iExploreScience: STEM in Elem
iExploreScience: STEM in Elem is for upper elementary teachers — especially grades 3–5 —who want to make elementary science and math more engaging, without adding more prep or overwhelm to their day. If you’re looking for practical ways to bring STEM and hands-on learning into your classroom while still meeting standards like NGSS, this podcast is for you.
Each week, you’ll get (ideally) short, (always!) actionable episodes (about 15–30 minutes) filled with classroom-tested ideas you can actually use. From simple STEM challenges and low-prep science activities to math routines, lab management, and neurodivergent-friendly strategies, everything is designed to help you keep students thinking, moving, and engaged—especially during the most challenging times of the year.
You’ll also hear honest reflections from real classroom experiences, with a focus on what works (and what doesn’t) in my 5th grade science and math classroom — no perfection required.
I’m Nicole, and I share practical, hands-on science and math ideas designed specifically for upper elementary teachers who want engaging, rigorous lessons without the overwhelm.
iExploreScience: STEM in Elem
Latest Episodes
15 The Reason Some Students Struggle With Science Questions (And What to Do About It)
Most of us were taught to think about teaching in terms of standards coverage. Hit the standard, move on. But there's a layer underneath that we don't talk about enough — and it's what actually determines whether a student can access the standa...
14 Vertical Whiteboards In Science & Math
Vertical whiteboards are all the buzz in math circles -- and whether or not you subscribe to the whole BTC framework, the boards themselves? Golden!! The good news is, it works just as well in science as it does in math.In this episode, ...
13 How To Get Students Asking The Questions (Instead Of Just Answering Yours)
What if the most powerful thing you could do for student engagement wasn't a flashy lab or a big project — but just getting kids to ask the questions instead of you?Questioning is one of the most underused tools in upper elementary scien...
12 Criteria and Constraints: The Two Things That Make It Real Engineering
Build a roller coaster for a marble. Fine. But what if the marble has to travel as slowly as possible without stopping? Now your students actually have to think.Criteria and constraints aren't fine print — they are the design of...
11 The Engineering Cycle: What It Actually Looks Like in a Real Classroom
You've seen the circle graphic. Define, design, build, test, improve. But if you're treating it as a linear checklist, you're missing what actually makes engineering work — and why iteration keeps getting cut.Real engineering isn't a str...