How do I see an apple? Can I still see an apple in a dark room? Students have so many misconceptions about light, and in this episode, Natasha and Claire share a simple but eye-opening activity that will change the way your students understand light. They also share their “virtual pen pal” idea that bridges preservice elementary teachers with a class of 4th grade STEM students.

Join Natasha as she dives into the world of storytelling, STEM education, and citizen science with award-winning filmmaker and founder of MakeWater, Ryan Beltrán, as he shares his own personal story and the inspiration that led to developing a nonprofit that inspires through environmental science, technology, tinkering, and storytelling. He also shares an exciting way to celebrate World Water Day through citizen science in your classroom!

Welcome to episode 100 of The STEM Space! In celebration, Natasha shares a simple science inquiry lab on exploring whether all objects fall at the same rate, the results from her students, and then how they applied an understanding of gravity and drag to an engineering design challenge.

From trying to guess a mystery object to using creativity to design their own investigations, Natasha shares some activities from her own classroom that build confidence in her students and create a classroom environment driven by inquiry.