About the Book
Teachers and administrators in all of the schools the authors have worked with since the first edition have recognized that integrating the arts in STEM courses can awaken their own and their students' creativity. Starting with a synopsis of the importance of and possibilities with incorporating the arts into Science/Technology/Engineering/Math initiatives, the book also describes how to make a STEAM initiative successful. The lesson plans provided can be used in all grades.
Table of Contents:
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
INTRODUCTION
Why a Second Edition?
What’s New?
Looking to the Arts
How This Book Can Help to Implement STEAM
Chapter Contents
Who Should Use This Book?
What’s Coming?
1. Why STEM Should Become STEAM
The Power of the Arts
The Arts and STEM Do Have Differences
What’s Coming?
Major Points to Ponder
2. What Science Says About the Arts and Creativity
Brain Organization
Thinking and Learning
The Arts, STEM, and Creativity
What’s Coming?
Major Points to Ponder
3. Bringing STEAM Into Schools
What Is Arts Integration?
What Is STEAM?
Different Schools and Implementation Formats
Implementing the STEAM Initiative
The Basic District Plan
What We Are Learning
What’s Coming?
Major Points to Ponder
4. Guidelines for Creating a STEAM School
STEAM Guidelines
What’s Coming?
Major Points to Ponder
5. Frequently Asked Questions About Integrating the Arts and STEM
What Are the Arts?
Addressing Some Common Frequently Asked Questions
Arts Perception Worksheet
What’s Coming?
Major Points to Ponder
6. Implementing Arts Integration in the Primary Grades (K–4)
Importance of Movement
Science, Mathematics, and the Arts in the Primary Grades
Ideas for Arts-Integrated Lesson Plans (Primary Grades)
What’s Coming?
Major Points to Ponder
7. Implementing Arts Integration in the Intermediate Grades (5–8)
A Day in the Life of a Middle School Student
Teacher-to-Teacher Collaborations
What’s Coming?
Major Points to Ponder
8. Implementing Arts Integration in the High School Grades (9–12)
STEAM and the Culture of High School
Pushing STEAM Along
Sample Comparisons of Traditional STEM and Arts-Integrated STEAM Lessons
What’s Coming?
Major Points to Ponder
9. Discoveries From the Field
About the Original Appetizers
What’s Coming?
Major Points to Ponder
10. Putting It All Together
Know Your Instructional Intuition
General Guidelines for K–12 Lessons
Sample K–12 Lessons: Examples of Arts-Related Activities in Science Topics
Sample Template for Designing a STEAM Unit Across Grade Levels
Professional Development to Maintain STEAM
Conclusion
Major Points to Ponder
RESOURCES
APPENDIX A: STEAM LESSON PLAN APPETIZERS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND ENGINEERING
The Appetizers
APPENDIX B: STEAM LESSON PLAN APPETIZERS IN MATHEMATICS
The Appetizers
REFERENCES
INDEX
About the Author :
DR. David A. Sousa is an international consultant in educational neuroscience and author of more than twenty books that suggest ways educators and parents can translate current brain research into strategies for improving learning. A member of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, he has conducted workshops in hundreds of school districts on brain research, instructional skills, and science education at the preK–12 and university levels. He has made presentations to more than two hundred thousand educators at national conventions of educational organizations and to regional and local school districts across the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.
Dr. Sousa has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, a master of arts in teaching degree in science from Harvard University, and a doctorate from Rutgers University. His teaching experience covers all levels. He has taught senior high school science and served as a K–12 director of science, supervisor of instruction, and district superintendent in New Jersey schools. He was an adjunct professor of education at Seton Hall University for ten years and a visiting lecturer at Rutgers University.
Prior to his career in New Jersey, Dr. Sousa taught at the American School of Paris (France) and served for five years as a foreign service officer and science advisor at the US diplomatic missions in Geneva (Switzerland) and Vienna (Austria).
Dr. Sousa has edited science books and published dozens of articles in leading journals on professional development, science education, and educational research. His most popular books for educators include How the Brain Learns, now in its sixth edition; How the Special Needs Brain Learns, second edition; How the Gifted Brain Learns; How the Brain Learns to Read, second edition; How the Brain Influences Behavior; How the ELL Brain Learns; Differentiation and the Brain, second edition (with Carol Tomlinson); and How the Brain Learns Mathematics, second edition, which was selected by the Independent Book Publishers Association as one of the best professional development books. The Leadership Brain suggests ways for educators to lead today’s schools more effectively. Dr. Sousa’s books have been published in French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Korean, Russian, and several other languages. His book Brainwork: The Neuroscience Behind How We Lead Others is written for business and organizational leaders.
Dr. Sousa is past president of the National Staff Development Council (now called Learning Forward). He has received numerous awards from professional associations, school districts, and educational foundations for his commitment to research, staff development, and science education. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award and an honorary doctorate from Bridgewater State University and an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Gratz College in Philadelphia.
Dr. Sousa has been interviewed on the NBC Today show, by other television programs, and by National Public Radio about his work with schools using brain research. He makes his home in south Florida.
Tom Pilecki, MA, is the former executive director of the Center for Creative Education (CCE) in West Palm Beach, Florida, where, for twelve years, he provided professional development to over one hundred teaching artists, preparing them to teach collaboratively with elementary and middle school teachers in all curriculum content areas. With an MA in educational administration, Tom is a former elementary school teacher as well as a choral and instrumental music teacher. His forty-plus years in education include being founder and principal of St. Augustine School of the Arts in the South Bronx, New York, the subject of the Sundance Film Festival Award-winning documentary Something Within Me as well as feature segments on 60 Minutes, World News Tonight, and The McNeil-Lehrer Report. His expertise in curriculum writing, implementation, and arts integration brought him to Chicago as curriculum director for six West Side schools before going to Florida. He continues to consult with schools and communities on a national basis.
Review :
From STEM to STEAM is the answer to the failure of STEM education in our schools. No one understands better than David Sousa and Tom Pilecki the importance of the arts—music, the visual arts and drama—in making science, technology, engineering and math come alive for teachers and students. This is true integrated STEAM instruction…and it works. I’ve seen the transformation in our schools.
Our teachers enjoy the freedom to be creative and in turn more effective! Their students are singing and dancing in math and performing live theater in science. They’re remembering more, understanding more, and achieving more. They’re innovating, too, with new ideas and new applications for what they′re learning. They love integrated STEAM learning. I could not be more impressed with the change From STEM to STEAM has brought to our schools.
This second edition of From STEM to STEAM contains guidelines for integrating STEAM instruction into the classroom and across the curriculum. It provides the essential guideposts that marked the growth of our teachers as STEAM instructors and our schools as lively, high performing STEAM academies. But think of the guidelines less as targets to be met than as sheet music that brings us back repeatedly to the same melody in a full musical score. Thanks to From STEM to STEAM we’re on key and making great music.
This book on STEAM is a call to action by two genuine authorities on a matter of critical importance, for two very different reasons. First, in order to motivate K-12 students, we need to reach them where they are—and little kids are inherently interested in the natural world around them. If we motivate them, they will persist and graduate. And if they are motivated by science, we will ultimate have more college graduates with highly marketable skills in STEM fields—areas of great demand in today’s economy. Second, adding the Arts to STEM to create STEAM acknowledges that the arts and science are linked. As the author of several biology textbooks, I rely on art to convey ideas that are very difficult to explain with language only. STEAM is the wave of the future, so BUY THIS BOOK!"
From STEM to STEAM has been a tremendous help as teachers and teachers-to-be gear up for providing STEM education to their pupils. This well-conceived and well-done publication was immediately chosen as a text to help course participants to improve their crafts. From STEM to STEAM provides a necessary layer of STEM education so that that the affective domain is given the importance it deserves. This is a welcome addition to the professional′s bookshelf!
