Looking to bring STEM and CTE together in your classroom? Realityworks’ hands-on tools can help you boost student engagement and STEM learning in your classes.
In a recent webinar, Realityworks Education Programs Manager Jamey McIntosh walked attendees through three powerful, hands-on STEM learning aids for CTE classes and explained how STEM and CTE are connected. Read on to see what he had to say about these engaging teaching tools and how to incorporate STEM concepts into your educational pathway.
What Does STEM Look Like in CTE?
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. This type of learning focuses on those concepts as well as questioning, exploring, and inventing. Bringing STEM into CTE can help students improve 21st century learning skills, like critical thinking and problem solving. STEM can also bring competition to learning, helping students grow their skills and understanding of concepts even further.
Every CTE pathway contains STEM careers. Agriculture careers like agriculture technician, agriculture engineer, and forest and conservation worker are also STEM careers. Physician, nurse, and geneticist careers fall under both STEM and health science. This is why STEM can be considered a CTE program, regardless of pathway program.
So, how do you bring STEM into CTE? Well, you probably already are. Here are some next generation STEM standards that are mostly likely part of your classes:
- Asking questions and defining problems
- Developing and using models
- Planning and conducting an investigation
- Analyzing and interpreting data
- Using mathematics and computational thinking
- Constructing explanations and designing solutions
- Engaging in argument from evidence
- Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
STEM Solutions for CTE
Now that we’ve established how STEM and CTE are connected, let’s look at some learning aids that can boost engagement in your classroom.
1. RC Tractor Pull Challenge
The RC Tractor Pull Challenge is a fun, challenging introduction to STEM. It comes with five RC tractors with weights, a pull sled, and different sized gears and tires. This a great way for students to learn about tractor systems. Students will customize their tractor’s weight distribution, gear and tire sizes, and hitch height to see who can get their tractor to pull the sled the farthest.
2. Measurement Math Training Kit
The Measurement Math Training Kit helps teach students how to read tape measures and calipers as well as basics, like decimals, fractions, and ratios. This kit provides real-world problems for students to work through broken up into bite-sized pieces. You can introduce students to more than 250 different measurements online or in-person with the manipulatives and lessons in this kit.
3. Electrical Wiring Kit
The Electrical Wiring Kit integrates hands-on learning with science and math concepts. It comes with a wiring assessment, wall panel demonstrator, and student exercise workbook. The whole kit is battery-operated, meaning there’s no risk of shock. Students can use this kit’s contents to practice different wiring exercises, assess their wiring skills, and learn about how electricity works.
Additional Resources
Looking for more resources for your classes?
- Access FREE career exploration lessons for a variety of STEM and CTE careers
- Watch the full webinar
- Explore all of our STEM teaching tools
