March Madness in the Classroom

March is an important learning month! It also seems to pass by so fast, parent-teacher conferences,  third quarter ends and the fourth quarter begins, Spring Break, and it’s about a month before standardized testing!!

SO, IT’S CRUNCH TIME!!

It’s important to make learning fun, but also purposeful. One activity I love using is my Basketball STEM Challenge, it’s perfect since college basketball is starting their March Madness Tournament. Connecting important skills to my students' interests is critical in making learning fun and engaging.  Students love shooting hoops and learning how to record their data.  A good book to connect is Crossover by Kwame Alexander. 

 St.Patrick’s Day STEM is also a great way to make learning fun, but also cover the skills needed to be successful on upcoming assessments.  There are 5 STEM March Challenges and within this resource these skills are covered:
fractions, collecting data in a table, averaging, writing, engineering, and critical thinking. 

March STEM Challenges include: Gold Coin Catapult Challenge, Penny Towers, Penny Water Drops Experiments, creating a Leprechaun Trap, and creating a Leprechaun House.  Also, available in K-2 St. Patrick’s Day STEM.

 St.Patrick’s Day Coding is also a fun way to introduce students to coding.  Coding is a skill students need to be familiar with.  In a workshop I attended last week, an entrepreneur was asked, “What do educators need to make sure they teach their students to be successful in the future?”The entrepreneur answered, “Coding, coding, coding, and coding!” 

I got the point, coding is extremely important for our kids’ future.  So, to get my students started, I have developed STEM Coding Challenge in a School Box.  Included in the resources are some coding worksheets and some suggestions on how to make coding hands on.  Students make coding bracelets or garlands. 

Other Fun March Activities: 

March Everyday is a Holiday:  Everyday has a fun holiday.March is a collection of random holidays that occur in March.March's Daily Holiday Cards are a great way to engage students in a fun way to learn about fun historical facts. Everyday is a Holiday! Did you know that March 3rd is Day of Unplugging?, or that March 4th is Grammar Day? Everyday is a Holiday Cards have an activity or a suggestion that will engage your students in a fun way to learn each day. Just copy and put on a ring! You will have an activity for each day of the month!