Get ready to inspire your students with a science room makeover that is out of this world! By combining forces with your fellow teachers you can create a shared STEM science lab that everyone is sure to love! Why make teaching science such a chore, when you collaborate you can get so much more! Our teachers came together and combined their science materials to transform a forgotten space into an inspiring STEM / Science lab that our students can't wait to enjoy!
To create this inspirational space we had to start with the basics. As a school we decided that we needed a new creative space for our students. We wanted to create a space that grade level teams could reserve and set up for their science lessons. This concept helps teachers pool their resources instead of everyone needing individual class sets of items. Classes will rotate through the science lab and use the combined items found in the lab. This innovative approach will help our teachers to combine resources, save time on setting up and will enable students to have an inspiring space where they can engage in science and STEM concepts.
As teachers we pooled together a lot of our science items that were in our classroom. We used organizational bins to label and contain all of the essentials like magnifying glasses, thermometers, science beakers, goggles and more. Using bright colorful washi or duct tape to transform old shelved carts breathed new life into something old. We also purchased some new resources that would be essential to STEM and science lessons in our new lab. One of our favorites is the STEM challenge kits containing quick STEM-based activities that are in an easy-to-organize box. Teachers can quickly pull from them and plan a fun lesson for their students.
Each team chose a few items that would help teach the skills and concepts covered for their grade level. Models like the Earth cross section, heart and skeleton are perfect for letting the students get hands-on with their lessons. They can hold them and conceptualize what they are being taught. It's such a powerful experience to be able to see these items up close. A few of my personal favorites are the digestive aprons and the constellation lacing cards. Throughout the room I created themed areas so teachers visiting could have an area that would relate to the science concepts they're teaching. I also included some generic science lab themed areas where teachers could add their own anchor charts, posters, etc.
To transform our space I started with the science lab backdrop. This plastic backdrop comes in 2 sections and is the perfect wall covering for our science room walls. We were able to staple this up directly to the wall. I used bright, colorful paper frames to create spotlight areas where teachers can hang posters or place activity directions. I also scattered some of the fun beaker decorations from the science party kit and a few colorful robots. Across the top of the wall I strung the Schoolgirl Style vintage light bulb cutouts to resemble a lab and give the space an industrial look.
To create the space themed area I started by using the space galaxy backdrop and stapled it directly to the walls. I used the black and white loopy border trim to create a border for it. I added the large planet cutouts and a few gold stars. This space themed area is a lesson in itself. You can show your students how some stars are closer and appear larger, like our sun, and how others are way far in the distance. This decor helps students to understand that there are just too many stars to count. In the windows I used large cardboard images of space to create a valance that decorates the plain windows. I stapled these to the wall and attached a scalloped polka dot border to the bottom. 
For our life cycles area we wanted our younger students to have lots of hands-on experiences. This is a space where teachers can set out found objects like bird's nests, fossils, nuts, wood, feathers, shells etc. This area was decorated using the cloud fadeless paper and the black and white loopy border trim. Leaf cutouts, clouds, a sun and life cycle posters can be displayed in this area. Students can observe plants grow with the root viewer kit or see the parts of a plant with the flower model. This little corner of the lab is filled with a million possibilities for scientific thought.
Along one wall I created some anchor chart spaces where teachers could bring in their own posters or anchor charts and decorate the room with them. I started by using the Chalkboard better than paper which is a total game changer. It is a laminated cloth-like paper that is on a roll. It goes up just like regular bulletin board paper but you can write on it with chalk and wipe it off. It is my new favorite staple for classroom decor!
I trimmed the boards using the scalloped polka dot border layered with the hexagon border trim. I used a few of the large science party cutouts as decor around the boards. These are all set for teachers to add their own items to. The inspirational quotes can be found at simply sprout, just print out and add them to the bright, colorful paper frames. It will instantly brighten up any wall!
The last board will be where we place samples of science in action. This will be a collaborative board where teachers showcase student work, photos and charts. It will be a great way to share student successes with the whole school. To create this board I started with the galvanized fadeless paper as the background. I trimmed it out using the black and white loopy border trim. I added the colorful robots and decorated the board using some elements from the science party kit, the science favor boxes and beaker party plates. With all these fun spaces the teachers are dying to get classes started in our STEM lab!
