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.
Episodes
155 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...
10 Take It Outside: 3 Easy Ideas for the Final Stretch
Mud, leaves, and praying mantises on the side of the building. The schoolyard is more alive than your students expect — and getting outside in the final weeks of school is not a reward. It's science.---Season 1 goes out the way it...
09 3 Science Topics That Make Kids Forget It's June
The last few weeks of school are when even your most engaged students start mentally checking out. In this episode Nicole shares three science topics that consistently pull kids back in — space scale, invasive species, and extreme weather —...
08 How To Make Every Kid Feel Seen Before Summer
The last week of school doesn't have to be survival mode. In this episode Nicole shares the end-of-year traditions she keeps coming back to — student word clouds, summer science kits, class awards that actually fit each kid, and two letter-...
07 5 STEM Challenges Using Only Paper, Tape, and Cardboard
Tallest towers. Egg drops. Marble runs. These five challenges use nothing but paper, tape, and cardboard — and they're some of the most engaging engineering activities you can run in the final weeks of school. Listen in to get all five chal...
06 How To Run a STEM Challenge Without the Chaos
You know that feeling you get before you start a science lab or STEM challenge — excitement tinged with nervousness and maybe a little dread? You can imagine success -- kids exploring, talking, problem-solving ... and also the looming poten...
05 From Crafts to Thinking: What Makes an Activity Actually "STEM"?
Oobleck. Spaghetti towers. Vinegar and baking soda. These aren't bad activities by any means! — but most of the time they're not really driving STEM learning in your upper elementary classroom. Listen in to explore the differences between S...
04 STEM Bins for Slow Morning Starts
Morning arrival is one of the hardest transitions of the school day — and one of the most overlooked. In this episode I break down my STEM bin system: what goes in them, how often I rotate them, how kids access them, and why they work especiall...
03 The Week After Testing: Why It Falls Apart and What To Do Instead
The post-test crash is one of the most misunderstood weeks of the school year — and it doesn't hit every kid the same way. In this episode Nicole introduces Dr. Thomas Boyce's dandelion and orchid framework: some kids bounce back from stress no...
02 Ideas for the Week(s) of Testing
Testing season is a lot. This episode is for the days before, during, and after the test — what to actually do with your class when the schedule is weird, the kids are anxious, and your attention is divided seventeen ways at once.I walk ...
01 Why I Started iExploreScience: STEM in Elem (And What's Coming)
If you've ever stood in front of a class and realized your students are afraid to be wrong — this episode is for you.Episode 1 is the introduction to iExploreScience: STEM in Elem — who I am, what I believe about upper elementary science...
A Note for Longtime Listeners — What's Coming Next
If you've been here since Teaching Science in 3D — thank you. This short episode is for you.I'm using this space to be honest about what's changing, why it's changing, and what you can expect from this feed going forward. The short versi...
Building a Classroom Community Series Part 3: The Science Classroom
In this episode, Erin continues her conversation with middle school science teacher Char Ritchie. Char explains how she builds on the community building practices discussed in the last episode to build a science routines that contribute t...
Building a Classroom Community Series Part 2: Respect Agreements and Community Circles
In the second episode of our 3-part series on building classroom community and expectations, Erin shares conversations with two special guests — Bailey and her 8th grade science teacher, Char Ritchie.They reflect on their experiences wit...
Building Classroom Community Series Part 1: Interview with Erin's Daughter
In this first episode of our 3-part series on building classroom community and expectations, Erin interviews a special guest — her daughter! Together, they reflect on the things that helped her feel seen, supported, and respected throughout mid...
"Start Small" Series: Deepen Learning By Reducing Tasks
In the third episode of this "Start Small" series, Nicole shares some ways we can deepen learning by replacing *quantity* with *quality* in our science classrooms. More isn't always better, and while it can sometimes feel counterint...
"Start Small" Series: Quick Strategies To Get Your Students *Thinking*
In the second episode of this "Start Small" series, Nicole shares a few strategies to create a better THINKING science classroom -- you know, the kind where students actually NOTICE that the bird isn't giving its energy to the worm or that it j...
"Start Small" Series: Building Simple Routines With 3D Practices
In the first episode of this "Start Small" series, Nicole shares three ideas to consider implementing this fall that will engage your students in three-dimensional learning in a way that builds skill through consistency and practice -- all with...
Erin's ADHD Diagnosis
Erin discusses her recent ADHD diagnosis. She recorded this episode in hopes that it may potentially help other people who suspect they have ADHD or who want to know more about what its like having ADHD. In this episode: <...
5 Things We Want Teachers to Know About ADHD
Both Nicole and Erin are parents of children with ADHD. Erin was recently diagnosed as having ADHD herself. In this episode, they share the things they've learned in the last year that they wish they would have known. More Re...