Our K5 kids built Leprechaun traps for St. Patrick's Day. Students studied the behavioral habits of these fantastical beasts and designed potential traps to capture them in their natural environment. This combination of fantasy and behavior centered design was just the spark for creativity that our K5 students needed to come up with a variety of creative ideas. Their teacher, Mrs. Jimena Burt, mentioned that “The results were awesome! They used recycled materials and most of all: CREATIVITY!” It’s amazing to see students from kindergarten to high school use the ASA Design Cycle to thoughtfully research, design, and test innovative solutions to all kinds of problems, especially 21st century challenges.

Students in 1st grade learned about engineering through a parachute design challenge as part of their science class. Engineering challenges are possible now due to access to resources in the ASA Makerspace and a growing interest in hands-on making and creation. The Full Option Science System (FOSS) program used in elementary school is based on this same philosophy and encourages students to learn through experimenting. Every unit encourages science practices through hands-on application and connections to previous concepts. Science and engineering are pivotal skills for our students to love and enjoy, so we do this through engineering challenges here at ASA!

Students in 2nd grade learned about building materials by exploring how to make sand stable. They asked questions such as "What is sand made of?", "How can we make a sand sculpture?" and "How can we make them permanent?" Students explored this concept through hands-on inquiry to discover that a matrix mixture based on corn starch holds the sand together like glue. It also holds its shape and hardens when it dries. 2nd grades students extended this into an engineering challenge by determining how much sand to add to the matrix to make a good mixture for sculpting.

Students in 2nd grade extended their learning on a Towers and Bridges project where they were challenged with building according to design specifications. They had limited materials and needed to carefully consider where and how to best use them. Students investigated which materials to use for a stable base, which materials to use as the main structure of the tower or bridge, and which materials to use as additional height or support. Students explored the properties of these materials to determine their use and experiment by building multiple iterations of towers and bridges.

Students in the 3rd grade are busy in the Makerspace these days! In addition to making their landscapes projects, they are also starting the classic challenge of the Cardboard Arcades. This unit is about exploring the science behind gravity and magnetism through making a fun and fair cardboard arcade game. Students follow the ASA Design Cycle to ASK questions about how arcade machines use physics principles and IMAGINE potential games that are both fun and fair. Then, they bring their PLANS into the ASA Makerspace to CREATE their contraptions over the course of several periods. Playtesting, troubleshooting physics challenges, and determining appropriate scoring methods are all components of the design process. Once they have a functioning model, they REFLECT on their current progress by gathering user feedback and use that data to IMPROVE their model. The process is iterative and helps students focus on the individual stages rather than just the final outcome. Great work ASA 3rd graders!

Students in elementary school are also making creations for their social studies classes. All 3rd grade students with Mrs. Casali came to the ASA Makerspace to physically build models of landscapes and landforms as part of their social studies unit of study. Students collaborated in teams to use cardboard and other simple prototyping materials to create an assigned landscape from a topographical perspective, such as islands or mountains. When making models like these, it is important that students experience challenge and frustration rather than having everything solved for them by an adult. The process of failure is a natural and important step in life, so it is vital that schools ensure that when failure occurs the students are able to reflect on their learning and determine what is needed next to improve. REFLECT is the 5th stage of the ASA Design Cycle and the stage that comes after CREATE and before IMPROVE. Through reflecting, students are able to make connections between their socio-emotional skills, their academic knowledge, and their identity to take ownership of their learning.

Students in grade 3 study the structures of plants as part of their life science unit. They experiment using different seeds to see which ones grow and under what conditions. Students ask questions, formulate ideas, and carry out their life science investigations in this hands-on experience. All three classrooms (Mr. Hillman, Mrs. Young, and Mrs. Bossom) use these life science experiments to explore the various structure and parts of plants, such as the leaves, stems, and roots. Experiential and authentic learning is the basis of quality education, something that we highly value here at ASA and something that we are thankful for now that we are learning again from our physical classrooms. Look forward to more experience in elementary science throughout the year as we continue to bring out Full Option Science System (FOSS) kits to action in our classrooms.

Students in grade 4 study soils, rocks, and land formations as part of their earth science unit. This year they explored how various rocks and earth particles react and interact with chemicals, such as vinegar. Students compare a wide range of rock structures, such as granite, sandstone, limestone, basalt, conglomerate, calcite and marble, to understand how rocks are different and how they are made. Our 4th grade students perform a series of science experiments where they take appropriate safety precautions using safety glasses and record their observations in their journals. These investigations culminate with a trip to Cerro Koi where they explore and record the unique geological features that make Cerro Koi a national park in Paraguay. Let’s keep science fun, active, and alive so that these young innovators can make the world, and our Earth, a better place.

5th grade students are developing their engineering, making, and design skills through periodic STEAM challenges, such as this quick activity pictured below. Using limited card materials and a 10 minutes time limit, students were challenged with making as tall of a structure as possible. This sort of activity sparks creative and critical thinking skills in students as they are forced to experiment, evaluate their solutions, compare their ideas with others, and improve their models. To extend the challenge further, students were asked at a later date to revisit this challenge with less materials and new insights on engineering. This is a classic and effective use of the ASA Design Cycle and a great way for all students to get involved in STEAM education. Special recognition to Mrs. Quatrale, Mr. Lee, and Mr. Schumaker for facilitating these kinds of activities for students.

5th grade students reused simple materials, such as cardboard tubes and plastic bottles, to study the concepts of gravity and motion through Marble Runs. A Marble Run is a classic physics experiment where a track guides the marble through a series of twists, loops, and turns. Students use the ASA Design Cycle to imagine and plan possible models for a marble run and then come to the Makerspace to create them. The creation process is a time of trial and error where it is okay for students to make mistakes and learn from them. It is also a time to build a sense of spatial awareness, fine motor skills, and cause and effect analysis. Furthermore, building a project together requires students to naturally develop teamwork and collaboration skills. ASA is so proud to have students in our Makerspace building, creating, and learning!

Students in the 5th grade classrooms have been creating and presenting ecosystems models as part of their science unit Living Systems. Each student group created a physical model and informational poster about a specific ecosystem or biome in the world, such as the Great Barrier Reef or the Sahara Desert. What is special to note about this project is that all of the creation and development that students did occurred in the classroom. Parent support is a key component of success in school, but a balance between student effort and parental support needs to ensure that the students are the ultimate creators of their classroom assignments. We applaud the 5th grade team and students for their creations that show what can be done during class time!

Students in the elementary school have been learning about the scientific phenomenon of the monarch migration through the cultural celebration of Dia de Los Muertos that takes place on Nov 1 and 2 in Mexico and many other countries in North and South America. The migration of the monarch butterfly has happened for so long during the Dia de Los Muertos celebration that it has become part of the cultural celebration. These small, but powerful butterflies fly up to 2,000 miles or 3,200 Km from parts of Canada and the United States to the mountains of Mexico in order to escape the cold and survive the winter months. How do they know where and when to go?Students in Kinder and 1st created monarch butterflies by painting or using black glue to make the markings on the wing. They folded 1/2 of the butterfly to transfer the paint or glue and create symmetry on both wings. Some beautiful monarchs are flying through our halls!

Students in ASA have opportunities to learn how to code in elementary school, middle school, and high school through their design technology elective courses. All students in elementary school learn the intuitive and basic functions of coding through block-based programming tools like Scratch and Tynker. They apply these skills naturally to create games, applications, and programs to solve problems. In middle school, all students use block-based programming programs and text-based programming languages to code more complex topics, such as app creation and robot deployment. They are given many opportunities to take these applications and integrate them into their core curriculum projects in transdisciplinary applications. Students in high school have the option of taking basic and intermediate coding elective courses, such as STEAM principles or Computer Science Principles, to use text-based programming languages in more complex settings. ASA is planning to add an AP Computer Science Principles course during the 2022/23 school year to ensure that all students in the high school have access to a fully elaborated coding curriculum.

During the end of last semester, some elementary and middle school students started designing and launching their own water bottle rockets. This activity is a surprisingly simple application of projectile physics with very simple materials. Students take a standard water bottle and turn it into a rocket with simple materials. Since the mouth of the water bottle is the ‘engine’ launch area, that means that the flat part of the bottle is the top of the rocket. A launch of a simple bottle will result in the bottle curving and bending away from a straight launch. A nose cone and fins are usually added to support a more aerodynamic launch. As part of their MISSION TO MARS project, 8th grade students were challenged to build either a space lander, a Mars base, or a rocket to Mars. Students who built their rockets tested them during the last week of school under the supervision of Mr. Lipperer. This is an example of a simple maker project that is part of an interdisciplinary class project and how ASA is using community feedback to create our world-class STEAM learning ecosystem.

6th grade students have been busy in their latest Maker Experience building a comprehensive water bottle rocket complete with parachute deployment systems. They are using the ASA Design Cycle to ASK questions about the forces on rockets and parachutes, IMAGINE possible systems through reseach, PLAN their designs using limited materials, CREATE their designs using materials in the Makerspace, REFLECT on their launch performances, and IMPROVE their rockets through multiple iterations. This is exactly what engineering design practices is all about at ASA. We look forward to celebrating more of these activities during the upcoming Art Show, STEAM Expo, and Tri-M concert this coming May 25th - 28th!

Every year 7th graders develop an improvement innovation for their neighborhoods that help their communities become more sustainable. Students use the ASA Design Cycle to ask questions about their communities and research potential solutions to address a particular problem of practice. They use various modeling tools, such as Google MyMaps, TinkerCad, and the ASA Makerspace, to design an improvement and present it to their classmates. The ASA STEAM vision is for students to design innovative solutions to 21st century challenges and this project is perfectly tied to that vision.

7th grade students explore the modern practices of agriculture and answer the essential question "Is Farming Still Innovative in the Modern World?" in this unit. They use STEAM skills to critically analyze current farming practices, collect data from personal experiments or interviews, and develop innovations through modeling applications. This project questions students' understanding of where their food comes from, who is involved in the supply chain process, and how the agricultural industry is evolving to meet modern needs.

Students in 7th and 8th grade have been learning about underrepresented and minority figures in STEAM history by discovering the biography of a single individual and making a ‘Bottle Buddy’ to share with the community during the STEAM Expo. The purpose of this project is to uncover the notable figures from history that contributed to science, technology, engineering, art, and math advancements but were generally marginalized from mainstream society due to their gender, color, disability or other social difference. Students are expected to develop an accurate ‘Bottle Buddy’ with props that represent significant contributions the individual made to their specific field of study, a video presentation (accessed by a QR code) explaining the key points of the individuals biography, and a career study digital poster.

Students in the 8th grade extended their understanding of migration to explore what is necessary for human civilization to migrate to Mars and become an interplanetary species. The US program core subject teachers, led by the science teacher Mr. Lipperer, challenged students to excel with an interdisciplinary unit of study that included standards-based content from science, math, social studies, language arts, and design technology. This unit asked ASA students to use the ASA Design Cycle and explore how humans would migrate to Mars by looking at various concepts in each class, such as gravity, distance, temperature, and atmospheric conditions in science class, the role of government on Mars, how a social contract would ensure community, and what math is needed to ensure a successful trip. As part of this unit, all students programmed robots in various activities to simulate necessary tasks on Mars, such as finding ice water or terraforming terrain. Go ASA 8th graders!

Students investigated the impact of globalization on societies by looking specifically at tourism and sustainable practices inside the tourism industry. They were challenged with the essential question of "Is globalization a positive development?" and needed to follow the ASA Design Cycle to inquire, research, develop models, and present innovations. Many final products from this project were built either using 3D modeling tools or in the ASA Makerspace using recycled materials. When building project by hand in the Makerspace, students develop a set of soft skills that includes resiliency, curiosity, and commitment.

8th graders studied the effects of migration through a transdisciplinary that combines the core subjects of science, math, social studies, and English with art and STEAM classes. Students looked at individual stories of migration, studied the push and pull factors for migration, explored the environmental changes that cause migration, and combined their study into a comprehensive journalism publication that included digital media and cover art. This example of transdisciplinary assessments is key to STEAM learning at ASA and shows that when students are challenged with authentic real world problems, they are able to come up with integrated and research based solutions.

ASA had maintained a competitive middle school robotics team for nearly five years. This team participates in the annual Lego FIRST Robotics National Tournament in Paraguay and provides a key intellectual after school activity for middle school students. During the second semester, this club converts into a collaborative middle school robotics club and is open to all middle school students to come and learn the basics of robotics through building and programming an EV3 Lego robot. Students who participate in Lego robotics clubs learn STEM skills and are able to learn how things work together to create a moving machine that can follow specific instructions. They learn how to work together with their peers as a team through the core values of fun, discovery, innovation, inclusion, impact, and teamwork.

An example of ASA students succeeding in the fields of STEAM is the young ladies who form the core of the middle school competitive Lego Robotics team. Amalia Goldman, Nicole Herron, and Mavi Roedel collaborated together with four other ASA boys to take the robotics team to 2nd place in the national tournament. For all three girls, this was one of the first times they had ever experienced coding and engineering robots. Through dedication, collaboration, and creativity, they started a new trend in ASA robotics by taking a team with very limited experience to the competition and earning first in Core Values, 2nd in the Robot Game, and 2nd overall. This story for Mavi, Amalia, and Nicole is not over as these girls are headed to Brazil in August to compete in the Latin American regional competition. Go ASA ladies!

Social studies can come to life when students take their units of study and make them into interactive digital or physical models. 11th grade students in Mr. Hoyt’s US History class have been taking their understanding of early US history and sharing key themes by developing virtual museums. Students are using Art Steps, or similar programs, to create a virtual reality museum that includes an entrance lobby for the theme overview and various rooms for different analysis techniques, such as topic analysis, chronological flow, or evidence comparison. When a student takes on the responsibilities of a profession, such as a museum curator, they are able to explore the roles of responsibilities of adults in safe, fun, and meaningful ways before choosing their own career path.

Students in Mr. Rojas’ high school math class have been taking their equation and formula finding to new levels by modeling them in reality. Students are learning about parabolas by shooting hoops on the court and using this data to determine whether the basketball will make the hoop. A basketball in the air is modeled by a parabola and follows the basic properties of having a vertex and a symmetrical shape. Using this information, students are able to calculate the specific trajectory of the ball and determine if the shot will result in points. This is a practical and authentic application of math by using technology in the real world to simulate a math property. Well done HS students!

Students in Mrs. Barnett’s high school AP Biology have been studying liquid viscosity and surface tension through a series of experiments in the school’s Makerspace. Every student used a water dropper and three different liquids (water, soapy water, and rubbing alcohol) to record the number of drops that could be supported on the surface of a 500 Guarani coin. Students tested each liquid five times, recorded their number of drops in a spreadsheet, and then calculated several mathematical central tendencies, such as average and standard deviation. This is exactly the kind of learning that is encouraged here at ASA: Hands-on experience and attention to scientific thinking. Through these experiences, students gain an appreciation for how scientific studies in society are conducted and why transparency is so valuable in scientific progress.

The STEAM building has breathed new life into our science classes through interactive labs and maker experiences. A recent lab in AP Biology with Mrs. Katie Barnett Rivas explored animal behavior by using the school’s collection of beetles and mealworms. In this lab, students decided to test which food sources the beetles prefer using Petri dish choice chambers. Students created in advance a variety of experiments using petri dish choice chambers to determine preferable food sources for beetles. They created their own lists of ideal foods, sourced the materials through the school, controlled the situation using the petri dish choice chambers, and then collected data through repeated experimentation. This sort of student-centric, inquiry-based learning is exactly what STEAM Learning @ ASA is all about!

STEAM learning @ ASA is integrating engineering challenges with the scientific method for authentic inquiry and design! Students in grade 10 were tasked with creating a heat chamber device that would optimize the laboratory tests of calories counting. In this lab & engineering design challenge, students used heat to burn common food stocks and measure the calorie count. Their value was compared with the actual amount on the package to determine percentage of error. Then, students designed and engineering devices using materials in the Makerspace to contain the heat and reduce the percentage of error in their experiments. This learning unit fuses engineering challenges with the scientific method as a comprehensive unit focused on inquiry, student choice, and design thinking. Well done 10th graders!

Students in the high school senior class Anatomy and Physiology explored the various systems that exist in the human body through a hands-on activity in ASA’s newly opened Makerspace. There are a series of eleven organ systems, including the respiratory system, that make up the human body. It’s the interworking of these systems that students studied as they created physical models of the human body. Furthermore, all of the regions of the body have specific nomenclature to differentiate them. This eventually creates a huge vocabulary list for students to slowly internalize as they learn more and more about the various structures of the human body. This science course is perfect for students who are interested in medical science and becoming a doctor in the future.

Students in the high school Anatomy & Physiology class learned medical science skills through a recent dissection lab. Using scalpels, safety glasses, and other tools, they explore the skin, muscle and bone structure of various chicken parts, such as wings and thighs. Dissections are a common part of a biology experience to learn in a hands-on and experiential way, a pedagogical approach that is valued here at ASA. As we build our courses and develop our career pathways, parents of current students can expect to see a Medical Science pathway option appear that will specifically benefit students who are taking this course or the Forensics science course. If your child is in this course or interested in this course, make sure to talk to Matthew Johnson, the high school college and career counselor, to understand how to apply for the Medical Science pathway.

High school science students have focused their own vision to see the unseeable using our school's microscopes. This is the first year that high school students have the opportunity to take a science class focused on forensics. Forensic scientists examine and analyze evidence from crime scenes and elsewhere to develop objective findings that can assist in the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators. Students took oil samples from their own foreheads to look for microscopic organisms, such as face mites, which could be viewed as evidence in a crime scene. The ASA STEAM program continues to support students to offer them new and exciting opportunities that mirror what real professionals do in the field. Check out the results of the experience below!

High school students study chemistry in both their 10th grade Chemistry and AP Chemistry classes as well as the optional 12th grade Forensics class. Our 10th grade students recently investigated electrolytes where they were measuring conductivity. The objective was to find out what electrolytes were and why they are important for the body to function properly. Students in the 12th grade Forensics class recently created various crime scenes complete with chemical evidence to uncover and analyze. The objective was to place various pieces of evidence to form a crime scene and allow the chemical clues to point to the method and the culprit. These hands-on applications and inquiry-based investigations highlight the kind of learning that allows students to explore, ask questions, and make relevant connections to current knowledge. Learning at ASA is rigorous, experiential, and STEAM-centric!

High school physics students found formulas from action by studying circular motion through observation of tethered airplanes. Mr. Howard brought his 11th and 12th grade students to the ASA Makerspace for a laboratory that focused on making measurements and analyzing data of airplanes flying around in circles. This specific science lab required that students measure various values of the demonstration, including the vertical distance, the amount of time for one full revolution, and then use these values to calculate the horizontal circle swept by the plane and the linear speed of the plane. This requires students to use their understanding of trigonometry and forces to fully understand what is in play when an airplane is in circular motion. This sort of hands-on discovery and learning is key to STEAM learning at ASA and what we are all about!

One example of an ASA student succeeding in the fields of STEAM is our very own Mia Ramirez. During a semester 1 high school STEAM competition, Mia participated with two digital submissions. The first submission is titled “I know the end” and earned her first place in the competition after reviewal by a comprehensive STEAM teachers judging panel and a high school student popular vote. This piece was created by using “white colored pencil to mark out the most important things like skulls and ghostly silhouettes” and using “oil pastel to paint brighter colors near the center and the darker ones on the sides.” Her other submission, “Imminent darkness” used a digital engineering program called MagicVoxel and intended to “capture the initial moments of a meteor apocalypse.” This piece earned her the 3rd place prize and when asked why she created it she stated “I chose it after having seen other people’s work. I figured out most things by myself, but I also had help from Youtube and some friends.” Well done, Mia!

The ASA STEAM Vision is that students will design innovative solutions to 21st-century challenges through collaboration, communication, and creativity. In high school. this is accomplished by providing students with authentic electives and specialized AP courses in the form of STEAM pathways that develop STEAM career and life skills. Pathways give students an idea of what life can look like after they graduate, often giving them this glimpse while they’re still in school. Students in pathways courses access learning experiences where they collaborative engage in authentic inquiry to create solutions to real-world problems.

This December we celebrated our first round of completers in our Biomedical pathway and our Engineering Design pathway. Students presented their capstone to a teacher panel for rigorous final approval. Special recognition goes to the following students:

• Sarah Usandivaras and(Biomedical Pathway) - DYI IV drip capstone

• Nikol Trajkovski (Biomedical Pathway) - Prosthetic hand capstone

• Emily Kung (Engineering Design) - Windmill energy capstone