Making Agricultural Innovations

Students in 7th grade social studies classes explored agricultural ways that innovation and engineering are used to make Paraguay a modern and sustainable nation. This STEAM project from semester 1 asked students the question, “Is Farming Still Innovative in the Modern World?” and challenged students with a creation and Maker task to address this question.

Some students collected data in different ways. One student interviewed a family member who shared the challenges and triumphs of operating a sustainable agricultural business in Paraguay. Another student planned, designed, and built an innovative vertical garden on his balcony.

Other students monitored her family's food waste for an entire month, recorded her observations in a detailed journal, and then shared her findings in a comprehensive YouTube video. Some students researched vertical gardens and created her own 3D model to demonstrate their findings.

This hands-on, distance learning project expected students to connect with their community, collect and analyze feedback data, and make creation decisions based on their evidence. It is not surprising to observe scientific and mathematical practices in a social studies classroom, since this is the ethos of any integrated STEAM project. Well done ASA 7th graders!