Integrated STEM Education

In this chapter, we provide an overview of what “integrated STEM” is – from its forms and characteristics to the practices and pedagogical approaches involved. Integrated STEM instruction is not meant to add to an already full curriculum, but to enhance the existing curriculum and find synergies among disciplines so that students can understand the interdependence among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – for example, as they develop an understanding of and learn to explain natural phenomena or design and propose solutions to a local, national, or global problem. In turn, student learning will be more contextualized, authentic, and meaningful. The STEM Road Map is a tool to assist teachers in this process, identifying realistic intersections of content in the STEM disciplines, suggesting themes for situating integrated STEM instruction in a meaningful context and providing a model for planning integrated STEM learning experiences.