project stem assignment 1 calculating grades

Grade Calculator

• Grade calculator
• Final grade calculator
• GPA calculator

Understanding how to calculate your current grade in a course is advantageous for planning what you need to achieve your goal’s overall course grade. The following Grade Calculator serves as an easy-to-use helpful tool to calculate your current grade of the course before the final examination.  

What is a Grade Calculator?  

A Grade Calculator is a free online tool designed to help students and educators determine academic grades based on entered scores and weights. It simplifies the process of calculating current grades, helping users navigate their academic journeys.   

The Grade Calculator helps students estimate the impact of each assignment on their course’s weighted average grade. That means the overall grade of a course depends on 2 main factors: the grade of each assignment (g) and the corresponding weight of each assignment (w).  

A Grade calculator helps you find your current average score in a course based on completed assignments up to the current point in the semester. The Final grade calculator then calculates the score you need to achieve in your remaining assignment (the final exam) to reach your desired grade of the course

How to Use a Grade Calculator?  

Using a Grade Calculator is a straightforward process that involves entering relevant information about your academic performance. To utilize this calculator, input your current percentage for each assignment, test, or exam, along with its respective weight towards your final grade. For each additional assignment, test, or exam, click on "Add Assignment." Your results will automatically update as you input each component , allowing you to track your progress throughout the course.  

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use a Grade Calculator:  

Step 1: Input the Assignments.  

Users manually enter the name of each assignment, for example: Assignment 1, 2, 3, Homework, Final Exam, etc.  

Step 2: Input the grade.  

Enter their scores for each assignment, test, project, or other exam throughout the course. Each entry typically includes the earned percentage (10%, 30%, 50%, etc.), letter (A+, B-, D, etc.), or points (20, 50, 175, etc.).  

Step 3: Input the weight.  

Enter the weight of that assignment into the overall course grade. The weight indicates that different assignments may have varying impacts on the final grade. A final exam might have a higher weight than a small task.  

Step 4: Calculate the grade automatically.  

The tool then automatically calculates the cumulative grade based on the entered grades and weights. Users can see their current grade as well as how each assignment contributes to the overall grade.  

Step 5: Adjust as needed.  

Users can adjust grades or weights to see how changes impact the overall course performance. This dynamic feature allows for real-time exploration of different scenarios, helping users make informed decisions about their academic strategy and goal achievement.  

Weighted Grade Calculation: Formula and Example  

The calculation of a weighted grade involves summing the products of the weights (w) and the corresponding grades (g).  

Weighted Grade = (w₁ × g₁ + w₂ × g₂ + w₃ × g₃ + …) / (g₁ + g₂ + g₃ +...)  

Example 1: Grade type: Percentage  

Determine the weighted grade of a course, in which:  

• Assignment with a grade (percentage) of 80 and a weight of 30.  
• Homework with a grade (percentage) of 90 and a weight of 20.  
• Final exam with a grade (percentage) of 72 and a weight of 50.  

The weighted average grade is determined by the formula:  

Weighted Grade = (w₁ × g₁ + w₂ × g₂ + w₃ × g₃ + …) / (w₁ + w₂ + w₃+...)  

Substituting the values:  

Weighted Grade = (30 × 80 + 20 × 90 + 50 × 72) / (30 + 20 + 50) = 78  

Example 2: Grade type: Letter  

• Assignment 1 with a grade (letter) of A+ and a weight of 20.  
• Assignment 2 with a grade (letter) of B and a weight of 20.  
• Final exam with a grade (letter) of C- and a weight of 60.  

The weighted average grade of the course is calculated by the formula:

Weighted Grade = (w₁ × g₁ + w₂ × g₂ + w₃ × g₃ + …) / (w₁ + w₂ + w₃ +...)  

Weighted Grade = (20 × 4.33 + 20 × 3.00 + 60 × 1.67) / (20 + 20 + 60) = 2.64   

The table below shows how your letter grades convert to a numeric grade (4.0 scale) and percentage grade (% scale):  

Example 3: Grade type: Point  

Consider the following case:  

• For Assignment 1, the grade is 60 out of 80.  
• For Assignment 2, the grade is 30 out of 50.  
• For Homework, the grade is 120 out of 120.  
• For the Final exam, the grade is 60 out of 100.  

The formula to calculate the weighted average grade is:  

Weighted Grade = sum of real grade / sum of maximum grade  

Weighted Grade = (60 + 30 + 120 + 60) / (80 + 50 + 120 + 100) = 77.14  

Important Role of the Grade Calculator in Academic Path  

The Grade Calculator functions as a flexible tool that aids both educators and students, fostering efficiency and transparency. Knowing the average grade is essential for strategic decision-making in scenarios and setting achievable academic goals.  

Scenario Planning:  

Some Grade Calculators allow users to experiment with different scenarios. For instance, students can input hypothetical scores for future assignments or exams to see how they would impact their final grade. This helps in understanding how adjustments to upcoming assessments may impact the overall class performance.  

Teachers can use a Grade Calculator to streamline the grading process. By inputting scores and weights, the tool can quickly calculate overall grades, saving time and ensuring accuracy.  

Goal Setting:    

Users can set grade goals and determine the scores needed on upcoming assessments to achieve those goals. This application is particularly helpful for students who aim for a specific final course grade. Goal-setting helps students set realistic academic goals and understand the scores needed to achieve them. Knowing their current grade and having the ability to plan for future assessments can reduce stress for students.  

The Grade calculator provides the average score for a specific course. Students can use this result to calculate their GPA, which represents the average score across all their courses. In essence, the output from the Grade calculator acts as the input for the GPA calculator.

3 Outstanding Features of Grade Calculator  

Using our Grade Calculator is simple and straightforward, even if you are a first-time user. The Grade Calculator is crafted with the user in mind, offering many noticeable benefits:  

Customizable by Adding or Subtracting Assignments  

Recognizing the diversity of grading systems in different educational institutions, the tool offers customization options. Users have the flexibility to tailor the tool to their specific needs. For example, users can add as many assignments as they want, and adjust the weight to align with their school's unique grading system.  

Compatible with Multiple Devices  

The tool is accessible across various platforms to accommodate different user preferences and device types. It is available as both a web application and a mobile app. Users can access it conveniently from desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.  

Easy-to-Understand and Easy-to-Use Interface  

The user interface is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, prioritizing ease of use. Input fields are labeled logically, ensuring users can easily understand and input the required information. The overall design focuses on simplicity enhancing the overall user experience.  

To sum up, the Grade Calculator is considered a trusted tool for students and educators alike on their academic journeys. Its friendly interface and accurate calculations make it a valuable companion, helping everyone calculate the grade of the course effectively.  

Grade Calculator - FAQs  

What grade do i need to pass a college class  .

The grade needed to pass a college class varies depending on the grading system used by the schools, colleges, and academic institutions . In many cases, a passing grade is a D or higher, which is usually equivalent to a numerical grade of 60% or more. However, some programs or courses may require a higher minimum passing grade, so it's important to check your college's policies.  

How do you calculate the percentage grade?  

To calculate a percentage grade, you divide the points earned by the total points possible and then multiply by 100. For example, if you earned 85 points out of a possible 100, your percentage grade would be: (85/100) * 100 = 85%.  

How much will a 0 affect my grade?  

A zero can significantly impact your grade, especially if it's for a major assignment or test. Since a zero has a large weight in the calculation of your average score, it can pull down your overall grade significantly.  

How much will a 71 affect my grade?  

The impact of a 71 on your grade depends on several factors, such as the weight of the assignment or test in the overall course grade and the grading scale used by your instructor. If the 71 is for a major assignment or test and carries a significant weight in the course, it could have a noticeable effect on your overall grade, potentially lowering it. However, if the assignment is one of many and has a lower weight in the course, its impact may be less significant.

Naomi Meredith

3 Strategies for Grading with a STEM Project Rubric [ep.133]

Check out the full episode on 3 Strategies for Grading with a STEM Project Rubric:  

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Episode Summary

Is grading STEM projects a task you don’t enjoy? If so, I can relate. Trying to figure out the best approach for grading STEM projects can feel overwhelming. In today’s episode, I’m sharing three strategies for grading using a STEM project rubric.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• 3 strategies for grading with a STEM project rubric
• The why behind each strategy
• Things to consider and do for successful grading with a STEM project rubric

Resources Mentioned:

• STEM Teacher 101 Course

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

Grading STEM projects. I don't love it; you probably don't love it, but in reality, this is increasing in popularity the more we gain elementary STEM in our spaces around the world. So, how do you even grade a project like this? In this episode, I will give you some strategies on how to grade a STEM project using a rubric. 

Naomi Meredith [00:01:01]:

Before we jump into the episode, I wanted to read another amazing 5-star podcast review from one of you. This is from ParksTeam, and they say, “So helpful. I especially love the 6 part series broken down by grade level. I struggle with finding things appropriate for kindergarten, so this episode was so helpful. Thank you, Naomi.” Thank you so much for your review. Reading these definitely makes my day. I absolutely love that this podcast is making a positive difference in your teaching and, therefore, your students.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:38]:

If you wouldn't mind taking a moment and heading on over to Apple Podcasts and writing a 5-star review, that would mean the absolute world to me. It costs nothing and helps other teachers like you find this podcast. Over in my Instagram DMs at Naomi Meredith_ I got a message from 1 of you, and you wrote me saying, “Hi Naomi, just found your podcast and loved it. I tried to see if you already talked about this, but my STEAM is struggling with grading. Do you have an episode on how you do grading in your room?” This is an excellent question, and I have actually received similar questions from a lot of you out there over in my Instagram DMs and also by way of email. And it is an important concept to consider. Now, spoiler alert, I technically didn't have to grade and give grades when I was a K through 5 STEM teacher. I know that sounds absolutely insane, and you might be saying what, that's not fair.

Naomi Meredith [00:02:47]:

I know it kinda wasn't fair because the PE, art, and music teachers did have to give grades, and I did not. I was told because there aren't any STEM standards in Colorado that, I wasn't required to give grades, so I didn't. But I always thought about it if they ever changed their minds or they ever said when grading times came around, I had a plan in mind if that was something that I needed to do. And have no fear, this isn't a fluffy episode where I just pulled something out of thin air. This is literally exactly how I would grade projects. When I taught in the classroom, I would grade projects like this. And I also was on committees to grade things using rubrics and also to design them for these types of things. I did a lot of project-based learning when I was a classroom teacher, so I would be using that experience if I ever were to grade.

Naomi Meredith [00:03:43]:

So don't write me off saying you don't know what you're talking about. I do, and this is exactly how I would grade a STEM project and really any hands-on project. First, you want to make your STEM projects standards-based. Now, when you're thinking about backwards design and planning your lessons, you should be looking at the standards anyway because this will make it a lot harder to grade if your lessons aren't standards-based, to begin with. You do wanna keep this in mind, which is why in my entire K through 5 STEM year long plan of lessons, they are all rooted in NGSS standards along with an integration of common core literacy and math standards and the ISTE standards for students. All of my projects that I do k through 5 are revolved around this. And if it ever came down to grading, I wouldn't be stressed or stopped because I knew my lessons were standard space even when we were doing something with robots, even when we were doing something with Makerspace or coding.

Naomi Meredith [00:04:50]:

It all connected together. So you need to go and start there. I do have some episodes that talk all about how to plan a stem lesson. So those will be linked in the show notes if you need some help with that, but you need to start there. You need to have your lessons be standards-based because what are you gonna grade them on? Now, maybe your school grades on character traits like collaboration and critical thinking. Amazing. Awesome. There actually are some common core standards in speaking and listening that talk about explaining ideas and working together as a group.

Naomi Meredith [00:05:24]:

But if you're gonna have to really grade, think about your lessons. You might need to start there with the grading piece. If you're just doing surface-level activities where they're just playing with robots for the day. You might need to rethink what you're doing with your kids. From there. So let's say, okay, Naomi, I do this, I plan with standards in mind. How are we gonna do this? How are we going to assess these projects? And like I mentioned, I like to use a rubric because it has a whole variety of things when it comes to an actual project.

Naomi Meredith [00:05:59]:

And when you are designing a rubric, I highly recommend creating a rubric that involves the process versus the product. It has both of those intertwined. So again, if you are planning with the standards, you might have ways where students are demonstrating a specific science standard in their actual project, and that might be the grade level indicators that you put in the rubric, and then, of course, you go up from there. So I like to use a 4-point rubric, four being the highest, 1 being the lowest, and then 3 and 2 are in the middle. So 3 would be what I would expect for a grade level 2, they need to do it with support. Four is above and beyond. 1, they didn't do it all, like, they might have some things or were absent. And so, having those indicators maybe have those specific science standards.

Naomi Meredith [00:06:52]:

How are they demonstrating this in the project? How are they demonstrating specific math concepts in their project? Are they doing specific parts of the engineering design process? Are they demonstrating those things? So you're merging those standards together where they maybe have 5 different levels. Some of the standards actually would overlap. So, just the way that you write the rubric is really important as well so that students can find success. Also, if you create this rubric while you are planning, you know how you should teach the lesson so that students can succeed in this overall grade. You could give honestly whatever points you want. If you had 5 categories, each category is worth 20. That is correct.

Naomi Meredith [00:07:40]:

That is the correct math. That is the m and stem. Good job, Naomi. But if you do that, then you could have a score out of 100, and you would be good to go. Creating standards-based rubrics is actually one of the 2 updates that I am putting in my k through 5 stem year long plan of lessons because this is actually a really highly requested nature that I told you a lot of you have been asking about. So this is something if you see the lessons, my lessons are $10, if you see that price difference, then that means I have updated those lessons with me teaching the lesson. So you actually get to hear how I teach the lesson to students. I create a video about me actually explaining the whole thing in the product, and then there's also an update with standards-based rubrics and more math connections.

Naomi Meredith [00:08:31]:

So, the sooner you jump in on those, the better. You get all the updates for free, so you can have a rubric already set up for the main grade level that I plan it for. And then, if you need to adjust it for other grades, you can have a sense of what that could be like. And finally, when you are creating rubrics for your students, I highly recommend writing them in kid-friendly language. If you have students in 2nd through 5th grade, this actually might be a little bit easier because you're writing in a way that if they read the rubric or if they were self-assessing, they could understand what is happening. I recommend doing a self-assessment on these rubrics with your students that can be a whole other topic, but that way, you're not creating 2 different rubrics. When I taught writing, we graded on the student-friendly rubric, so there wasn't any miscommunication about what they needed to add, and then it made sense. This might be a little more tricky for k and 2, maybe a little bit of 2nd grade, where you might have to add some images on this student-friendly rubric.

Naomi Meredith [00:09:40]:

But honestly, you could do the same thing. You could still grade them on the same thing. It doesn't have to be this whole overcomplicated thing when it comes to creating a rubric for students, write it in a way that a student would understand. And that way, you as a teacher be like, okay. They did this, or they didn't do this. So then you don't need to create 2 different things. That is my philosophy on it, especially if you're making it standards-based anyway, why do you need to have the teacher's language? Now, maybe you have student examples on the side of, oh, here's what a 3 looks like, here's what a 2 looks like. Awesome.

Naomi Meredith [00:10:16]:

But really, it saves a lot of time. You're getting at the same idea. If it's standards-based, you'll be good to go. If you are interested to see in exactly how to create a rubric from scratch where it is a 4-point system, learning how to put the standards together, and putting together that Process First product, I invite you into the self-paced signature course of mine, STEM teacher 101, where there's a new module that is all about how to grade using a rubric. So there's a section already about self-assessment and explaining rubrics and different ways to do that and examples for you. And then the new module is actually going to walk you through how I create a rubric with that process first product and really the whole explanation of that. As a recap, here are the 3 ways that we talked about how you can grade students' STEM projects using a rubric. 1st is making sure that your lessons and the rubric itself is standards-based.

Naomi Meredith [00:11:25]:

Next, we talked about creating a rubric that combines the process of how the project is made and the final product. And 3rd, we talked about writing those rubrics in kid-friendly language. It will save you time. And also, as the teacher understands, hey, this is what is expected for this type of project. As a reminder, don't forget to jump in on my signature course, STEM Teacher 101. It is never too late to jump on in our community of teachers, and I am continuously listening to you and seeing the needs that you want for your stem space and adding in those modules. Also, the cool thing about it, I added a private podcast feature. So, if you are busy on the go like most teachers, every module has a podcast pairing.

Naomi Meredith [00:12:18]:

So when you sign up, you get that private podcast, and you can actually listen to the entire course and not feel like you have to be stuck on the computer watching my cute little face. So I invite you in there. The link will be in the show notes, and I will see you in the next.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

• Episode 24: How do I organize my STEM Lesson Ideas?
• Episode 25: How do you structure a STEM lesson?
• Episode 26: How to Write a STEM Lesson Plan

Connect with Naomi Meredith :

• Check out more inspiration on her website: naomimeredith.com 
• Connect with her on Instagram: @naomimeredith_ 
• Watch this episode on her YouTube Channel: Naomi Meredith
• Join the Facebook Group, The Elementary STEM Coach Community | Technology & STEM for K-6 Teachers

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a former classroom teacher turned current K-5 STEM teacher and coach. Her role not only includes teaching over 500 students in her school, but also leading professional development and co-teaching with teachers to help them integrate STEM & Technology.

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!

Grade Calculator

Use this calculator to find out the grade of a course based on weighted averages. This calculator accepts both numerical as well as letter grades. It also can calculate the grade needed for the remaining assignments in order to get a desired grade for an ongoing course.

Final Grade Calculator

Use this calculator to find out the grade needed on the final exam in order to get a desired grade in a course. It accepts letter grades, percentage grades, and other numerical inputs.

Related GPA Calculator

The calculators above use the following letter grades and their typical corresponding numerical equivalents based on grade points.

Brief history of different grading systems

In 1785, students at Yale were ranked based on "optimi" being the highest rank, followed by second optimi, inferiore (lower), and pejores (worse). At William and Mary, students were ranked as either No. 1, or No. 2, where No. 1 represented students that were first in their class, while No. 2 represented those who were "orderly, correct and attentive." Meanwhile at Harvard, students were graded based on a numerical system from 1-200 (except for math and philosophy where 1-100 was used). Later, shortly after 1883, Harvard used a system of "Classes" where students were either Class I, II, III, IV, or V, with V representing a failing grade. All of these examples show the subjective, arbitrary, and inconsistent nature with which different institutions graded their students, demonstrating the need for a more standardized, albeit equally arbitrary grading system.

In 1887, Mount Holyoke College became the first college to use letter grades similar to those commonly used today. The college used a grading scale with the letters A, B, C, D, and E, where E represented a failing grade. This grading system however, was far stricter than those commonly used today, with a failing grade being defined as anything below 75%. The college later re-defined their grading system, adding the letter F for a failing grade (still below 75%). This system of using a letter grading scale became increasingly popular within colleges and high schools, eventually leading to the letter grading systems typically used today. However, there is still significant variation regarding what may constitute an A, or whether a system uses plusses or minuses (i.e. A+ or B-), among other differences.

An alternative to the letter grading system

Letter grades provide an easy means to generalize a student's performance. They can be more effective than qualitative evaluations in situations where "right" or "wrong" answers can be easily quantified, such as an algebra exam, but alone may not provide a student with enough feedback in regards to an assessment like a written paper (which is much more subjective).

Although a written analysis of each individual student's work may be a more effective form of feedback, there exists the argument that students and parents are unlikely to read the feedback, and that teachers do not have the time to write such an analysis. There is precedence for this type of evaluation system however, in Saint Ann's School in New York City, an arts-oriented private school that does not have a letter grading system. Instead, teachers write anecdotal reports for each student. This method of evaluation focuses on promoting learning and improvement, rather than the pursuit of a certain letter grade in a course. For better or for worse however, these types of programs constitute a minority in the United States, and though the experience may be better for the student, most institutions still use a fairly standard letter grading system that students will have to adjust to. The time investment that this type of evaluation method requires of teachers/professors is likely not viable on university campuses with hundreds of students per course. As such, although there are other high schools such as Sanborn High School that approach grading in a more qualitative way, it remains to be seen whether such grading methods can be scalable. Until then, more generalized forms of grading like the letter grading system are unlikely to be entirely replaced. However, many educators already try to create an environment that limits the role that grades play in motivating students. One could argue that a combination of these two systems would likely be the most realistic, and effective way to provide a more standardized evaluation of students, while promoting learning.

Navigation Menu

Search code, repositories, users, issues, pull requests..., provide feedback.

We read every piece of feedback, and take your input very seriously.

Saved searches

Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly.

To see all available qualifiers, see our documentation .

• Notifications

Source code for the 2022-23 AP Computer Science A course on Project Stem.

ricky8k/APCSA-ProjectStem

Folders and files, repository files navigation.

APCSA Project Stem

Source code for the 2022-23 AP Computer Science A course on Project Stem. Browse the source code »

This repository contains the source code to various problems on Project Stem. Organized by unit, you will find the necessary activity files to be compiled by the Java environment, as well as runner files provided by Project Stem to test execution (when available).

The provided source code is intended to work with the 2023 AP CS A course. These solutions may grow out-of-date as new changes are made to the course every year.

The user-friendly website front-end found here is built using Retype .

Table of Contents

• Unit 1: Primitive Types
• Unit 2: Using Objects
• Unit 3: Boolean Expressions and If Statements
• Unit 4: Iteration
• Unit 5: Writing Classes
• Unit 6: Array
• Unit 7: ArrayList
• Unit 8: 2D Array
• Unit 9: Inheritance
• Unit 10: Recursion

📝 Contributing

Notice a typo or error? Feel free to create an issue !

Please note that support will not be provided for code that does not work in newer lessons. As such, the source code will not be updated to reflect newer curricula.

This repository is licensed under GPL 3.0 .

Contributors 2

• Java 100.0%

Learning Space

Teachable Moments

Stay Connected

Edu News | January 26, 2022

24 stem lessons you can quickly deploy in the classroom.

Calling all teachers pressed for time, substitutes looking for classroom activities that don't require a lot of prep, and others hoping to keep students learning in especially chaotic times: We've got a new collection of lessons and activities that you can quickly deploy.

Read on to explore our collection of Quick and Easy STEM lessons and student activities , organized by grade band. Get everything you need to guide students through standards-aligned lessons featuring connections to real NASA missions and science as well as links to student projects, which can be led by teachers or assigned as independent activities.

Grades 9-12

Explore More

Make a Paper Mars Helicopter

In this lesson, students build a paper helicopter, then improve the design and compare and measure performance.

Subject Engineering

Time 30-60 mins

Student Project: Make a Paper Mars Helicopter

Build a paper helicopter, then see if you can improve the design like NASA engineers did when making the first helicopter for Mars.

What Tools Would You Take to Mars?

Students decide what they want to learn from a robotic mission to Mars and what tools they will put on their robot to accomplish their goals.

Subject Science

Rockets by Size

Students cut out, color and sequence paper rockets in a simple mathematics lesson on measurement.

Subject Math

Rocket Math

Students use rocket manipulatives to help them develop number sense, counting, addition and subtraction skills.

Tangram Rocket

Students use tangrams to create rockets while practicing shape recognition.

Time 1-2 hrs

Student Project: Build a Rover and More With Shapes

Use geometric shapes called tangrams to build a rover and other space-themed designs!

Time Less than 30 mins

Student Project: Build a Rocket and More With Shapes

Use geometric shapes called tangrams to build a rocket and other space-themed designs!

Mineral Mystery Experiment

Students explore the science behind an intriguing planetary feature by creating saline solutions and then observing what happens when the solutions evaporate.

Grades 2-12

Time 2 sessions of 30-60 mins

Student Project: Do a Mineral Mystery Experiment

Dissolve salts in water, then observe what happens when the water evaporates.

What Do You Know About Mars?

Students decide what they want to learn from a robotic mission to Mars.

Melting Ice Experiment

Students make predictions and observations about how ice will melt in different conditions then compare their predictions to results as they make connections to melting glaciers.

Parachute Design

Students design and test parachute landing systems to successfully land a probe on target.

Planetary Poetry

In this cross-curricular STEM and language arts lesson, students learn about planets, stars and space missions and write STEM-inspired poetry to share their knowledge of or inspiration about these topics.

Student Project: Write a Poem About Space

Are you a space poet, and you didn't even know it? Find out how to create your own poems inspired by space!

Ocean World: Earth Globe Toss Game

Students use NASA images and a hands-on activity to compare the amounts of land and surface water on our planet.

Simple Rocket Science Continued

Students gather data on a balloon rocket launch, then create a simple graph to show the results of the tests.

Spaghetti Anyone? Building with Pasta

Students use the engineering design process to build a structure to handle the greatest load and gain first-hand experience with compression and tension forces.

Student Project: Building With Spaghetti

Use spaghetti to build a tower modeled after the giant structures NASA uses to talk to spacecraft.

Simple Rocket Science

Students perform a simple science experiment to learn how a rocket works and demonstrate Newton’s third law of motion.

Soda-Straw Rockets

Students study rocket stability as they design, construct and launch paper rockets using soda straws.

Student Project: Make a Straw Rocket

Create a paper rocket that can be launched from a soda straw – then, modify the design to make the rocket fly farther!

Rocket Activity: Heavy Lifting

Students construct balloon-powered rockets to launch the greatest payload possible to the classroom ceiling.

Design a Robotic Insect

Students design a robotic insect for an extraterrestrial environment, then compare the process to how NASA engineers design robots for extreme environments like Mars.

Student Project: Design a Robotic Insect

Design a robotic insect to go to an extreme environment. Then, compare the design process to what NASA engineers do when building robots for Mars!

How Far Away Is Space?

Students use measurement skills to determine the scale distance to space on a map.

Student Project: How Far Away Is Space?

Stack coins and use your measurement skills to figure out the scale distance from Earth's surface to space.

Planetary Travel Time

Students will compute the approximate travel time to planets in the solar system using different modes of transportation.

The Ring Wing Glider

In this simple engineering design lesson, students turn a piece of paper into an aircraft wing and then try to improve upon their design.

Student Project: Make a Paper Glider

Turn a piece of paper into a glider inspired by a NASA design.

How Do We See Dark Matter?

Students will make observations of two containers and identify differences in content, justify their claims and make comparisons to dark matter observations.

Grades 6-12

Let's Go to Mars! Calculating Launch Windows

Students use advanced algebra concepts to determine the next opportunity to launch a spacecraft to Mars.

Find our full collection of more than 250 STEM educator guides and student activities in Teach and Learn .

For games, articles, and more activities from NASA for kids in upper-elementary grades, visit NASA Space Place and NASA Climate Kids .

Explore more educational resources and opportunities for students and educators from NASA STEM Engagement .

TAGS: Lessons , Teachers , Educators , Parents , Substitutes , Activities , Students , Science , Engineering , Quick and Easy

Kim Orr , Web Producer, NASA-JPL Education Office

Kim Orr is a web and content producer for the Education Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Her pastimes are laughing and going on Indiana Jones style adventures.

Using rubrics for assessment in STEM education

• July 17, 2022
• Assessments , Classroom Management , Engineering Design Process

What does success in STEM look like?

Assessment in STEM education was one of my biggest challenges when I switched from teaching middle school science to STEM. At its core, STEM class is about teaching students to solve problems. The specific topics and projects can vary widely. However, whether students are learning about civil engineering, 3D printing, or app creation, they should leave STEM classes as better problem solvers. 

I knew all this going into my first STEM class, but I also had no idea how to quantitatively measure my students’ problem-solving skills… And I quickly discovered that my students believed if their solution to a STEM challenge was successful, they would earn an “A.” If their idea failed, well, they would also fail. I knew this was not the way, and I had to fix it.

Assessment in STEM education should be about the process

After some reflection and research, I decided the best course of action would be to revamp my STEM challenges and ensure that students were focusing on the problem-solving process over the product. With this goal in mind, I created a rubric that breaks down each step of the engineering design process and outlines the actions students should engage in during each step. I made sure my rubric was general enough that it could be used with any STEM project. This allows me to accurately measure my students’ ability to problem solve and track their growth over time.

Changing student mindsets

Next, to ensure my new assessment strategy was successful, I needed to introduce the rubric to my students and gain their buy-in.  I started by color-coding the rubric and taping it to the students’ desks. I inserted an anchor chart of the rubric in our daily slideshow. Then I rewrote my lesson plans to ensure we were discussing and reflecting on the rubric and the engineering design process at the beginning and end of each class. 

I used this same rubric for every project we completed in STEM class . A copy of the rubric was attached to each new project, and I had my students refer to it frequently with goal setting and self-assessments. I even had them compare the number of points on the rubric related to their prototype versus the number of points on the rubric related to all the other parts of the process.

So what happened?

Using a well-defined rubric for assessment in STEM class was one of the best things I did for my classroom! 

The rubric allowed me to:

• Quantitatively measure my students’ problem-solving skills
• Track growth in my students’ problem-solving abilities
• Give my students specific feedback around problem-solving 
• Provide a more true measure of student success in STEM

The rubric allowed my students to:

• Know exactly what was expected of them during each step of the engineering design process
• Reflect on their own areas of strength and weakness 
• Set goals around problem-solving
• Change their mindset around what it means to be successful in STEM

Now it’s your turn!

If you don’t already use a rubric for assessment in STEM, I highly recommend trying it out. It will shape the way you teach, and ensure your students are leaving with the 21st-century skills that will benefit them throughout K-12 education and beyond. Grab a free copy of my engineering design process rubric and revamp assessment in your STEM class today!

2 Responses

• Pingback: How to start a STEM program: 5 tips for your first weeks of school - STEM in the Middle
• Pingback: A common problem of STEM students - STEM in the Middle

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More Blog Posts

How to Create a Water Filter STEM Project

By Trilby Hillenbrand DIY water filters are an impactful STEM project. The learning experience can inspire and empower students to

Creative and Unique End-of-Year Student Awards for Middle School

By Trilby Hillenbrand The weather’s getting warmer, and everyone’s counting down the days until summer! End-of-year awards are a great

Create Coding Wizards with Our Middle School Computer Science Worksheets

By Trilby Hillenbrand Hello, Middle School STEM Teachers! Unlock the world of computer programming for your students with our computer

Hi, I'm Trilby!

I help middle school educators like you facilitate high quality STEM lessons that engage and challenge students while saving time and energy.

Grab your free STEM lesson!

Shop the store.

Copyright 2024 | STEM in the Middle, LLC. | All Rights Reserved

Taking a Project-Based Approach to STEM Learning

How STEM and PBL go hand in hand

We are currently experiencing the fastest pace of change in history… and this pace is only going to increase with time. Success in this rapidly-changing economic, social, and political environment requires problem solving and innovation in a way never seen before. Occupations in science, engineering, and technology are growing at rates faster than other occupations, but fewer and fewer students are either qualified or interested in pursuing careers in these areas.

To respond to these challenges and better prepare students for a future filled with change, many educational institutions have begun taking a STEM approach to student learning. The movement to STEM not only focuses on additional instruction in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math, it takes a holistic approach to that instruction , breaking down the artificial academic silos between them. The integrated approach to instruction in these areas is designed to not only improve student achievement in each of them, but also to better reflect the knowledge and ways of thinking needed for successful problem solving and innovation in today’s economy.

Many institutions have also been moving toward project-based learning , or PBL. In this instructional approach, students don’t simply learn content and then apply it in a project; the traditional approach to content learning is flipped on its head. In a project-based approach to learning, students are first presented with a real-world problem or issue and then learn the content necessary to answer questions they have derived in response to the problem. During the process of questioning, research, ideation, and developing solutions, students build the problem solving, project management, collaboration, and leadership skills necessary for success in the world beyond the classroom.

These two approaches are not mutually exclusive. In fact, taking a project-based approach to learning can help you implement successful STEM learning in your classroom or school! Here are five reasons why PBL can you meet your goals for STEM learning.

Why use PBL as part of a STEM approach?

1. pbl helps students bridge thinking across disciplines.

Great PBL focuses learning around real world problems, providing a clear connection between what is learned in school and how it is relevant beyond the classroom. The authentic nature of these problems and issues means they are both complex and messy, requiring students to draw on knowledge across disciplines and expertise in many areas. Innovators in our economy don’t limit themselves to one area when they consider these problems; they explore and pull from “scientific, mathematical, artistic, or social elements” as the work to develop solutions.

2. PBL promotes deeper connections to content

The goal of project-based learning isn’t to cover; it’s to uncover. Project-based learning is an inquiry approach that requires time for students to make connections between the problems they are facing, to think about what they already know, and to develop lines of inquiry for new content they “need to know.” This specific context and need to know helps them not only identify and avoid misconceptions, but connect facts and information as they apply knowledge to solve, evaluate, and reflect on specific situations.

The Buck Institute for Education (BIE.org) often refers to project-based learning as a “deep dive” into content. The project-based focus on depth over breadth helps students develop deep understanding of content both in specific disciplines, as well as see how this content connects across disciplines.

3. PBL fosters the inquiry skills necessary for success in STEM

The open-ended nature of a project-based approach, one that isn’t looking for a correct answer, fosters both the analytical and creative thinking necessary for innovation. Great questions for project-based learning don’t lead to students jumping into answers; they lead to even more questions.

For example, a project-based approach to learning might ask students to consider: “How do we make cafeteria lunch healthier?” In response, students may ask, “Do you mean healthier for students or do you mean healthier for the planet?” Even if students only focused on healthier for students, they need ask:

• What is the calorie and vitamin content of existing meals?
• Which lunches are favorites?
• How much of any lunch do students eat?
• What types of food get thrown away?

You can support their questioning skills with graphic organizers, like KWL charts and 5 Whys organizers.

Try creating graphic organizers with your students in Wixie.

As a result of their questioning, students work may focus on finding ways to make existing lunch options healthier or their work may focus on developing new options entirely. The real world problems and challenges used in a project-based approach, don’t provide the content and ask for an expected response, they require intensive questioning as well as the analytical thinking and creative problem solving needed for success in STEM.

4. PBL fosters reflection and metacognition

“We don’t learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.“ John Dewey

The process of project-based learning is recursive and requires extensive reflection for successful solution development. As student work to develop ideas and implement them, they are constantly asking questions like:

• What do we know? What do we need to know?
• What do we think will happen? Why?
• What really happened? Where did our thinking going wrong?
• What worked? What didn’t work?

The reflective nature of the project-based process helps students make connections between content they are learning and how it impacts their thinking and problem solving. How well they can find and utilize that knowledge helps them better understand not only what they are learning, but how they learn .

Taking a project-based approach to STEM learning can help students form deeper connections to content, connect ideas across disciplines, and build the questioning, thinking, and metacognitive skills necessary for success in today’s rapidly-changing world.

by Melinda Kolk

Melinda Kolk ( @melindak ) is the Editor of Creative Educator and the author of Teaching with Clay Animation . She has been helping educators implement project-based learning and creative technologies like clay animation into classroom teaching and learning for the past 15 years.

Project-based Learning Professional Development

Creative Educator can help you bring project-based learning to your school.

• What is PBL and why do it?
• Make It Matter! Move it from projects to project-based learning
• Developing the questions for project-based learning
• Write a Great Authentic Task
• It's the Process, Not the Product
• Assessing Project Work
• Formative assessment during project-based learning
• Collaboration
• PBL and Presentations of Learning

Bring project-based learning to your school

Six ways to implement digital storytelling

Get the most out of collaboration during student project work

The glorious, wonderful, empty page

Make It Matter! Move from projects to project-based learning

More sites to help you find success in your classroom

Share your ideas, imagination, and understanding through writing, art, voice, and video.

Rubric Maker

Create custom rubrics for your classroom.

Pics4Learning

A curated, copyright-friendly image library that is safe and free for education.

Write, record, and illustrate a sentence.

Interactive digital worksheets for grades K-8 to use in Brightspace or Canvas.

Professional Learning

Digital Storytelling

21st Century Classrooms

Project-based Learning

Teaching and Learning

Informational Text

English Language Aquisition

Language Arts

Social Studies

Visual Arts

© 2024 Tech4Learning, Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy

© 2024 Tech4Learning, Inc | All Rights Reserved | https://www.thecreativeeducator.com

# Unit 1: Primitive Types

# lesson 1: output in java, # lesson 2: user input and variables, # lesson 3: data types, # lesson 4: number calculations, # lesson 5: modular division, # lesson 6: numeric casts, # assignment 1: calculating grades.

• Grade Calculators

Final Grade Calculator

Enter Final Info

My final exam is worth:

I want (at least) this in the class:

Enter Class Grades

Calculator Instructions

• In the top part of the form, enter how much your final exam is worth and the grade that you would like to get in the class. For example, your final test might be worth 20% of your overall grade and you want to get at least a 93% in the class. You would enter these numbers into the form.
• In the bottom half of the form, enter a description (optional) of the classwork, the grade received for that classwork, and the weight of the classwork. Most class grades are made up of several components such as homework assignments, tests, exams, quizzes, class participation, attendance, etc. For example, a class exam might be worth 10% of your grade and you received a 95% on the test. You would enter those values into the form.
• If you need more than four rows, press the "Add Row" button to add an additional line. You can add as many rows as you need.
• Once you have finished entering your grades, press the "Calculate" button and the grade you need on the final exam will be displayed.

Final Grade Formula

final grade = ((g wanted x w total ) - gw) / w final

w total = w 1 + w 2 + w 3 + ... + w final

w 1 = weight of assignment #1

w final = weight of final exam

gw = g 1 x w 1 + g 2 x w 2 + g 3 x w 3 + ...

g 1 = grade for assignment #1

g wanted = grade wanted in the class

Example Calculation

Let's say your class has the following grading plan.

Now let's assume you received the following grades on your classwork.

Finally, let's assume that you want to get a 90% in the class. To determine what you need to get on your final exam in order to get a 90% in the class, let's do some math using the formula above.

First add the weight of all the class assignments together including your final:

w total = 10% + 10% + 20% + 20% + 20% = 100%

Next, multiple the grade you received on each assignment by the weight of the assignment.

gw = (91% x 10%) + (85% x 10%) + (75% x 20%) + (95% x 20%) + (97% x 20%) = 7100%

Now, calculate what you need on the final exam:

final exam grade = ((90% x 100%) - 7100%) / 20% = 95%

This is how you manually calculate your final grade. Of course, you can make your life a little easier using the calculator above!

What if my class grade is based on points rather than percentages?

Let's assume you have the following class syllabus that is based on points.

Let's assume you received the following grades.

To enter these grades in the calculator above, you first need to calculate your grade percentage for each assignment using the following formula:

grade percentage = points earned / possible points x 100

So taking your mid-term test grade as an example, we get the following:

mid-term test = 190 points earned / 200 possible points x 100 = 95%

In the weight column of the calculator, you would enter the possible points for each assignment.

Assuming you wanted to get at least a 90% in the class and your final exam is worth 250 points (i.e.the weight), you would enter the following information into the calculator.

In this example, you would need to get a 93.6% on your final in order to get a 90% in the class.

You Might Like These Too

Class Average Calculator

Middle School GPA Calculator Without Credits

Semester GPA Calculator

How can we improve this page.