource that is familiar material to children, fosters personal connections with characters or situations and stimulates meaningful discussions. From this, children feel a bit more comfortable and safe which can mean the difference between persevering and giving up!
You can choose books with different themes to reflect unit plans, topic studies or student interests. The following 3 books I have chosen to showcase here are more generic and are suited for initial STEAM sessions (or a social emotional health lesson in disguise!).
This book is a fantastic pathway into the design process. A young girl is on a mission to build the best invention yet, starting off motivated and becoming frustrated through the setbacks and mistakes she makes along the way, until finally realising that each step was a clue as to how to build 'the most magnificent' invention. I've had amazing discussions with children about the themes of persistence, learning from failures and upcycling old to make something new!
An encouraging story of making the most of a tear, a smudge, a rip or a spill! I have had many children who throw in the towel on a fantastic idea as soon as the first sign of a mistake shows up. This book celebrates setbacks as a means to find a new idea or perspective, a new area of creativity to be explored. I often pair this book with a fun STEAM activity that can get messy - creating a pendulum cup that swings over paper and splatters paint in an uncontrolled but beautiful way.
Continuing with the theme of facing fears of failure, this great book affirms children's wonderful and wild imaginations. The main character, Rosie, looks at everyday things in new ways but is shy and hides those ideas away. This book is a fantastic read when wanting to explain what engineers can do and giving children the confidence to share their inventions with others. I usually use this as a stepping stone to help children understand how the things we create can feel personal to us, and to develop empathy for those who share their creations with the world; to be kind but constructive when we give feedback on individual and team projects.
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