Earth’s Best Reading Challenge â–µ Endorsed by the Orange County Department of Education

TEACHER RESOURCES

Text over space image: Engineers make bridges. Artists make paintings. Scientists make rockets. But teachers make them all.

Welcome, teachers, to your mission control center!

Here’s where you will find helpful tips on Beanstack, how to have your class participate, downloadables, activities, and more to help you successfully navigate your students through the Reading Challenge.

Classroom Prizes

Teachers, we’re so excited to be able to offer special bonus prizes for your entire class!


To be eligible, simply submit a short video answering one of the following questions:

  • How did the reading challenge make an impact on your class?
  • What was surprising or unexpected about the challenge?
  • Why should your class win a prize?

View the video guidelines and helpful tips now in a pop-up.


Or, download the video guidelines and helpful tips PDF.


The video submission deadline is December 16, 2024.


Teachers of the winning classrooms will be notified on January 3, 2025 and will also receive an invitation to the first annual S.T.E.A.M. Reading Challenge Splash-Down Celebration.

CLASSROOM PRIZE #1:

MARS Portable Planetarium show

A free 45-minute planetarium show for up to 30 kids

CLASSROOM PRIZE #2:

30 Second Dance & pizza party

Dance Party buttons (3 different musical themes), fun necklaces, balloon/prize packs for each kid, and a $60 gift card to Dominos

Video Introduction

Pat Burns, founder of the S.T.E.A.M. Race to Space Reading Challenge, joins Audra Mesa of California's Orange County Department of Education to tour the Reading Challenge website.

Reading Challenge Theme Song

They say every great journey begins with a single step. We say every great journey begins with a single BOOK and a catchy theme song! Share it with your students as they venture out into the galaxies.

Teacher & Class Participation

We’re excited you want to inspire a new generation of critical thinkers and innovators by having your class join us on this amazing S.T.E.A.M. reading adventure.

Open book with a rocket blasting out and a collage of S.T.E.A.M. related items.

Interested in getting updates and reminders?

SIGN UP TODAY

How can a class participate?

  • Students will need to create their own Beanstack account and sign up for the Reading Challenge where they will log reading, earn virtual badges, and submit tickets to bonus prizes.
  • There are also several resources available to teachers:
  • Recommended S.T.E.A.M. reading lists 
  • Reading Challenge theme song
  • S.T.E.A.M. focused activities
  • Educational videos from previous authors on YouTube

What email address should be used?

  • Students can sign up with their own email account, personal or school, or a parent’s email. 
  • If a school email account is used, we highly recommend including a phone number 
  • SUGGESTION: Reach out to your district’s IT Dept to whitelist admin@readsteam.org so students don’t miss out on receiving notifications.

Can a teacher sign up their class for the Reading Challenge?

  • Yes, a teacher can sign up their entire class for the reading challenge by creating a Beanstack family account. 
  • We do NOT recommend this option as it requires the teacher to individually log the reading for each student and prevents the students from seeing and submitting tickets to the bonus prizes.

Helpful Tips on Beanstack

Beanstack is the name of the web-based reader tracking platform where students create an account to register for the Reading Challenge, record their reading activity, and earn tickets for prize drawings.

OR

Download the Beanstack app from your mobile device.

  • How do I find the Reading Challenge on the Beanstack mobile app?

    Launch the Beanstack mobile app.


    Select Find your school or library.


    Search readsteam.


    Select S.T.E.A.M. Race to Space Reading Challenge.

  • Can students use their school email address to register?

    Yes, students may use their school email address, but you must make sure your school IT administrator allows emails from admin@readsteam.org. 


    Otherwise, students may miss out on notification of winning and forfeit their prize. 


  • How do I log my reading?

    WEBSITE

    Log into your Beanstack account. 


    In the upper left corner, click the Log Reading button and select a log type (Log Minutes or Log Pages, depending on your reading category). 


    On the calendar, select the day you need to record your reading and fill in the fields.


    When you're done, click the Log Reading button.


    MOBILE APP

    Log into your Beanstack account. 


    Tap the blue add button at the bottom of the screen.


    Select Reading.


    Enter a book title or tap Log Without a Title.


    Select the day you need to record your reading. (Tap Change to change the date.)


    Fill in the minutes or pages, depending on your reading category.


    Tap Done.

  • How do I get my prizes?

    Prizes can only be redeemed through a Beanstack account. 


    After you complete the base goal, you will earn 5 virtual tickets. You will earn 3 more virtual tickets for every bonus goal completed. 


    Final day to submit virtual tickets is December 1, 2024. 


    Rewards Packages will be sent to participants' schools the week of December 16, 2024. 


    Bonus Prize winners will receive an email on January 3, 2025, notifying them of how to collect their prize. 

  • How do I redeem virtual tickets?

    Log into your Beanstack account. 


    Choose Ticket Drawings then select a prize. 


    You will see the number of tickets you have available. 


    Choose how many of those tickets you want to add to the prize drawing. 


    You can submit tickets to as many prizes as you’d like. All tickets must be submitted to a drawing by December 1, 2024.

Activities Section

Grab-and-Go Water Activities

Explore, discover, and learn about the importance of water with these free, self-guided water activities for students.

Educational videos from Space Camp

This digital collection of short learning segments features Rocket Center educators leading hands-on activities, talking with STEM professionals, and exploring STEM concepts and ideas.

She Blinded Me with SCIENCE! activity guide

This 18-page guide, featuring four inspiring women authors, is filled with practical classroom activities. 

Solve It! for Kids Podcast

Peek into the world of real-life scientists, engineers, and experts as they solve problems in their everyday jobs. Kids and families are then invited to take on a challenge and solve a problem themselves!

Stuff for Schools

Author and illustrator Christina Booth provides a resource page for teachers.

Sea Lions teacher guide

This teacher guide includes discussion questions, curriculum connections, and extra credit work.

Free study materials from author Gabrielle Prendergast

Find lots of free resources under the Study Material tab.

Interactive virtual tour of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

FUTURE U.

Hands-on learning experiences help students in grades 6–12 embrace their potential to make an impact and innovate for the future.

Visit the FUTURE U website.

Story Time from Space

Astronauts on the Space Station read stories to and conduct science experiments for the children of Earth as the world rotates below.

Abrams Books Teaching Guides

Access teaching guides for fiction and nonfiction Picture, Chapter, Middle Grade, and Young Adult books including graphic novels.

PBS SoCal Family Math

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