Building Relationships for STEM Learning
Watch the activity overview video. This video shows staff facilitating the activity featured in the skill video.
As you watch the skill video below, think about these questions:
- What are specific strategies Jennifer uses to build relationships with youth and how does that impact learning?
- How does Jennifer support youth through the task by asking questions to guide their thinking?
- What do you see in the interaction with staff and youth that reflects a positive science community?
- If you were leading this activity with the youth in this program, what would you do differently?
Now that you’ve watched the video, reflect on what you saw and post your responses.
- What strategies have you developed in your out-of-school environment to help you manage the group and encourage student inquiry?
- What are the challenges you face as a STEM facilitator in creating and managing youth in this informal STEM learning environment?
Explore Engineering Practices
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Managing Conflict
Alex effectively resolves conflict between youth working on a team and helps them learn the skills to work together.
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Presenting a Challenge
Watch as staff engage youth in an engineering design challenge to build their own roller coaster. Notice how staff connect the challenge to youth’s feelings and experiences with roller coasters.
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Exploring Materials
Youth need to explore the properties of materials before they can create a contraption to float up and out of the wind tunnel.