OTT 147: Creative Halloween STEM Challenges for a Thrilling Primary Classroom Experience
So it is that time of year again! Fall has officially begun. Even if that means you just have fall decorations in your house in Florida as I do.
October is a month that brings a unique opportunity to invigorate your classroom with the festive spirit of Halloween.
In Episode 147 of One Tired Teacher, we explore the dynamic combination of Halloween-themed STEM and literature activities that can transform your teaching methods and elevate student engagement. From turning your classroom into a haunted house or a thematic wonderland to integrating Makerspace projects with literature, this episode provides so much fun to make learning both exciting and educational in a great way.
1. Incorporate Halloween or Fall Into Your Lesson Plans
First and foremost, embracing the Halloween spirit can significantly enhance the relevance and enjoyment of your lessons. By incorporating seasonal decorations and themes, you create an environment that excites students and makes them eager to learn. This can be especially beneficial during the often chaotic and unpredictable month of October. Personal anecdotes about decking out your home with spooky decorations and humorous tales of mischievous pets can add a relatable and entertaining touch to your teaching, making the classroom a place where students look forward to coming every day.
I know my students LOVED hearing about the antics of my son, Jackson. Who often picked out his Halloween costume months in advance! My children both loved to dress up as characters. I often had Jasmine, Tiger Lilly, Superman, and The Flash running around my house.
Nowadays, my sweet dog Kobe dresses up for Halloween, too!
October is the perfect time for educators to practice self-care, and it is another crucial aspect discussed in this episode. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the season, it's essential to ensure that you take care of yourself so that you can bring your best selves to the classroom. (Also, because it doesn’t seem like anyone else is taking care of you, and YOU deserve it!) Whether dealing with lingering symptoms of an illness or managing the stress of the current educational climate, acknowledging and addressing these challenges can help you maintain your well-being and effectiveness.
2. Add Hands-On Activities with Makerspace and a Halloween STEM Challenge
The integration of literature with Makerspace activities is a powerful strategy for engaging elementary students. Teachers can foster creativity and critical thinking by pairing the right books with hands-on engineering projects. Halloween-themed books, in particular, offer a rich source of inspiration for such activities. For example, "I Need My Monster" by Amanda Knoll and "Skeleton for Dinner" by Marjorie Culler provide exciting narratives that can be extended into Makerspace challenges and offer a fun Halloween STEM activity, and can incorporate STEAM activities, as well. These projects meet literacy and STEM standards and offer students a chance to work through the engineering design process— asking questions, planning, creating, testing, refining, and reflecting on their solutions.
Adding a constraints list to any STEM or STEAM activity is an easy way to ramp up critical thinking and problem-solving with themed activities. Increasing complexities work well with older students, too. Doesn't every child love a little spooky fun? I mean, after all, Halloween can be one of kids' favorite holidays! Constraint lists are often the perfect opportunity to add more content, too.
Moreover, justifying these engaging activities to administrators is an important consideration. (This part makes me a bit irritated. I wish we could just use our judgment, but just in case…) Setting SMART goals for Makerspace initiatives and providing evidence of standards-based learning is the perfect way to demonstrate the educational value of these projects. The episode offers resources and tips for setting such goals and highlights the importance of reflecting on and sharing student work. This not only showcases student learning but also emphasizes the iterative nature of problem-solving, which is a key component of engineering education.
Need help writing a SMART goal for Makerspace? I’ve got you covered with this FREE Makerspace SMART goal.
3. Incorporate a Halloween Science Experiment
Incorporating Halloween or fall themes into science topics is a fun twist and is another exciting tactic discussed in the episode and gives you different ways to ramp up the holiday season. For instance, when teaching about matter, students can engage in experiments with candy pumpkins, goo, eyeballs, spider webs, and other Halloween-themed materials. This makes the lessons more fun and helps students understand complex scientific concepts in a tangible and memorable way. Similarly, topics like motion and force can be explored using seasonal objects like pine cones, acorns, or even Halloween candy, making the learning process both educational and enjoyable.
4. Introduce Fun Literature to Hook Students
Finally, the episode underscores the importance of using fun literature in this spooky season to hook students. Books with a Halloween twist that resonates with the Halloween theme can captivate students' imaginations and provide a foundation for creative and critical thinking. Whether it's through close reading activities, engineering challenges, or other hands-on projects, the right literature can set the stage for an engaging and meaningful learning experience for younger students. Plus, the right Halloween book can lead to a fantastic STEM challenge. (And don't worry, you don't need fancy equipment. You can use simple materials like paper clips, popsicle sticks, craft sticks, and even a small pumpkin will do for young minds! Another great idea is to use recyclable trash! That works, too.
There are so many fun Halloween STEM ideas in this bundle: Halloween STEM Story Stations Activities & Challenges Makerspace Task Cards.
You can also come up with amazing ideas for fun Halloween STEM activities by looking at the problems in Halloween books. Just grab a book!
In summary, Episode 147 of One Tired Teacher offers a comprehensive guide to transforming your October lessons with Halloween-themed STEM and literature activities.
By embracing the festive spirit, prioritizing self-care, integrating literature with Makerspace, and justifying these activities to administrators, educators can create a classroom environment that is both fun and educational.
So, get ready to ignite your classroom with the magic of Halloween and inspire a love of learning in your students!
Links Mentioned in the Show:
96: Halloween and Makerspace in Elementary Classroom
Free Makerspace Masterclass Replay: Every Classroom Needs a Makerspace