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
11 The Engineering Cycle: What It Actually Looks Like in a Real Classroom
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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 straight line, and it doesn't (always) require a glue gun. In this episode Nicole breaks down the three things most teachers misunderstand about the engineering design cycle, makes an honest confession about her own pollinator challenge, and gives you a clear picture of where you are as a teacher-engineer — and one thing you can do differently next year.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Why the engineering design cycle is non-linear from the very first step — and what we lose when we treat it like a checklist
- Engineering doesn't have to mean building a physical thing — and why that misconception limits what we do with students
- The most commonly skipped part of authentic engineering
- Why iteration is where the real learning happens — and two practical ways to protect time for it even when your schedule fights you
- Bite-sized ways to practice engineering thinking without a full build
- A honest self-assessment: where are you as a teacher-engineer, and what's one thing worth changing next year?
LINKS MENTIONED:
📬 iExploreScience Substack — free weekly newsletter and resources for grades 3–5 teachers: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
📬 Stay Connected
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- 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/