There’s no substitute for actually experiencing a process or task. That’s why ScienceFusion builds STEM units, STEM activities, and STEM hands-on labs into the curriculum.
Grades 1–5
For each grade level, Unit 2 is dedicated to the Engineering Design Process. ScienceFusion provides STEM lessons and hands-on activities that incorporate and develop 21st-century skills and are rooted in the science being taught in the lesson. In every unit beyond Units 1 and 2, there is a feature in the Student Edition called Engineering and Technology. This focuses on an aspect of engineering and also includes a specific technology as an application of science. A STEM activity accompanies the Engineering and Technology feature, and this activity appears in the Inquiry Flipchart. The activity gives students an opportunity to apply the Engineering Design Process.
The Engineering Design Process used throughout Grades 1–5 focuses on these steps:
- Find a Problem
- Plan and Build
- Test and Improve
- Redesign
- Communicate
Grades 6–8
Each module provides four pages, on a unit level, of STEM activities designed to provide background, a challenge, and an activity that connects students to the Engineering Design Process. Additional STEM support is found in the Lab Manual. STEM Labs focus on hands-on activities that highlight the development of design and engineering skills.
Video-based Projects
These inquiry-based projects consist of a video, teacher support pages, and student activity worksheets. There are 20 included in all modules (1–2 per module)—focusing on STEM, Ecology, and Biotechnology—available online at point of use or on the Teaching Resources DVD. They are also referenced at point of use on the Unit Planning pages in the Teacher Edition.