Join#NSTA14 Heats Up in NOLA with the STEM Iron Chef Competition
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
Posted on 2014-04-23
Attendees of NSTA’s 2014 STEM Forum and Expo will be challenged to cook up a recipe for STEM success next month. No aprons will be required, though; this challenge focuses on a different mix of materials—the kind you’ll be able to use in class to whet your students’ appetites for science. NSTA’s STEM Iron Chef Competition starts on the evening of Wednesday May 14 in the Morial Convention Center. Come alone or bring friends, and be ready to collaborate! You’ll pick a challenge, and we’ll give you a set of secret ingredients to include in your solution. You can prepare your feast on the spot, or you can meet with your group later—but be ready to turn in your final product by midnight on Thursday. On Friday, May 16, we’ll gather together and feature the top recipes for success in a fast-paced, engaging presentation. Teams will be challenged with creating one of the following meals in our “kitchen”:
- STEM Stew: Combine the ingredients to create the perfect stew that blends science and math instruction while focusing on a hands-on approach.
- Mardi Gras Feast: Use the ingredients to serve up a mouthwatering STEM program that uses engineering as a centerpiece of scrumptious feast.
- DIY Homemade Brunch: Create a project where students are challenged to invent, tinker, make, and/or build something!
- Fusion Cuisine: Create a project aligned with the science and engineering practices in the new NGSS with the given ingredients.
- Thanksgiving Feast: To create a professional development plan for incorporating STEM in a high school using the given ingredients.
- Presidential Banquet: Even the Obama Family would be envious!
Think you have what it takes? Join us, and be ready for some trash-tweeting (use #STEMchef). Teams will be meeting, tweeting, and challenging one another to be the BEST in creating their respective meals. This is an opportunity to access creative and innovative takeaways of ideas for STEM classrooms…at any level! Note: Preregistration is required for participation, as there is limited capacity.