## 4/20/2020

# STEM Experiences for All Children at Home

**Angi Stone-MacDonald University of Massachusetts Boston**

### Engineering Design

Two Phases of Exploration  
✘ **Open Exploration:** Initial experiences with the relevant science that build a foundation  
✘ **Focused Exploration:** More specific investigation of key science concepts that emerge from children’s interests and questions in Open Exploration

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### UDL Key Questions for STEM Activities

1. Are you providing several different materials of the same type to explore the concept? (e.g. several different thicknesses of balls, several different sizes and textures of balls)  
   Do children have several opportunities to try and repeat the activity?

2. Do children have several opportunities to try and repeat the activity?  
   Are children able to use more than one sense to explore the activity or concept?

3. Are children able to use more than one sense to explore the activity or concept?  
   Are you using media to document the children’s learning? Are you showing the children the pictures and recalling the activities?

4. Are you using media to document the children’s learning? Are you showing the children the pictures and recalling the activities?  
   Are the materials accessible with scaffolds based on the mobility of the children?

5. Are the materials accessible with scaffolds based on the mobility of the children?  
   Are you incorporating preferred items, reinforcers, or adults to support the child?

6. Are you incorporating preferred items, reinforcers, or adults to support the child?  
   Are you asking the child to complete the activities when they are well rested and fed?

7. Are you asking the child to complete the activities when they are well rested and fed?  
   Do children have the necessary supports for communication about the activity?

9. Is the environment set up with limited distractions and choices?  
   Are you using multiple modes of assessment to assess the product, process, and thinking skills?

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### Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!  
**By Candance Fleming**

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### Adjust for All Learners & Ages

You can also split your content  
Where is it already happening, or could be soon? Entry point:  
✘ Vary how you get children started on their designing  
✘ Legos and blocks – add blocks of different materials  
✘ Bath and sink play – add pumps, spray bottles, pipes, foam  
✘ Sand and dirt play – add toy construction vehicles, scoops, funnels, buckets, pulleys  
✘ Kitchen colanders, pots, pans and paper and cardboard tubes and balls/marbles  
✘ Vary the design challenges that are assigned  
✘ Vary the final outcome that children share with classmates and teachers

**Angi Stone-MacDonald**  
[Angela.stone@umb.edu](mailto:Angela.stone@umb.edu)  
[http://blogs.umb.edu/angelastone/](http://blogs.umb.edu/angelastone/)