Little STEAMers Early Learning Program
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) based enrichment program for early childhood students. Designed to offer integrative learning experiences for young students, Little STEAMers seeks to support and enrich the preschool curriculum by increasing intentional time spent on STEAM activities and encouraging STEAM skills in children’s play.
Little STEAMers Program Registration
Purchase the Little STEAMers Early Learning Program today and give your early childhood students access to play-based STEAM enrichment! With each Unit of Study, you will gain access to:
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- Six to eight play-based STEAM-integrated activities appropriate for young learners with included literature connections and additional remote learning lessons
- Access to our online learning management system, Canvas, where detailed instructional pages (in Spanish and English) with student-friendly learning objectives and associated early learning standards, a comprehensive materials list, and interactive virtual professional development are conveniently located
- The opportunity to attend virtual or in-person (Summer 2024) professional development to explore the curricula and increase your knowledge and confidence in early childhood STEAM teaching and learning
To purchase a Little STEAMers Early Learning Program Unit(s) of Study, select your unit(s) below. Each registration provides one classroom teacher access to individual Units of Study for the 2024-2025 school year and includes either Virtual (asynchronous) or In-Person Professional Development.
To pay via purchase order or for any questions, please contact Lindsey Herlehy at lherlehy@imsa.edu.
Water
Water is a recognizable and intriguing topic for many young children due to its abundance and presence in our lives. The Water unit builds upon student learning experiences through hands-on activities and scientific phenomena. Beginning with a series of questions posed in a storybook, students will explore properties of water as they investigate characteristics of fluids and cohesion. Then, through a series of measurement, experimentation and engineering, early learners will observe the intriguing properties of water beads. Students will also engage in a biotechnology-inspired activity as they manipulate scientific tools and techniques to pipette water according to provided patterns. Finally, in a culminating activity that promotes creativity, imagination and innovation, students will use loose parts to design a creation symbolic of what they have learned throughout their study.
View the Introduction to Water and Materials spreadsheet for a preview of this Little STEAMers curriculum. For those interested in attending, In-Person PD will be offered for this unit on Tuesday, June 18, 2024 at IMSA from 12:30pm-3:30pm.
Simple Machines
Simple machines are mechanical devices that are used to make forceful tasks easier. There are six simple machines: the inclined plane, the lever, the wheel & axle, the pulley, the screw, and the wedge. Throughout the activities in this unit, learners will explore how they can use each of these simple machines to move different materials in a way that helps to accomplish a task. They will race cars, catapult pom poms, transport blocks, lift building materials, transfer small and delicate items, and use tools to cut through dough.
View the Introduction to Simple Machines and Materials spreadsheet for a preview of this Little STEAMers curriculum. For those interested in attending, In-Person PD will be offered for this unit on Tuesday, June 18, 2024 at IMSA from 8:30am-11:30am.
Buildings
Centers are commonly established in the Early Childhood classroom as an opportunity for students to explore and mimic the world around them. It is in these environments that students explore and engage in block play – where students begin an in-depth study of the science, mathematics, and social sciences behind buildings. The activities included in this unit are designed to enable students to explore buildings through a variety of different mathematical and scientific lenses. Students will first examine characteristics and attributes of buildings at the largest level – buildings around the world. They will be introduced to several notable architects that have designed and constructed unique structures around the world. Then, bringing the study of buildings “closer to home”, they will examine their community and discuss how buildings provide for the services and amenities that allow our neighborhoods to function. With an understanding of where buildings are and what they are for, they will then examine the materials and tools that are commonly used during construction and evaluate their properties. Students will use blueprints to examine the design of buildings and use this knowledge to construct the strongest, tallest tower. These learning experiences will lead students to completing a final, cumulative engineering design challenge requiring problem solving, perseverance, and risk taking.
View the Introduction to Buildings and Materials spreadsheet for a preview of this Little STEAMers curriculum. For those interested in attending, In-Person PD will be offered for this unit on Monday, June 24, 2024 at IMSA from 12:30pm-3:30pm.
Animals
Animals are a popular topic of study and play among Early Childhood learners, and as it is such a broad topic, there are many avenues in which to play and explore. In this unit of study, students will explore animals—including humans—as they exhibit various characteristics of life. Students will explore types of animal families and different organ systems, examine tooth and jaw replicas, investigate how fish breathe underwater, compare different animal wastes, and analyze how animals respond to different stimuli during the explorations in this unit.
View the Introduction to Animals and Materials spreadsheet for a preview of this Little STEAMers curriculum. For those interested in attending, In-Person PD will be offered for this unit on Monday, June 24, 2024 at IMSA from 8:30am-11:30am.
Playing with Code
For young children growing in today’s digital world, the acquisition of coding and programming skills has become a popular and appropriate focus in education. Beyond engaging in technology and coding applications as consumers – the passive act of sitting in front of a screen and merely pressing buttons without a high level of thought – early childhood students are capable of high-quality programming tasks through play-based learning experiences. As producers, our youngest students may explore the open-ended nature of computer programming and coding through design, art, and innovation. Engaging in coding builds valuable and transferable practices such as problem-solving, flexibility, and perseverance, as well as developmentally appropriate skills including social and emotional exploration, fine motor movement, and cognitive challenges. The activities in this unit require a KIBO15 robot.
**The KIBO 15 Robot, Programming Blocks, and Expression Module are required to complete the virtual PD for this Unit, but will be provided for those participating in the in-person training.**
View the Introduction to Playing With Code and Materials spreadsheet for a preview of this Little STEAMers curriculum. For those interested in attending, In-Person PD will be offered for this unit on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 at IMSA from 8:30am-3:30pm.
Why Little STEAMers?
The need for early learning STEAM opportunities is documented in various research studies where school readiness data in the areas of science and mathematics achievement indicate that young children are not being provided with adequate learning opportunities to be successful in these areas. Our youngest students are naturally inquisitive, ask questions without reserve, and are often unheeded in taking risks. Providing these children with multiple opportunities to engage in integrative, inquiry-based STEAM experiences generates interest in active learning and the development of academic and intellectual skills that may be used in the future.
All activities within the Little STEAMers program are aligned with the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (IELDS) and reflect the ten indicators of effective pre-K through 3 curricula as identified by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE). While engaging in activities designed to develop student proficiency in kindergarten-readiness mathematics and science skills, the overall design of Little STEAMers is largely play-based and incorporates opportunities for young learners to build executive functioning skills essential for social, emotional, and academic success through appropriate developmental progression activities.
Activity Samples
Literacy Connection: Hey, Water! By Antoinette Portis
- Engage in sensory exploration and engineer a structure to transfer water from one location to another.
- Predict the length of a “water growing creature” and measure the size of the toy at intervals with the use of a Number Path and Bucket Balance.
- Explore volume in a filling station with the use of syringes and pipettes to fill containers of various sizes and shapes.
What is Included?
- The Curriculum
The Little STEAMers program consists of a series of six child-centered inquiry Units of Study. Each Unit incorporates at least one storybook in addition to six hands-on, inquiry-based, integrative STEAM activities and six additional remote learning explorations. These activities are designed to explore STEAM-related concepts through play, movement, sensory exploration, and peer-to-peer and student-to-teacher interactions. Individual activities may be incorporated into a center-based rotation for student investigation. - Material Lists
Each Unit includes a detailed materials list to easily purchase all tools and manipulatives that are included in the activities. The list provides website links where all items can be found along with suggestions for alternative materials. Of course, purchasing materials can be customized- many items are already in your classrooms! - Educator Professional Development
Time in our classrooms and with our students is valuable… but so is supporting educator growth! Flexible training options are available for all Little STEAMers educators. While some educators will enjoy in-person offerings, others will prefer engaging in innovative professional development through the virtual Little STEAMers platform. The choice is yours and will be worth your time! Pedagogical methods and STEAM concepts incorporated into activities include subtilizing, sorting drawings, patterns, loose parts, and foundational math and science concepts. - Online Learning Community
Housed in Canvas, this virtual Little STEAMers platform serves as a database for all instructional materials (including those in Spanish), access to webinars, additional remote learning activities, and an open community where ideas and questions can be shared!
Testimonials
“(Students loved) all of it! From making predictions to stringing the beads, to going outside to see if our predictions were accurate; they loved it!” – Jenny K.
“The students LOVED the (owl pellet) activity. I had two little girls that will definitely be scientists.” – Elizabeth C.F.
“Students loved both parts of this lesson! We were construction workers in one center and engineers in another!” – Jenny K.
“So much wonderful information & great activities to help our students grow and learn. Thank you!” – Kara G.
“The (professional development) facilitators were very knowledgeable of the subjects and very involved in the teaching process.” – Sara S.
“This was one of the best PD’s I have ever attended. I am grateful I had the opportunity to participate. I am excited to implement what I have learned with my students.” – Renee B.
“This was the best workshop I’ve been to in my 24 years of teaching.” – Susan K.
The Little STEAMers Early Learning Program was originally developed through generous funding from The Boeing Company to serve the St. Louis Metro Area.
