Teaching STEAM Through Hands-On Crafts

This book provides guidance for turning classic crafts into STEAM lessons for grades 3-8. Ready-to-use lessons outline the history, science, mathematics, and engineering embedded within ten crafts from around the world. Supplemented with handouts and guiding questions, this book helps make STEM concepts tangible for your students.

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Help your students connect historic technologies with today’s STEAM concepts through the lens of crafting! This book, written by a science education professor and a middle school STEM teacher, provides guidance for turning classic crafts into transdisciplinary STEAM lessons for grades 3–8. Ready-to-use lessons outline the history, science, mathematics, and engineering embedded within ten hands-on crafts from around the world. Each chapter outlines the history of a craft, its social impact, and the mathematics, engineering, and scientific concepts and skills embedded in the craft. Content standards from art, history, English language arts, technology, mathematics, and science are embedded within each unit. Lessons are supplemented with ready-to-photocopy handouts, guiding questions, and logistical support such as shopping lists and safety procedures. Activities have all been classroom-tested to ensure appropriate leveling and applicability across STEAM disciplines. Ideal for any STEM or STEAM classroom across upper elementary and middle schools, this book helps make STEM concepts meaningful and tangible for your students. Rather than just reading about science, technology, mathematics, or engineering, students will become makers and engage in STEAM directly, just as original crafters have done for centuries.

Additional instructional materials are available at: https://steamcrafts.weebly.com/