❓ C-STREAM FAQ & Troubleshooting¶

Location: Our Lady of the Prairie Catholic School · Belle Plaine, MN · Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Quick answers to common questions and solutions to typical challenges.

📋 Table of Contents¶

Getting Started Questions
Time Management
Materials & Equipment
Classroom Management
Assessment Questions
Technology Troubleshooting
Faith Integration
Working with Different Grades

Getting Started¶

"I'm overwhelmed. Where do I even begin?"¶

Start simple! 1. Read the Quick Start Guide 2. Just focus on Week 1 — it's designed to be easy 3. You don't need fancy equipment to begin 4. It's okay to learn alongside your students

"Do I need a science background to teach C-STREAM?"¶

No! C-STREAM is designed for generalist teachers. The lessons include:

Step-by-step instructions
Background information you need
Simple explanations of concepts
You model curiosity and learning, not expertise

"What's the difference between Year A and Year B?"¶

Both years cover the same core skills with different projects and contexts. If your school uses a two-year rotation (e.g., combined 1-2 grade classroom), students in Year A get different content than Year B, so they never repeat.

Check with your administration which year your school is on.

"How is C-STREAM different from regular STEM?"¶

The "C" stands for Catholic! C-STREAM intentionally:

Connects every lesson to faith
Highlights Catholic scientists
Emphasizes service and helping others
Sees wonder and curiosity as gifts from God
Integrates Catholic Social Teaching

Time Management¶

"My lesson ran way too long. What do I do?"¶

It happens to everyone! Options: 1. Stop gracefully: "We'll continue next week!" 2. Skip the share/reflection: Go straight to closing prayer 3. Simplify: Next time, do fewer steps 4. Learn: Note which part took longer for future planning

"My lesson was too short. Now what?"¶

Stretch activities:

Extended sharing: "Turn to a partner and explain..."
Wonder questions: "What else do you wonder about this?"
Drawing time: "Sketch what you learned"
Connection time: "How does this remind you of something else?"
Clean-up as learning: "As you put away materials, tell me one thing you discovered"

"I don't have time to do everything in the lesson plan."¶

Prioritize: 1. Opening prayer (2-3 min) — Always 2. Hands-on activity (bulk of time) — Core learning 3. Faith connection (2-3 min) — Can be woven in during activity 4. Closing (1-2 min) — Quick wrap-up

Skip if needed:

Extended background information (summarize instead)
All discussion questions (pick 1-2 key ones)
Extensions (save for students who finish early)

"How do I manage transitions between activities?"¶

Use timers: Visual countdown helps everyone
Give warnings: "2 minutes until we stop building"
Use signals: Clap pattern, chime, raised hand
Make cleanup fun: "Can you get materials put away before I count to 20?"
Assign jobs: Materials manager, supply collector, etc.

Materials & Equipment¶

"I don't have the materials listed in the lesson."¶

Substitution ideas:

Listed Material	Substitutes
KEVA planks	Popsicle sticks, cardboard strips, blocks
Sphero/Dash robots	Paper coding (write steps), human robot game
iPads	Paper and pencil, partner work on fewer devices
Fancy building sets	Recycled materials (boxes, tubes, tape)
Science equipment	Household items (cups, spoons, water)

"How far ahead do I need to reserve CSCOE materials?"¶

Minimum 2 weeks, but popular items (Dash robots, Sphero) may need 3-4 weeks. Check the CSCOE Library early in the school year and reserve for the whole semester if possible.

"What should I always have on hand?"¶

C-STREAM Essentials Box:

Paper (plain and construction)
Tape (masking and clear)
Scissors
Markers/crayons
Rulers
String
Straws
Paper cups
Index cards
Recycled cardboard

"A student broke/lost equipment. What do I do?"¶

Stay calm — Accidents happen
Document it — Note what happened for inventory
Problem-solve — Can another group share?
Report — Let administration know if it's expensive equipment
Teach — Use it as a lesson about responsibility and honesty

Classroom Management¶

"Students are too excited and getting wild."¶

Channel the energy:

"Show me you're ready by sitting quietly with hands folded"
"I need silent scientists for the next instruction"
Give a task: "While you wait, predict what will happen..."
Movement break: "Stand up, shake it out, sit back down"

Prevent it:

Give instructions BEFORE distributing materials
Have clear start/stop signals
Assign roles so everyone has a job

"One student is dominating the group work."¶

Strategies:

Assign specific roles (materials manager, recorder, presenter)
Use "talking chips" — each person uses one chip per contribution
Require rotation: "After 2 minutes, pass the materials to the next person"
Check in: "Has everyone in your group shared an idea?"

"Some students finished early while others aren't close."¶

For early finishers:

Extension challenges (printed and ready)
"Can you help a friend who's stuck?"
"Add to your design or make it better"
"Start your reflection/journal entry"
"Draw a diagram showing what you did"

For students who need more time:

Simplify the goal: "Just focus on getting this one part to work"
Pair with a patient helper
Provide partial completion option
Continue next session if possible

"Students are arguing in their groups."¶

Quick interventions:

"What's the disagreement about?" (Name the conflict)
"Can you find a way to try both ideas?"
"Rock, paper, scissors to decide?"
"Take 30 seconds to think quietly, then share again"

Teaching moment:

"Engineers often disagree — that's how ideas get better!"
"How would Jesus want us to solve this?"

Assessment¶

"How do I grade C-STREAM?"¶

Keep it simple:

Participation/Effort: Were they engaged? Did they try?
Process: Did they follow the design process?
Reflection: Can they explain what they learned?
Faith Connection: Did they connect to Catholic values?

Avoid grading whether the project "worked" — that discourages risk-taking.

"What do I put in report cards?"¶

Use language like:

"Demonstrates curiosity and asks questions"
"Perseveres through engineering challenges"
"Collaborates respectfully with peers"
"Connects STEM learning to faith"
"Shows growth in problem-solving skills"

"How do I track progress without tons of paperwork?"¶

Observation notes: Sticky notes during class, transfer weekly
Photos/videos: Quick documentation of work
Student reflections: Have them self-assess
Exit tickets: One quick question at the end
Use the Progress Tracker: Update termly, not weekly

Technology Troubleshooting¶

"The robot won't connect/work."¶

Quick fixes: 1. Power: Is it charged? Turn off and on again. 2. Bluetooth: Is Bluetooth on? Is the device paired? 3. App: Close and reopen the app. Update if needed. 4. Restart: Turn off device, wait 30 seconds, restart.

Backup plan:

Have paper-based coding ready (write the steps on paper)
"Human robot" activity — students give commands to each other
Watch a video of the robot in action and discuss

"The WiFi isn't working."¶

Offline options:

ScratchJr works offline once downloaded
Paper prototyping and designing
Physical building challenges
Discussion and planning activities

"I don't know how to use this app/program."¶

YouTube search: "[App name] tutorial for beginners"
Ask students: They often know!
CSCOE: May have training available

"Only some devices are working."¶

Adapt:

Partner work on functioning devices
Rotation stations — tech station and non-tech station
Paper-based work for those without devices
"Unplugged" version of the activity

Faith Integration¶

"I forget to include the faith connection."¶

Make it automatic:

Post the lesson's Scripture verse
Start with prayer asking God to help us learn
During activity, ask: "What does this tell us about God's creation?"
End with: "How can we use what we learned to help others?"

"The faith connection feels forced."¶

Natural connections:

Wonder: "Isn't it amazing that God made this?"
Failure/persistence: "God is patient with us, too"
Teamwork: "We're using our gifts to help each other"
Creation care: "We're being good stewards"
Service: "How could this help someone?"

"Students ask hard questions about faith and science."¶

Good responses:

"That's a great question! Scientists and people of faith have wondered about that too."
"Faith helps us understand WHY, science helps us understand HOW."
"Let's think about that together."
"That's something you could talk to [parents/pastor] about too."

Working with Different Grades¶

"I teach multiple grades at once. How do I manage?"¶