Bryan Holmes | Author | STEM Educator & Consultant

Resources

Bryan (coach), superintendent, principal, team mentor, and students receive the CyberPatriot award as the #1 middle school team in Connecticut. (Photo by Bryan Holmes, 2023)

The following resources are free to readers of my upcoming book, The New STEM Teacher’s Essential Guide (or to anyone else who landed here). Below these resources, I also list services that I offer to schools or districts that want to improve their STEM education.

To get helpful tips and to receive a free PDF of the book just prior to launch, please subscribe here:

FREE CLASSROOM RESOURCES

Every item below is a real lesson, template, or rubric from The New STEM Teacher’s Essential Guide — used in my own classroom for years, and free to download and edit. The resources are grouped by topic. Each is labeled with the book chapter it comes from, if you have the book, but you don’t need it to use these.

Building Relationships (Ch. 3)

3A – Example of Opening Presentation for First Day of SchoolDownload
3B – Example of Monthly News Email to All Parents and GuardiansDownload
3C – Example of Monthly Email to Parent or Guardian of Top PerformerDownload

Labs & Engineering Design Projects (Ch. 4)

4A1 – Example of Lab AssignmentDownload
4A2 – Example of Lab Report TemplateDownload
4A3 – Example of Lab Report RubricDownload
4B1 -Example of Introductory Presentation to Teach Skill of Engineering DesignDownload
4B2 – Example of Engineering Design Project AssignmentDownload
4B3 – Example of Engineering Design Project Report TemplateDownload
4B4 – Example of Engineering Design Conceptual Challenge and Presentation AssignmentDownload
4B5 – Example of Engineering Design Process RubricDownload

Note-Taking & Writing (Ch. 4)

4C1 – Example of a Lecture-Based Lesson to Teach Note-TakingDownload
4C2 – Example of In-Class Note Taking or Homework RubricDownload
4D1 – Example of Essay Assignment – 21st Century SkillDownload
4D2 – Example of Writing Rubric Used to Grade Essay AssignmentsDownload

Math Instruction (Ch. 4)

4E1 – Example of Lesson Showing How to Solve Calculation ProblemsDownload
4E2 – Example of Solutions to Mathematical Word Problems Done by the TeacherDownload

Flipping Lectures (Ch. 5)

Research Project and Presentation Assignment – Example – Ch. 5Download (PowerPoint)
Presentation Rubric – Example – Ch. 5Download (Word)

Assessment & Reflection (Ch. 5)

Rubric for Science or Engineering Exercises – Example – Ch. 5Download (Word)
RAFT Project Assignment and Rubric – Example – Ch. 5Download (Word)
End-of-Quarter or End-of-Year Survey – Example – Ch. 5Download (Word)

Makerspace & Hands-on Projects (Ch. 6)

NASA Engineering Design Process – Ch. 6Download (Word)
Makerspace Safety Rules – Example – Ch. 6Download (Word)

Curriculum & Lesson Planning (Ch. 7)

Annual, Integrated STEM Curriculum Plan – Example – Ch. 7Download (Word)
Daily, Integrated STEM Lesson Plan – Example – Ch. 7Download (Word)
How to Integrate One Course with Another – Example – Ch. 7Download (Word)

Wrap-Up Tools (Ch. 2 & 8)

Summary – The Five Fundamental Practices – Ch. 2Download (Word)
Checklist – Main Takeaways for All Five Fundamental Practices – Ch. 8Download (Word)

Student Exemplars (Ch. 2, 7, & 8)

The following resources are a student testimony and two student projects that highlight the incredible effect of the five fundamental practices in action. The first project was a sundial designed by a group of students as part of an end of unit assessment. The second project is a book about dinosaurs that two students did to help me teach a unit about dinosaurs.

Testimony by Former Student – Ch. 2Download (PDF)
Sundial Project – Photos – Ch. 6Download (PDF)
A Book of Dinosaur Drawings – Ch. 8Download (PDF)

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Want Help Bringing This Type of Work to Your School or District?

Students at the Academy of Aerospace and Engineering learn to fly the flight simulators. (Photo by Bryan Holmes, 2015)

SERVICES

I can provide the following services to a school or district that wants help improving their STEM education:

Professional Development

I am available to give professional development sessions on STEM teaching and learning, STEM curriculum development, STEM mentorship through outreach to local industries, STEM competition planning, and any other STEM topic, such as aerospace science, where I could be helpful. For schools within a reasonable distance of my home in Connecticut, I can come and deliver professional development in person. Otherwise, I can do it through an online communication platform.

Curriculum Development

I have extensive experience writing STEM curricula, from single courses to a fully integrated curriculum encompassing four different STEM courses. I am familiar with several different curriculum writing styles and formats. I can work with school district curriculum chiefs, department chairs, and teachers to provide you the curriculum you need.

Interested? Please contact me.