Critical Thinking STEM Activities & Challenges for Makerspace or Maker Space

Focusing on critical thinking has never been more engaging or needed in schools after years of children working from devices. This Makerspace Story Station resource is filled with 10 Critical Thinking STEM activities that focus on 10 different books with critical thinking as the key theme. Your kids will have a BLAST, learn to work well with others, and think deeply about solutions to problems! A critical thinking poster is included.

Critical Thinking Makerspace/STEM Challenge Task Cards give busy teachers the tools they need to build a highly engaging collaborative classroom that is inclusive for all types of learners while also allowing student choice in a maker station.

Maker Stations focus on design thinking and allow students to work through the Engineering Design Process as well as focus on building a classroom community through creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, community, and curiosity without taking up a ton of space.

These 10 Makerspace/STEM Challenge Cards or Task Cards allow for a creative Makerspace (Makers Space) environment that emphasizes 21st-century skills and STEAM aspects. Integrating science, technology, engineering, art, and math have never been easier!

Each challenge is tied to the perfect critical thinking piece of real literature that encourages students to think deeply about the text and think critically about solutions for common problems in the stories and in the world around us.

What's Included:

• 10 Critical Makerspace/STEM Challenges focused on 10 stories using simple materials

• Lesson plans for Makerspace Stations

• Makerspace Resources

• Engineering Design Process Think Sheets

• Digital Version on Google Slides

• Digital Choice Board with links to stories read aloud on YouTube

• Directions for Digital Use

Books Featured: (Not Included) (Every title is available as a read-aloud on YouTube and is linked to a read-aloud through the digital choice board.)

• The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates

• The Unbudgeable Curmudgeon by Matthew Buress

• Doctor De Soto by William Steig

• Can I Play Too by Mo Willems

• Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty

• If I Built a School by Chris Van Dusen

• Have Fun Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell

• Mechanimals by Chris Tougas

• If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen

• If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen

⭐️ Check out the preview for more details.

My hope is to provide you with tools that encourage a love of learning and thinking while giving you back some much-needed TIME!