Showcasing STEM Fest

Welcome to the Bearden Elementary School STEM Fest Showcase! STEM Fest highlights the creativity and innovation of students as they present independent projects on topics of their choice in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Each project demonstrates critical thinking, problem-solving, and research skills, providing students with the opportunity to share their discoveries and ideas with the broader community. From hands-on experiments to interactive models and digital presentations, STEM Fest celebrates student-led learning and inspires curiosity about the world through the power of STEM.

4th Grade

Fourth grade students showcase their creativity and learning by creating book portfolios as part of their STEM Fest projects. Each portfolio highlights a chosen STEM topic, combining research, writing, illustrations, and reflections to demonstrate understanding and independent work.

Book Portfoliios

These book portfolios serve as both a record of the learning process and a way to share knowledge with others. An exemplar portfolio is displayed to guide and inspire students, showing how strong organization, clear explanations, and creative design can bring a STEM topic to life.

5th Grade

Fifth grade students showcase their curiosity and problem-solving skills by choosing a STEM topic to investigate and forming a hypothesis. Each project includes a written report explaining their research and findings, a poster that visually communicates their process and results, and a constructed model that demonstrates their ideas in action. These projects highlight independent thinking, creativity, and the application of scientific methods, giving students the opportunity to share their discoveries and inspire others through hands-on learning and presentation.

Book Experts

Bearden Elementary School’s 4th graders are becoming true book experts! Through in-depth reading and detailed book reports, students are exploring stories, analyzing characters, and sharing their insights with classmates. This project helps strengthen comprehension, writing, and presentation skills while encouraging a lifelong love of reading. Our 4th graders are diving deep into literature and proudly showcasing their growth as thoughtful, confident readers and writers.

The Engineering Journey

Our 5th-grade innovators took a deep dive into the Engineering is Elementary program to become true subject-matter experts. The process began with a core anchor text, but that was just the spark. To truly master their topics, students functioned as professional researchers by:

From Curiosity to STEM Fest

Expanding the Knowledge Base: After selecting their main EiE text, students curated five additional resources—including digital articles, scientific journals, and informational videos—to build a comprehensive understanding of their chosen engineering challenge.
Developing Testable Questions: Using their research, students moved from broad interests to specific, measurable questions that could be answered through hands-on experimentation.
The Design & Test Phase: Students wrote formal research reports, then moved into the "shop" to build prototypes and conduct controlled testing. They meticulously collected data, looking for patterns and outliers.
Peer Collaboration & Review: In a true scientific community fashion, students conducted peer reviews, providing constructive feedback on each other's methodologies and data clarity to ensure every project was "STEM Fest ready."
Public Presentation: The journey culminated in the creation of professional display posters, where students translated their technical reports into visual stories for the school community.

One Book read City

At Bearden Elementary, our One Book Read City celebration of Wind Riders: Search for the Scarlet Macaws didn't just stay on the pages of a book—it took flight in our STEM lab!

In a wonderful display of leadership and school spirit, our 5th-grade students partnered with their K-4 "Wind Rider" buddies for a special school-wide engineering mission. Acting as mentors and "flight instructors," the 5th graders visited classrooms and worked alongside younger students in Dr. Maitland’s STEM Lab to transform recycled materials into vibrant, aerodynamic Macaw Kites.

Through this collaboration, our oldest students shared their problem-solving skills and helped their younger peers navigate the design process. This hands-on project not only brought the story’s themes of conservation and adventure to life but also strengthened our school community. Now, our hallways are a colorful rainforest canopy, filled with the spirit of teamwork and the soaring creativity of every Bearden student!

Critical Thinking in the Canopy

Our 4th-grade students have officially stepped into their roles as "Conservationists" during this year’s One Book Read City! After following Max and Sofia’s journey in Search for the Scarlet Macaws, students took their learning to the next level by tackling deep-dive writing prompts that focused on ethics and innovation.

From writing persuasive arguments about why wild animals belong in their natural habitats to designing creative "gadgets" to help scientists safely track endangered birds, our 4th graders are using their voices to advocate for the planet. Their insightful responses—now featured on our "feathered" classroom displays—showcase a wonderful blend of reading comprehension, empathy, and critical thinking. We are so proud of these young activists for showing us that being a "Wind Rider" means standing up for those who cannot speak for themselves!

Young Advocates in Action

Our 4th-grade students are diving deep into the "Conservationist" level writing prompts. Inspired by the challenges Max and Sofia face in Search for the Scarlet Macaws, students are tackling the "Ethics of the Wild" prompt—crafting persuasive paragraphs on why wild animals should remain in their natural habitats rather than being kept as pets.

It is inspiring to see our students use their literacy skills to advocate for animal rights and conservation. Their focused work shows that being a part of One Book Read City is about more than just finishing a story; it’s about thinking critically and becoming responsible global citizens!

Geometry in the Rainforest

Our "Wind Riders" in Kindergarten took a hands-on approach to exploring the rainforest! To celebrate our One Book Read City selection, these budding mathematicians combined art and geometry to build their very own Macaws using colorful paper shapes.

By identifying and assembling circles for bodies, triangles for beaks, and rectangles for vibrant tail feathers, our kindergarteners practiced their shape recognition and fine motor skills while bringing the story to life. It’s amazing to see how simple geometric pieces can come together to create such a magnificent flock! These young explorers are proving that with a little creativity and teamwork, even basic shapes can soar.