STEAM Foundations 

STEAM Foundations is a curated collection of resources designed to help educators and learners build a strong foundation in STEM through curiosity, creativity, and real-world connections. 

Explore:

• Preschool STEAM Series | Infant/Toddler STEAM Series
  These pages have videos and resources to explore how to support STEAM learning for preschoolers through strategies and teaching practices that help them develop reasoning, creativity, problem-solving, and language and communication skills.

• PBL and STEAM Education: A Natural Fit
  This Edutopia article discusses how PBL and STEAM work together to create opportunities for authentic problem solving.

• WIDA Developing Language for Learning Mathematics
  Self-paced workshop to integrate mathematics instruction and reasoning with language development for multilingual learners. A free account is required to access this resource.

 Engage:

• STEAM and Scientific Reasoning in Headstart
  Explore resources from Headstart.gov that integrate and develop STEAM and scientific reasoning skills at an early age.

• WIDA Bulletin: Scaffolding Learning for MLs in Math
  WIDA Bulletin outlining specific guidance and macro-scaffolding and micro-scaffolding math practices for multilingual learners

Apply:

• MOOSE STEAM Learning Progression
  MOOSE modules that are purposefully designed with a strong STEAM backbone.

• Go STEAM Learning Hub
  Georgia Tech's STEAM learning hub features lesson plans that focus on authentic integration of STEAM in music.

STEAM Connections

STEAM Connections is a curated collection of resources that explore the many ways STEAM connects to the world around us. 

Explore:

• Discover Education STEAM Career Exploration
  This interactive career exploration tool supports students' understanding of STEAM-related careers.

• Wabanaki STEAM Resources
  Wabanaki Studies and STEAM-integrated lessons and resources.

 Engage:

• Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO)
  ELOs are experiences outside of the traditional classroom that emphasize community-based career exploration.

Apply:

• Maine Apprenticeships
  Database from the Maine Department of Labor of STEAM-related apprenticeships.

• Maine Climate Literacy Plan
  Framework for climate literacy in Maine, designed to build capacity and programs from interdisciplinary climate education.

• Maine Climate Action Plan: A Guide
  Designed to help teachers and students better understand what climate action is happening in Maine and how to be involved.

• Maine Climate Office
  Interactive Climate Data in Maine from the University of Maine Climate Office.

• Ocean Water Quality Curriculum
  I5 lesson series created for middle/high school students focusing data collected on ocean currents, undersanding water characteristics, and water quality.

Professional Learning

STEAM-focused Professional Learning Opportunities.

• NSTA STEAM Professional Learning Units 
  These bite-sized, self-paced, synchronous Professional Learning Units (PLU) cover many aspects of STEAM education, including sense making, authentic problem solving, and the integration of engineering and career competencies. Each PLU costs $15.00 for NSTA members and $20.00 for non-members. 

• Building a Culture of Teaching Outside Workshop (November 15, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Wolfe’s Neck, Freeport)

  This workshop will explore strategies for taking students outside, foster a conversation among colleagues, admin, and community to support long-term change, and navigate available open-source resources..

Standards Review & Assessment

As part of the Maine Department of Education’s commitment to supporting schools in the delivery of effective K-12 science and engineering instructional programs, this page provides links to resources to support implementation of Maine’s Science and Engineering standards.

Standards Review

Assessment

• Maine Science Assessment
  Schedule: 
  - High School: April 1-17, 2026
  - Grades 5 and 8: May 11-22, 2026
  - Three sessions, each 50 minutes in length for high school and each 60 minutes in length for grades 5 & 8

• MSAA Science
  The Multi-State Alternate Assessment in Science, or MSAA Science, is Maine’s alternate assessment for science. This assessment is administered in grades 5, 8 and 3rd year of high school and is designed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.