Authentic STEM learning begins with opportunities to adopt the identity of a STEM professional; this is central to the Remote and Equitable Access to Learning STEM (REAL STEM) project. Adopting the identity of a STEM professional means that students are actively engaged in observations, data collection, interpreting findings, and drawing conclusions in a way that reflects the process by which scientists and statisticians make sense of phenomena. It is our belief that all students, regardless of location or resources, should have access to authentic STEM experiences wherein they can further learn and hone their STEM habits of mind and habits of interaction.
All aspects of this remote learning module are aligned to Idaho's science standards and the Next Generation Science Standards and are available for use within and beyond the classroom. As with all things in education, we are highly reflective of our practice and welcome your feedback as well. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Dr. Cory Bennett at corybennett@isu.edu for more information on this project.
Lastly, we want to thank the Idaho National Laboratory, the Idaho STEM Action Center, and the Idaho NASA Space Grant Consortium for their support in this project; great work comes from great partnerships.
Develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area.
The included activities put students in the shoes of a scientist and allows them to get excited about the project. They also create a field journal and take the time to observe the area around them and how it fits into the rest of the world based on what they already know and what they will learn throughout the rest of the activities.
The included activities in this section go over the rock cycle, and teach about different rock types. It allows students to observe and analyze the rocks in their own environment to better understand what they have learned.
The included activities in this section go over weathering, erosion, and tectonic plates (earthquakes) changing the Earth's surface. Each of these allows the students to have a better understanding of geoscience processes through small-scale hands-on activities.
The included activities in this section go over climate and weather, and how it changes specific locations, paying extra attention to the areas the student themselves are in. By allowing them to observe the weather and climate in their hometown, it gives them a first-hand experience and understanding of how weather and climate are different, and how they affect their area.