STEAM Update!

It's been a few weeks since I've updated you all on what's been going on in STEAM, so take a peek!

Kindergarten: This week Kindergarteners began engineering shade structures to reduce the warming effects of sunlight on an area. To begin our lesson we read a short story on monsters and their need for shade. After reading we worked as a group to brainstorm different places and objects humans use to cool off or get away from the suns powerful rays. In pairs, students colored in and created monsters to test their structures with. To begin our structures we started with planning our designs using a brainstorming worksheet. Student will be constructing their structures from a large collection of recyclables that I collected the first month of school. In order for them to plan accurately, I let them explore all of their recyclable options first so that their drawings would clearly display which types of recyclable materials they were planning on using. Next class, students will begin creating their shade structures using their plans/drawings. Once all students are done creating/engineering, they will begin testing their designs!

1st Grade: The past few weeks in 1st grade have been full of sounds and vibrations! We have seen, felt, and heard sounds. We've completed several experiments: Musical Splash, Musical Rulers, Kazoo Building, Guitar Creating, and Cup Phones. Students have had numerous learning opportunities to delve deeper into the world of sounds and vibrations and creatively navigate their way through lessons. For those of you who ended up with a musical instrument at your house or a child who created one at home after our class, I am so excited for you (imagine 26 Kazoo's at once)! : )

2nd Grade: In second grade we have been experimenting with all sorts of structures and properties of matter. We have done labs on flexibility, absorbency, as well as solving real life problems using our knowledge of properties of matter. This week students have been taking a quick assessment to test their knowledge and next week we will be moving on to reversible vs. irreversible changes! Students have been so thrilled with all of our hands-on activities, ask your 2nd grader which lab was their favorite.

3rd Grade: As our weather unit continues students are finally working on their typing skills and some groups have move into their planning and creating phase of their prototypes. Students have been working very hard and are so excited to get started on creating their iMovies! I look forward to sharing them with parents/guardians as soon as students begin to complete them.

4th Grade: In 4th grade students have been working on energy. As a whole students have begun to truly own our science vocabulary and I have actually been told they have been heard explaining potential and kinetic energy to other teachers! Certainly a feel good moment for me : ) Our first science experiment has been to test if speed and energy are related through a balloon rocket activity where students test to see if the amount of breaths (energy) placed in a balloon effects the distance traveled and the time it took for the balloon to travel across a 500meter line. Before students began this process they had to complete several trial runs to see which line (yarn, fishing line, or twine) worked best and why. As students complete the experiment in their groups they are responsible for relaying their findings and new found knowledge back to me through a worksheet I have created. Please ask your 4th grader which job they have been responsible for and what their favorite part of the experiment has been so far!

5th Grade: In 5th grade students have been working on MCAS review topics for their 5th grade Science and Technology/Engineering MCAS this spring. Our first topic was the rock cycle! Students have been working in small groups to research using our review Padlet wall as well as serval preselected books. Once all group members felt they had enough research to qualify for the full 4 points on their rubric, they set out to sketch how they were going to set up their posters. Once all posters have been completed and graded the posters will be displayed in their classrooms so they have easy access to their review material in hopes of remembering it for their MCAS! Please look for your child's rock cycle art work in their classrooms.

Thanks for checking in!

-Mrs. Henderson

What is STEM/STEAM?

The acronym stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. 

STEAM education is an exciting approach to teaching that stimulates children's creativity and draws upon their natural curiosity. Students naturally gain knowledge and experience in the STEAM disciplines by working on engaging, project-based activities. As a teacher I facilitate students' independent discoveries by guiding them through the STEAM Design Process, helping them to explore, observe, question, predict, and investigate STEAM concepts and possible solutions. 

Using the STEAM Design Process to solve problems gives students opportunities to learn and apply STEAM concepts towards a successful solution. The STEAM Design Process is a four-phase cycle that helps scientists and engineers find solutions to problems in a systematic way. Each phase in the process promotes creative thinking, learning, and innovation. The four phases we follow here at Cove are:

Planning: Students think of a solution to the problem based on their own experiences or knowledge. Drawing their ideas on paper helps them work though a plan and come up with a solid design. These drawings will also be used to reinforce what students have learned once they have successfully completed the project. 

Create: Students use critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they build a model of their design using specific materials. I often encourage students to talk about their models and explain how they are using their materials or how they came up with their unique features. I also encourage students to create models that reflect their original drawings as closely as possible. 

Test: A great deal of learning occurs when students are able to test their designs. Watching how their model performs during a test provides students with new knowledge of what works and what doesn't. For accurate results, testing must be consistent. 

Ask: Finally, students analyze their results and use their new knowledge to think of solutions for their new problems they noticed or encountered during the testing phase. It is IMPORTANT to help students realize that failure is a natural and useful part of the STEAM Design Process. I always encourage students to try again, starting at the first phase to create a plan for a new testable design. As Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” As a STEAM teacher I do my best to instill this motto in my students! 


If you have any questions about your child's STEAM education here at Cove, please feel free to email me at KHenderson@BeverlySchools.org

-Mrs. Henderson :)