How to Integrate STEM into Your Gifted & Talented Program
Post by Lauren Kelly
Posted: March 9, 2025
Are you looking to elevate your Gifted and Talented program with exciting, hands-on STEM learning? My journey into STEM education started during my student teaching experience, and since then, I’ve discovered how perfectly STEM and GT can work together to ignite student passion and creativity. In this post, I’ll share key similarities between STEM and GT learning goals, successful project ideas, and real-world examples from my classroom. Let’s dive into how you can seamlessly integrate STEM into your GT program for deeper, more engaging learning experiences!
My Journey in STEM
My passion for STEM education began in 2012 during my student teaching experience, where an innovative approach to science instruction sparked my desire to bring STEM into the classroom. Early in my student teaching, I questioned whether I had made the right choice in becoming a teacher—until I met the education director at the Fort Worth Science Museum. Her approach to teaching science was unlike anything I had seen. It was open-ended, with no right answers. We were encouraged to solve problems on our own and use recycled materials to model our ideas. Little did I know that this was my first encounter with STEM instruction, and I was hooked! This was exactly what I needed to reignite my inspiration, and I was eager to incorporate STEM into my classroom.
At the time, however, STEM wasn't part of the curriculum standards in my state. I had to find creative ways to weave STEM challenges into my science block. Looking back, they weren’t true STEM challenges—more like hands-on science lessons—but my students loved them, and they were fully engaged.
By 2020, my district formally introduced an elementary STEM program. I jumped at the chance to dive deeper into STEM across multiple grade levels. However, the role also involved teaching Gifted and Talented (GT) students, and I found myself wondering, How do these two programs align? Through research, professional development, and plenty of hands-on experience, I’ve come to realize just how beautifully STEM and GT education complement each other.
Commonalities Between GT & STEM
There are many commonalities between Gifted and Talented (GT) instruction and STEM instruction.
The goals of a quality GT program include:
Encouraging depth and complexity to help students think critically about standards and social issues.
Empowering students to take ownership of their learning by conducting effective research and practicing leadership skills.
Fostering self-directed learning through project-based activities that align with students' passions and interests.
The goals of a quality STEM program include:
Elevating standard content by having students apply their learning through hands-on projects.
Exposing students to various STEM career fields and the work of professionals in those areas.
Developing the 4 C’s—critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration—essential for lifelong learning.
Both GT and STEM classrooms share key qualities. They provide a supportive learning environment where there’s no single “correct” way to approach a problem. Failure is expected and embraced as part of the learning process, creating a safe space for students to explore, experiment, and innovate. The focus should be student-centered, with teachers serving as guides, enabling students to dive deeper into topics that excite them.
Aligning Stage 3 STEM to GT
Stage 3 STEM challenges, which are open-ended engineering challenges (read more here), lend themselves perfectly to both students in GT and STEM programs. These projects integrate the key elements of research and student choice that are essential in GT programs, along with the criteria, constraints, and career exploration aspects central to STEM. Stage 3 projects are extended, allowing students to deeply engage with the content before developing a project or prototype.
As students spend significant time on their chosen topic, they become experts, fostering leadership and ownership in their learning process. Additionally, presenting their findings to classmates not only reinforces their understanding but also allows them to share valuable insights and contribute to their peers' learning experiences.
5 STEM Projects for a GT Program
Here are some of my favorite Stage 3 STEM challenges for a GT classroom:
1: Habitats and Biomes
In 2nd grade, students participated in the Animal Habitat STEM Challenge to explore biomes, ecosystems, and habitats. The project began with the "Biomes Teacher Show," which helped build students' background knowledge on Earth's various biomes and their characteristics. To deepen their understanding, students played a card game that introduced them to each biome and the animals that inhabit them.
Students then selected an animal to research in more detail, with my GT students conducting more in-depth research to prepare for the STEM challenge. After gathering information about their chosen animal, students created a model of its habitat, following the provided criteria and constraints. Since students worked independently, I had them complete a reflection sheet and share their finished projects with the class. This sharing process allowed everyone to learn from one another and gain insights into the different animals and habitats their peers had explored.
2: Ocean Study Unit
With my 3rd grade GT students, we started our project with the Stage 2 Ocean Study: 5E Science Unit to build their background knowledge. The Ocean study unit involved having students completing hands-on science labs to really solidify their understanding of the ocean. After the Ocean Unit, we moved on to the Ocean Observatory STEM Diorama. Students applied what they had learned to create a diorama of an ocean habitat, including animals and plants that naturally exist in their chosen ocean zone. The final challenge was to design an observatory capable of safely carrying a small passenger to explore their diorama.
A few tips for this unit: Ask friends and family to save their empty shoe boxes, paper rolls, egg cartons and bubble wrap. Cluster students who have chosen the same ocean zone near each other so they can share ideas as they build their habitat.
3: National Park Research and Design
For Teachers in Texas, the Stage 3 National Park Research & Design is a perfect way to cover the standard about the National Park Service. Many students, depending on where they live, may not have had the chance to visit a National Park. This lesson not only deepened my understanding of how the NPS operates but also highlighted the unique features of each park. My students were highly engaged during the research phase, quickly discovering their favorite parks and expressing excitement about visiting them someday.
After selecting their favorite parks and learning about them, students were eager to plan their ideal National Park. We used Google Maps to explore potential park locations and conducted research on the weather, climate, and wildlife native to the areas they chose. This activity allowed students to apply their research skills in a real-world context, while also fostering creativity and exploration.
4: Science Fair
One of my favorite Stage 3 projects is the classic Science fair. My students in 5th grade are given the most freedom to explore and learn about something of interest in which they will create a presentation about. Using the Science Fair Steps to Success guide made the process far easier. The guide provided me and my students with valued information about the difference between STEM and Science, presentation board tips and ensured we didn’t miss any of the key components of a good science fair project.
5: Orbital Colony Project
I am excited to try Vivify’s new Orbital Colony Project, which challenges students to design the next International Space Station to orbit Earth! This STEM project pushes students to think critically about the complexities of sustaining human life in space. From power, water, food, and oxygen systems to astronaut living quarters, mental health, and budgeting, the game encourages problem-solving through debate and collaboration.
The Orbital Planning Game serves as a launchpad for discussion, allowing students to weigh different solutions and make trade-offs between essential systems—power, water, food, oxygen, and astronaut living spaces. They’ll also track their budget and consider mental health factors as they build their design.
Once students finalize their plans, they move on to constructing a 3D model of their orbital colony, using scale calculations and accounting for real-life space challenges. For GT students looking for an extra challenge, an extension activity guides them in designing their microgravity experiment, adding a hands-on research component to the project.
This project is an exciting mix of engineering, creativity, and real-world problem-solving, and I can’t wait to see what my students create!
Whether you're a classroom teacher, a gifted and talented teacher, a STEM teacher or a combination using Stage 3, STEM projects can benefit every student by providing a deeper understanding of the topics, allowing student choice and ownership in their learning, and opportunities for leadership.
Let us continue to advance and elevate the educational experiences of our gifted and talented students.
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