STEAM Curriculum

At Mulberry Creek, our approach is centered around a coherent framework that aligns our school-wide vision with grade-specific objectives within our agricultural focus. We begin with a school-wide driving question that sets the tone for our community's exploration: "How can we impact our community and prepare for our future through agriculture?" This overarching question guides our collective efforts toward meaningful contributions and sustainable practices. Building upon this foundation, each grade level formulates its own driving question derived from its science, math, and fine arts standards, ensuring alignment with academic objectives while maintaining relevance to our agricultural theme.

Project Based Learning

Project Based Learning (PBL) is becoming increasingly popular in schools and other educational contexts, with several variations being employed. However, there are several fundamental differences between "doing a project" and rigorous PBL.

We find it useful to distinguish between a "project," which is a brief, cognitively light assignment served up after the instructor has covered the material of a unit in the traditional fashion, and a "main event" project, which is the unit itself. The project is the mechanism for learning the key information and skills that students must gain in PBL. Curriculum and teaching are contained and framed inside the project.

PBL, unlike traditional projects, requires critical thinking, problem-solving, cooperation, and a variety of means of communication. Students must do much more than memorize facts to answer a pressing question and produce high-quality work. They must develop higher-order thinking abilities and learn to collaborate as a group.

Journals

Students and instructors both benefit from keeping a journal. It's a place where you can keep a record of everything that happens during the STEAM process. Students may keep track of their thoughts, facts, observations, findings, and design sketches, among other things. Journals serve as a space for students to not only record what has occurred but also to reflect on their learning through drawing and writing. Student journals can help teachers uncover misunderstandings that students may have, as well as provide proof of student learning in ways that a test cannot.

Processed-Based Thinking

Design Process

The design thinking process for our students has grown year after year. The latest design illustration, seen to the right, represents the cycle of metacognition that students experience while working on a problem or inquiry. The graphic has changed due to the input of teachers and students as they are met with new challenges. Our latest version embodies what we strive to cultivate in each student as they learn.

Claim Evidence Reasoning

Students also employ Claim Evidence Reasoning (CER) methodology, crafting claims backed by evidence and reasoning. This structured approach fosters critical thinking and effective communication skills. By using CER, students learn to construct persuasive arguments and critically evaluate information, empowering them as analytical thinkers ready to navigate academic challenges confidently.

Visual Thinking Strategy

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) are utilized to enhance students' visual literacy and critical thinking skills. Through VTS, students engage in discussions centered around works of art, analyzing and interpreting visual elements. This method cultivates observation skills, encourages thoughtful inquiry, and promotes collaborative dialogue among students.

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