STEM Tuesday

STEM Tuesday– Zombies (Real and Otherwise)– Book List
October 7, 2025 by STEM Tuesday

Zombies, monsters, and mummies – oh my! These are the stuff of nightmares… or of awesome Halloween costumes! But are they real? Let’s use science to find out. Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature’s Undead by Rebecca L. Johnson Zombies are real … but so far, the zombie-makers don’t attack humans. Yet. They do take over the brains and bodies of spiders and ants, flies and snails, and even rats. Not only that, some of these zombies are too small to avoid, until it’s too late. Like the teeny tiny wasps and fungal spores, and the totally invisible viruses. And then there are the brain worms! A must-read for anyone planning to hunt for zombies in their backyard! Monster Science: Could Monsters Survive (and Thrive!) in the Real World? by Helaine Becker Monsters aren’t real… are they? For the most part, no – although there ARE zombies among us. This book shows the real science relating to the monsters of...
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STEM Tuesday — Happy 8th Anniversary!!
September 30, 2025 by STEM Tuesday

Can you believe it? STEM Tuesday is 8 years old! We have created more than 84 amazing Fun, Fact-Filled, Free STEM/STEAM activities for your classroom, homeschool, or family. Check them out! Our goal, when we started this blog was to provide engaging, exciting, and inspiring STEM/STEAM activities and literacy connections to all of our readers. Over the past three years, we have taken a deep dive into so many unique and interesting topics. From conservation, to Health, to Field Work, and even Exploration and Technology. We have featured graphic novels, Women’s History month, sharks, and activity books. And who can forget the posts on epic achievements and fantastic failures? Such important concepts in all of STEM/STEAM. If you have used STEM Tuesday’s posts in your classroom or homeschool, let us know by commenting below. We’d like to hear what kind of STEM/STEAM activities and literacy connections your student’s are enjoying. If there is topic that we haven’t covered...
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STEM Tuesday– National Parks– Author Interview- Nancy Castaldo
September 23, 2025 by STEM Tuesday

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math! Today we’re interviewing Nancy Castaldo, author of The Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale. The book discusses how restoring the balance between the primary predator and prey was instrumental in restoring a U.S. park’s ecosystem. This book is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection and was nominated for a number of awards. “Castaldo leaves it for reflective readers to decide whether that is responsible conservation or unscientific meddling with natural patterns…Stimulating reading for young naturalists and eco-activists.” – Kirkus (Nonfiction. 10-13). Christine Taylor-Butler: Hi Nancy. Thanks for letting STEM Tuesday feature you. You are a prolific author on topics related to conservation and nature. Did you always want to be a writer? Nancy Castaldo: Not professionally. I’ve always loved writing—I was even published in Seventeen Magazine as a teen and entered writing contests—but...
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STEM Tuesday– National Parks– Writing Tips & Resources
September 16, 2025 by STEM Tuesday

I was delighted to see this month’s topic is National Parks. I was fortunate to have taught drawing workshops at two national parks in the early 2000s. Both were offered by the Park Service free to everyone and I had received a grant to cover expenses for supplies from the university where I taught. The park rangers were helpful and interesting and both times, I was able to take advantage of the natural environment as the centerpiece of curriculum. One was in the southwest. Since it was July, it was too hot to work outside but we had the natural history museum at our disposal. After instruction and strategies, the participants spread out and were treated to an array of plants and animals as models. The other was in the Appalachians, and we had vistas of mountains and fields. Everyone went away with drawings of their National Park experience....
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